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Apple to Launch an $800 Laptop?

macrumors.com — The Inquisitr claims that some Apple retailers have already been given price lists for Apple's upcoming laptops and that there are 12 price points ranging from $800 to $3100. Current laptops are said to have only have 8 retail price points: 3 Macbooks (starting at $1099), 3 Macbook Pros and 2 Macb...

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  • skemez1, on 10/09/2008, -13/+111That would be a big change for apple but with the economy as it is, it doesn't seem impossible for apple to want to lower there price points.
    • JakeW, on 10/09/2008, -11/+78their*
      • vilago, on 10/09/2008, -7/+32seriously why do people mix up there and their all the time? i mean they have totally different uses. i guess some people never were able to hit that 4th grade reading level.
      • Baryn, on 10/09/2008, -38/+4AAGGHHH I JERK OFF TOO MUCH! MILK WAS A BAD CHOICE!

        You ***** mongrel bred of an assortment of various *****. I hope you are slain instantly by a moving vehicle.
      • evo8ftw, on 10/09/2008, -28/+4thanks,

        The only thing I hate more than apple fan boys is grammar Nazis congratulations on meeting both of my pet peeves.
      • PabloMac, on 10/09/2008, -2/+28Some people realize the importance of clear communication, and others just spew out names and insults.
      • sockpuppets, on 10/09/2008, -1/+3I like your beard.
      • naruttebayo, on 10/10/2008, -1/+3@evo8ftw:
        "Thanks,

        The only things I hate more than apple fan boys are grammar Nazis; congratulations on meeting both of my pet peeves."

        You're welcome. :D
      • samfishercell, on 10/10/2008, -2/+4Gammar Nazi complain about all sorts of correct phrasing and punctuation.

        Their/there/they're is just common sense.
      • evo8ftw, on 10/10/2008, -1/+1@naruttebayo wtf? congrats on using a sentence with a ;
        do you want a cookie?
    • DontDoDrugs, on 10/09/2008, -7/+43http://www.wikihow.com/Use-There,-Their-and-They%2 ...
    • brettg102, on 10/09/2008, -24/+1So you're insinuating that in bad econonomic times it would be a good idea ot market high priced (many would argue over priced) goods as opposed to more affordable goods? That's sound logic. I think a bargain laptop would be an excellent move for Apple in a time when peoples dollar is not going as far.

      Note: Proud Iphone user and AAPL owner @ 110.67 :(
    • wukillabee, on 10/09/2008, -9/+22lol an $800 mac laptop would have these sort of specs

      60gig HD
      intel celeron processor
      some crappy integrated gfx card
      a cd only drive
      10inch screen


      and the mac fanboys would still buy it
      • soulweaponry, on 10/09/2008, -4/+12Why do i think you're right
      • somestranger26, on 10/09/2008, -4/+10@soulweaponry
        Because he's basically describing a netbook like the Eee 1000 or the Acer Aspire One. If they actually are making an $800 laptop it will probably just be a netbook with a jacked up price.
      • pHreaksYcle, on 10/10/2008, -2/+4This is 100% true/sad.
      • dengzhi, on 10/10/2008, -2/+3the cd only drive would be extra
      • Dracusis, on 10/10/2008, -2/+3Apple laptops are priced well when they update them, but the end up overpriced in a matter of months because of their fixed pricing model. This effects the current models more so due to the massive surge in the subnote market in the past 6 months forcing other vendors to drop the cost of other notebooks.

        When the Macbook Pro was last updated, the only laptop in it's weight/power class (Under 1KG, 512MB 8600GT, 5+ hour battery life) were the Sony Vaio's and at the time Sony's offerings were more expensive. Asus & Dell had similar spec machines from a pure performance perspective (the only thing most blogtards slagging apple look at) but they were ugly, fat, almost twice as heavy, less than 3 hours of battery life and had lower resolution screens and tiny tracpads.

        There are heaps of companies competing at that low quality & low cost level, that's never been what Apple are about, we don't all drive around in cheap ass Daihatsu's because we all have different wants/needs for our transportation, and the same applies to our personal computers.

        Still, it would be nice if Apple took on a more flexible pricing model.
      • solistus, on 10/10/2008, -1/+4It's highly unlikely Apple would release a Celeron notebook. They have invested heavily in hyping Core 2 Duo; they would probably just use slower Core 2 Duos.

        They'd also probably use the same integrated gfx that they use for MacBooks, which is still crappy compared to a dedicated GPU but is the high end of the integrated world.

        Apple hasn't shipped a CD only drive in a VERY long time; low-end systems with drives typically have Combo drives these days (DVD read / CD write). I would bet a large amount of money that Apple with it's "digital hub" marketing would release a computer in 2008 that can't play a DVD.

        A 10" screen would be nice for the small size; you can't get an Apple notebook with less than a 13" screen as it stands and a lot of people like their laptops to be smaller than that.

        My prediction, if they do indeed roll out a new low end line: 10/12", 1.4-1.6-ish GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB RAM, Intel Integrated Gfx, Combo drive, starting at $799. They might cut the iSight for the $799 model, or they may leverage that in advertising against comparable laptops.

        If the rumors are true about how much Apple will save with their new fab techniques, the stats could look even better, but I'd be surprised to see the current low-end system drop $300 overnight, fancy "Brick" fab or no.
    • ajchavar, on 10/10/2008, -0/+2i feel that realistically, apple could do a 12 inch screen, 60 or 80GB HDD optional DVD drive (ie, no optical drive on the base model) and do maybe 1GB RAM and a 2ghz dual core?

      obviously people will complain about the specs but the people in this price bracket who either like macs already (mac mini owners maybe), or people who needed a price drop to switch would go for it.
      • evo8ftw, on 10/10/2008, -1/+1blah 60 or 80 it would cost them more then a 160 gig drive so fail
  • jgoto, on 10/09/2008, -15/+25Looks like this shows that Apple is really going after Microsoft Marketshare, and is trying to make macs price competitive with PCs running windows.
    • quomen, on 10/09/2008, -6/+25A rumor shows that? Nice.
      Regardless of what it is, I can guarantee that Steve Jobs is going to say that they are the "first blah blah, envelope blah, blah blah fit in vagina, bleh blue blah."
      We'll see though, I just bought a Dell Mini and if this is just a glorified netbook, I'm just content with just installing OSX on the mini rather than opting for the mac.
      • prophetpimp, on 10/09/2008, -3/+5this is Apple. there will be no Vagina's. There will only be *****.
      • salter84, on 10/09/2008, -3/+1you put ur computer in ur vag???? sick


        pic plz
    • mojo31979, on 10/09/2008, -5/+5Only time will tell. I love my mac, and my PC. The problem I've always seen with this though is that MS just has to sell an OS.....Mac has to sell a Computer. As many have said before, they are both the same when you strip away all the glitter that OS's are made of.
      • solidus636, on 10/10/2008, -4/+1You've got yourself confused. Mac is the one that sells an OS, and Microsoft is the one that sells a computer. How, you ask? There are so many configurations for pc's and Microsoft has to make each compatible. For Mac, all the hardware is consistent so all they are really selling is an OS.
    • polalion, on 10/09/2008, -7/+1Nonsense. Nobody's gonna willingly throw away near 100% guaranteed profit, and especially not Apple.
      • Blandyman, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2That's why they wouldn't sell an $800 laptop for $800, Mr. MBA.

