As Apple unleashed a number of new hardware options last week, including the new iMacs, the hardware maker also quietly dropped the prices of additional RAM and processor upgrades on its MacBook Pro line.
Numerous readers contacted AppleInsider to note that high-end MacBook Pro configurations have dropped hundreds of dollars in price -- in some cases near $1,000.
In addition, the Australian online store, as of Monday, cut prices on MacBook Pros by up to $700 AUD. The 17-inch model, which previously sold for $3,999 AUD is now $3,299.
For other MacBook-related deals, be sure to visit the AppleInsider Mac Pricing Guide, updated daily with the lowest prices on Macs.
Comments on DisplayPort input originally appearing in this article were corrected and clarified and moved to a separate posting.
Part of the Australian price decrease is due to the falling American dollar and the price at which the product was lasted listed. In the past year, I believe the swing is close to 30%. Perhaps an Aussie could confirm.
In Canada, the Canadian dollar is up nearly a quarter.
Last year an American could buy a $999 MacBook in Canada for around $830 US. Now, it will cost $1030 US and a Canadian would save $60 CDN buying it in the US.
Well, a lot of my students have iMacs but no TV sets in their rooms. Attach an EyeTV adapter plus a Xbox or PS3 and you are all set... makes sense in these scenarios and cheaper than buying an additional 27" LCD TV (if there is any space for that at all).
Students should be spending their spare time studying not playing games and watching tv/movies.
I just got in the mail my PTC Premium Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter cable from Amazon, to try my Blu-Ray player on the 27" iMac, also no dice. Very disappointed If they can get this working it will mean I no longer need a television in my bedroom. As of right now I have a 27" TV and a 27" iMac side-by-side.
You purchased a cable to convert Display Port to HDMI, not the reverse.
Part of the Australian price decrease is due to the falling American dollar and the price at which the product was lasted listed. In the past year, I believe the swing is close to 30%. Perhaps an Aussie could confirm.
10/21/2008 \t$A 0.69750
10/27/2009 \t$A 0.92220
Macbook Pro 13" $A 1,599.00
Macboob Pro 13" $1,199.00
Still a big difference between exchange rate and purchase price.
The Australian price 'cuts' are more to do with the exchange rate disparity between AUD and USD. The Aussie dollar has been on the march for a while now.
** edit, sorry this has already been said... but not until page 2!
Perhaps... another small hint in the direction of a MBP redesign or power upgrade, in addition to the developer software MBP "6" hint released a few days ago? That would be excellent.
You folks are asking for convergence of two industries that don't want to. Display Port is the future of monitor standards - VGA -> DVI -> DP. HDMI is the future of television standards - coaxial -> composite -> SVideo -> component -> HDMI. "And ne'r the two shall meet..." as they say
...except millions of DVD players and TVs used DVI before HDMI came along. There was convergence of the two, albeit only for a couple years.
-- People are talking about "uni-directional cables" and needing to wait for "bi-directional cables." That kind of misses the point, in that the cable is the least of it. What we need are (relatively) inexpensive converters, since changing an HDMI/DVI signal to a mDP signal is a non-trivial hardware or software job. I had held out hope that Apple engineered some part of this into the iMac itself, but that appears to be not the case.
-- Since Apple's own specs mention the use of an adaptor, and Belkin has made clear its plans to ship an adapter (which, again, should more properly be called a convertor), there pretty clearly will be a solution to get at least some non-mDP into the iMac. The only question is how much that will cost-- given that other such converters on the market go for $100 and up, if Belkin can make a workable box/dongle/really fat cable for under $75 it will be surprising.
Still, given the big boost in functionality and the overall cost of the machine, I think many people would still go for it, if grumbling all the while.
I don't know if anybody mentioned this (or cares at all, except for us Canadians), but since you mention price drops in Australia, I'd like to point out that the same thing happened to the Canadian online store as well, with prices going down to 1299$CDN for the entry level MacBook Pro 13" (down from 1349$CDN) and to 2599$ for the stock configuration of the 17" (down from 2899$CDN). If that was already mentioned, you could excuse me for repeating it but, truth be told, I really don't care so don't spend your excuse credits on me.
You folks are asking for convergence of two industries that don't want to. Display Port is the future of monitor standards - VGA -> DVI -> DP. HDMI is the future of television standards - coaxial -> composite -> SVideo -> component -> HDMI. "And ne'r the two shall meet..." as they say.
As others have noted, the adapters out there are unidirectional. WHY Apple didn't release an adapter with the new iMac is beyond me and ranks up there with who thought a single RAM slot in the G4 Mini ws a good idea and the greater mysteries of life. Seems an odd omission as it's pretty obvious that this is their BluRay solution, at least for the time being. People want to watch BluRay on their Macs, so here ya go, BYO player. They just left the part of the equation out that bridges TV components to computer components. Third Party to the rescue, if you give 'em more than the couple of days they've had to work on the solution. Be patient, folks, it's coming.
it does seem odd to omit something so simple like you mention, could this be another indicator of things to come in the spring, maybe a new blu ray superdrive combo! or hdmi input/output(doubtful)
Comments
As Apple unleashed a number of new hardware options last week, including the new iMacs, the hardware maker also quietly dropped the prices of additional RAM and processor upgrades on its MacBook Pro line.
Numerous readers contacted AppleInsider to note that high-end MacBook Pro configurations have dropped hundreds of dollars in price -- in some cases near $1,000.
In addition, the Australian online store, as of Monday, cut prices on MacBook Pros by up to $700 AUD. The 17-inch model, which previously sold for $3,999 AUD is now $3,299.
