Why are hardware upgrades from Apple so expensive?

Question

I have a Macbook Pro myself. I bought it because there is currently no other PC laptop that can match up to its balance of performance, battery life, size and weight, and aesthetics. Before anyone calls me a clueless Mac fanboy, I'm not- I also built my gaming desktop (i7-2600K + HD6970), so I'm not a computer newbie. I can somewhat understand the initial starting prices since they basically have a monopoly over OSX and make very high quality laptops, but I think their upgrade prices are just absurd. Why does Apple charge so much for their hardware upgrades? For example, it costs $200 just to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB of RAM, when I can buy the exact same RAM kit from Newegg.com for $70 (notice that if I buy 2x4GB RAM kit from newegg, I also get to keep my old 2x2GB RAM after installing 2x4GB RAM). From my understanding, Macs are fundamentally PCs (and therefore use regular standardized PC hardware), and there is no such thing as "Mac hardware", unless we're talking about those old PPC Macs. So what's the point of overcharging these upgrades?

Answer 1

Because Apple is an outrageous ripoff for nearly everything.



Yourself aside, most people who buy Macs don't know hardware very well if at all. I built a desktop similar to yours recently (with a 570 GTX instead of a 6970) for around $1300 ish, and you cannot find a comparable iMac in performance at any price, even up to $3000

Answer 2

the big reason is that its a closed hardware set up which makes it were you can only upgrade with their items which has all kinds of pros and cons but the biggest pro is that since its closed they can find out the problems quicker then if it was open hardware but the biggest con is that theres no competition on the hardware so the price wont change much at all



and on the monopoly for osx its a complete monopoly because mac osx is suppose to only be installed on apple certified hardware



ether way theres always going to be things like this happening like how osx major version upgrades usually go for about $30 and windows is about $119 (for home premium)

Answer 3

some issues you will desire to evaluate first: Your "low cost" Dell...you would be fortunate if it consists of on the spot A or B and bluetooth. final time I checked those have been top rate and non-compulsory, an further $2 hundred. a brilliant show provides approximately yet another $a hundred to the value. definite, it is authentic Macs are like Ferraris they are greater costly than your standard $499.ninety 9 low cost plastic Dell computers. All Macs in recent times use plane high quality Aluminum, stainless-steel, bullet evidence polycarbonate and effect resistant glass. yet another plus to new Macs is they contain iTunes, iLife (iMove, iPhoto, iDVD, storage Band and iWeb), Mail, Oxford American Dictionary, iChat, Widgets, address e book, Automator, paintings directors gadget kit, Omnigraffle, OmniOutliner(in many cases standard on MBP), Sherloc and comedian existence. All of those are finished working courses. None of that domicile windows laptop standard equipment of "demos and shareware" you're familiar with get alongside with your new laptop. Which maximum of it is going to finally end up deleted out of your laptop besides. On good of all that unfastened application you besides mght get with a Mac: iSight (inbuilt digital camera), 24bit Audio the two digital (optical) and analog, expert Widescreen with colour filters and SyncMaster resolutions, action and lightweight sensors which makes your mac do cool issues, a reachable distant administration, on the spot B,G and N, Bluetooth 2.0, ExpressCard 34, Firewire 4 hundred and 800, DVI output, The Magsafe protection potential plug. in short the question that regularly should be replied is: "why do human beings purchase Bang & Olufsen products? or Bose? whilst a low cost "no call variety" additionally will supply you sound..." yet despite the respond the main nicely known element isn't that one is greater inexpensive than the different however the shown fact which you have a huge selection of product ideas to make a call from and you'd be able to settle directly to purchase despite you prefer. despite suits your desires... BTW: The final HP laptop i offered value me $3700 with tax. My MacBook professional value me $2990 with tax. So, subsequently the Apple gadget replaced into greater inexpensive than the HP laptop.

Answer 4

It's apple.



They fool people by charging extra, and by doing so consumer's think its better.



Glad to understand your not a mac fanboy. Nice to hear someone who has a REASON for getting a mac and not just buying it because it's a mac.

Answer 5

Because Apple is a company and aims to make as much profit as possible. They've created a "high-class" brand image that enables them to charge more for simple parts and still have people buy them.