        They'll probably sell a laptop with parts costing somewhere in the $400 range (same as Dell and HP's $600 laptops) but since it'll have the Apple name and OS, they'll be able to sell it for much more.
    • drgruney, on 10/09/2008, -2/+4Because before this everyone thought they *didn't* want to be competitive?
      • Elranzer, on 10/09/2008, -2/+4They don't have to be competitive. They have a built-in customer base. In fact ,they often engage in anti-competitive practices. Legitimizing DRM is about as the most evil thing they've ever done. Microsoft would have gotten sued for locking WMA music to the Windows Media Player.
    • phoomp, on 10/09/2008, -10/+7$800 is price competitive with laptops running Windows ... 5 years ago.
      • kelly, on 10/09/2008, -5/+9Only if we're talking about the lowest price laptop rather than laptops having the same features.

        Apple is typically much less expensive when hardware, bundled software and operating system are compared equally.

        The only time you find otherwise is when you compare the PC with less or differently. The PC's advantage is variety while the Mac's is better design at a lower price point.
      • Blandyman, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2Any reasons why you would say that? It's not like laptops don't cost $800 anymore...
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -4/+1That doesn't show that they are going after Windows market share at all. I don't even understand how you could come to that conclusion.
      • Blandyman, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3Because a lot of people who would like to buy a Mac notebook, who don't want to spend an exorbitant amount, end up buying a $700 Toshiba or Acer instead of an $1100 MacBook.

        Honestly, that's what I did.
      • iritegood, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1Because now I'll be scrambling to find an $800 laptop with the specs of my computer from 2002.
        Never before has a laptop been so revolutionary.
    • davidrools, on 10/09/2008, -5/+6PC laptops can be had in the $350-$400 range today...and they're decent performers, too, not budget junk ones. And at that price, you could update twice as often.
      • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -3/+8With a lot of those $350-400 laptops, updating twice as often is usually a prerequisite.
      • moduc, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1If Apple can release $350-$400 laptops, then that would be a great thing for them. The reason being that these laptops doesn't compete with their existing products (95% of the time). Although it's a very low profit margin, but as long as it's not a lost, or big lost, it's a win.
        Why? It's like free advertisement. You get more market share, so more software will be developed for it (more users and less complaint). also more hardware available for it. More people will be exposed to it. Less money for your competitors (which is a big plus), so you face less competition (they have less money to compete with you).
        If I am Steve Jobs, the next iPhone, iPod, iMac is this $350Mac.
        I would flood the market with a very sturdy low cost high performance (in that price range). I would do it it in a way that I would break even, and use it as a marketing tool. Just think of how ipod propels Mac sell.
        This is a no brainer. If Apple want to achieve 40% market share, that is the way to do it. Having $350 to $600 systems.
        With that market share, they will not be vulnerable to the Motorolar's razer's fate (one hit wonder). They will not have to suffer too much if competitor catch up to them on the iPhone (such as the Google Android phone).
    • enri, on 10/09/2008, -1/+7I would not be too surprised if this $800 laptop is Apple's answer to Asus's $300 EEE pc.
    • pentiumii, on 10/09/2008, -4/+3i said this in another thread before

      i guess i have to again as for apple making an 800 dollar laptop how would this effect MS they don't make a laptop make an os that got nothing to do with them nor will they care


      list of reason y MS does not care about apple selling computer and y u apple vs pc r all sheep on both ends



      1. MS makes software for macs

      2. as along as the corporate world use ms office mac user will all need MS

      3. exchange this has been issues for apple for a wile now




      almost every mac owner i know and most of u mac user here as i am willing to bet either have windows xp or vista running virtual or dual boot or u got a copy mac version of windows office



      windows still sell and os to mac user they still sell office to mac user and mac use exchange for there corporate email


      do u get it MS make money off from mac user the same as do pc boys



      there is no arguing that hence y the mac vs pc thing is complete crap



      so how does this efect
      MS market shares mac user still run windows os



    • aznpwnzor, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2exactly, it's a fight against the likes of dell, hp, toshiba, etc.
      microsoft profits from all this
      I'll stick with my customized PC for low prices anyday with dualboot ubuntu and vista. I'd rather figure out problems by myself than pay twice the money and get hardware i don't like and a sexy look that i don't really want to pay for
  • skeen07, on 10/09/2008, -26/+63That will probably be £800 for us in the UK, $1600!! At least £700 ($1400).
    • drlha, on 10/09/2008, -3/+37Right, because MacBooks in the UK store right now are £1099, right? No. They are actually £595 ex VAT which is currently $1033, so actually cheaper than the US sticker price of $1099 (ex sales tax).
    • joshuawilde, on 10/09/2008, -0/+15Comparing prices of Macs in the US and UK stores, and adjusting for the tax that's always included in the UK price, the pound cost is always around 55% of the dollar cost. Hence we would expect it to be around £440 plus tax. No need to be dramatic.
      • skeen07, on 10/09/2008, -4/+3Perhaps I was being a bit dramatic, but they seem to round up to the hundreds when they bring over products to the UK. I bet it's going to cost £499. That's still $200 more. But we can only wait and see.
      • liambates, on 10/09/2008, -3/+4Blame Margaret Thatcher not Steve Jobs :P
      • joshuawilde, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4They actually aren't rounding up that much - the reason it seems that way is because the UK price already includes 17.5% VAT, whereas in the US tax is only added during checkout. Remove the VAT from the UK prices and they suddenly aren't that bad.
      • rnolds, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2All your quotes are based on GBPUSD=2. The exchange rate hasn't been that good since mid July.
        GBPUSD is currently 1.722 interbank and more like 1.69 or 1.7 if you're paying with tourist dollars or credit card (which normally charge 2.5% surcharge).

        If Apple were to price for equivalent at GBPUSD=2 they'd be taking on the huge exchange rate risk or they'd have to continually update their prices (which isn't really practical until everything is sold online and we live on a world where computer systems are substantially more integrated than they are currently).
    • krustaceo, on 10/09/2008, -5/+1yep, in europe it´s a ripoff
      • caseyyano, on 10/10/2008, -0/+0that's alright, it's a ripoff in America too
    • protodon, on 10/09/2008, -2/+8you get paid in £'s not $'s so STFU
    • el84, on 10/09/2008, -7/+2Just order one in AMERIKA so it's nearly half price.
    • reformation, on 10/10/2008, -1/+1You are an idiot.
  • Bardology, on 10/09/2008, -12/+192Awesome, now we'll get to sit through a whole new barrage of blogs about why the new Mac is too big/small/expensive/eco-unfriendly or how Apple should have made it out of chocolate.
    • harryterry, on 10/09/2008, -6/+43I like chocolate....
      • Relikh, on 10/09/2008, -6/+7I got you a new laptop but I already eated it ='(
    • mycoplasma, on 10/09/2008, -22/+11I'm more worried about going to digg and seeing 1/4 of the frontpage about this computer

