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Apple's Pricing Premiums Never Cease to Impress

Posted on October 21, 2009 10:40 AM by Rob Williams

Apple updated both its MacBook and iMac line-ups yesterday, and though I have little interest in the company's products, I decided to head on over to its site and see what was new. At the same time, I also wanted to see what kind of "Apple tax" these new machines had, and whether or not the situation is as extreme as before. Well, I didn't have to look too far to get an answer. In this case, my answer laid with the 21.5" iMac's.

As is typical of Apple, there are two models per size. One retails for $1,199, while the upgraded version sells for $1,499. Prices like these don't seem so bad for an all-in-one machine, especially the $1,199 model, but when you consider the hardware under the hood, you might think twice. In both models, the CPU included is a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo. Yes, that's a dual-core, not a quad. Oh, but you can upgrade it to a 3.33GHz for only $200 (give me the quad-core Q8200 at $150 any day).

The fact that Apple, and others, charge insane premiums on hardware is nothing new, but Apple takes things to the next level. I noted two different models, with the "higher-end" costing $300 more. After meticulously looking over the specs pages for both, I found only two differences. That $300 will get you an upgrade from a 500GB hard drive to a 1TB offering, and also upgrade the integrated graphics from the NVIDIA 9400M to an ATI HD 4670 256MB.

I use bold there because the 256MB version of the card isn't even for sale anymore on any e-tailer I checked. Only the 512MB version is, and it sells for $60. The premium on the hard drive? Going from a 500GB to 1TB in the real marketplace is a $25 - $30 premium. So overall, Apple is charging $300 for $90 "upgrades". I use the term upgrades loosely, because the HD 4670 is hardly a stellar GPU. For that premium, you'd expect to at least get a decent mid-range card capable of actually pushing graphics with the display's native resolution of 1080p.

Yes, I'm aware that the iMac is an all-in-one, and that in itself rules out certain GPUs, but there are better options than the HD 4670. Even ATI's brand-new HD 5750 would be a perfect drop-in. It not only uses less power and runs cool, it offers far better performance. Since those retail for just $109 to the end-consumer, Apple could have used it and still made a healthy profit.

The new iMac features stunning LED-backlit displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio, ideal for watching high definition movies and TV shows from iTunes, or editing and watching your own videos or photos using iLife. The new 21.5-inch iMac features a high resolution 1920-by-1080 pixel display. The 27-inch iMac features a beautiful 2560-by-1440 pixel display that offers 60 percent more pixels than the previous 24-inch model. Both 21.5 and 27-inch displays use IPS technology to deliver consistent color across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle.

Source: Apple iMac Product Page

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Upgrading to Windows 7? Run the Upgrade Advisor First!

Posted on October 21, 2009 9:20 AM by Rob Williams

In case you are somehow unaware, Microsoft launches its Windows 7 OS tomorrow, with immediate availability. You can of course "pre-order" it on various websites now, or simply walk into a brick and mortar store tomorrow and pick up a copy. If you want to take the OEM route (limited to a single computer, but far less expensive), you'll likely have no choice but to go the online route, unless you either work at a computer shop, or know someone who does.

I'm willing to bet that the majority of you visiting our site have a computer capable of handling Windows 7, but do you either want to upgrade a family member's machine, or a spare PC somewhere in your house? Before you commit to a purchase, the best idea is to run Microsoft's own "Upgrade Advisor" tool that scans your current configuration and gives you a list of a-ok's and caveats.

Because I've already upgraded my PCs to Windows 7, I didn't have a proper PC to run this upgrade advisor on, so I just took to my Windows XP install inside of VMware to give it a shot. The process took about one minute to complete, and afterwards, it told me that I couldn't do a typical upgrade, but rather have to conduct a fresh install (that will always be the case when upgrading from XP).

Because my graphics driver lacks proper acceleration (in VMware), it noted that I wouldn't be able to run Windows Aero (I in fact can, but it's understandable why it couldn't tell the difference). It also told me that Outlook Express is no longer part of Windows, and recommended me to check out alternatives, such as Windows Live Mail. Overall, it did say I could upgrade to Windows 7, however. I don't expect this test to be too hardcore, but for actual older machines, it's likely capable of saving you both money and time.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC for potential compatibility issues and lets you know about your Windows 7 upgrade options. Within minutes, you'll get a report that tells you if your PC meets the system requirements, if any known compatibility issues with your hardware, devices, and installed programs are found, and gives guidance on what to do to before installing Windows 7 on your PC.

Source: Windows Upgrade Advisor

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