Filed under: Surveys and Polls, MacBook
MacBook price gap shrinks...a little
When the MacBook was first introduced, the difference between a black model and a mid-ranged white one was 20GB of disk space and $200US. Today, you can configure a middle-of-the-road white model to exactly match a top-of-the-line black model, and the difference is $125US. Last May, we asked the poll question: "Will you buy a black MacBook?" and the results were as follows:
- 48% of respondents said "I'm tempted"
- 30% said "No way in heck"
- 22% just can't wait, declaring, "I simply must have it!"
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mdc said 2:41PM on 5-15-2007
It's not the price difference that stops me, it's the fact that I really like the white plastic opposed to the black.
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5cents said 2:44PM on 5-15-2007
I voted "I'd consider it," but then again I already have in my possession a blackbook. I really think the blackbook is leagues ahead of the white one aesthetically. That said, the slick white surface is luscious, perhaps if they would make the lighted apple on the cover stand out more (say black outline) it would be nicer. The best part of the blackbook is the way the logo jumps out.
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5cents said 2:44PM on 5-15-2007
I voted "I'd consider it," but then again I already have in my possession a blackbook. I really think the blackbook is leagues ahead of the white one aesthetically. That said, the slick white surface is luscious, perhaps if they would make the lighted apple on the cover stand out more (say black outline) it would be nicer. The best part of the blackbook is the way the logo jumps out.
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Blue Sam said 2:45PM on 5-15-2007
you can get Refurbished black MacBook for $999
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Mario said 2:52PM on 5-15-2007
I voted
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Mike Haugland said 2:59PM on 5-15-2007
The difference on the Canadian store is less. It's only $110 CAD difference after configuring the white Macbook.
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Leonard Nimrod said 3:01PM on 5-15-2007
I currently have a C2D BlackBook that I love. I bought it a couple months ago, but you won't here me complaining about how I don't have the fastest MacBook available now.
That small price gap means little to me. However, I will probably sell mine and get a 15" MacBook Pro once LED and Santa Rosa comes out. Especially if Robson is enabled and if it shows to be a benefit to the system performance.
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team gingerbread said 3:02PM on 5-15-2007
I'm a matchy-matchy gal and all my new expensive electronics (5G iPod, phone, camera, etc.) are black so yeah I'd pay $125 for paint.
Besides,, I think it works out if you consider all the online services that will paint your ipod, playstation or macbook any colour you want the price is pretty reasonable...
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Edward Scherf said 3:25PM on 5-15-2007
I voted no. However, if it was a gloss black, like the Black Nano for example, then I would most definitely consider it.
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motech said 3:35PM on 5-15-2007
emmm
u mean yellow vs black.
the white ones just turn on you after a few months!
they must fix that and asap . .
i have black and i think its more pro looking too (for meetings and such)
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greatslack said 3:38PM on 5-15-2007
@team gingerbread
The point is that Apple is mass-producing the plastic cases and it shouldn't cost any more for them to make a black plastic case than a white plastic case.
The real question for me is how many are willing to pay the $700 difference between the high-end white MacBook and the low-end MacBook Pro, given that they have the same processor, memory, and hard drive?
Something else is odd to me, the SuperDrive in the MacBook is faster than the one in the pro now (8x vs 6x pro)
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Zachary Hinchliffe said 3:40PM on 5-15-2007
White > black, in my opinion. I wouldn't buy one if they were the same price.
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jonecat said 3:53PM on 5-15-2007
@11
The MBP has to use smaller subcompact drives, thus the reason the MB has a faster drive, it uses standard laptop drives.
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Twist said 4:04PM on 5-15-2007
The satin black finish is really nice and all but "I ain't payin' $125 for paint".
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Tony said 4:25PM on 5-15-2007
"The point is that Apple is mass-producing the plastic cases and it shouldn't cost any more for them to make a black plastic case than a white plastic case."
True, BUT...Apple wants the black Mac Book to be "special." If everyone had black, they'd be no big deal. It's like a special edition, in a sense. If you want to stand out from your neighbor, it's going to cost you $125.
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Thom said 4:44PM on 5-15-2007
My girlfriend has a white Macbook, I have a black one. Hers has horrible brown stains on it, my has horrible greasy smudges on it. They are both hideous.
Are the Pros any better?
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Tony Santos said 5:04PM on 5-15-2007
I'll just paint it whatever colour I want for way less than $125. White is a good base LoL
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Galley said 5:58PM on 5-15-2007
Apple electronics should be glossy white, not flat black!
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Gareth Burleigh said 6:38PM on 5-15-2007
How about a no because the black looks like a calculator vote?
@16 my Girlfriend has the white Macbook which gets a tiny amount of use but with no stains at all, and I have a Core Duo MBP which has had a massive amount of use in the year+ Ive had it and there isnt a mark on that either.
Hope that helps
Gareth
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walkerjs said 7:59PM on 5-15-2007
I voted that I'd consider it, but that's only because I got my wife the black Macbook while I have (and kind of like..it matches my iPod) the white. This back when the price difference was less because of the bigger drive. I'm more jealous of her 120Gig drive than the blackness of it though.
Of course, her Macbook also matches her black iPod (and what used to be my black iPod Nano, which used to be mine before I got my white 30gig Video.)
Geez, I never was this concerned about a computer's appearance before I switched to a Mac. Eh, so maybe the stereotype has an element of truth to it. Who cares, I'm happy with my computer, and she's happy with hers.
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