For other MacBook-related deals, be sure to visit the AppleInsider Mac Pricing Guide, updated daily with the lowest prices on Macs.
Comments on DisplayPort input originally appearing in this article were corrected and clarified and moved to a separate posting.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Part of the Australian price decrease is due to the falling American dollar and the price at which the product was lasted listed. In the past year, I believe the swing is close to 30%. Perhaps an Aussie could confirm.
In Canada, the Canadian dollar is up nearly a quarter.
Last year an American could buy a $999 MacBook in Canada for around $830 US. Now, it will cost $1030 US and a Canadian would save $60 CDN buying it in the US.
Did you not read the article? Those will not work.
I wasn't suggesting this adapter would do what Apple's can't.
I was simply pointing out that Apple compatible adapters can be bought for less money from third parties.
http://store.apple.com/uk-business/b...CBOOKPRO-INDEX
I was in shock when I glanced quickly and saw £899, thinking it was $899...
Well, a lot of my students have iMacs but no TV sets in their rooms. Attach an EyeTV adapter plus a Xbox or PS3 and you are all set... makes sense in these scenarios and cheaper than buying an additional 27" LCD TV (if there is any space for that at all).
Students should be spending their spare time studying not playing games and watching tv/movies.
Is it just me, but when I click on "Buy Now" on the US apple online store for the 13" MBP, it directs me to the UK site instead...
uk-business/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro?aid=AIC-WWW-NAUS-K2-BUYNOW-MACBOOKPRO-INDEX&cp=BUYNOW-MACBOOKPRO-INDEX" target="_blank">http://store.apple.com/<b>uk</b>-bus...CBOOKPRO-INDEX
I was in shock when I glanced quickly and saw £899, thinking it was $899...
Not me. What site (URL) page where you on when you clicked on "Buy Now"?
What computer are you using, your home Hackintosh and your Mac Pro at work?
I just got in the mail my PTC Premium Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter cable from Amazon, to try my Blu-Ray player on the 27" iMac, also no dice. Very disappointed
You purchased a cable to convert Display Port to HDMI, not the reverse.
Dave
Anyone remember how long before the iMac and Mini updates they dropped prices... I'm thinking Christmas surprise.... if not January
Part of the Australian price decrease is due to the falling American dollar and the price at which the product was lasted listed. In the past year, I believe the swing is close to 30%. Perhaps an Aussie could confirm.
10/21/2008 \t$A 0.69750
10/27/2009 \t$A 0.92220
Macbook Pro 13" $A 1,599.00
Macboob Pro 13" $1,199.00
Still a big difference between exchange rate and purchase price.
P.S. Mac Pros are hell cheaper in France.
** edit, sorry this has already been said... but not until page 2!
10/21/2008 \t$A 0.69750
10/27/2009 \t$A 0.92220
Macbook Pro 13" $A 1,599.00
Macboob Pro 13" $1,199.00
Still a big difference between exchange rate and purchase price.
Does not Australian prices include a Goods & Services Tax (GST) of 10%?
Does not Australian prices include a Goods & Services Tax (GST) of 10%?
Yes they do.
I apologise. I'm unfamiliar with the tax regime in the various states of the USA.
So Apple is now dictating what external devices you may/may not add to your $2,000 plus monitor?
Preposterous!
read the message again
So Apple is now dictating what external devices you may/may not add to your $2,000 plus monitor?
Preposterous!
I'm not necessarily a big expert, but I may guess, that some dark sides of pleasure should be expensive...
You folks are asking for convergence of two industries that don't want to. Display Port is the future of monitor standards - VGA -> DVI -> DP. HDMI is the future of television standards - coaxial -> composite -> SVideo -> component -> HDMI. "And ne'r the two shall meet..." as they say
...except millions of DVD players and TVs used DVI before HDMI came along. There was convergence of the two, albeit only for a couple years.
-- People are talking about "uni-directional cables" and needing to wait for "bi-directional cables." That kind of misses the point, in that the cable is the least of it. What we need are (relatively) inexpensive converters, since changing an HDMI/DVI signal to a mDP signal is a non-trivial hardware or software job. I had held out hope that Apple engineered some part of this into the iMac itself, but that appears to be not the case.
-- Since Apple's own specs mention the use of an adaptor, and Belkin has made clear its plans to ship an adapter (which, again, should more properly be called a convertor), there pretty clearly will be a solution to get at least some non-mDP into the iMac. The only question is how much that will cost-- given that other such converters on the market go for $100 and up, if Belkin can make a workable box/dongle/really fat cable for under $75 it will be surprising.
Still, given the big boost in functionality and the overall cost of the machine, I think many people would still go for it, if grumbling all the while.
You folks are asking for convergence of two industries that don't want to. Display Port is the future of monitor standards - VGA -> DVI -> DP. HDMI is the future of television standards - coaxial -> composite -> SVideo -> component -> HDMI. "And ne'r the two shall meet..." as they say.
As others have noted, the adapters out there are unidirectional. WHY Apple didn't release an adapter with the new iMac is beyond me and ranks up there with who thought a single RAM slot in the G4 Mini ws a good idea and the greater mysteries of life. Seems an odd omission as it's pretty obvious that this is their BluRay solution, at least for the time being. People want to watch BluRay on their Macs, so here ya go, BYO player. They just left the part of the equation out that bridges TV components to computer components. Third Party to the rescue, if you give 'em more than the couple of days they've had to work on the solution. Be patient, folks, it's coming.
it does seem odd to omit something so simple like you mention, could this be another indicator of things to come in the spring, maybe a new blu ray superdrive combo! or hdmi input/output(doubtful)