“Apple’s new prices for its MacBook Pro laptops were not out of the ordinary for the company, according to the line’s pricing history,” Gregg Keizer reports for Computerworld. “The starting price for the 15-in. MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar is $2,399, a 20% increase over the starting price of its predecessor. The new 13-in. MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar, meanwhile, begins at $1,799, or 20% above its forerunner.”
“Apple has raised MacBook Pro prices before,” Keizer reports. “In 2012, the Cupertino, Calif. company set new prices for the MacBook Pro line-up as it transitioned the laptops to the higher-resolution screens… The 15-in. MacBook Pro with Retina was priced at $1,999 and $2,799 for the two stock configurations, $400 and $500 higher, respectively, than the previous models, for increases of 22% and 27%. The smaller 13-in. MacBook Pro with Retina saw similar price hikes. Two standard configurations of the notebook were priced at $1,699 and $1,999 at their introduction, $500 and $400 higher than their predecessors. The new prices represented increases of 42% and 33%.”
Keizer reports, “Those prices did not hold for long.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s new technology. As yield rates improve, sticker prices will likely decrease, as usual.
SEE ALSO:
The debate is over: IBM confirms that Apple Macs are $535 less expensive than Windows PCs – October 20, 2016
The key mission of Apple’s new MacBook Pros – October 28, 2016
TIME Magazine: Apple’s new MacBook Pro Touch Bar is an inventive new way to get work done more quickly – October 28, 2016
Apple does touch right and, as usual, Microsoft does it wrong – October 28, 2016
IBT: Apple’s MacBook Pro Touch Bar is the coolest thing ever; will change the way we use laptops – October 28, 2016
Wired hands on with Apple’s New MacBook Pro: It’s a whole new kind of laptop – October 27, 2016
CNET on the new MacBook Pro: Apple’s amazing strip show reinvents the notebook – October 27, 2016
Hands on with Apple’s new MacBook Pro: Looks and feels so good it’s unreal – October 27, 2016
Apple debuts three new TV ads for all-new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar – October 27, 2016
Apple unveils groundbreaking new MacBook Pro with revolutionary Touch Bar and huge Force Touch trackpad – October 27, 2016
It is no good to say that sticker prices will reduce with time. I already know people who were waiting to update old MacBook Airs and Pros who are now going to buy Windows machines. Those of us who use computers for work rely upon Apple’s consistency for our workflows. We really do need Apple to update its computers regularly and consistently. By insisting on irregular ‘big reveals’ and keeping everyone in the dark as to updates, it becomes very difficult to plan and rely on Apple machines.
What is now worse, those of us with mid-price Macs, who had bought software for those Macs and learned how to use it (and who recommended others to buy them) find ourselves with no adequate machine at an adequate price to replace them. We are being driven away by Apple – properly driven away. Some people who leave will not come back. Meanwhile, despite MDN’s valiant efforts to the contrary the general public impression of the MacBook Pro prices has been awful and damaging to Apple.
I am going to stick with my Macbook Air (which is three years old) for another year. The (third) screen now has a permanent ‘ring’ in the centre of the screen from the Apple logo but it is usable. It had also been crashing every week although after wiping the entire hard drive and reinstalling everything back on from scratch (which I would have associated having to do with Windows machines) has cured that.
For now, I do not want to have to leave the MacBook and learn how to use Windows and the Windows versions of the software I use. I also have no real knowledge as to what PC laptop would suit me – never having bought one. However, I have been badly stung by Apple’s inability to service its loyal customers, embarrassed at having recommended the machines to my colleagues and I have been caused major inconvenience at not being able to update my machines at a realistic cost which, whilst not cheap, is not exorbitant.
>I already know people who were waiting to update old MacBook Airs and Pros who are now going to buy Windows machines.
They’ll be back, because Windows is no MacOS. Once they get tired of battling malware and spending more time maintaining and troubleshooting their PC rather than actually using it, they’ll regret their decision to save a few bucks because PCs and Macs are not the same.
