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There is more to it than just accounting for inflation. Apple has done a number of other things in the meantime, including designing and manufacturing their own

by brk 6mo ago

There is more to it than just accounting for inflation. Apple has done a number of other things in the meantime, including designing and manufacturing their own chips, that have changed the economies of this. Until the very recent RAM price explosion, a sub $500 computer in 2008 was probably more like a sub $350 computer today.

bombcar 6mo ago
Inflation goes up - someone who could buy a $500 computer in 2008 should be able to buy a $766 or so computer today (cite: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com https://www.usinflationcalculator.com) But today, if you can finagle the EDU discount, you can get a MacBook Neo for $499 ($600 without) which apparently isn't really compromised in any major way.
- throw0101d 6mo ago
  > Inflation goes up - someone who could buy a $500 computer in 2008 should be able to buy a $766 or so computer today It should also be noted that technological advances tend to be deflationary in general: regardless of real or nominal dollars, the chips/storage/etc you can buy today were sometimes not even available in the past at any price. Edit: e.g., see 1991 Radio Shack add: * https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/everything-from-1991-radio-shack-ad-now/ https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/ev... * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816
  - bombcar 6mo ago
    True, a high-end 386 would have cost upwards of $10k when it first came out, but a MacBook Neo probably beats the pants off a supercomputer from the same era.
    - throw0101d 6mo ago
      An old Radio Shack ad from 1991 that often makes the rounds is illustrative: * https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/everything-from-1991-radio-shack-ad-now/ https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/ev... * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816
- brk 6mo ago
  Yes, I'm aware how inflation works, you missed my point. Many technology things have effectively gotten cheaper over time, when you account for overall performance/specs/capabilities/etc. The "we don't know how to make a $500 computer that doesn't suck" statement of today would be more like "we don't know how to make a $350 computer that doesn't suck".

by brk 6mo ago

bombcar 6mo ago

Inflation goes up - someone who could buy a $500 computer in 2008 should be able to buy a $766 or so computer today (cite: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com https://www.usinflationcalculator.com) But today, if you can finagle the EDU discount, you can get a MacBook Neo for $499 ($600 without) which apparently isn't really compromised in any major way.

throw0101d 6mo ago
> Inflation goes up - someone who could buy a $500 computer in 2008 should be able to buy a $766 or so computer today It should also be noted that technological advances tend to be deflationary in general: regardless of real or nominal dollars, the chips/storage/etc you can buy today were sometimes not even available in the past at any price. Edit: e.g., see 1991 Radio Shack add: * https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/everything-from-1991-radio-shack-ad-now/ https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/ev... * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816
- bombcar 6mo ago
  True, a high-end 386 would have cost upwards of $10k when it first came out, but a MacBook Neo probably beats the pants off a supercomputer from the same era.
  - throw0101d 6mo ago
    An old Radio Shack ad from 1991 that often makes the rounds is illustrative: * https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/everything-from-1991-radio-shack-ad-now/ https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/ev... * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45161816
brk 6mo ago
Yes, I'm aware how inflation works, you missed my point. Many technology things have effectively gotten cheaper over time, when you account for overall performance/specs/capabilities/etc. The "we don't know how to make a $500 computer that doesn't suck" statement of today would be more like "we don't know how to make a $350 computer that doesn't suck".