New MacBooks, Black is a Ripoff

Apple has released a new low-end laptop to replace the iBook. As widely speculated it's called the MacBook. It comes in three models that I'll call low, med and high. First what's the same about them: 512MB RAM, 1280x800 13.3" screen using the onboard Intel graphics card, mini-DVI port, digital audio in/out, 2 USB 2.0, 1 FireWire 400, built-in iSight, wifi, bluetooth 2.0, and the new MagSafe power adaptor. All are the same size and weigh 5.2 lbs.

The differences. The low end model has a 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor, the med and high end models have 2.0 GHz versions of the same chip. The low end has a combo drive (read/write CDs, read DVDs), the two higher models have super-drives (read/write both CDs and DVDs). The 2 low end models comes with 60GB drives while the high end one comes with an 80GB drive.

So if I were to buy one I'd get the faster processor, the super drive, 1 GB of RAM and a 100GB hard drive (120GB would be nice but it's $100 more). So if you price out the med model in the store it comes to $1550. If you price out the high end model it's $1700. A $150 difference really surprised me, particularly since I'm adding 40GB to the med model and only 20GB to the high end model. Really, that's the only difference. Oh wait there's one more difference, the high end model is black plastic, the other two are white plastic. $150 more for black. No thanks. I'd rather have another 20GB on the drive and $50 in cash.

Update: A note about Apple memory. It's expensive. Also Apple support is not kind to those with 3rd party memory. Apparently if you send in a machine for repair with 3rd party memory they just send it back saying to use genuine Apple memory even when it's not the problem. If I were getting 2GB I'd get 3rd party. For just 1 GB I don't think it's worth the hassle. Also if you add memory it costs more in person at the retail Apple Store then online at the Apple Store. The reason is the retail outlet got a shipment with the standard memory in it. If you upgrade they remove the 2 256MB memory cards and replace them (in my case with 2 512MB memory cards). But you still paid for the standard memory. If you order online you just pay for what you order because there's no extra shipping costs. It's a ripoff too, but if you buy it in the store, be sure to ask for the original memory so you can sell it on eBay or something, otherwise they'll keep it and rip you off again.