This post was last updated on March 11, 2026
Added March 11, 2026: I kept this post as a reminder that computer pricing follows a familiar rhythm. Using an inflation calculator from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis tells me that $1,999 in 2006 is worth approximately $3,199 now. I paid $2,765.09 in November 2023 for the MacBook Pro I’m using now that’s a bit above the base model. So Apple’s price points don’t change much adjusting for inflation. In fact they’re slightly lower than 20 years ago.
Over the long term, you can always buy a more powerful computer for less if you wait. You will have buyer’s remorse soon after you buy a computer, because that faster computer is always around the corner.
Thankfully there are resources like the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide to help you time your purchase to get the most for your money. That said the prices for Apple’s RAM upgrades continue to be a bit nuts. But these days you can’t upgrade the RAM yourself, so you’re stuck paying Apple’s price.
Apple finally released the new MacBooks today. It’s a good option for people like me who think that the MacBook Pro is a bit too expensive. The entry level MacBook is $1099, the entry MacBook Pro is $1999. Sure, the MB Pro has dedicated video chip/memory and a few bells and whistles like a illuminated keyboard, a FireWire 800 port, and an ExpressCard slot. While I’d like dedicated video I can live without the rest of the “upgrades”. It’s not really worth $800. Apple has a full comparison chart..
I’d buy a MacBook, but I’d definitely upgrade the hard drive a bit and max out the RAM. It’s not a new problem but why do Apple RAM upgrades cost so much? Upgrading the MacBook from the stock 512 MB to 2GB costs $500. RAM is not that expensive from other places, is Apple memory gold plated?