Apple has again raised the UK price of the white polycarbonate MacBook in the UK, which now starts at £799. The news will come as a blow to many UK Mac fans looking for a cheaper entry-level portable Mac experience.
Previously the entry level MacBook was priced at £749, although this was itself a raise on the previous price of £704 that Apple was charging in January 2009.
The price in the US remains $999 and has done so since the price was dropped in 2008. Macworld UK did a price analysis on the MacBook pricing at that time and found it in line with the falling exchange rate in the UK.
A quick check of today's exchange rate shows a distinct disparity, however.
We used Wolfram Alpha to check the US price converted to the UK exchange rate and adding our VAT (we used the following formula: "($999 sterling) * 1.15" to get the price comparison).The result of the US price, converted to the UK price with VAT added is a sum of £701.50; almost £100 less than Apple's UK charge. With such a large discrepancy there are bound to be claims of "rip-off Britain".
When Macworld asked Apple about UK pricing it made the following statement: "Prices in the US are quoted excluding tax and prices in the UK are quoted including tax. Other factors influencing pricing include currency exchange rates, local import laws, business practices, taxes and the cost of doing business. These factors vary from region to region and over time, such that international prices are not always comparable to US suggested retail prices."
The new unibody White MacBook
Check out our new Macworld Mobile site.
Contact Us
Digg
It's easy and free to get the latest news headlines, reviews and opinions straight to your email inbox. Sign up NOW to make sure you receive the latest Mac news, reviews and tutorials on your favourite topics.
Comments received
David said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
I usually stand up for Apple and their pricing, but this is sadly just like the Apple TV a blatant rip off compared to the USA.
vader said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
that's poor...an entry level laptop for £799, i know some potential pc converts who will now stick with cheaper pc laptops. apple need something at £599
ojk7 said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
Nice to see false advertising on the apple site aswell. The currently describe the white MacBook as "still just £799" when it was previously £749.
James said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
Good point ojk7... expect that will quietly be altered over the next 24 hours
David said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
Why would you buy the white plastic one over the lovely Aluminium model with a backlit keyboard? Unless they plan on shafting the UK consumer on the 13" Aluminium pricing by increasing it to make the plastic one look like a good deal. How much are we getting shafted on the iMac pricing then, calculators at the ready!
the final straw said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
Having purchased Mac for home use for over 15 years I'm starting to get really irritated by Apple's 'increasing the price' policy, while dressing it up in sales talk that is all based on their reducing or steady US pricing model.
Given that their hardware is not manufactured in the US and will be subject to shipping and import tax in both the US and UK, I fail to see how they justify these differences. And I know they can charge what they like, the thing is that I for one won't recommend them to my family from now on. Oh and I'll be sweating my Macs until before getting any replacements, and that includes any Apple gear too.
We had an iBook G4 died a month ago, but I'm not replacing it now with a Macbook.
Kevin said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
And they've dropped the firewire from it :(
Kenty said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
it's not the same macbook, it's been upgraded with LED display, unibody enclosure, glass trackpad, 7 hour battery etc so it's almost the same as a macbook pro now
Mike said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
Unless Apple are jacking up the price so they can introduce a new model underneath it, say an 11.3" at around £675, like a (very) high-end netbook, I think they are pricing themselves out of the market.
With PC based laptops available under £300 most people looking for a cheap "proper" laptop aren't going to pay a £500 premium for a Macbook, better hardware spec or not.
I would love to get back on a Mac, but with these pricing policies there isn't a hope in hell of that happening.
the final straw said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
So the common components means that they're saving money by rationalising their inventory.
The entry point for Mac laptops has risen £100 in less than a year. In the past the increase in performance/features hasn't come at a 17% price increase it is usually parity or a price decrease.
G said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
The UK price is still £50 less than anywhere else in Europe, even the Republic of Ireland, where Apple's European headquarters are situated…
JV said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
still not buying one
Quantumark said on Tue, 20 Oct 2009
With a profit of $1.67 billion, up 47% on last year, I hardly think that Apple is 'pricing itself out of the market'. Apple is a premium brand, and I'm getting a bit tired of Macworld leading with another negative headline. Today, instead of the featured news item being about what seems to be a fantastic rollout of even better-designed machines with improved specs, they resort to peddling the tired old 'rip-off' Britain story. No doubt Apple has predicted that having helped lead the world into economic downturn, Britain will be one of the last countries to come out of the recession, and over the coming year, prices might well be closer in the US and UK. If not, so what? How many other things are cheaper/more expensive in other countries? What counts is the competition here. If you want a cheap laptop, get a PC. If you want a Mac, then get one. I think paying a little extra is worth it. If you don't, then don't buy one, and stop complaining.
disgruntled core said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
@ Quantumark Having led the world into economic downturn ? ... I don't truly think we were ever big enough to achieve that on our own, we needed state aid, which is why we're not big enough to justify lower prices for any mac although I guess they're expensive in the big apple as well ... I am an apple fan, but if they wanna go THAT exclusive, peel 'em ... It's not a little extra, it's twice the price for same spec. Don't care if it's a bit cheaper than the rest of Europe, it's too much for too little.
disgruntled core said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Before any body else jumps in I meant twice the price of equivalent PC hardware, that's all
mkdynamic said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
@disgruntled. just buy a PC then.
