Replies to post #56533 on Apple Inc (AAPL)

[ljk]

All that money you've been making hasn't changed you? :)

[KCMW]

roni - more for less

Yes, I know, and would like to see Apple doing that, but that just has not been the Apple way for the most part. They have been uping the features and keeping the price about the same.

I'll go back and check what I paid for my sons G4 iBook two years ago. By the time I added memory, and an airport card, I'm pretty sure I was above this price, even at edu prices. And this new one really does give a lot more. If that is the case, then prices *have* dropped.

Are they competitive with Dells? I'm sure we will be hearing about that ;-)

Oh, but the extra $200 for a Superdrive *upgrade* does seem steep, steep, steep (yes, you get an extra 0.17 GHz too!). You should be able to buy the whole Superdrive for about that, not just upgrade!!!???

-KCMW

[KCMW]

iBook vs MacBook $

I've got my receipts, a 12" G4 iBook purchased June 2004 went for $1099 ($999 edu). To even begin to compare to the new MB, I think you need to at least add Airport @ $30, and 256MB to bring it to 512MB total. I added 512MB at the time for $99 plus $5 ship - I'll guess and say that 256MB would have cost $60 back then.

So, $1099 + 30 + 60 = $1189; $1089 at edu, compared to $1099 retail for MB 13.3". And that sure leaves a ton of features out of the picture.

Bottom line, I'll be in the market for one of these when #2 goes off to college next year. I'm not dissatisfied with this pricing at all. I think the extras are well worth the approximate price parity with two years ago. I think the G4 iBooks at the time were reasonably cost competitive with the Wintel world (depending upon the premium you assign to OSX, iLife, etc), and it looks like these new MBs will be also.

The market sure does not like something in AAPL land though - were they expecting an iPhone announcement? Buying op?

-KCMW