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Most laptop manufacturers constantly update the hardware that is in each model. When they do this they change a number or a letter somewhere. Apple only updat

Most laptop manufacturers constantly update the hardware that is in each model. When they do this they change a number or a letter somewhere. Apple only updates the hardware in its machines about once a year. You could spend $1300 on a new laptop only to learn the following week that Apple is now selling a significantly better machine for that same price. Traditionally Apple has appealed more on the basis of emotion and design rather than hardware specs per dollar. Most people don't care what video card is in their laptop, so Apple's approach seems to be better. The danger to Apple is that people would put off purchases while waiting for the newer model. This surely occurs, but to date Apple has offered enough other advantages (case design, OS design) to minimize the impact of this on sales. The commodity PC firms compete only on the basis of hardware, so a few hundred megahertz or gigabytes make a difference in their ability to differentiate.

SandB0x 16y ago
Well put. There's nothing wrong with customising individual components when ordering, but most people seem to decide on a screen size first. IMO, the basic approach should be something like: Little Model 13 Inch 13 Inch Plus 15 Inch 15 Inch Plus Big Model Normal models are fine for everything that normal people do, apart from maybe playing the latest greatest games. Plus (or Pro) models have discrete graphics, more RAM and a better processor by default. You can choose, say, a workstation level graphics card and SSDs and whatever if you need. There: Amateur consultancy complete!
thunk 16y ago
Well, I ordered a 15" MBP about a month before this year's line came out. It was my first one, so I was unaware of their typical upgrade cycle, macrumors, etc. I was well past the return date and feeling like shit. I called them up and they RMA'd it, waived the restocking fee and paid the return shipping, no questions asked. I got a significantly better machine for about $300 cheaper. I was giddy like a schoolgirl.
- dasil003 16y ago
  Yeah they can do this because A) most people don't care enough or even think to try this and B) at the end of the product cycle, the original one was so overpriced that they can still make a profit off selling the refurb.
  - younata 16y ago
    and then you have those of us who buy the refurb, because it's not that bad a machine, especially when compared with the newer one in price per what you get. It benefits all of us.
  - DougBTX 16y ago
    most people don't care enough And in particular, the people who do care, get kept very happy.
- NathanKP 16y ago
  I know several people who have all had that exact same experience, and Apple replaced their old Macbooks with new ones for free, just as in your case. I think it is a great policy, as it really leaves us Apple customers with a good feeling about Apple's customer support.
illumin8 16y ago
"You could spend $1300 on a new laptop only to learn the following week that Apple is now selling a significantly better machine for that same price." And if that happens you can just return it (after only 1 week) and get the new model.
- grandalf 16y ago
  Well, not always. I bought a laptop from Apple in college and tried to return it the next day and they refused. It wasn't until years later that I considered buying another Apple product and it was an iPod shuffle. Fortunately they got their act together on customer service a bit since those days.
astrodust 16y ago
It's never really a surprise when Apple refreshes their notebook lines. They do it infrequently, and there's enough predictability you can simply read the tea-leaves to get an idea: http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ The difference in the recent crop of MacBooks is pretty minor apart from the massive gain in battery life due to it being built in. Most of the time regular consumers simply do not care, indifferent to the details. If you're particular about staying current, wait until the new notebooks are released and only by in that window. Apple's marketing has appealed on the basis of emotion and design, but their hardware is spectacular, especially the solid-body, integrated battery case being used on the MacBook Pro. I haven't seen anything even close in terms of technology. The build quality with most manufacturers, even their premium products, is extremely poor. They simply do not care, and since their customers shop on the basis of price and value, there's very little incentive to improve. I just wish that other manufacturers would get in the game and challenge Apple. It's nice to see Google taking Android in that direction and staying competitive with the iOS. As Nikon has a Canon, Apple needs a foil.
- jodrellblank 16y ago
  As Nikon has a Canon, Apple needs a foil. Since I last looked, someone has taken bpple.com, so you never know...

SandB0x 16y ago

Well put. There's nothing wrong with customising individual components when ordering, but most people seem to decide on a screen size first. IMO, the basic approach should be something like: Little Model 13 Inch 13 Inch Plus 15 Inch 15 Inch Plus Big Model Normal models are fine for everything that normal people do, apart from maybe playing the latest greatest games. Plus (or Pro) models have discrete graphics, more RAM and a better processor by default. You can choose, say, a workstation level graphics card and SSDs and whatever if you need. There: Amateur consultancy complete!

thunk 16y ago

Well, I ordered a 15" MBP about a month before this year's line came out. It was my first one, so I was unaware of their typical upgrade cycle, macrumors, etc. I was well past the return date and feeling like shit. I called them up and they RMA'd it, waived the restocking fee and paid the return shipping, no questions asked. I got a significantly better machine for about $300 cheaper. I was giddy like a schoolgirl.

dasil003 16y ago
Yeah they can do this because A) most people don't care enough or even think to try this and B) at the end of the product cycle, the original one was so overpriced that they can still make a profit off selling the refurb.
- younata 16y ago
  and then you have those of us who buy the refurb, because it's not that bad a machine, especially when compared with the newer one in price per what you get. It benefits all of us.
- DougBTX 16y ago
  most people don't care enough And in particular, the people who do care, get kept very happy.
NathanKP 16y ago
I know several people who have all had that exact same experience, and Apple replaced their old Macbooks with new ones for free, just as in your case. I think it is a great policy, as it really leaves us Apple customers with a good feeling about Apple's customer support.

illumin8 16y ago

"You could spend $1300 on a new laptop only to learn the following week that Apple is now selling a significantly better machine for that same price." And if that happens you can just return it (after only 1 week) and get the new model.

grandalf 16y ago
Well, not always. I bought a laptop from Apple in college and tried to return it the next day and they refused. It wasn't until years later that I considered buying another Apple product and it was an iPod shuffle. Fortunately they got their act together on customer service a bit since those days.

astrodust 16y ago

It's never really a surprise when Apple refreshes their notebook lines. They do it infrequently, and there's enough predictability you can simply read the tea-leaves to get an idea: http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ The difference in the recent crop of MacBooks is pretty minor apart from the massive gain in battery life due to it being built in. Most of the time regular consumers simply do not care, indifferent to the details. If you're particular about staying current, wait until the new notebooks are released and only by in that window. Apple's marketing has appealed on the basis of emotion and design, but their hardware is spectacular, especially the solid-body, integrated battery case being used on the MacBook Pro. I haven't seen anything even close in terms of technology. The build quality with most manufacturers, even their premium products, is extremely poor. They simply do not care, and since their customers shop on the basis of price and value, there's very little incentive to improve. I just wish that other manufacturers would get in the game and challenge Apple. It's nice to see Google taking Android in that direction and staying competitive with the iOS. As Nikon has a Canon, Apple needs a foil.

jodrellblank 16y ago
As Nikon has a Canon, Apple needs a foil. Since I last looked, someone has taken bpple.com, so you never know...