5 ms·

A Psystar employee: “They’re charging an 80% markup on hardware,” I've seen a lot of price comparisons over at /. but I don't think even the most fervent Apple

by jeroen 19y ago

A Psystar employee: “They’re charging an 80% markup on hardware,” I've seen a lot of price comparisons over at /. but I don't think even the most fervent Apple haters believe the markup to be that high.

mpc 19y ago
I'm not an apple hater but think of it this way...spec out a mbp at 2400 and compare it to a thinkpad with the same specs. Is the case and "industrial design" worth 1200 bucks?
- cstejerean 19y ago
  given that apple's sales are up I'm notebooks, I would argue that an increasing number of people find the quality to be worth the price difference.
- ken 19y ago
  Yay, this old argument! OK, I'll try just that: MBP at 2400: $1999.00 Thinkpad: (lenovo.com -> laptop -> 15" -> nvidia -> 256mb vram -> customize -> 2.4ghz -> 2x1GB -> 250gb -> wifi n -> bt -> continue -> webcam -> continue -> $1684.16 (on sale, down from $1952.95). They're not the same computer, so you can't get exactly the same specs. The Mac has a lower screen resolution, shorter battery life, and no option to get a fingerprint scanner. The Thinkpad is heavier and thicker, doesn't have a slot-loading drive, digital audio I/O, Firewire, a built-in camera, a lighted keyboard, or a breakaway power cord. On specs alone, I wouldn't say either is better: I could imagine any one of these factors could be a dealbreaker, depending on your use of a laptop. So the market says, no, good design isn't worth 1200 bucks. It's worth a little over $300, and that's when the competition has a "sale".
wmf 19y ago
He's probably comparing a crap PC against a Mac Pro workstation, conveniently ignoring that they use different components. But as long as Apple refuses to make the xMac, this stuff won't go away.
- tptacek 19y ago
  Why would Apple care? We're going to forget who Pystar is when this is over, but we're going to remember Apple, and the fact that market demand for their secret sauce is so high that companies will literally put themselves out of business to get a piece of it.

by jeroen 19y ago

mpc 19y ago

I'm not an apple hater but think of it this way...spec out a mbp at 2400 and compare it to a thinkpad with the same specs. Is the case and "industrial design" worth 1200 bucks?

cstejerean 19y ago
given that apple's sales are up I'm notebooks, I would argue that an increasing number of people find the quality to be worth the price difference.
ken 19y ago
Yay, this old argument! OK, I'll try just that: MBP at 2400: $1999.00 Thinkpad: (lenovo.com -> laptop -> 15" -> nvidia -> 256mb vram -> customize -> 2.4ghz -> 2x1GB -> 250gb -> wifi n -> bt -> continue -> webcam -> continue -> $1684.16 (on sale, down from $1952.95). They're not the same computer, so you can't get exactly the same specs. The Mac has a lower screen resolution, shorter battery life, and no option to get a fingerprint scanner. The Thinkpad is heavier and thicker, doesn't have a slot-loading drive, digital audio I/O, Firewire, a built-in camera, a lighted keyboard, or a breakaway power cord. On specs alone, I wouldn't say either is better: I could imagine any one of these factors could be a dealbreaker, depending on your use of a laptop. So the market says, no, good design isn't worth 1200 bucks. It's worth a little over $300, and that's when the competition has a "sale".

wmf 19y ago

He's probably comparing a crap PC against a Mac Pro workstation, conveniently ignoring that they use different components. But as long as Apple refuses to make the xMac, this stuff won't go away.

tptacek 19y ago
Why would Apple care? We're going to forget who Pystar is when this is over, but we're going to remember Apple, and the fact that market demand for their secret sauce is so high that companies will literally put themselves out of business to get a piece of it.