Apple notebook fire sale continues with $1,499 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 56
    mj webmj web Posts: 918member


    What the dat indicates to me is nobody is foolish enough to buy a 128GB hard drive and Apple can't move them. 256GB and up are marked down considerably less. 


    (Composed on my 256GB MBA)

  • Reply 22 of 56
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    You're completely clueless on this, and as a result, you're denying yourself a superb web-browsing experience.

    Both Safari and Firefox are completely retina. Once you see what the typical web page looks like, you'll have trouble going back to a non-retina screen.

    It's too bad the 2560x1700 Chromebook Pixel is looking like a hoax.

  • Reply 23 of 56
    kpomkpom Posts: 660member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MJ Web View Post


    What the dat indicates to me is nobody is foolish enough to buy a 128GB hard drive and Apple can't move them. 256GB and up are marked down considerably less. 


    (Composed on my 256GB MBA)



     


    Microsoft put the Surface Pro out for sale today with 128GB being the largest storage option. 


     


    Clearly Apple didn't price the rMBP to sell in volumes, at least not in 2012/early 2013. My guess is that they are working with resellers to find the right price point for later this year when it becomes mainstream. I think that they will keep a 128GB version around. After all, it appears to be the most popular size for the MacBook Air line. If I didn't need to run Windows on my Mac occasionally, 128GB would be just fine for me. As it stands, if I were in the market, I'd be tempted to get the $1499 model and buy the OWC replacement SSD. With the Envoy Pro, I'd get a nice 128GB external SSD to boot. 

  • Reply 24 of 56
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    kpom wrote: »
    Microsoft put the Surface Pro out for sale today with 128GB being the largest storage option. 

    Clearly Apple didn't price the rMBP to sell in volumes, at least not in 2012/early 2013. My guess is that they are working with resellers to find the right price point for later this year when it becomes mainstream. I think that they will keep a 128GB version around. After all, it appears to be the most popular size for the MacBook Air line. If I didn't need to run Windows on my Mac occasionally, 128GB would be just fine for me. As it stands, if I were in the market, I'd be tempted to get the $1499 model and buy the OWC replacement SSD. With the Envoy Pro, I'd get a nice 128GB external SSD to boot. 

    If they can I suggest everyone wait. I think the node change for NAND is finally coming this year and I think the Mac lines will be likely be first on the list. IOW, I think the next MBA revision will have 128GB for $999 with no 64GB option.
  • Reply 25 of 56
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member
    This is utterly shameless. Way to go AI. You have now become an absolute sell-out. I'd rather pay a fee for your posts rather than have to endure posts that are nothing but gutless advertisements. Sure you have to pay the bills, but did you really have to go further than the ridiculous amount of side-bar adds and now include full posts advertising sponcer sites? Are the economics of running this site at such dire straits?
  • Reply 26 of 56
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    antkm1 wrote: »
    This is utterly shameless. Way to go AI. You have now become an absolute sell-out. I'd rather pay a fee for your posts rather than have to endure posts that are nothing but gutless advertisements. Sure you have to pay the bills, but did you really have to go further than the ridiculous amount of side-bar adds and now include full posts advertising sponcer sites? Are the economics of running this site at such dire straits?

    With a certain "moderator" driving subscribers away, they have to makeup for the lack of hits somewhere.
  • Reply 27 of 56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    I don't think that's true, component for component or overall. 



     


    And that might mean something if most of their components weren't proprietary.

  • Reply 28 of 56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    If they can I suggest everyone wait. I think the node change for NAND is finally coming this year and I think the Mac lines will be likely be first on the list. IOW, I think the next MBA revision will have 128GB for $999 with no 64GB option.


     


    It's already here. Prices on 128 and 256gb parts have dropped 30-40% compared pre-black Friday prices. I just picked up a pair of Samsung 840 Pro's for $119, compared to $170 just a month ago. 

  • Reply 29 of 56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hfts View Post



    Bought a MBA 13 non-retina about 9 months ago. What a beautiful machine, amazing engineering and design.

    Shopping around for a windows laptop as my wife needs it for work, we both were surprised at the poor quality.

    Plastic fantastic rubbish, eventually we settled on a Sony ultra book, running windows 8, as it was the closest MBA clone and we love Sony products.

