Here's why Apple doesn't make "cheap" costing laptops...

[iWinnipegger]

Cuz they're trying to build themselves an image, like only rich or fashionable people should use macs.. that's why you see macs in starbucks, rich hip young professionals..

take abercrombie && fitch, they techinaclly could make cheaper clothes so everyone could buy it but they'd lose their image...

so yea, i can't see apple selling a relatively cheap laptop...

 

[Blue Velvet]

Do you think Apple laptops should be cheaper?

 

[iWinnipegger]

no,,i don't think they should be cheaper, i like the fact that apple is trying to create an image,,,

but there was a thread about, how they should make cheaper laptops...so this is kinda a response to that thread.

 

[lu0s3r322]

i agree. i buy clothes from abercrombie/american eagle and places like those, but i could also buy clothes from kohls, but they don't have that much of an image.

for me apple is more than image, its their design and simplicity that appeals to me.

 

[jellomizer]

Have you compared prices of comparable Macs and PC with simular specs Most of the time they are the same price +/- $100. Yes Apple Doesn't release cheap laptops to protect it's image. Making Cheap Systems is what is currently Hurting Dell. When you start making Cheap systems, people buy the system and with it being cheap quality people don't nessarly feel good about the product, and in 2 or 3 years when they upgrade they probably wont go with Apple. Let people who want $400 laptops go with Dell. When they realize how poor their laptop is, the next time around they will normally go and see who makes better quality systems. But the next time around they will not go with Dell just because of there previous bad experience, with the Cheap Dell, But they will spend the extra money and go with Apple, Lenovo, HP... Although they may have been just as happy with the higher end Dell. But Dell lost its business the next time around because they sold the Bargin bin el-cheapo laptop the first time around. If apple started to sell a lower line of Macbook "MacBrick" then Apple with first get a slew of people gettinging them waiting for the cheap laptop. Then after finding that the lower cost also reduces quality they will probably go Well Apple Sucks and next time around go with Dell, Lenovo, HP...

The analogy of Apple being on the high end clothing stores is a bit off. I would like to consider it more of a difference between say Crysler and Toyota. Where Crysler has a wider selection of Lower Quality Cars that cost less then a Toyota. But Toyota is known for reliable cars, but their low end cars is the same price of Cryslers Mid/Low end cars.

 

[SC68Cal]

Read this for an explanation.

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/1052F769-AC24-4892-8937-E3E90BCFD5CC.html

 

[ero87]

the clothes analogy doesn't quite fit.

Apple could make cheap computers, sure. but they would not be very GOOD computers. The quality correlates with the price.

apple not only sells more expensive products, but higher QUALITY products. they're not just maintaining their "image", but also their quality standard.

 

[iW00t]

Cuz they're trying to build themselves an image, like only rich or fashionable people should use macs.. that's why you see macs in starbucks, rich hip young professionals..

take abercrombie && fitch, they techinaclly could make cheaper clothes so everyone could buy it but they'd lose their image...

so yea, i can't see apple selling a relatively cheap laptop...

You got it wrong, it is pretty much the same cheap parts inside the case (just look at the recent complaints about the grainy displays, and the whining CPU before that). The most expensive component in a Mac is the case, which for the purposes of looking fashionable does its job perfectly at minimal cost.

 

[EvryDayImShufln]

You got it wrong, it is pretty much the same cheap parts inside the case (just look at the recent complaints about the grainy displays, and the whining CPU before that). The most expensive component in a Mac is the case, which for the purposes of looking fashionable does its job perfectly at minimal cost.

You may be wrong too on saying that they cost more in the first place. In fact, the prices are very similar, and usually there are slight shortcomings on the mac due to making them sleeker and lighter (ex: 6x dvd burner on MBP instead of 8x). But you pay for the implementation of technologies (bluetooth, remote, light sensors, etc) that you may not have wanted.

Anyhow I made a post recently comparing a MBP to a Dell and I found the dell to be significantly more expensive, with a few advantages. I'm not trying to say Dells are more expensive, but only that Macs are not very overpriced.

 

[4nex]

Have you compared prices of comparable Macs and PC with simular specs Most of the time they are the same price +/- $100.

Afaik there isn't a pc manufacturer offering anything like the mac specs for the same money (at the end of the life cycle Apple's are expensive but not at the start). You can get the same cpu and that kind of thing but not in the same footprint with a metal case, magnetic power connector and all the nice touches that make apple better than generic computers. They are expensive items but that doesn't make them bad value.

 

[WillMak]

take abercrombie && fitch, they techinaclly could make cheaper clothes so everyone could buy it but they'd lose their image...

Apple advertises to people who aren't white tho

 

[NewSc2]

Apple advertises to people who aren't white tho

 

[mr_matalino]

Apple advertises to people who aren't white tho

Huh?

 

[mr_matalino]

Yes Apple sells at a premium but it's not like they make their computers from the same parts that Dell uses...

 

[macintouch]

take abercrombie && fitch, they techinaclly could make cheaper clothes so everyone could buy it but they'd lose their image...

Abercrombie's strategy is a little different than Apple's. In the 90's they were very preppy and university like.