I know what you mean, I have a 2 year old iMac been a customer since 1988 but I now fear what sort of prices we will see for their replacements. You can see now why there has been such a long delay to updates in the Mac ecosystem, it’s to force customers to either update increadingly obsolete machines to these new horribly expensive ones (followed in similar fashion by the desktops) or be forced to jump ship. So they milk us to keep up profits while reducing the customer base do that down the line they can claim the Mac is irrelavent as they attempt yo push us to iPads, or am I being cynical here? Well if that’s not the answer then management seem to becoming delusional over the depth of loyalty of their customers signs of which I have tried to ignore this past year or more anyway. As things stand I just may not be able to replace my iMac in a few years even if I start saving now as I head towards retirement. That would be do depressing though eased perhaps by my increasing dislike of the way this company is increadingly being run.
Well, they just raised prices by 20% in the U.K., so I’d just forget about saving for a new one. Besides, at the rate your senility is increasing, by retirement you’ll just be worrying who’ll change your shitty diaper.
Have fun with that.
Prices go up but they NEVER come down in Tim Cook’s Apple.
How else could you sell the Mac Pro for the same exact price for the last 3-years… even though it’s significantly outdated for what you get.
Tim Cook is anti-consumer. If Jobs went out of his way to create the absolute best products possible, Tim Cook goes out of his way to create unbuyable products, by locking them down, forcing you to spend even more money on adapters you wouldn’t need unless he designed it that way, before finally pricing the item out of the stratosphere.
Cook has zero respect for Apple consumers, he must have no idea how much he is loathed. All he wants to do is squeeze as much money as he can from each and every one of us. Let fanboys live in denial because more and more people are beginning to see Cook for who and what he actually is.
Tim Cook is a greedy, lazy, incompetent who cares nothing about consumers or Apple, his sole focus is promoting gay rights and keeping a microphone in his face.
Oh come on, this is not a Tim Cook thing. Remember when the first iphones came out and they were like $700 or something, and then like 2 months later they dropped the price by $200? They were trying to fleece the consumers and then realised they couldn’t sell them at that price. Or remember under Steve Job’s watch they didn’t update xserve for years?
It is really sad 🙁
I waited all year long the new 15″ MacBookPro… and, for what !? For a 16GB ram inside an ultra expensive portable, with 256 GB storage without USB and the SD card reader that I badly need for my work ! What a shame !!!
I’am a mac user since 1985, but this time enough is enough. I give up. The Windows dark side seems hence less painful than being ripped of by apple.
Apple is definitely the new Quark Corp. !
Errm, you’ve still got a MBP with no touch id at the same price. You’ve still got macbook air. Admittedly there is no low price 15″ version, but things aren’t as bad as you make out.
I think if there is a problem with the line up it is that consumers actually do want a touch screen laptop, or surface-like removable keyboard tablet/laptop and touch bar does not substitute and ipad pro does not substitute. That’s the big flaw I see.
I’m really irritated that not only has the price of a MacBook Pro gone up, but I’ve lost an SD card slot, standard USB ports, HDMI port and even the power adapter extender cord.
The loss of all of those features which I currently take for granted and use daily, has made the new MacBook Pro significantly more expensive than just the simple sale price increase, but it’s less convenient to use.
I’m sad to say, but I may be typing this comment on my last Apple Mac. No wonder sales are down. Apple is driving their customers away.
I ordered the new MBP and canceled it yesterday. Ridiculous price. Dongle bullshit, forget it. I have a MacBook, no issue for me based upon its intent. I like it. This MBP is crap
Well it seems as though Tim Cook is as clueless as the sugared water Scully, so… why doesn’t he just release macOS for licensing on other systems so we have a chance at really professional computers, instead of this lame throwaway crap.
Apple just can’t give up getting thinner. I used the SD card slot every single day, and the USB ports.
For a couple of years, every Apple event makes me ask a question, “What is Apple taking away from me?”
