Apple does charge a premium but the synergy between the M2 Mac Studio, a curated Mac Monitor, iPhone, and iPad, a Trackpad that actually works, with the programs available, make it a easy choice to use Apple products, money well spent also owning shares and getting paid dividends is also quite nice. It just works.
8GB RAM is under $40 (Apple charges $200). 1TB NAND is under $100 (Apple charges $400). Apple's prices are close to 2013 prices. I reckon 12GB RAM + 512GB base on low-end without a price increase would be reasonable and 24GB RAM + 1TB base on $2k+ models. These would cost Apple under $50 on low-end and under $100 on high-end.
Then on low-end charge $200 to go from 12GB to 24GB and on high-end $200 to go 24GB to 36GB.
Trouble is, it isn’t just extra RAM Apple adds to the machine. It is replacing the whole SOC with a different one, probably with higher binning rates. A bit of a flaw in the SOC model.
If Apple offers a 1TB option, they charge 4x the industry standard for 1TB of storage, so now you are looking at $4,000 to run iPadOS apps.
Apple really needs to stop with their extortion tactics for memory and SSD prices. It was better when you could upgrade memory and storage on your own, because no one bought the Apple upgrades. Similar to the printer market in which the ink cartridges sometimes cost more than the actual printer. Now Apple has the consumer over the barrel and they know it and charge ridiculous prices.
I remember prior to m1 launch, everyone was so excited about apple doing their own thing and how avoiding the Intel and amd fees would bring cheaper Mac’s. LOL Instead, the prices took a Spacex rocket to the outer limits. Sure “base” models with specs from half a decade ago are somewhat affordable, but even those are messed with. From halving the ssd read speeds of m2 and m3 models if you don’t upgrade, to halving bus speeds of m3 models unless you upgrade, then charging an arm and a leg for those upgrades - when the m1 gen didn’t do any of that (except rip you at upgrade pricing), it’s a total rip. But apple knows they’ve got a user base and there’s no where else to go. Windows is a joke, Linux is just not that nice an experience, and what’s left? Chrome? LOL. Sad state of affairs. Apple Silicon is great. But it’s also proven to be a bit of a money munching Trojan horse.
Even thought I've seen if for decades it's still so fucking weird to see people get upset by what something costs v what something can do for them.
Could Apple have decided to make a much slower and cheaper Mac that was basically the same performance as the last Intel MacBook Pro to be the first Apple Silicon MacBook Pro and then done no other advancements to keep prices way down? Of course, but you surely wouldn't bitched about that, too. Making things faster, more efficient, and overall better is kinda what technically strives for.
Preaching the the choir bub. And again with the hysterics/cursing.
It’s all about investment. But at the base trim, it’s not an investment. It’s a sham. I actuallly tried it. Couldn’t do anything without running out of memory and massive amounts ssd space taken up by is and apps. Just not right.
Then let’s talk upgrades, how much for an ssd upgrade? How much for 16, 24, 64 gb?
You can talk what it does for someone all day. But in the end, folks know that memory doesn’t cost that much. When it’s one company charging exorbitantly while everyone else is at a different scale, that’s a rip any way you slice it.
What it does for you… lol. Sounds like a used car salesman charging more than new car prices because a certain older car reminds the customer of their mom. That’s nothing more than a cash grab.
8GB RAM is under $40 (Apple charges $200). 1TB NAND is under $100 (Apple charges $400). Apple's prices are close to 2013 prices. I reckon 12GB RAM + 512GB base on low-end without a price increase would be reasonable and 24GB RAM + 1TB base on $2k+ models. These would cost Apple under $50 on low-end and under $100 on high-end.
Then on low-end charge $200 to go from 12GB to 24GB and on high-end $200 to go 24GB to 36GB.
Trouble is, it isn’t just extra RAM Apple adds to the machine. It is replacing the whole SOC with a different one, probably with higher binning rates. A bit of a flaw in the SOC model.
Something easily remedied by standardizing at higher ram capacities and benefitting from economy of scale.
This is a new product category. Buyers aren’t in a good position to know how much storage they need. Apple should sell a single configuration and make it well equipped for the early adopters willing to plunk down $3500. This isn’t the time to squeeze extra profit for an extra 500 GB of storage.
It is not really a new category. It runs iPadOS apps. People would already know storage requirements based on what apps they want to use. And the battery life is only about 2 hours, so not much use from it.
If you think this thing only runs iPad apps, you haven't been paying any attention at all.
Looking forward to gen 3 or 4. Samsung finally showed of a genuinely great transparent LED display just recently. Sony or Samsung will boil that down to sunglasses size before too long. No need for camera footage of the world around you when you can just see it through a lense. Lighter device, better battery, less bulk, a form factor that gets out of the way, definitely looking forward to that.
That's not how this stuff works. Transparent AR glasses use tiny micro OLED displays that project light into waveguides that are integrated into the lenses to refract light back into your eye while you look off into the distance. You can't just put a transparent display like what Samsung and LG demoed at CES in front of your eyes, as you can't focus on a plane that close up and especially not while also focusing on things in the distance.
Those base values are there just so they can advertise a low starting at price.
$3500 is “low” now.
Inflation adjusted price of the first Apple Powerbook = over $4,000. New product categories are always going to be pricey.
Currently the Apple MacBook Pro (in any configuration) is mainstream to the upper 20% of the market, most computer users will never ever get to use one in their life.
8GB RAM is under $40 (Apple charges $200). 1TB NAND is under $100 (Apple charges $400). Apple's prices are close to 2013 prices. I reckon 12GB RAM + 512GB base on low-end without a price increase would be reasonable and 24GB RAM + 1TB base on $2k+ models. These would cost Apple under $50 on low-end and under $100 on high-end.
Then on low-end charge $200 to go from 12GB to 24GB and on high-end $200 to go 24GB to 36GB.
Trouble is, it isn’t just extra RAM Apple adds to the machine. It is replacing the whole SOC with a different one, probably with higher binning rates. A bit of a flaw in the SOC model.
They have the RAM separate from the chip components so it shouldn't affect costs much, they just make boards with more or less RAM from the same batch of processors:
Just now they have 8/16/24, 18/36/48/64/96/128. It could be 12/24/36, 24/36/48/64/96/128. It makes sense to do it this year starting with M3 models given how much AI is taking off. Students will be learning this and need lots of RAM, a 15" Air with 36GB would be a good option at $1699.
Comments
That's not how this stuff works. Transparent AR glasses use tiny micro OLED displays that project light into waveguides that are integrated into the lenses to refract light back into your eye while you look off into the distance. You can't just put a transparent display like what Samsung and LG demoed at CES in front of your eyes, as you can't focus on a plane that close up and especially not while also focusing on things in the distance.
Currently the Apple MacBook Pro (in any configuration) is mainstream to the upper 20% of the market, most computer users will never ever get to use one in their life.
https://www.howtogeek.com/701804/how-unified-memory-speeds-up-apples-m1-arm-macs/
Just now they have 8/16/24, 18/36/48/64/96/128. It could be 12/24/36, 24/36/48/64/96/128. It makes sense to do it this year starting with M3 models given how much AI is taking off. Students will be learning this and need lots of RAM, a 15" Air with 36GB would be a good option at $1699.