      Apple == overhyped
      • malechite, on 10/09/2008, -4/+37Go into customize. uncheck "apple" under Technology. Problem solved and we dont have to listen to you bitch!
    • AndrewMoyer, on 10/09/2008, -10/+5And even more forum posts of people claiming it runs on the tears of Jesus, despite the fact that *it's just a PC anyways*.
    • Awspire, on 10/09/2008, -12/+26I'm a PC user, though Mac fanbotry doesn't bother me in the least, since they actually have something worth being proud of. Linux zealotry, on the other hand, I find rather annoying, since they basically con others to use something thats pure crap and consistently throw out misinformation to either hype what they like or condemn what they find to be competition.
      • krustaceo, on 10/09/2008, -6/+6yep linux fanboyism is a disease
      • cesclaveria, on 10/09/2008, -6/+6coming to a mac story to bitch about linux users?
        Trolling much?
        Both Windows, Mac OS and Linux have their places on the market and two of them are constantly evolving, so what may be "pure crap" today (a pretty vague and subjective statement) will probably be a great application in a few months. And no one is forcing you to use any operating system.
      • idlebyte, on 10/09/2008, -5/+11Linux user has higher IQ than you
      • Elranzer, on 10/09/2008, -5/+8You don't need a high IQ to be an Art History major, the majority of Apple's customer base.
      • vtnerd, on 10/09/2008, -4/+9If being proud of overpriced hardware wrapped in shiny white plastic (or black or aluminum) is worth being proud of, then yes they do have something to be proud of.

        That something would be having more money than commonsense. Now the rest of us would just be ashamed but you have to be special to be a Mac fanboy.
      • aznpwnzor, on 10/09/2008, -3/+2@vtnerd
        I'm with you as we are buried by the fanboys
      • xsquirrel378x, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2Everyone loves closed source operating systems with backdoors and exploits that can only be patched by a few people somewhere in Cupertino, CA. OS X is a complete joke to the UNIX family of operating systems.
        Also the people who are trying to get you to switch operating systems are likely 17 year olds who just switched themselves.
      • Dracusis, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3I'm not a Mac fanboy, although I do have a Macbook Pro, my main rig runs Vista, and I use XP & Ubuntu at work. All OSs have their good and bad points, and they all have more good than bad.

        Yet, of all the systems I use, I enjoy working on my Mac the most. I don't go in much for customising stuff, I'll tweak a few settings here and there but I use so many different computers even outside my Macbook/Home/Work computers that changing the defaults too much becomes a real hassle. For me, OS-X remains the best OS out of the box and that's really where it counts. No driver hassles, no hardware conflicts, a decent set of general apps, it all just works. Also, when I bought my Macbook Pro is was the only 15" under 1KG that had a decent 3D card in it, and even at that weight it has a longer battery life than any other 15" notebook with a dedicated 3D card. At the time the only notebooks that came close in features, weight and battery life were the Sony Vaio series and they were a fair bit more expensive than Apple.

        As for the rest of Apple's pricing, I'm confused why everything thinks it's too expensive. Their Desktops seem overpriced because they have no cost-effective tower/desktop boxes, only the iMac all-in-one which uses more expensive laptop parts and high quality screens for design work. Compared to other all-in-one systems (like Dell has) the iMac isn't expensive at all. If the blogtards crying about apple's pricing did even the slightest amount of research this would be fairly obvious, but I guess that's why they write for blogs and not proper magazines.

        Sadly, this is the interwebs in 2008 where sensationalism == win.
      • iritegood, on 10/10/2008, -3/+2I'm a PC user also. My PC has Arch running on it. And I have another PC running OSX86.
        What's your point?

        (Hint: I don't think PC means what you think it means)
    • shoegazer666, on 10/10/2008, -2/+1i like turtles..
  • scot333, on 10/09/2008, -34/+4buried for macrumors. ***** YOU ARN!!!!!
  • digitalpencil, on 10/09/2008, -6/+37Makes sense.. Jobs warned investors earlier this year that Apple would be introducing a new product line with very aggressive price points and that this new line was likely to affect short-term earnings.
    They've been waiting for this push for a while, after all most people's problems with macs is that they're simply too expensive (which is true to an extent). The macbook however remains in Amazon's top-seller list despite being priced almost twice as high as every other laptop. If Apple were to reduce costs, they could shift a vast number of units..
    • baramunchies, on 10/09/2008, -2/+5apple already ownes the market for >1000 USD notebooks, so it only makes sense for them to target the lower price range. with a strong brand like this, and (if true) a fully aluminum casing, they can compete to as low as 600-700 dollar compared to regular notebooks. (like: wouldn't anyone be willing to pay just 100-200 dollar more?).
      They got around 20 billion dollar in cash, so they could afford earning less on some products just to gain more marketshare
      • thebigbradwolf, on 10/10/2008, -0/+2Besides: it's cheaper than CS4.
    • TTURabble, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4I would buy an $800 mactop :)
    • Dracusis, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2When apple does it's hardware updates their prices are very competitive, but they don't update those prices as the market changes. The perception that the current Macbooks are too expensive is largely due to the rapid growth of the sub-note market.

      I don't think Apple will loose this perception of being "too expensive" until they adopt a more flexible pricing strategy. Still, if you're going to by Apple, buy it the instant they update the hardware.
    • chonuts, on 10/10/2008, -2/+4In my own experience, I find that the price is just as important as the power. As a broke college student in need of a new computer, I couldn't justify spending $1700+ (that's including the student discount) on a base-model MacBookPro that didn't even meet my performance needs. For about half the price, I purchased a PC laptop that was twice as powerful, thus prolonging the time I have until upgrades (which, as you may know, SUCKS ASS for laptop users).

      Apple has great products; they're true innovators and they do it well most of the time. In that aspect, they dominate Microsoft. But even from that viewpoint it's still difficult to justify the outlandish prices. $200 for an extra 2GB of RAM? $100 to upgrade your 200GB 5400rpm HD to a 7200rpm one with no extra storage space? $600 for an Apple flatpanel display?

      When you start to weigh all of the features, you begin to realize that you're paying all of this extra money for two things: 1) OSX -- which, in all of it's awesome glory, still can't justify the price tag in my eyes. 2) "Sleek ergonomic design," "innovative technology," and other consumer-friendly adjectives which really mean, "Hey! This laptop looks sexy and fits inside of a Manilla envelope, but still won't perform as well as it's cheaper counterparts!"

      If Apple releases a sub-$1000 laptop that is stable, well-built, well-designed, and can KEEP UP with the competition, I'll walk around with a visible erection for weeks.