    But the quality between the two are far apart, and the Sony is noticeably thicker.

    To preempt comments, I know I could have bought another MBA and run windows, but my wife is anti-computer and simply wants to turn it on and get things done as quickly as possible for her customers.


     


    You should have looked at Samsung's Series 9 laptop. It's gorgeous, with build quality on par with Apple's. I bought my wife one for work because she hates OSX, and it's worked wonderfully for her. She wasn't crazy about Windows 8, but after I disabled the "Smart Corner" nonsense and installed Start8, which brings the start button back to the desktop, she couldn't be happier with it.

  • Reply 30 of 56
    hftshfts Posts: 386member
    Thanks but no thanks. Had a Samsung LCD TV and it broke down just after warranty.
    Each to their own I guess.
  • Reply 31 of 56
    realisticrealistic Posts: 1,154member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by OriginalMacRat View Post


     


    Apple didn't drop their prices.


     


    AI's bait and switch advertising apparently worked on you.





    Either know or learn about the topic you are commenting on or don't post a comment. Your comment only succeeds in showing your ignorance.

  • Reply 32 of 56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    I wouldn't buy it for $999. Web pages look like s*** on that retina display and unless the whole internet plans on upgrading every graphic I have no desire to own one.



     


    Can you give me even one example?  I have the 15" retina display and have not had a single instance of a web page looking bad.  In fact, they consistently look better.  I have a thunderbolt display hooked up and dragging windows back and forth doesn't change the size of the window, it only improves the display of the content.


     


    As for a price decrease, apple hasn't lowered any retail prices.  If they have lowered the price they charge MacConnection, it more likely means a pending speed bump than anythign sales releated. The sales issue in last quarter was the severely constrained supply of the iMac combined with the quarter being 1 week shorter than the prior year.

  • Reply 33 of 56
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by xtacee1990 View Post


    considering how Apple rarely drops their prices this is indeed a fire sale.



    It's not a firesale if it's a reseller that's doing it rather than Apple doing it.  Did Apple drop the retail list price?


     


    Maybe the models that are the most popular are custom ordered.  Who knows why they are doing it on selected products, but did Apple drop the price?


     


    There are plenty of reasons why someone drops the price of a product if it's just a reseller.    Maybe they bought too much inventory and decided to drop the price as part of some short term promotion.




    The other thing is that certain products sell at different times of the year.  Example, some products sell more heavily to students just prior to a new school year as some products sell more during Christmas time.  All kinds of factors come into play.

  • Reply 34 of 56
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member


    To me it sounds like maybe the entry level model is what isn't selling as well as a higher end version, which makes sense to me.  For those buying a higher end model, they typically might want more storage, faster processor.  I think for the MacBookPro Retina, 128G of storage might be a little on the light side.  I would think for that class of laptop, people would rather have at least 256 or even 512G instead of 128G. 128G seems more like an entry level laptop like a MacBookAir or an entry level MacBookPro w/o Retina displays.  The Retina displays are more suited for higher end market where RAM, Storage and Processor speed is more important thus people want to max them a little more.  Just my first impression without knowing more about what their thought process is.

  • Reply 35 of 56
    oflifeoflife Posts: 120member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hfts View Post



    Bought a MBA 13 non-retina about 9 months ago. What a beautiful machine, amazing engineering and design.

    Shopping around for a windows laptop as my wife needs it for work, we both were surprised at the poor quality.

    Plastic fantastic rubbish, eventually we settled on a Sony ultra book, running windows 8, as it was the closest MBA clone and we love Sony products.

    But the quality between the two are far apart, and the Sony is noticeably thicker.

    To preempt comments, I know I could have bought another MBA and run windows, but my wife is anti-computer and simply wants to turn it on and get things done as quickly as possible for her customers.


    Well, from my experience of Windows, she would get things done a lot quicker with a Mac. :)


    I concur with you on the MBA, I also have a 13" (had an 11" before that) and it is Apple's best product ever. They go everything right. I'm going to upgrade to the faster one in a few months so I can drive two external monitors, but other than that, it's still fast and reliable enough to provide at least another year or more of use.