Now, It's all about showing cleavage and getting things as tight as possible. Rehashing designs of all the clothes and jacking up the prices.

With price comes aspiration. I don't fall for it personally. I'll stick with classic stuff.

 

[tech4all]

that's why you see macs in starbucks

Actually I almost always see PC laptops in Starbucks, unfortunately.

 

[4nex]

Abercrombie's strategy is a little different than Apple's. In the 90's they were very preppy and university like.

Now, It's all about showing cleavage and getting things as tight as possible. Rehashing designs of all the clothes and jacking up the prices.

With price comes aspiration. I don't fall for it personally. I'll stick with classic stuff.

Still, the cleavage is good

 

[GoCubsGo]

I've been asked far too many times about my choice to go apple over windows. When I am asked that, first I tend to correct the person in saying that Windows is an OS and Apple is a company. I then restate the question for them and ask why I like OS X over Windows or Apple over say HP or Compaq.

My answer varies so slightly but first I say that I am pretentious in that I work very hard for what money I do make and I like nice things. I have an eye for design and if that design can also be functional then I take it over functional ugly. I am a functional ugly person who enjoys functional pretty things. There are things that I have that are dysfunctional pretty...like my cat (kidding but you get the point). I like the way things look. I like design and line. I like form and form following function but I prefer function to follow form.

The second part is that I love Windows. I have had very good experiences with it and I find Windows 2k to be a great OS and Windows XP to be good. But, if you are an early adopter of technology then your experience with Windows may not be so great. I did not upgrade from Windows 98SE until 2 years into the launch of Winodws XP. It's just how I run. However, I am an early adopter of Mac technology and I without any sort of hesitation I find myself eager to upgrade to the latest OS when it comes to Mac. I guess it really depends on my computing needs, but in the end, I like how my mac runs and I wouldn't want to be without it.

 

[clevin]

Cuz they're trying to build themselves an image, like only rich or fashionable people should use macs.. that's why you see macs in starbucks, rich hip young professionals..

take abercrombie && fitch, they techinaclly could make cheaper clothes so everyone could buy it but they'd lose their image...

so yea, i can't see apple selling a relatively cheap laptop...

apple laptop's LCD is cheap, and low quality,
apple is selling the design, i doubt their hardwares are any better than other brand PC.

 

[iñaki'sonMac'87]

Besides a more integrated hardware, and a little better specs than many PC's(yeah, lousy display, but fine for me! better than my former Vaio) and a great OS and software (ilife, dashboard, you get the idea) and I could go on with security problems (virus, etc) and so on with the list of Get a Mac

from the Mac Classic II that I got for school in 1987 I have a nice experience with computers mainly because that I can work with them with no problems, just work no program hardware software problems so common in PC's experience.

The only curse that I had till 2002 was the integration problem to PC world, overall because I have always live with teachers, study buds and everybody with PC, so you can figure what a problem was to share a Word document, or a excel....

Apple don't do cheap machines because the don't do low-standar ones, it goes middle class to top, and if you compare specs, you even will get a cheaper price for a apple than a Vaio or Toshiba.... plus a OS very functional and safe and now iLife....worth every buck you spend in it

 

[Abstract]

Anyhow I made a post recently comparing a MBP to a Dell and I found the dell to be significantly more expensive, with a few advantages. I'm not trying to say Dells are more expensive, but only that Macs are not very overpriced.

I think any reasonable person has come to the same comparison.


But to be fair, many people also argue that a lot of the features in....say.....the MacBook (ie: the built-in iSight) aren't things they want, and yet they have no option but to take it. I think that's a fair statement. Think about it: If you want to build a Dell laptop with EXACTLY the same features as a MacBook or MBP, you would have to buy a cheaper Dell Laptop, but add optional stuff to it to make their features comparable. That's ok, but if you want a laptop that's like the MBP but without the features you think are useless, you don't have that choice, whereas with Dell, you do since you can add everything into your configuration as extras. Sure, it may cost more to get the Dell with the same features, but if you never wanted all those features found in the MBP, then in a way you're saving money.

It really depends on how you look at it. But no, the MacBook, MBP, etc, are not much more expensive than comparable products on the market.

 

[Sun Baked]

Apple don't do cheap machines because the don't do low-standar ones, it goes middle class to top, and if you compare specs, you even will get a cheaper price for a apple than a Vaio or Toshiba.... plus a OS very functional and safe and now iLife....worth every buck you spend in it

I don't know, now that Apple has access to Intel chipsets, and are learning how to put these machines together ... Apple "may" reenter the education market with a $500 laptop and lowend AIO.

Don't think Apple will go too much lower than that on the education price though, so you may see a $600 eBook and eMac if Apple decides to attack Dell in the education end of things.

Of course this would hurt Mini sales if Apple offers these to the general market.

 

[XP Defector]

I heard that most notebooks are made from parts and assembled in one factory in Taiwan?

 

[Chundles]

Wait, Apple is trying to create an image? They're 30 years old and one of the pioneering personal computing companies - there's no image to be created.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Wait, Apple is trying to create an image? They're 30 years old and one of the pioneering personal computing companies - there's no image to be created.

Exactly.