Internet freaks out about new MacBook Pro pricing

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The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
Photo: Apple

While Apple is touting the new MacBook Pros as a major evolution of the laptop, the internet is in open revolt over the cost of the new machines.

The new MacBook Pros will set you back at least $200 more than last year’s models, and sometimes much more.

The top-of-the-line 15-inch MacBook Pro, for example, costs an eye-popping $4,299 — without tax, and with no preinstalled software.

Prices are even worse in Europe and Asia, where potential buyers are wondering if it would be cheaper to fly to the U.S. to buy a new machine than get one at home.

Apple has always had a reputation for high prices, but in general the company holds prices steady between product generations. This year’s iPhones and iPads cost generally the same as last year’s — and years before. Big price hikes between generations generally prove rare. Which is why the prices of the latest MacBook Pros caused immediate complaints unseen in recent memory.

On Reddit, there’s a long thread devoted just to pricing that already runs to hundreds of comments. Reddit users complain bitterly about the additional cost of the new machines.

There’s open revolt that the cheapest MacBook Pro now starts at $1,500 instead of $1,300. And that is for a machine without the innovative new Touch Bar — the major new feature.

The cheapest machine with the Touch Bar costs $1,799, which is a lot of money for a supposed entry-level laptop. Meanwhile, the base 15-inch model, an entry-level laptop for a pro user, is a $2,300 model with only 256GB of storage. By comparison, last year’s 15-inch MacBook Pro is $300 cheaper at $1,999.

Prices are even higher in Europe. The MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar is 1,700 euros, or $1,853. One Reddit user estimated the machine they’d like to buy costs $5,340 (it runs $3,999 in the United States).

Overall, the high prices cast a gloomy cloud over the new machines, which otherwise are getting a good reception.

https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/791720032753557506

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