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1. What Apple Doesn't Want You To Realize

03.03.10

The reason for such quick and extreme outdated-ness is the speed at which the computer and component industries move. The fastest processor for any given price hardly lasts six months before a faster version comes out. RAM jumps from DDR to DDR2 to DDR3 in a span of just a few years. There's even a scientific law, Moore's Law, which basically states that processors will double in speed (it actually refers to transistor count, but speed is a direct correlation) every 18 months to two years. Yet, Apple continues to sell a computer with a two year old processor core! What's worse is that this collection of middle-aged hardware that comprises a MacBook Pro is still the same price as when it was released (not counting the first two months' "early adoption tax" – that premium you pay for something that is brand new)—that’s something virtually unheard of in the rest of the, computer business.

Because something better always manages to come out just a few months after a product’s launch, the previous model typically drops down to a lower price point, and likewise all of the models before it see a price reduction, too. That's why the $1000 desktop computer you bought from Costco five months ago is on sale for $600 now. However, Apple is able to freeze its prices because it has managed to maintain a proprietary platform. In other words, Apple is the only company with legal access to the Apple hardware and software, which is in contrast to the regular PC market where anyone can buy up a few parts and build a legitimate PC.

Source: Tom's Guide