Adjusted for inflation, 43 $499 iPads equal one Apple Lisa

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Released in January of 1983 for an entry level price of $9,995, the Apple Lisa would cost $21,844.85 in 2010 dollars. Today, with that much money, users could buy 43 iPads at $499.



Adjusted for inflation, the iPad is less expensive than the initial entry prices for the Apple I ($2,540.07), Macintosh Portable ($11,358.59), Newton Message Pad ($1,048.47), Mac mini ($553.64) and iPhone ($521.49). In fact, the only gadget on an adjusted price list from VoucherCodes.co.uk less expensive than the entry level iPad is the first iPod, which would cost $488.46 in today's dollars.



Other noteworthy products on the list adjusted for inflation: the 1977 Apple II for $4,641.25, 1991 PowerBook 100 for $3,660.90, 1998 iMac G3 for $1,593.91, 2002 eMac for $1,023, and 2006 MacBook for $1,181.25.



The analysis helps to put in perspective the initial cost of the iPad, which starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi-only 16GB model and goes on sale this Saturday. When Apple revealed the iPad in January, arguably the most surprising aspect of the unveiling was the starting price.



Prior to its introduction, analysts expected Apple's then-mythical tablet to cost between $800 and $1,000. While many expected a $1,00 price point, some estimates went as high as $2,000 for the inclusion of an OLED display.







In February, one analysis estimated that the components of the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad cost $219. That study found the most expensive piece of hardware to be the device's multi-touch 9.7-inch display, worth around $80. The hardware's custom-designed Apple A4 processor, believed to be manufactured by Samsung, was estimated at about $17 per unit, while the 16GB of memory was estimated at $29.50.



Even with its relatively low starting price, in February executives at Apple reportedly said the Cupertino, Calif., company could become even more aggressive in pricing the new hardware. The executives said they plan to "remain nimble" in pricing if the iPad does not initially attract as many customers as it has anticipated.



But all signs point to a very strong launch for the iPad on Saturday. Last weekend, Apple pushed back the iPad ship date for new preorders. Those who waited to secure their iPad via the company's Web site will now have to wait until April 12, as the first run of shipments have been accounted for. Apple has also seen strong demand for the initial run of iPad accessories, as new purchases of the keyboard dock and power adapter will not ship until May.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    s4mb4s4mb4 Posts: 267member
    you can only order 2....but i would have ordered 43 if i could have....
  • Reply 2 of 46
    bartfatbartfat Posts: 434member
    Dang, think of what I could have bought with 21k. I could've bought myself a nice Honda Civic Si
  • Reply 3 of 46
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,712member
    I had several Lisas (is that the plural? lol) through my hands back in the day. Great fun but freaking heavy!
  • Reply 4 of 46
    amdahlamdahl Posts: 100member
    The situation must be really desperate if they are pulling out the old '27 years of inflation' trick, combined with the '27 years of Moore's law' trick in order to convince you that the iPad is a great value. Oh, and you can't beat comparing the iPad with a previous failed Apple product.



    I mean, why not compare with Newton, instead? That is at least a comparable failed Apple product. And Steve killed it himself.



    Triple WIN!
  • Reply 5 of 46
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by s4mb4 View Post


    you can only order 2....but i would have ordered 43 if i could have....



    Ahahahah!!! GoooooOOOOOd!
  • Reply 6 of 46
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    1) I hadn't realized that Newton was $700. I don't recall paying that much back then, but I guess I did.



    2) I like these graph styles. They are more appealing to read. Is there an app that helps makes them? Here is another comparing the iPHone to Nexus One. I especially like the Battery Replacement bar using images.
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bartfat View Post


    Dang, think of what I could have bought with 21k. I could've bought myself a nice Honda Civic Si



    Just think what the cost of 1 Lisa would be today if you invested it Apple stock instead.



    edit:...



    $10,000 ÷ $4.50 (likely a little cheaper, but oh well) = 2,222 shares.



    3x 2:1 splits is 2,222 * 2 * 2 * 2 = 17,776 shares



    17,776 * $235 = $4,177,360.00



    Maybe a Lisa wasn't the best thing you could have done with your money.
  • Reply 7 of 46
    gbergber Posts: 3member
    Just think what the cost of 1 Lisa would be today if you invested it Apple stock instead.[/QUOTE]



    About $800,000 or 1600 iPads!
  • Reply 8 of 46
    grebogrebo Posts: 20member
    ... and neither can run Flash!
  • Reply 9 of 46
    sandausandau Posts: 1,230member
    I had a girlfriend named Lisa in HS.



    My response makes about as much sense as the frookin' article. wth?



    insert pancake bunny image here.
  • Reply 10 of 46
    finetunesfinetunes Posts: 2,065member
    removed
  • Reply 11 of 46
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    Must be a slow news day.
  • Reply 12 of 46
    Very interesting how the iPad costs pretty much the same as the original iPod, adjusting for inflation. And the first iPod had a black-and-white screen, no photo/video/game support, and five gigs of storage.



    iPAD IS AWESOME!!!
  • Reply 13 of 46
    msanttimsantti Posts: 1,377member
    Even not counting inflation, you could buy 20 16GB W-Fi iPads for the cost of one Apple Lisa.



    Then factoring in the computational power of an iPad to a Lisa...........



    Wow.
  • Reply 14 of 46
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    I love little things like this. Really puts things into perspective as to how far we've come, and what the future might hold. 20 years from now we could be comparing some magnificent Apple device to the iPad and laughing.
  • Reply 15 of 46
    justflybobjustflybob Posts: 1,337member
    Ah, this takes me back to the days when 1MB SIMMs sold for $1,000 a piece!
  • Reply 16 of 46
    paulmjohnsonpaulmjohnson Posts: 1,380member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    Must be a slow news day.



    Technology in "get's cheaper" shock!
  • Reply 17 of 46
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Amdahl View Post


    The situation must be really desperate if they are pulling out the old '27 years of inflation' trick, combined with the '27 years of Moore's law' trick in order to convince you that the iPad is a great value. Oh, and you can't beat comparing the iPad with a previous failed Apple product.



    I mean, why not compare with Newton, instead? That is at least a comparable failed Apple product. And Steve killed it himself.



    Triple WIN!



    Are you freaking serious? this wasn't Apple that did this, it was just an article from AppleInsider. It has nothing to do with sales. Some people...
  • Reply 18 of 46
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Amdahl View Post


    The situation must be really desperate if they are pulling out the old '27 years of inflation' trick, combined with the '27 years of Moore's law' trick in order to convince you that the iPad is a great value



    Yeah - the situation is really bad. Like you say - desperate.
  • Reply 19 of 46
    foo2foo2 Posts: 1,077member
    Add the Lisa's optional 5 megabyte ProFile hard drive--originally $3499--and the adjusted price for the system today would be ~$30K.
  • Reply 20 of 46
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    Must be a slow news day.



    No kidding. I'd rather see an article about the stock price, at least it's relevant.
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