$800 for a new MacBook?

im a total apple fan! i love apple products an especially the macs. the only problem is they are much too expensive. my dad wont get me one only because of the price. the newest macbook is damn cool. i wish i had it and that theyd be sellin it for like 799$ i live in germany so if he orderes it from the us it will be even cheaper!!!! YAY!

APPLE COME ON!!!!

I have a Netbook running 10.5.5...can't get any "lower end" than that and still be a computer.

Now, I'm not gonna be running Spore on the thing, but for less than $500, I am not complaining.

Lessened User Experience? What does this mean...that it doesn't run Mac OS X, doesn't have accelerated Core Graphics/Quartz Extreme, doesn't run Apple's built in apps...can't use Xcode on it...

What?

I'm sorry man...Apple could mop the floor with a Mac in this space for "a little bit more than an iPod or iPhone"...and do it "right".

It is like the "Matrix"...you have to see it for yourself.

-K

I think Apple could easily sell the current MacBook at a $799 price point. I don't buy this "low-end product degrades the user experience" BS. This is the world of electronics, folks. When this generation MacBook debuted, did the previous gen model instantly become a "degraded experience"? Today's high end model is tomorrow's low end model. Just continue to roll each current gen into the "low end" product as the new model debuts.

Otherwise, I'm in the market for my first notebook and these are my wishes:

1) DEDICATED graphics. This is a must for me, but the MBP is too expensive and the MB doesn't offer it.

2) Backlit keyboard. Not a huge issue, but it would be a major plus as I work a lot at night and don't like to keep a lot of lights on (I've been called "nocturnal").

3) New aluminum enclosure or keep the black option, I'm not a fan of the white one.

Since buying my first gen iPhone in June '07, I have realized just how much I like having the internet anywhere and the ability to work anywhere. I almost regret buying my newest iMac last year over a notebook. Let's see if Apple can make my dream notebook

personally, i want a powerful computer, but to do that buying straight from Apple is more expensive. Right now I'm considering doing the research and building a hackintosh. from what I understand it can be done quite a bit cheaper.

Instead of simply dismissing all cheap notebooks as being vastly inferior...let's take a look at Best Buy's notebooks on sale this week:

Sony Vaio-C2D 2GHz, 4GB, 250GB, 16.4" w/1600x900 display, DL DVD burner, webcam, 3 USB ports, Vista Utimate 64-bit, 6.4lb/1.5" $899 (norm $1049)

Toshiba Satellite-same as other except 14.1" display (1280x800), 2 USB, 5.2lbs/1.4" for $699(norm $849)

Tosiba Satellite-same except 15.2" display(1280x800), 320GB HD, radio tuner (don't we all need that?!), ATI Radeon w/256MB, 3 USB ports, 6lbs/1.5" $799 (norm $949)

Looking at their other options between $700-900 and under 14", they all have a less/as powerful processor (2.0-2.1GHz) and are thicker/heavier, but ALL have a larger HD (250-320GB), DVD burner and more RAM (3-4GB). See: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031~~cabcat0500000%23%230%23%2311a~~cabcat0502000%23%230%23%23o~~f518%7C%7C24373030202d2024383939~~nf534%7C%7C31342671756f743b20616e6420556e646572&list=y&nrp=15&sc=abComputerSP&ks=960&usc=abcat0500000&sp=%2Bbrand+skuid&list=y&iht=n&st=processingtime%3A%3E1900-01-01

Even though they have Windows & are heavier/thicker compare those specs to the $1099 MacBook...2.1GHz, 1GB RAM (!!!!!!), 120GB HD, & Combo Drive...the price difference is quite shocking.

But what if Apple made a laptop that undercut the competition. Everyone wants a Mac, but with a price difference as shown...it's hard to justify. And with the bleak economy this holiday season...why doesn't Apple put out a competitively spec-ed machine and then tout OS X, iLife, etc. My idea:
1) 2.2GHz C2D, 2GB RAM, Super Drive, 160GB HD, no iLife, $799
2) 2.4GHz C2D, 2GB RAM, Super Drive, 250GB HD, $999
3) 2.5GHz C2D, 4GB RAM, Super Drive, 250GB HD, iWork, $1199 (add $50 for black)
MacBook Pro:
1) 15", 2.6GHz, 4GB RAM, SuperDrive, 250GB HD, $1799
2) 15" & 17", 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, BluDrive (too awkward a name?), 250GB, $2299 (subtract $100 for SuperDrive)
3)15" & 17", 2.8GHz C2Extreme, BluDrive, 320GB HD, 1680x1050, $2699 (upgrade to 3.06GHz C2E for $250), $2699
I'm sure someone out there has a bone to pick with the MBP specs...let me hear it. Of course these are the base models...more options would be available online (like HDs, more memory). Forgive me, I don't know much about processors and what's compatible and all...so I turned to Wikipedia to see what's new for the MBP processors. I tried to use the ones introduced in July. I found it interesting that "Intel released an Apple only [Penryn] chip on April 28, 2008 that increased the clockspeed to 3.06 GHz...". That's why I put it as an option. Also, I've started to notice a couple of desktop computers at Sam's Club for ~$1300 that have 6GB of RAM (with an AMD processor)...so is there a way to squeeze 6GB of RAM into a MBP??

I hope there is now a 13.3" MacBook Pro, which would make sense since I'm hearing that only the Pros will be aluminum, the regular MacBook will remain plastic. I've always wanted a MacBook Pro, but they are just too big. I love the backlit keys and discrete graphics, but 15.4" was always too big.

The question is "does Apple really want to mess with the low end, cheap area of the market"? How much profit will Apple gather by competing with other companies on such narrow margins? Sure, they might get some more percentage of user base but along with that comes the customer that just wants a tool that costs real cheap, doesn't care about looks and just wants a minimum specs box that will only surf, download movies & mp3 or maybe at best use word processing apps or burn a cd/dvd. Those people will look hard for the lowest price possible, have a friend format them with pirated XP (out goes Vista), install pirated Microsoft Office and they're done. There's no room here for an "Apple Experience", it's the cheap stuff they're after and I'm afraid that if Apple goes into these budgets they'll look more and more like Psystar-like beige box sellers that sell a more affordable yet of lower quality Apple Experience...

I wouldn't count on it; if Apple releases anything below $1k, it'll be a baseline model à la Mac Mini with add-on features (that add up to the price, of course). They can't and won't compete with the dirt-cheap netbook models already on the market.

This is not Apple's niche at all anyway and that's fine, Jobs already said they have no intention of going after the low-cost bracket because cheap products dimish the user experience. Yes they can change their mind about it, but I would be very surprised if they did.

So how about post the rest of the list.

Does this mean that the new books will be available immediately on Tuesday?

Where have you guys been? I have 2 new under 900.00 Macbooks! It's called refurb and they undergo more stringent QC than new models.