Will skip this version of the thinner-is-better madness. They will have to sell a million to somebody else.
My 2013 12-inch MBP is looking better than ever.
“I use the floppy drive every single day, and the ADB ports. My PowerMac Quadra is looking better than ever.”
to 1998,
None of my Macs have had a floppy. I agreed with their removal from the start because technology had obsoleted them.
Where is the replacement for the SD card in cameras? Does not exist.
Apple’s unhealthy quest for ultimate thinness is forcing them to trash that which is far from being obsoleted.
Welcome to the Adapter Tax!
Yep. Apple should be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves
Not quite sure why you need the SD slot, which I don’t think I have ever used, despite shooting pix daily.
I simply plug my cam in and unload on the spot.
I have several cameras, all with SD cards. Easier to use the slot.
But if Apple would give me one of their new MBPs, I would learn to deal with the absence.
I have tried both methods, and using the SD slot is faster than the wire for me. Typical batch for me is 1200 to 1500 JPEGs of about 12mb each.
Said this elsewhere, but it bears reiterating here.
We once bought Apple computers because of the value proposition – excellent hardware and software. We tended to only order the RAM we needed, because Apple’s prices were so high. As the years would pass, we would gradually upgrade with third-party RAM and hard drives as those prices would continue to come down. 3-5 years later, we’d sell that computer for a decent amount, or gift it to a family member or friend for another couple years of use, as we moved on to Apple’s shiny new goodness.
And we were happy with the experience and we talked about the lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and how it made the Apple experience better.
Now, we pay a premium at the front, have to pay premium prices for maxing the RAM and storage, and have to use that machine for 6-10 years to get the most out of it, if we actually want to benefit from TCO, and we can’t enjoy the experience nearly as much.
This is why we complain. The Apple experience has faded, the economies don’t make as much sense as they used to. And the competition has really upped their game – Windows 10 (which I have to use at work) is fine. New laptops by HP, Lenovo, etc., are reasonable in features, style, and price. And now that Apple is hobbling its apps (looking at you, Photos), there are competitive alternatives to those, as well.
And don’t get me started on how Apple is becoming a services company. How many subscriptions can you carry? Music, iCloud, iTunes Match, Adobe (if you want a real Photos alternative), etc.
Couldn’t agree more. Services my a–. Good luck with it as they ain’t nickel and diming me to death
Man oh man. Most people that visit this site like Apple, and like Apple’s products, but we seem to be unable to say to Apple, “That cost too much”.
The price is to high for what it is. Notebooks are not new or innovative technology any more. We expect it to get faster, we expect battery life to get longer, we expect screen resolution to get better, we expect more ram memory, we expect faster permanent memory solutions. Guess what else we expect, that’s right, the price to go lower.
The complaint is simple, it cost too much. Lower the quality, and rightly so, we don’t want it. The problem Apple must solve now is to provide even higher quality at a lower price. Just reading the comments here suggest people are not going to buy in great numbers the new macbooks, it at all. That is truly sad.
Intel was an ok solution. The move to intel sold more Macs then PowerPC, but maybe it’s time to move on. Quickly. Intel has no competition at the moment so they move in their own time, and they know their customers have nowhere to go. Truly sad. The cpu chip prices intel charges are nuts, and yes, it maybe part of Apple’s cost problem.
The idea of not listening to customers these days, closes companies.
I have never witnessed do much negativity and sadly I can’t help but share it. Seems Apple should have forgotten Campus 2 and built an ivory tower instead. Too much is becoming indefensible now and I fear for the future that even 18 months ago looked so rosy.
They’ll have trouble selling that piece of crap campus. To big for anyone to buy it. IBM still sits with its old HQ for that reason. The bigger a company gets the worse they get. Apple is following suit fast.
Apple is synonymous with cash grab.
Apple Campus Two- Tower of Donuts
Apple is synonymous with cash grab.
Apple Campus Two- Tower of Donuts
when companies run out of ideas they build fancy new headquarters.