      OSX has my heart, not my wallet.
      • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -0/+2That's why if you want to buy a Mac the smart strategy is to buy a stripo Mac and upgrade it yourself. ram upgrade on current Mac book, take out battery, take out three screws snap in generic p.c. notebook ram ram, done and the HD is in the same compartment and snaps in as well and is a generic notebook SATA drive. My G5 tower has a generic USB scroll wheel mouse and Viewsonic wide screen LCD and it works fine. Only a fool pays Apples inflated prices for upgrades. Buy Apple for OS X ONLY and do the upgrades yourself and it isn't much more expesive than a p.c.
      • johanrocks, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1Well, if you buy Apple for OS X only, couldn't you just buy a PC and install OS X? (yes, it is very possible, and quite stable now).
      • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1I've tried the hackintosh thing and getting all he drivers to work is a nightmare. It's worse than Gentoo Linux. :(
      • johanrocks, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1You have to plan the build of the computer around the available drivers. It is a pain if you are doing it to a store-bought PC, but I did it to an XPS M1530 with basically no problems.
    • johanrocks, on 10/10/2008, -0/+2The problem with Macs isn't the price-point as much as it is the price to what you get ratio. As it stands, if you want a laptop with 4GB RAM, a 2.5Ghz Dual core processor, and an 8600M GT graphics card, you can either get a Macbook pro for ~$3000 or a windows laptop like the Dell XPS M1530 for ~$1500. And that's the problem. It's simply not worth $1500 for a shiny exterior and a shinier OS.

      Sure they can release an $800 laptop, but it will likely be on-par with a
      • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1OS X is more than shiny though, it's certified Unix and has no viruses and spyware in the wild + runs all the Adobe Apps + Final Cut Pro + Pro Tools audio, + XP under parallels, plus Linux if you want, etc. It's the only real serious choice if you are in content creation. And no I'm not a hopeless Apple fanboi I think Apple locking competing applications for the iphone out of the iunes store sucks and patenting the dock is stupid and shameful, My point is though is that Macs are currently the most stable and versatile machines to get work done on and if you buy used and do your own upgrades not all the expensive.
  • yourgiftsfree, on 10/09/2008, -28/+8But will it run Crysis?
    • Electrox3d, on 10/09/2008, -3/+17will anything run Crysis?
    • LeFrenzy, on 10/09/2008, -4/+57no goddamnit it won't. A $800 macbook is not gonna run Crysis, and you know it.
    • Elranzer, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2Will it run Nesticle?
    • wukillabee, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1knowing mac price to spec ratio, it probably couldnt run a game form 5 years ago
  • candyman420, on 10/09/2008, -16/+10pizza
  • clyde2801, on 10/09/2008, -4/+13Great! Another reason why I should quit cruising macbook listings on CL!
    • web2pointYo, on 10/09/2008, -0/+12That just sounds dirty.
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -7/+1Who the hell buys used laptops?
      • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1Me for one please ditch your 2.4 ghz Macbook with a DVD burner for 650 on CL when the new ones come out. Thanks!
    • BradBrown, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5Is "macbook listing" code for "casual encounters?"
  • BelatedHero, on 10/09/2008, -12/+209An affordable Mac??!?! *head explodes*
    • bytor4232, on 10/09/2008, -20/+6heh, $800 is hardly affordable, but its a step in the right direction.
    • lolmax, on 10/09/2008, -12/+116Personally, I hope Apple raises their prices. As a mac user and an elitest, I would rather not be associated with those dirty lower-middle class lowlifes.
      • Elranzer, on 10/09/2008, -8/+25Paying for an underpowered-but-shiny laptop with your student loan money doesn't make you upper class ;-)
      • kingfoot, on 10/09/2008, -9/+3underpowered?
      • Picer, on 10/09/2008, -6/+1Middle Class must have a seems to be used to liberally in the US, in England the Middle Classes are generally privately educated and have household salaries of 50-60K+
      • solistus, on 10/10/2008, -1/+1I promise you, my MBP is not underpowered. It's comparable to many mid-level desktop gaming systems from the same year. Macs were underpowered when they were tethered to dated G4e chips, but those days are long past.
      • caseyyano, on 10/10/2008, -0/+0I love how you misspelled elitist just to drive your sarcasm farther.
    • denoxis, on 10/09/2008, -0/+6haven't you heard? It's part of the One Laptop Per Geek Project
    • miccet, on 10/09/2008, -8/+2Mac's are always affordable, it's just about prioritizing.
      • MikeXpop, on 10/09/2008, -1/+9Like prioritizing Macs over food, and shelter.
    • slashdotordigg, on 10/10/2008, -4/+0|an affortable mac?|
      affortable mac is called ipod touch, iphone.
  • PowerBeyond, on 10/09/2008, -18/+1that's still expensive.
    they should come out with an even cheaper model, that has a screen size of 8-10" and is thin like the macbook air.
    • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -1/+4For what you'd get? No it isn't.
    • roxgod666, on 10/09/2008, -1/+215" laptops are generally the cheapest. If they made maybe a 15" macbook, it could be about $100 cheaper
    • designev, on 10/09/2008, -3/+0It only seems expensive because these days a handful of companies have decided to make ugly, tiny, cheap little ultracompactsubnotebooks that can be bought for $300-400! They'll also never match Apple's build quality and the quality of their pre-installed apps.

      Let's get real here.. a mac for $800 is a great deal!
    • Cannon13, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1They could give them away for free and people like you would still complain that they're too expensive.
  • SIN002, on 10/09/2008, -13/+1Hopefully is doesn't suck.
    • SIN002, on 10/09/2008, -2/+0Oh so you want it to suck? ....morons....
      • Blandyman, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2No we just don't care what you have to say.
    • Recidivus, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4It'd make surfing for porn that much better if it did...
  • jwoulf, on 10/09/2008, -26/+3Buried for mac-trash.


    SAGE
  • Rassa, on 10/09/2008, -12/+5How will the hardware be though. When I think of a "cheap" Mac I think piece of crap hardware to try and get person hooked on OS.
  • hamobu, on 10/09/2008, -20/+13Only apple fans would think that $800 is affordable
    • franklymister, on 10/09/2008, -1/+8Depends on what you're spending the $800 on, I guess.
    • drlha, on 10/09/2008, -4/+11$800 isn't affordable to you? Time for a new job.
    • malechite, on 10/09/2008, -2/+7we're talking a LAPTOP.... if you spend $500 on a laptop*, you are going to get a pile of ***** from most pc laptops like dell or hp... just saying. a good Lenovo thinkpad starts at $599

      *eeePC not included
      • hamobu, on 10/09/2008, -8/+6What are you talking about. $500 laptop now is probably better than top of the line Mac from two years ago.
      • malechite, on 10/09/2008, -2/+5Well i'm a tech, and most "cheap" laptops that i work on are pieces of crap, they are built out of chinsy material and have a high failure rate. the "specs" may look good, but the quality of the hardware is not nearly where it should be.
    • quii, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3Only unskilled joe-six-packs think that it isn't
    • gaqua, on 10/09/2008, -1/+7That is stupid. You are stupid.

      $800 for a laptop is very reasonable. Most decent laptops are in that range, and good laptops cost more than that.


