Prince McLeanApple Computer recently added two new retail configurations to its MacBook line of consumer notebooks, both of which are now available at most of the company's stores, AppleInsider has learned.
The new model retails for $1449, or $150 more than the 2.0GHz white MacBook with 512MB of RAM and a 60GB hard disk. Both configurations included Apple's SuperDrive optical disc drive.
Meanwhile, Apple has also introduced a new configuration of its black 2.0GHz MacBook, dubbed the "MacBook Ultimate."
The $1599 model includes 1GB of RAM (also via two 512MB SODIMMs), but otherwise is identical to the company's $1499 MacBook, which includes 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard disk and SuperDrive.
The two new configurations expand Apple's MacBook offerings to five retail configurations.
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31 Comments
Is it just me, or is the new 2.0GHz white model a ripoff? Looking at the online Apple store custom configuration page, upgrading to 1GB RAM (+$100) and an 80GB hard drive (+$50) comes to less than the $200 price hike. I guess it's cool that more of the custom configurations will be available in-store, but I don't think $50 is worth the convenience of retail purchase. I'll just wait the 1-2 business days for shipping, thank you very much.
The Ultimate MacBook pricing is just fine though. If I were in the market for that, I would indeed strongly consider going through retail.
The Ultimate MacBook pricing is just fine though. If I were in the market for that, I would indeed strongly consider going through retail.
Umm... You do realize that's the same specs as the white for 100 more than what you just called "a ripoff"??
I know this has been beaten to death on other threads already, but your posting just struck me as weirdly incongruous.
Doesn't the Ultimate have the same specs as the $50-cheaper model you said was too expensive?
In any case, I think we can safely say that Apple has discovered they CAN charge more for a color choice!
Their pricing on the top models is odd. The bottom MacBook is the best buy in my book. And the MacBook Pro.
Actually they got the wrong prices for them. The White Macbook that's usually 1299 that now has 1GB of ram and an 80GB hard drive is not 1499, its 1449. The got the price right on the black one. I agree, though, $150 extra for black is pretty strange, but people are buying it.
Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that the BlackBook is a good deal in general. I meant that, compared to the existing black model, paying $100 for a 1GB RAM model is the same as spending $100 at the online store, so this new retail store model is priced in-line with the existing upgrades. The white model, on the other hand, added $50 for no reason at all.
But if the price was listed incorrectly, then all this news report really means is that they carry some pre-upgraded models of MacBook at the brick-and-mortar stores so they're more likely to sell you the computer you want, instead of forcing you to go online to get it to your proper specifications. No special deals, and no ripoff either.
And for the record, I am perfectly fine with them charging more for the black models. I prefer the matte black paint to the clear white for practical reasons in addition to aesthetic appeal. As a consumer in a capitalist market, you have the option to not buy them.