More revolutionary product that was ever been invented. Less = Moar. Thinner and lightest Pro laptop that was ever been crafted. Aluminum surface with 5 revolution ports plus 1ne headphone jack for quality musics. Inkludes even an album by u-2 that you must listen to in order to have Mac. Mac Pro, for professionally only.
I really do think Apple need to get an affordable Mac out there ASAP… I simply can’t afford what they are offering at the moment.
It’s not rocket science, just release something that is affordable.
Apple just may lower their prices on the new MacBook Pros, but it could be too little too late by then. There is the feeling among many of us that Apple cannot be the trend-setter when it comes to moving other companies to obsolete popular technology (as Steve Jobs could) like USB and SD cards. If everyone starts migrating to USB-C in great numbers, Apple’s clout will be verified. All the peripheral makers will replace the old stuff with the new standard and everyone will start buying them up. But in the meantime, seeing a highly-respected machine like the MacBook Pro completely missing these mature technologies and then get more expensive is a double-whammy! The Apple execs who decide these things seem out-of-touch with the ordinary Mac user.
Sorry but no laptop with 2 USB C ports can be called Pro.
It’s been downgraded to a latte bar machine. Useless.
I’ve been saying for years that Apple was becoming the new Microsoft. Got called a troll here many times.
When a fanboy site like this has the comments like are on this page along with the votes the comments have received then it’s clear Apple is headed in the wrong direction.
I don’t want to go back to windows but it’s looking like I’ll have to someday. For now my 2012 retina does everything I need it to.
I’m not all that fussed about the price alone. It is what you get for the price that annoys me. For the extra 20% Apple want to charge, they should have included 32Gb ram and increased the storage to 512Gb as standard. I would have ordered one straight away. I’m not convinced the latest Macbook Pro is value for money at all.
Apple just charges way to much for the laptops now days. They need to knock down that price. I know Apple charges a premium but the cost they are charging and then taking out SD card and USB. Why would anyone pay such high price when they take out stuff?
been a outspoken fan all my life and reading these comments all of which are negative makes me sad because I totally agree with them there is a massive disconnect with the Apple fans who champion their products.
I don’t feel i can speck out on the side of Apple anymore yes i love their stuff but they don’t seem to connect anymore with reality its all about bling hype and money and thats three things i loath.
Apple to me was the underdog the light of hope and determined visionary. i feel that there greatness in the eco stuff they are doing but i look at their profits and their customers and now all i see is disconnection where only the money matters.
It makes me feel sick thinking about it because thats not the Apple i love.
we are now talking about the biggest company in the world with the biggest profits and they are no longer the peoples champion.
They are now nose browning with the art world and the designer suits and the bullshit that everyone knows is flash disgusting greedy hype.
somewhere they went up their own arse and got lost and thats really sad because they still make great stuff but they now just like the rest of the anal retentive set and we are all just minions to be fleeced.
Sad day of realisation for me. i feel i need to buy a surface pro so i can be more objective rather than a blind fanboy.
Well, fortunately my MacBook Pro 15″ from late 2014 still meets all my requirements. Like most of Apple’s products, they have a much longer life than PCs based on Windows.
I think Apple need to get a balance. It’s one thing to deliver quality products but they need to remain within consumers’ means.
In my case, I switched to Apple in 2007 after deliberating for a long time due to the heavy investment in software. Now I am fully committed to the Apple ecosystem, it would be very costly to switch away which makes the cost of the hardware less relevant.
Just ordered a 15 inch MBPro.
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I have been waiting to pick one up for the last 8-9 months and thought I would hold for a shiny new toy to complement my ageing 2010 iMac 27 inch. I was hoping for a loaded up machine with lots of ports and options, magsafe power, HDMI, SD card slot etc.
Not happy with the limits of the new machine, I can see where Apple are going but they are not there yet.
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My order is for a Refurb 2015 model – I will live okay without being on the bleeding edge, but can well understand the Pros who are not happy with what they are being offered