Peter said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Hey folks,
Anyone want to cover my air fair and I'd be happy to bring you a few of the cheaper US macs.
jlukmo said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
do people actually do the math before blaming apple for a price difference. If you do a month average exchange rate, then add tax it seems that 799.is a good price, we pay tax after the US$999 if taxes are too high you cannot blame apple, blame the politicians who you vote in
jlukmo jr said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Kuds to jlukmo! You're right on this. People bitching b/c of price increase. They should get over it. I don't think they get it b/c of shipping, VAT, component cost, etc.
Hugh Jarse said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Previously the price in the US staying the same but the price in the UK increasing has been annoying but understandable given the changing exchange rate. However, this last price increase is not due to exchange rate as the dollar is actually falling. So with the price remaining the same in the US for this latest change, the price of the Macbook in the UK should have gone down rather than up. When the MacBook was £704 in Jan, it was $999 in the US. It is still $999 in the US and the exchange rate is back to or below where it was in Jan, so there is no logical reason for the price in the UK to go up to £799, it is in fact more consistent for it to go back down to £704.
Brian said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
I thought I read somewhere that the new white machine is slimmer that the previous model but cant actaully see the thickness indicated in any sec. Anyway it still weighs 4.7 lbs compared with 4.5 of the unibody which still has firewire and an SD slot, bearing mind there's only a minor difference in price between the two it really wouldn't be worth getting the white one. Anyway where's the 11" screen one we have been waiting for for at least two years now? Or do we have to resort to running MacOS on an Acer Aspire One? At less half of the price of the Macbook?
The Baldchemist said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Apple have got it dead right.If you have established a market for NEO's and other premium punters, are known and respected as having premium products and service then DON'T make the mistake of pitching the budget market with your premium brand name.
Badger said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Apple has done it because they want to ease out the white macbook altogether and want people to buy the more expensive Pros.
The European said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Welcome to Europe. You Brits like to play the suffering one on price. Look around in the rest of Europe it is priced at €899 = £817 and in Scandinavia it priced between £869 and £879.
If you look at gadgets from other vendors then they have a quite similar price difference.
Drew said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Is this really a wise move though? What with M$ finally pulling its finger out. I buy macs because of OSX not because they look nice and if Win7 proves to be as good as it seems I think apple are putting short-term profit ahead of long-term growth
@The European said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
That's because you have 21% sales tax included in the price. We have 15% included in the price.
Americans pay variable sales tax on top of the $999. But that's beside the point. As the story clearly shows if you take the American price and add the 15 per cent UK VAT it SHOULD cost approx £700 in the UK (and probably £720 in whatever country you live in).
There's nothing about "playing the suffering role" here there's a question about about why the product costs so much more in the UK (and Europe) than in America and Sales Tax isn't the answer.
I'm not convinced it's import duty or shipping either. It has to be shipped from China to the US and they also have import tax. And it certainly isn't the 120% mark-up that Apple seems to be chargin.
And well done to MacWorld for raising this issue. And shame on you @Quantumark for thinking MacWorld should act like Apple's PR and Marketing department.
Kris said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
the mouse cost £55, but it's whooping 68 euro in Germany, while the US and Canada have $69 each.
Kris said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
the mouse cost £55, but it's whooping 68 euro in Germany, while the US and Canada have $69 each.
@@The European said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
"And shame on you @Quantumark for thinking MacWorld should act like Apple's PR and Marketing department." - you are joking right? Where are the in-depth reports on the failing Time Capsule's? You won't see it here, in fact any reports on bad hardware or software are skipped over.
@@@The European said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Riiiiighht.... so I must have dreamt all these then.
www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=site:macworld.co.uk+apple+bug&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
These guys can't win with you moaners can they (neither can Apple for that fact). Either they're "negative" or they're "working for Apple".
Go and buy PCs the lot of you. The Microsoft and the PC mags will give you something worth moaning about.
James K said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Will do.
Dragonfly said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
£695 in UK (exc Tax)
$999 in US (exc Tax) = £605
So the difference is £89.78
As shipping is included (but not free, nothings in reality is free) Is it more expensive to deliver things within the UK than it is in the US ? Looking at Fuel costs and extra taxes etc my guess would be yes.
KenW said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Sorry guys & gals I've thought for a long time that steve's past his sell buy date. Look at macmini still abused by Apple. Amazing how quickly the press forget. Remember NEXT computers. Steve priced it off the market, all that's left is OS X. You don't need a salary when your given a few Million shares for free.
tellboy said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
I have just priced a 13" XPS on Dells website which seems very similar in specs to this and it comes in at over £900.
Dragonfly said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
@KenW
£695 isn't priced out of the market, hence Apples current success, best sales figures ever and highest share price ever.
In the middle of a recession !!!
What are you smoking ? I want some :-)
gregorsamsa said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
I wish Apple introduced a slightly cheaper MacBook (about £600, so it needn't be "junk" ;)), but the £50 increase seems fairly painless for anyone already intending to buy one. I mean, £50 barely covers a decent night out in most UK cities.
IanR said on Wed, 21 Oct 2009
According to MacWorld's initial review, there is no infrared port on this model - in which case you can't use the Apple Remote with it. So if you want to run Keynote presentations with a remote controller, as surely most of us do, then you need to buy a separate USB dongle and handset. Another hidden cost.
Alistair said on Mon, 26 Oct 2009
I think this is backward step, it's dearer and lacks both firewire and the remote/ IR port. It's also harder to access the battery and Hard Drive and it doesn't even improve the look.
The trackpad is the only significant improvement.
Maybe they're trying to push people to the Macbook Pro?
Disclaimer
Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Macworld. Macworld accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content.
Click here to read the house rules.
Click here for the latest reader comments