What’s up with the 17-inch MacBook Pro’s pricing?
Posted by Helper Monkey
Or should I say the 15-inch MacBook Pro’s pricing?
As predicted by AppleInsider, Apple today unveiled the 17-inch version of its MacBook Pro notebook at the NAB conference in Las Vegas. Pricing starts at $2,799, for the following specs:
• 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
• 1GB 667 DDR2 – 1 SO-DIMM
• 120GB Serial ATA drive @ 5400 rpm
• SuperDrive 8x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS – U.S. English
• AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth
• 17-inch TFT Display
Shipping is set at 7-10 business days.
The pricing on the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a bit baffling. The difference between the 15-inch and the 17-inch MacBook Pro is only $300. This actually makes the 17-inch look like quite a value. For instance, If you wanted to upgrade to the 2.16GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro from the standard 2.0 GHz model, you would have to spend $300, making the prices identical. Yet the 17-inch MacBook Pro offers: a larger screen (obviously), a 20GB larger hard drive, FireWire 800, and a faster SuperDrive.
While I think the price for the 17-inch is certainly reasonable, I see no reason why the 15-inch model should not be knocked down to $2199. Without a 12-inch MacBook Pro in the line-up (and there is rumored to NOT be one coming anytime soon) the MacBook Pro pricing scheme seems a bit unbalanced. Hopefully this is not a sign the “regular� MacBooks (i.e. iBooks replacements) will be priced at a premium as well.
No Brainer.
FW 800 baby!
The new Minis are also Intel-based, and are also up from their old pricing levels. I would be suprised if the new iBooks weren’t also more expensive. Aren’t commodity parts supposed to be cheaper? 🙁
I am assuming that Apple is taking advantage of early adopters in regard to the high prices. Hopefully they will all come down sometime after the entire line has gone Intel.
My understanding is that the core duo processor is significantly more expensive than the G4/G5, which were pretty cheap; this is also why they are doing integrated graphics in the mini & future ibook, according to some theorists.