    • getbusyliving, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2Quit your Walmart job and get a decent career you bum.
  • ulzzang, on 10/09/2008, -9/+21Buy refurbished ones (they have same warranty link new ones). I love my refurbished one. No problem at all.

    http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/A ...
    • web2pointYo, on 10/09/2008, -4/+5Im lovn my refurb 3rd gen.fatty nano. best gen. ever.
      • bytor4232, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1I hear ya. I had an opportunity to get an iPod Touch for a hundred bucks used off some sap that needed the money. I had just gotten a fatty nano a few months prior, used a 2nd gen nano before that. I have to say, out of all three, the fatty nano was the absolute best. I dig the touch, but it really isn't as intuitive as the 3G nano.
    • WomensUnderwear, on 10/09/2008, -14/+1who the ***** buys used? thats ***** disgusting
      • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4They're not necessarily used. They could be production fallout for various reasons, taken aside and rechecked. Most company's refurbs (not just Apple) actually have real human beings check them out before they sold as compared to just hitting test points on an assembly line.
      • Konrad9, on 10/09/2008, -0/+7Who DOESN'T buy used?

        It's not like it's a mattress or a pair of underwear. They have been cleaned in every way possible, and are for all intents and purposes, brand new.

        Here's a question for you... do you use a new keyboard every time you turn on your computer? Because that one from yesterday is used.

        Do you drive a car with more than 0 miles on it? That's used, too.

        Used by you, maybe, but used nonetheless.
      • WomensUnderwear, on 10/09/2008, -5/+0used by ME is NOT the same as used by a horrendous SWEATY PERVERT despite what OTHERS MAY SAY
      • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1WU worst troll ever, try harder next time.
    • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -2/+6My last three Macs have been refurbs (iMac G5 for my kids, 2.16GHz 24-inch Intel iMac for me, 2.33 GHz Intel MBP for travel). Like you said, same warranty at anywhere for 15 to 30% off list.
    • gordigor, on 10/09/2008, -5/+6The lowest price I could find was $949. Still expensive for a used computer.
      • vtnerd, on 10/09/2008, -4/+6Sorry, the Apple fanboys don't like it when you bring commonsense to the debate. They're very proud about spending stupid sums of money on common PC hardware and they can't have anyone pointing that out to them or their heads explode.
      • kinerry, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1refurb != used

        look up consumer law, half of the time they are just repackaged returns with no problems
    • kinerry, on 10/09/2008, -3/+1the problem with telling everyone about refurbs is that it lowers your chance of getting one

      so shut your ***** mouth
    • minuteZERO, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1I link the sound of that!
  • ulzzang, on 10/09/2008, -9/+3somehow, I posted twice :(
    • banido, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5If only there was a way to delete the comment...
      /sarcasm
    • ulzzang, on 10/09/2008, -0/+0Right. Digg should have a way to delete the comment. Is it against privacy?
    • Recidivus, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3No, they even provide you with a 5 minute timeframe to edit/delete a comment.
  • kurtwinter, on 10/09/2008, -2/+7This plus the rumor that Apple will be using Nvidia GPUs in its entire line are very good things to hear. Even at the low end, the nvidia gpu kicks intel's gma ass, and allows for Final Cut Pro, in addition to the 1 or 2 games that run on a Mac.
    • arjie, on 10/09/2008, -0/+6Well, umm, not always. My Dell XPS M1330 had an 8400M GS, and that particularly line of chips (8400, 8600) has a tendency to overheat (it's cross-brand, HP, the Macbook Pros) so if I could get an X4500HD or whatever the new GMA is instead. nVidia should really get its act together on this count.
      • TheFinaleofSeem, on 10/09/2008, -6/+1If the 8400M is overheating, blame Dell for inadequate cooling.
      • arjie, on 10/09/2008, -0/+6TheFinaleofSeem: Engadget reported that nVidia admitted that that line of GPUs had a higher than normal failure rate. I don't think you can blame Dell alone on this either as some HP laptops with the 8600M and some Macbooks have also failed on this.

        In fact, at first it was thought that only HP got a line of these faulty chips.
    • digitalpencil, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3yeh, especially with snowleopard tapping into the GPU..
      @arje - there have been issues with 8-series nvidia chipsets going south across the board the new MB however is rumored to use a MCP7A-U chipset which should (touch thermal paste) be unaffected.
    • WomensUnderwear, on 10/09/2008, -5/+0nvidia are *****
    • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1Final Cut Pro 5.1 runs fine on my Macbook 2.0 with the older GMA 950 graphics. Games OTH...
  • D3koy, on 10/09/2008, -10/+5I'm guessing a 10" screen, 16gig solid state HDD, 1gb RAM Mac netbook.....which quite frankly I would consider getting...
    • Typhoon2009, on 10/09/2008, -2/+7lol 1GB of RAM
      • RudeTurnip, on 10/09/2008, -1/+4I'm using OS X 10.4 on my MBPro with a gig and it's perfectly snappy for me and some amateur home video/audio editing.
    • mikedaul, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1Your can get an atom-based netbook for ~$400:
      http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=netbook+osx&b ...
    • jonnyfive, on 10/09/2008, -1/+51gb is the sweet spot for OS X. Unlike vista you don't need a minimum of 2gb to run comfortably.
      • almalax19, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2Minimum 1GB yea

        Sweet Spot... No
      • jordn, on 10/09/2008, -1/+31GB on Leopard = Fine for iTunes, web browsing, and editing the odd photo.

        anything else = Fail.

        2GB of RAM seems to be the sweet spot for both Vista and Leopard. You should upgrade while its cheap, you will notice a great improvement.
      • Blandyman, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1I have 1gig in my PC running Vista. It runs like butter and I do a lot of gaming and video editing.
    • nipterink, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2i can't believe you'd buy a laptop with a 16gb hard drive.
      • nicko68, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2It depends on what you're using it for, I guess. Me, I bought my eeePC just to surf or maybe play a little MAME when I'm not sitting at my desktop, so tons of space isn't an issue. I get by with 4GB internal and an 8GB SDHC.
  • franklymister, on 10/09/2008, -13/+37I just want the 12" Powerbook to come back.

    Is that so much to ask?
    • malechite, on 10/09/2008, -0/+11The new macbooks will most likely be aluminum with possibly an nvidia chipset which means nvidia graphics... and it will be 13.1" ... does that count? i think so.
      • piranhaa, on 10/09/2008, -2/+2Which also means a much higher chance the GPU will fail ;-)
      • franklymister, on 10/09/2008, -0/+513.1" vs. 12" is actually a huge difference.

        I've got the 13" Macbook now - it barely fits into the bag that I carry everywhere (I walk all over Manhattan), it's too big on trains or airplanes, it just doesn't feel "portable" compared to, for example, my 10.6" Fujitsu P5020. (that is not a mini-notebook like the Asus, btw. it's probably the most perfectly sized laptop I've ever owned - sturdy, easy to type on, but ultra-portable)

        The 12" was almost, but not quite as small as, the Fujitsu. It was basically right at the edge - one tiny bit bigger and it would be entering mid-size laptop territory. The 13" is just too far over the edge to follow me everywhere I go.
      • piranhaa, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5@ frankly

        Yah 12 and 13.3" definitely have a big size difference. It's also due to the extra bezel around the screen on the 13.3s, whilst the 12s doesn't have the same amount. The bezel doesn't seem like much, but adds a considerable amount of size all the way around...

        http://www.extensions.in.th/post3/macbook2/macbook ...
        http://lnxg.ca/images/mb_pb_size_closed.jpg
    • quarkie, on 10/09/2008, -1/+9+1.
      I'd so buy a 12" macbook pro
    • WomensUnderwear, on 10/09/2008, -2/+9BABY COME BACK
    • sc0tty0, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1I'm on mine still, :-) bought it the week before the powerbooks came out.
  • rowlodge, on 10/09/2008, -12/+2it will have all kinds of upgradeable components of coarse.
    • fanclerks, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1Yeah... cause laptops have always been known for how easy it is to upgrade them...

