Apple Tax: MacBook
When it was announced a month ago I never actually got around to figuring the Apple Tax on the MacBook. The PC market is filled with cheap compact Core Duo laptops, but for some reason I've had a hard time finding 13" widescreen 2Ghz Core Duo laptops with an integrated DVD burner, firewire, and camera. Now that a month has gone by the numbers are a little clearer.
Apple's MacBook seems priced comparably to the cheapest similarly-configured Dell or no-name laptop I could find, and is substantially cheaper than a Vaio. It's true that the black MacBooks are $150 more than white MacBooks but that's the "black tax", not the "mac tax".
- The MacBook costs $1099 for 1.83/60GB and $1299 for 2.0/60GB.
- The Uniwill M3EI1 costs $1172.00 for 1.83/60GB (+$73,+6.6%) and $1235.00 for 2.0/60GB (-$64,-4.9%). Does not include bluetooth, webcam, or remote control but does include a card reader.
- The 13.3" Sony VGN-SZ240 costs $1610 for 1/83/60GB (+$511,+46%) and $1759 for 2.0/60GB (+$460,+35%). This isn't a good hardware comparison because it's got a dedicated (and expensive) NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7400 graphics chip instead of using the onboard 950.
- The Dell Inspiron E1405 is a bit cheaper at $1047 for 1.83/60GB (-52$,-4.7%) and $1247 for 2.0/60GB (-$52,-4%) but it's a completely different form factor (14.1") without firewire or an integrated camera. The D520's comparable 1.83Ghz configuration is $1194 (+$95,+8.6%).
- Prices for the NEC Versa L1100 haven't been announced yet, and I can't find any prices on the Acer TravelMate 3020 either.
Apple's MacBook seems priced comparably to the cheapest similarly-configured Dell or no-name laptop I could find, and is substantially cheaper than a Vaio. It's true that the black MacBooks are $150 more than white MacBooks but that's the "black tax", not the "mac tax".