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$200 to go from 8GB to 16GB was among the most reasonable of notebook vendors I saw in my research last night. Lenovo, for example, wanted $1,060 to go from 4G

$200 to go from 8GB to 16GB was among the most reasonable of notebook vendors I saw in my research last night. Lenovo, for example, wanted $1,060 to go from 4GB to 16GB in the ThinkPad X230. Regardless, I don't think anyone looking at such an expensive notebook to begin with would have a problem paying $200 for more RAM if they think they might need it some day if it means a thinner notebook.

georgespencer 14y ago
> Lenovo, for example, wanted $1,060 to go from 4GB to 16GB in the ThinkPad X230. At a guess I'd say that's because they're using matched 8GB sticks, whereas Apple is using 4x 4GB. (Just a guess.)
- reaganing 14y ago
  Yeah, Lenovo's using 8GBx2, but even so, it's a very heavy markup. Newegg wants about $125 for such sticks[1]. It'd be about $85 for 4GBx4[2] if that is in fact what Apple's using I also just navigated the labyrinth that is HP.com and looked at pricing on the 15" Envy (15t-3000 series specifically). The base model comes with 6GB and it costs $315 to go to 16GB (8GBx2)[3]. So, Apple's pricing really doesn't seem bad at all. [1]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226323 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226... [2]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226279 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226... [3]: No direct link possible apparently.
phaus 14y ago
Even if I made a million dollars a year, I wouldn't want to be needlessly gouged by anyone. I'm fine with vendors charging way more than the ram is worth, as long as I have the option to purchase my ram somewhere else. There's no denying that the new MacBook is a very nice machine, it just sucks that they either had to make huge concessions to get the form factor the way it is or they wanted to. Does anyone know if the Samsung Series 9 allows for user upgradable memory? If so, there is no excuse for Apple.
- reaganing 14y ago
  It does appear from Samsung's website that the Series 9 (the NP900X3A variant, anyway) does have user-replaceable RAM and supports a maximum of 8GB. Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook appears to have a user replaceable SSD, but not RAM. That Lenovo X230 appears to allow both. Seems other ultrabooks allow one or the other, or none. While I do like to upgrade things myself (upgraded the RAM and put an SSD in my current 13" Pro) and would prefer notebooks have that option, Apple's targeting an audience that would rather have their notebooks be as thin as possible than have the ability to do something that they'll never care to do. People that don't like that, can just buy something else, in Apple's opinion.

georgespencer 14y ago

> Lenovo, for example, wanted $1,060 to go from 4GB to 16GB in the ThinkPad X230. At a guess I'd say that's because they're using matched 8GB sticks, whereas Apple is using 4x 4GB. (Just a guess.)

reaganing 14y ago
Yeah, Lenovo's using 8GBx2, but even so, it's a very heavy markup. Newegg wants about $125 for such sticks[1]. It'd be about $85 for 4GBx4[2] if that is in fact what Apple's using I also just navigated the labyrinth that is HP.com and looked at pricing on the 15" Envy (15t-3000 series specifically). The base model comes with 6GB and it costs $315 to go to 16GB (8GBx2)[3]. So, Apple's pricing really doesn't seem bad at all. [1]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226323 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226... [2]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226279 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226... [3]: No direct link possible apparently.

phaus 14y ago

Even if I made a million dollars a year, I wouldn't want to be needlessly gouged by anyone. I'm fine with vendors charging way more than the ram is worth, as long as I have the option to purchase my ram somewhere else. There's no denying that the new MacBook is a very nice machine, it just sucks that they either had to make huge concessions to get the form factor the way it is or they wanted to. Does anyone know if the Samsung Series 9 allows for user upgradable memory? If so, there is no excuse for Apple.

reaganing 14y ago
It does appear from Samsung's website that the Series 9 (the NP900X3A variant, anyway) does have user-replaceable RAM and supports a maximum of 8GB. Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook appears to have a user replaceable SSD, but not RAM. That Lenovo X230 appears to allow both. Seems other ultrabooks allow one or the other, or none. While I do like to upgrade things myself (upgraded the RAM and put an SSD in my current 13" Pro) and would prefer notebooks have that option, Apple's targeting an audience that would rather have their notebooks be as thin as possible than have the ability to do something that they'll never care to do. People that don't like that, can just buy something else, in Apple's opinion.