      *rolls eyes*
  • Typhoon2009, on 10/09/2008, -7/+8Let's get a Mac desktop for $800 with a decent video card (8800 series)
    • nesagwa, on 10/09/2008, -2/+0Theres about equal chance for this to be a 10 inch netbook as their is it being an updated Mac Mini (which I think its more probable)
      • Blandyman, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1Its less probable, seeing as this price list only refers to laptops so SOME laptop must be coming out at the $800 price point.
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4Not possible.
    • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1Yeah. That'll happen.
  • NewPunk, on 10/09/2008, -4/+7That would be so awesome...
  • irishjays, on 10/09/2008, -9/+43Cheaper Macs = More people wanting you to see them writing at hotspots
    • Billions, on 10/09/2008, -0/+11You sound suspiciously guilty...
      • DannyDriffs, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4"Can I get a spiced chai with an espresso shot. And a very tight lid! Can't spill any on my new Mac ya know."
    • ethana2, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2My only regret in buying my Ubuntu Dell (besides getting an nVidia gpu) was that it didn't come with a big sticker to put right on the back of the screen.

      ..can't justify the cost to ship them from london :(
    • irishjays, on 10/09/2008, -0/+7I bought a brand spankin new Macbook Pro, and a copy or Writeroom, and make sure to sit perpendicular to the door so that people only get a slight glimpse of either the backlit apple or the green on black size 24 text which increases at a constant 90wpm
  • Steinr, on 10/09/2008, -13/+2http://twitpic.com/img/faks-57229b6bb542cba3c0fe3e ...
    enough said.
  • jamesdew, on 10/09/2008, -7/+3I should imagine Apple told Asus to make them a eeeMac.
  • 007isbond1, on 10/09/2008, -9/+5get real
  • aimhelix, on 10/09/2008, -12/+13It'll run Ubuntu.
    • lostngone, on 10/09/2008, -3/+2But will it run Linux???
    • ethana2, on 10/09/2008, -3/+2Sure, it'll /run/ Ubuntu. The PlayStation 3 runs ubuntu.

      ...but you can bet it won't come with it preinstalled from Apple.
  • Viau, on 10/09/2008, -9/+3Wow they finally understood that their price was 50% too high!
    • Antialias, on 10/09/2008, -2/+3This is only $200 less than what the current low end sells for.
  • silicon, on 10/09/2008, -12/+10but if macs become affordable than people who use macs will no longer be unique and thus not cool anymore
    • gaqua, on 10/09/2008, -3/+10People who use macs don't think they're better because Macs are more expensive. It's not like Mercedes owners here.

    • joshuawilde, on 10/09/2008, -4/+19iPods are still cool despite everyone having one.
    • cromulent742, on 10/09/2008, -5/+3You beat me to it. If macs become more affordable, what kind of computers will the elitist hipsters use?
      • joshuawilde, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5The elitist hipsters would keep using the expensive ones, i.e. MacBook Air. I'm doubting it would change the existing market for Macs very much - rather it would open up an entirely new market segment for Macs. See also: iPod vs iPhone.
    • notpip, on 10/09/2008, -3/+0us "unique" people will continue to rock our $2,500 pimped-out imacs & $2000 macbook pros.

      just because apple is going to attempt to court a larger customer base doesn't mean that mac os x has gone "common", it just means that we'll have more viruses to worry about.
      • SuperVepr308, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1How do you "rock" a laptop? Wouldn't it make more sense to be talking about a 69' Chevelle with a 396 and flowmasters?
      • gaqua, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1A Mac user is much more likely to rock a Prius than a 69 Chevelle.

    • starscream45, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1I like my macs because I just prefer a mac over PC. Not because I wanna be unique. I got into macs because I am a graphic designer and my job has nothing but macs. Doesn't make me think I am cool and unique because of it.
  • freddoo, on 10/09/2008, -9/+4They already exits they are called: Dell, Toshiba, HP, Acer , ...
  • DuggDeaper, on 10/09/2008, -8/+5They figure since they already screwed us for years in price, now Apple can appear to be sympathetic to mac users by offering a lower price point. Got to give Apple credit for market strategy, it is not they are losing money since it milked those sucker fans dry already : )
    DOH!
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1It's not market strategy, it's keeping your company alive in a ***** economy. People aren't going to want to spend a fortune on a laptop during a recession / depression.
      • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1With 18-20B$ cash and no debt, chances are Apple could weather just about any economic downturn
      • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1You'd better hope so. Their stock has lost half it's value in the last 2 weeks.
  • motang, on 10/09/2008, -5/+11Let this true...let this me true. Poor college students like me would benefit heavily by this!
    • polalion, on 10/09/2008, -6/+1/sarcasm
    • jtinz, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5Why not buy a used one?
    • sguasp, on 10/09/2008, -1/+8You got in to college? With those writing skills?

      University.
      You're not doing it right.
    • fastang, on 10/09/2008, -1/+5You can buy a good Dell for $400.
      • awhiteflame, on 10/09/2008, -4/+3Dells are crap as of late.
      • Zephik, on 10/10/2008, -0/+2I just bought a Dell Mini last week, I LOVE it. So I have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. Dell isn't the ***** brand it used to be. Its still no luxury pc brand, but they have good products, especially for their price's.
  • derrrface, on 10/09/2008, -8/+2Since when is $800 cheap for a laptop? I don't give a ***** if its made by Sony or Apple. $800 is not cheap.
    • gaqua, on 10/09/2008, -0/+6Where in God's name do you shop for laptops?

      Any decent laptop is $700+ right now.

    • aladrin, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3Since... Always? It's only recently that we got decent laptops sub-$1000, and NEVER has there been a Apple one for that price.
    • thesledman, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3$800 for a good, quality built laptop is cheap. $800 for a dvd player is not cheap. Don't just look at the dolor amount, look at the context.
    • liambates, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4Are you writing this on a Waltop Pro?
  • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -11/+4OS X has a hell of time trying to run on current Mac Books... it would fare terribly on an $800 configuration.
    • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -1/+4Huh? No it doesn't. You might be right about the $800 config, but the current machines seem to run it just fine.
      • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2It doesn't run at the same speed.
      • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2Whoa! You mean a 2.1GHz dual-core with integrated graphics doesn't run as fast as a 2.4GHz with a dedicated graphics card? Stop the presses!
    • PhillyMJS, on 10/09/2008, -1/+7What are you basing that on, exactly? I've got a 2+ year old 2.0GHz Core Duo (i.e. first-generation MacBook) with 2GB RAM, and Leopard runs fine on it. So did Tiger.