  • Reply 36 of 56
    xtacee1990 wrote: »
    $200 off is a fire sale? You don't know what a fire sale is.
    considering how Apple rarely drops their prices this is indeed a fire sale.

    As others have mentioned Apple has not dropped their prices. Retailers are getting more competitive in absence of iMac stock. They have to find revenue elsewhere until stock levels return.
  • Reply 37 of 56
    vorsosvorsos Posts: 302member


    As a reminder, Apple themselves dropping the price on an existing product line without any other changes (refurb, spec bump) is something they Never Do.


    If it were, the current entry level Mac Pro would sell for about $900.


     



    bdkennedy1 View Post


    I wouldn't buy it for $999. Web pages look like s*** on that retina display and unless the whole internet plans on upgrading every graphic I have no desire to own one.



    As I understand it, pre-retina assets are simply pixel-doubled, similar to retina iPhone and iPad behavior. They essentially look the same as before, albeit comparatively worse next to retina text. Not a deal-breaker for most buyers, as sales show.


     



    antkm1 View Post

    This is utterly shameless. Way to go AI. You have now become an absolute sell-out. I'd rather pay a fee for your posts rather than have to endure posts that are nothing but gutless advertisements. Sure you have to pay the bills, but did you really have to go further than the ridiculous amount of side-bar adds and now include full posts advertising sponcer sites? Are the economics of running this site at such dire straits?


    I don't necessarily agree with the tactic, but this is the first instance in my recent memory. Feel free to migrate to Cult of Mac, where the Sponsored Post ratio is more like 1:5.


     



    hfts View Post

    Thanks but no thanks. Had a Samsung LCD TV and it broke down just after warranty.


    Then you have one data point.


    Look into crowdsourced data, as in what percentage of rMBP users received the ghosting displays from Samsung, versus how many are built with the LG screen.

  • Reply 38 of 56
    kpomkpom Posts: 660member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    I wouldn't buy it for $999. Web pages look like s*** on that retina display and unless the whole internet plans on upgrading every graphic I have no desire to own one.



     


    Most web sites I go to are just fine. Remember, just about every full-sized tablet has a higher PPI, and the Surface Pro's PPI is just slightly less than the rMBP's. We'll see more and more websites upgrade their graphics. In the meantime, you get super sharp text.


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Vorsos View Post


     


    I don't necessarily agree with the tactic, but this is the first instance in my recent memory. Feel free to migrate to Cult of Mac, where the Sponsored Post ratio is more like 1:5.


     


    Then you have one data point.


    Look into crowdsourced data, as in what percentage of rMBP users received the ghosting displays from Samsung, versus how many are built with the LG screen.



     


    AI has had a few sponsored "news articles" in the past month, highlighting B&H bundles and MacMall promotions.

  • Reply 39 of 56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post



    So no the price hasn't been dropped, AI posted an ad to a reseller they likely get a commission off as an article.



    Real. Classy.


     


    "Likely get a commission"? Does the fact that the link in the story goes to a click-through tracking site give it away?

  • Reply 40 of 56
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member


    If your supply is significantly constrained there is little sense in marketing something at the going rate because you would be sold out constantly.   Thus you raise the price to moderate demand until constraints can be dealt with.   Frankly the electronics. Industry has operated this way for years and is one reason why Intel can charge a premium for their processors.  Intel is almost two nodes ahead of the rest of the industry and can take that advantage and charge higher prices as the roll out new chips.  


     


    So maybe it is best to say the retina MBPs are over priced due to constrained supplies.   


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    Seeing overpriced as a result of constrained supply seems like the opposite conclusion to make. If a product is overpriced it will not be purchased because it's over the price that people are willing to pay so how can you then say the supply is constrained if they aren't being purchased?



    I think the price will come down as the cost to manufacturer those displays and ability to produce more displays increase but I think the current prices are great for an IPS display of these resolutions on a notebook PC.









    • unless there is illegal price gouging which doesn't apply any PC.


    The prices are great for Apple as long as they can continue to charge those prices.   But as supply catches up with demand and the competition starts to make use of those screens Apple will have to moderate prices.   In the end the retina machines shouldn't cost anymore than the standard screened machines. 

Sign In or Register to comment.