“Apple today quietly expanded the available configuration options for the Retina MacBook Pro, now offering a full slate of individual upgrade options on the base model that starts at $2199,” Eric Slivka reports for MacRumors.
“Previously, customers who opted for the base model were locked into a 2.3 GHz Core i7 processor and 256 GB of flash storage, with the only configurable onboard option being a $200 RAM upgrade from 8 GB to 16 GB,” Slivka reports. “Customers looking to boost either the CPU or storage were required to step up to the high-end $2799 model, which offers both a 2.6 GHz i7 processor and 512 GB of storage, with additional upgrades beyond that.”
Slivka reports, “Apple is now offering all available upgrades on the low-end model, giving customers full control over their configuration needs.”
Read more in the full article here.
Um… while that’s cool it’s got to drive “early” adopters nuts. This stuff needs to be ironed out and presented to the consuming public up front, not shortly after launch. Kind of like the retina display, my opinion is it should be rolled out to all Mac computers at one time. That way you don’t have a whole slew of individuals (myself included) holding out until (at least) a Retine Display MacBook Air and Retina Display iMac show up.
Early adopters always see improvements shortly after they buy. It’s the price you pay for being first on your block with the new toys.
Most definitely very uncool, ungrateful and a few other uns. Those MBPs have only been available for a few weeks now! I don’t agree that this is typical. It is way too early to be typical. I don’t keep a spread sheet of these dates or anything, but this is a major change on a very expensive computer and it IS very early, right? I would even call it a mistake and think that Apple should offer to allow a trade-in of those machines purchased by the faithful to would have preferred these other options. mistaken think Apple should’ve offered to take back those machines purchased by the faithful.
Sorry about last sentence, but you get the idea. I’m blaming Siri!
The bleeding edge bleeds. Apple does not stand still, count on it and get yourself a tissue..
Well, maybe available. If you go to the Apple Store website and try and choose a Macbook Pro you get the following error.
OOPS!
An error has occurred during your session. Please return to the Store Menu to continue shopping.
Return to Store menu
Apple’s privacy policies have clearly worked for the company. However, as an early adopter Kool-Aid kid here, I too, find them frustrating. As a business owner, I still don’t know how to manage my plans with Apple’s secret release dates. In my case, this has actually caused me to buy fewer Apple products than I would have bought, if I had known the actual pending release schedules. What happens is that my waiting gets rewarded by more rumors, then a silent upgrade, then more waiting when I would have gone ahead and purchased had I know how long the real wait would be. Sorry if too wordy.
Reved storage capacity keeps you from buying computers?
What a load. Identify your current needs, try to anticipate future needs and buy the appropriate tool available and manage it. You do not have to have the latest toys to successfully run a business, you need working ones that fill your specific need.
Your argument is asinine, find a way to fund what you need today and buy it. Stop worrying about rumors.
Apple products work for years and years. My wife uses my six year old MBP. We still have a 400 Sawtooth that works. Don’t give me the crap about managing your business plans because they should not hinge on the latest and greatest but on tried and true.
The pricing is the same. You can now build the base model up to the specs of th higher end model. About the only difference is you could now cheap out and save $100 if you don’t want to go to the 2.6 GHz processor but you want the 500 GB SSD.
Big deal Apple gave people more flexibility with the base model. A month ago people were birthing that Apple was forcing you to go up to th next model just to get th bigger hard drive.
Yes, they were giving birth… Damn autocorrect.
How can you complain about “Apple’s secret release dates”?
If Apple announced when new products were coming they would be stuck with lots of old models. have you ever heard of the “Osborne Effect” – it is what every manufacturer fears.
I think what you can always count on is that there will be new models of something from Apple in September/October timeframe, In March and perhaps May and sometimes all the other months too.