      The current generation MacBooks, even the low end, ship with 1GB standard. I wouldn't be surprised to see the next generation ship with 2GB standard.
    • karipatila, on 10/09/2008, -1/+6I have a 2 year old Macbook with 1GB, and it runs faster on Leopard than it ever did on Tiger. Apps like Photoshop have a hell of a time running, not OS X.
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -5/+3I'm basing it on my own personal observation. OS X runs at ~20-30fps on MacBooks. It runs at 60fps on my Mac Pro. The chopiness in the display when switching from the Pro to the MacBook is fugly.
      • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -1/+4What programs and tools are you using to measure that, what programs are you running at the same time (background and foreground) and what version of OS X is it? How much RAM, which processor and what kind of video? Not all Macbooks are created equal, which I think you probably know.

        See, Digg is full of comments from people who want to use personal anecdote as if it were data, but there's a tiny bit more science involved than that I'm afraid. That's why I rely on sites and magazines which have a strict and proven system of measuring tech performance rather than claims of "Well, it runs like crap for ME" comments on Digg.

        Cause, honestly? Everyone with a bias or a point they want to be true will use the "my personal experience" angle to make it appear so.
      • digitalpencil, on 10/09/2008, -1/+4fps?!? are you ***** kidding me?
      • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -2/+2My eyes? Is it that ***** hard to tell the difference?

        I'm not the biggest fan of Macs in general, but I work with them every day, and I can see the difference.
      • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5Well, guess what Fred...

        The only one who trusts your eyes is you.
      • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4Seems to work pretty well on my 933MHz QuickSilver G4 tower. Though oddly enough it now runs better after upgrading the machine to a dual 1.4GHz G4. Go figure.
      • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -0/+3Fred you are so full of ***** I am typing this right now on a Macbook 2.0 ghz that is almost 2 years old and it is not the least bit choppy running Leopard. The key is ram, I have 2 gigs which is barely adequate, if you talking about a Macbook with 512 mb then spend the damn 60 bucks and upgrade it to 4 gigs ram, problem solved.
    • thesledman, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3I don't believe the cost savings will be due to lesser tech or slower cpu's. It comes from better manufacturing and taking less profit from the sale. If whats been said about the so called "brick" you may actually see a marked increase due to better cooling alone. I would expect the $800 Mac Book to be at least equal and most likely better then the current $1000 version.
      Additionally, the current Mac Book has no trouble running OS X.
      • FredFredrickson, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2It runs it at a lesser fps than desktop machines.
      • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3It's true. Fred's eyes say so.
    • mutants, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2No it doesn't.. [rolls eyes]
    • WomensUnderwear, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1apple users are too busy jerkin it to realise the ui is slow as *****
      • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3A guy called WomensUnderwear is making a joke about other people jerkin' it.
      • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -1/+3@CoreyTamas

        He decided to name himself after the one thing he's never going to see in real life
      • WomensUnderwear, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1WRONG because I'm wearing them RIGHT NOW
      • CoreyTamas, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2Well, telling us that sure cured the jerkin' problem.
  • Wilddigi, on 10/09/2008, -6/+3Yeah right
  • adml_shake, on 10/09/2008, -11/+4Apple doesn't make gear for "commoners" everyone knows that.
    • 1310nm, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1You're right; most commoners have too much sense to buy over-priced shinies.

      - A Commoner
  • Magvertising, on 10/09/2008, -7/+14Dear baby Jesus,
    Please let the new MBP have an iphone screen like trackpad that houses the dock.
    Even though my stocks are crashing, i will buy one.
    Amen.
    • andrew918, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1I don't think having to look down at the trackpad to open an app would be a good thing, but if there was an "iphone like screen" with multi-touch it would be useful if it could be used with similar functionality to the second DS screen, adding useful tools to applications.
  • davidkeithjones, on 10/09/2008, -1/+9Apple PC prices should be an economic indicator.
  • Weaselboy, on 10/09/2008, -2/+13http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/09/apple-notebook- ...

    Looks like formal announcement of Oct. 14 launch.
    • protodon, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2They don't even try to be cryptic anymore, it's like :computers here now
  • Emachine, on 10/09/2008, -5/+15I thought the whole point of getting a macbook and using it in a public place (with starbucks in one hand) was to show people that you've got plenty of disposable income... Now what?
    • KarlH, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2Don't worry. The way the economy is heading, by Christmas people are going to be SO envious of anyone who can afford to spend $800 on a laptop.
    • mrraven200, on 10/10/2008, -2/+4Or maybe you want to edit video using the only sub 50,000 system close to Avid, Final Cut Pro. Maybe you are sick of viruses and other malware, maybe you want to boot OS X, Windows, and Linux. There are many reasons people use Macs, don't ASSume anything. And now that dual core processors have overkill MIPS even for many power users used or refub is a perfectly viable option. And if you start getting snobby about used then don't EVEN give me this mac users are snobs B.S.
      • regeya, on 10/10/2008, -0/+2Yeah. My steelworker brother-in-law bought a MacBook for both his kids, and is going to get either a MacBook or an iMac for home.

        As he says, "it just works!"

        Couldn't agree more, and I work with 'em for a living. They can be a headache time and again, but despite the immense complexity of the operating system and the esoteric nature of the hardware, it all seems to gel together and "just work."

        Yeah, I get tired of the snobbery argument, too. So if Macs are snobbery, and Linux is for geeks, and BSD is for arrogant pricks (I've heard that one, and it was when I used FreeBSD as my primary OS) what does that make Windows, the OS for Larry the Cable Guy?
  • bobbknight, on 10/09/2008, -6/+13I might look at one if the price point were $599.
    • qpid, on 10/09/2008, -4/+9You don't even know what the specs are!
    • latin69, on 10/09/2008, -9/+4Stick to your POS Dull mate.......and keep up the anti-virus subscription!
    • digitallysick, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3try the msi wind with osx86 works well
  • CaptRage, on 10/09/2008, -11/+23Think the specs will be comparable to an $800 PC laptop?

    I doubt it.
    • Pippers, on 10/09/2008, -7/+7If it's like all their other machines, feature for feature, it'll actually be cheaper than the PC equivalent.
      • CaptRage, on 10/09/2008, -5/+5Don't get me wrong, I think macbooks are cool, but what "features" do they really have that a cheaper PC doesn't?

        Why should I get a more expensive Mac than a PC? While OS X is better than windows, it is not necessarily better than linux, so that is not a reason for the high price.
    • notpip, on 10/09/2008, -9/+7when you factor in mac os x, the massive amount of cpu cache & the stability... it'll blow the doors off of a pc of the same price.

      troll.
      • vtnerd, on 10/09/2008, -2/+6CPU cache is the same dumbass. The CPUs come from Intel. You know, that company that regular computers have been using for CPUs for years?

        Windows and Linux are just as stable as Mac OS X if you are not an idiot.

        That just leaves Mac OS X. A fancy-looking, useless GUI is not worth the inflated rate that Apple charges you for off the shelf components in "cool" (maybe, I think they're ugly) looking cases.
    • Lancelot9201, on 10/09/2008, -3/+3What a lot of people miss is the small print that indicates that the pc has a Core Duo processor, not a Core2Duo.
      I cant count the number of pc's that I've gotten excited about due to the price point only to find out that they threw the cheap Core Duo chip in it.. Dell is terrible about this. Almost all of their sale items now start with this chip & the Core2Duo upgrade cost more than it even retails for.. I doubt that Apple would use anything other than a decent Core2Duo chip..That alone will assist in making it a value buy..
      • vtnerd, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4Or you could just read. It's very easy to see if a computer comes with a Dual Core or a Core 2 Duo if you read. Apple's desire not to give you different hardware choices should not be construed as a good thing.

        And don't worry about getting excited about computers at low price points from Apple - it will never happen.
  • NovaPrime9, on 10/09/2008, -4/+3Schooner Tuna anyone?
  • DeFex, on 10/09/2008, -6/+6If so it wont be much more than an EEPC. oh wait. macbook air isnt much more than an EEPC.
    • Linh, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3core2 is a bit better than atom. and it's built a hell of a lot better.
      with that said, I wouldn't spend my money on one. dell mini + leopard!
  • theiliad, on 10/09/2008, -11/+7How has noone pointed out that $800 is expensive for a laptop these days. Dell are doing vostros for 300-400 with far better specs ( and more that 2 usb posts...a real annoyance of mine).
    The rest of the computer world have been at or below these prices for 18 months, but when apple does it it's suddenly a story?
    • itsbob, on 10/09/2008, -2/+41) its a rumor, Apple never announced it.
      2) $800 is a very reasonable price for a good laptop.
      3) how many freakin USB devices do you need plugged into a laptop and have you ever heard of a hub?
    • notpip, on 10/09/2008, -2/+4you're talking about a totally different market base, for sure. and those 300-400 laptops are typically using 32 bit processors, dual core or not. EVERYTHING apple puts out is 64 bit.
      • theiliad, on 10/09/2008, -1/+1notpip - really, 64 - bit. If you can explain to me what real world difference 64bit over 32 bit I'll stopp argueing right now. 64 bit just increases the amount potentially accessable RAM, there are no programns on OS X that can use this extra ram ( im a FCP editor. believe me, I've tried)

        itsbob - really swallowed the apple cool aid haven't you. I use my macbook pro on trains planes and sometime automobiles. I will very often have several usb devices hooked - Harddrive, other harddrive, USB key, Phone & USB antenna for external mouse would be a pretty light day for me) The fact that I'm expected to carry a usb hub ( which will often requir its own power) around with a laptop that I paid $3000 dollars for is crazy. Remember, these are "premium" priced machines, why then do not have premium feature list?
      • itsbob, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2Your telling me you use all that crap at the same time, I travel for a living and have never needed that much stuff plugged in at once, and why wouldn't you use a Bluetooth mouse if you spent enough money for a MBP?
      • vtnerd, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2Umm, the CPUs are made by Intel. All of the Core 2 Duo CPUs are 64-bit. You can get Vista 64-bit and a Core 2 Duo on lots of laptops that don't cost $800.

        I realize that you bought an Apple because you were too stupid to figure out PC's, but don't pretend to know what you're talking about. Just admit you like Apple cuz you're stupid and move on to pretending to be cool at the local coffee shop.
      • theiliad, on 10/09/2008, -0/+1itsbob - Yes, I'm a video producer and I do use all that stuff very regularly ( sometimes alot more). I run my own ( small ) production company which requires lots of trains etc. The answer shouldn't be "why don't you buy a bluetooth mouse" or something like that, it's that why, in a "professional" laptop am I forced to make compromises that I would not have to make on something that costs a third of the price?

        This is the classic response from an apple fanboy ( I should know, I used to be one :) ) : it's not apples problem, it's yours! Why do you buy product XYZ to makeup for what apple leftout (to protect their 30%+ profit margins )?

        It comes down to this : apple spends as little as it can and charges as much as it can across their entire product line. They spend a huge sum on advertising to convince people the machines they sell are somehow better than their cheaper counterparts. I would seem in many cases, that advertising has been successful
  • latin69, on 10/09/2008, -10/+6Anyone who complains with that price should stick to POS Dull laptops....... if your reading this on one then keep on trucking!
  • DeuceDiggalow, on 10/09/2008, -14/+9These are the specs: 1.4 ghz 256 mb ram, 30 gig harddrive, and a cd-burner
    • idlebyte, on 10/09/2008, -2/+5for 800$ I could buy a PC laptop with 3x those specs! Apple thinks bad economy + cheap laptops = $$$$ I believe bad economy + better Cheap PC laptops = -$$$ for apple. They should stick to the niche market they fill and not stray too far from home...
    • SuperVepr308, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2If Deuce is right, my year-old Gateway bought for $799 blows that ***** out of the water.
    • lkms, on 10/09/2008, -1/+3+constructed such that you can't add more RAM :)
      • vtnerd, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2Unless you pay Apple $400 for Apple RAM.
    • cannonball, on 10/09/2008, -0/+2256mb? Is that even enough for youtube?
  • bigteebo, on 10/09/2008, -9/+5In the emerging era of netbooks & $500 low-end laptops, I'll continue to pass on Apple hardware. They still charge a premium for their laptops & such while the rest of the computing world is charging less over the years. To think people balk at the "Microsoft tax" for OS licensing(which I know is a different topic entirely).
    • latin69, on 10/09/2008, -0/+9Do you complain that premium car manufacturers like BMW don't make cheap cars, or do you accept that the cheap one you own is good enough?
      • bigteebo, on 10/09/2008, -3/+2I accept that the cheap one(s) I own is good enough. I would like to give OSX a try, just haven't gotten around to with using vmware, etc to try it.
      • latin69, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4If you tried one, even running Windows you would realise it's not about specs!

        Apple customise their computers to suit their needs, this leads to opimisation and therefore efficient computing....... so just because the specs might look the same on paper it doesn't mean a 'INSERT GENERIC PC NAME' and a Mac will run the same.
    • jbarket, on 10/09/2008, -1/+2Unfortunately, I'm starting to feel the same way.

      When I came back to Apple after years of living _outside the fold_, it was largely due to the fact that their lower end laptops were unbeatable. For a good while, the iBook G4 and Macbook *were* the price breakers.

      The problem is that they haven't moved from where they started. PC manufacturers are playing with new form factors, quickly integrating new GPUs (even the Mac Pro is still using the Geforce 8 series... what the *****, Chuck?), and doing it all at lower prices.

      I'm typing this on an Apple product right now because I _like_ MacOS and there are a number of tools I use (TextMate
  • Shadoblak, on 10/09/2008, -8/+6*sigh*.......Does it come in black?
    • DeuceDiggalow, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4It should come in all the ipod colors!!
      • MacParrot, on 10/09/2008, -1/+3I'm hearing an old Rolling Stones song for some reason.
      • Shadoblak, on 10/10/2008, -0/+2wow I seriously got buried for wanting it painted black
    • JoeB4ever, on 10/10/2008, -0/+1they should have an Obama edition, every digger would have one.
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