Costco Members: New Apple MacBook Pro 13.3” Laptop: i7, 256GB SSD, 8GB DDR3 $1499.99

You shouldn't get a 13" MacBook at this moment unless you have an oddly specific need for one. It's highly likely that the line will see a refresh with a better keyboard and updated internals very soon.

Also, an i7 with only 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD isn't great for this price. I would get the Lenovo X1 Carbon with much better specs and vastly superior keyboard over
this for the same price.

Not to mention the keyboard failures that are common with this gen of MacBooks.

This isn't a deal, this should be the normal price for this device. Mediocre keyboard and low specs for $1500 even with Apple tax it's a rip off.

Quote from freeway8989 : You shouldn't get a 13" MacBook at this moment unless you have an oddly specific need for one. It's highly likely that the line will see a refresh with a better keyboard and updated internals very soon. Also, an i7 with only 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD isn't great for this price. I would get the Lenovo X1 Carbon with much better specs and vastly superior keyboard over this for the same price. Not to mention the keyboard failures that are common with this gen of MacBooks.

When Apple announces the new version it will be at least $500-$700 more than this model. Is that worth the upgrades? It's ultimately up to the buyer but I'd rather save that money especially since this qualifies for the 2/4 year Costco warranty.

Quote from the_killer : This isn't a deal, this should be the normal price for this device. Mediocre keyboard and low specs for $1500 even with Apple tax it's a rip off.

That sentiment is repeated on every Apple deal thread. Some things will never change

Quote from ThisisTheThrowAway : When Apple announces the new version it will be at least $500-$700 more than this model. Is that worth the upgrades? It's ultimately up to the buyer but I'd rather save that money especially since this qualifies for the 2/4 year Costco warranty.

I'm not trying to be mean, but I think you are conflating a discount with a good deal.

This is a cheap(er) price for an undesirable laptop. It alleges to be a "pro" machine with only 8GB of RAM, a tiny SSD, a CPU with a poor thermal solution (meaning you won't get much sustained "pro" usage out of it), no dedicated graphics, and a downright awful keyboard.

Even with macOS, this is a Facebook / word-processor at best. It is far from future-proof, and will have abysmal resale value in the future. There are much better and cheaper options out there for the price and workload.

The reason you are seeing these prices is so that they can clear inventory for the newer gen MacBooks coming in the summer.

And before you accuse me of being an Apple-hater, I recently purchased the MBP 16" base model when it was on sale at Costco specifically because it addressed the issues I mentioned. So when you ask if I think it's worth paying $500 for the upgrades I mentioned, absolutely I do. Not to mention that it will be at least $100 cheaper at Costco than MSRP and still eligible for the 4 yr warranty.

Quote from freeway8989 : I'm not trying to be mean, but I think you are conflating a discount with a good deal. This is a cheap(er) price for an undesirable laptop. It alleges to be a "pro" machine with only 8GB of RAM, a tiny SSD, a CPU with a poor thermal solution (meaning you won't get much sustained "pro" usage out of it), no dedicated graphics, and a downright awful keyboard. Even with macOS, this is a Facebook / word-processor at best. It is far from future-proof, and will have abysmal resale value in the future. There are much better and cheaper options out there for the price and workload. The reason you are seeing these prices is so that they can clear inventory for the newer gen MacBooks coming in the summer. And before you accuse me of being an Apple-hater, I recently purchased the MBP 16" base model when it was on sale at Costco specifically because it addressed the issues I mentioned. So when you ask if I think it's worth paying $500 for the upgrades I mentioned, absolutely I do. Not to mention that it will be at least $100 cheaper at Costco than MSRP and still eligible for the 4 yr warranty.

These pro machines with the "awful" keyboard that you think are only good for Facebook were rated "Editor's Choice" by https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/app...-inch-2019.
It's easy to dismiss this discount especially when you spent $2100 on the 16 inch. Don't forget that this is almost $600-$800 less than the 16 MBP you got. And most people don't buy laptops to resell FYI.

If you don't like the deal just put a TD and move on. Your opinion is really just an opinion and everyone has one.

Quote from ThisisTheThrowAway : These pro machines with the "awful" keyboard that you think are only good for Facebook were rated "Editor's Choice" by https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/app...-inch-2019. It's easy to dismiss this discount especially when you spent $2100 on the 16 inch. Don't forget that this is almost $600-$800 less than the 16 MBP you got. And most people don't buy laptops to resell FYI. If you don't like the deal just put a TD and move on. Your opinion is really just an opinion and everyone has one.

1) An "Editor's Choice" doesn't mean it's hands down the best laptop. An EC just means that the reviewer liked it a lot. It still got a 4/5. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 also has an Editor's Choice, has a higher rating, and was voted by them to be the best 2-in-1 Ultrabook of 2019. Please keep in mind what competition existed at the time the review was posted.

Also, the review has this to say:

"Our review unit bumps this up to a 256GB SSD for a total of $1,499, but **it's still not a great look taken against similarly priced competitors that offer Core i7 CPUs, 16GB of memory, and 256GB or even 512GB drives at that price level.** Dig deeper, though, and you find an exquisitely designed ultraportable that performs very well on everyday computing tasks, has good looks to spare, and will almost certainly last all day without being plugged in. Here in 2019, this is the best general-purpose Apple laptop for most users."

That last sentence is key: it was the best general-purpose APPLE laptop for most users, at the time. That's really not saying much since one company makes them. It's almost like the reviewer gave it an EC because, against the rest of the Apple line up, it looks good.

2) The review downplays the keyboard. The fact that there was a class-action suit against Apple for it and they were forced to repair failures for free should tell you all you need. Keep in mind that the judge didn't reject Apple's attempt to dismiss the suit until December of that year, almost 5 months after the review was posted.

3) I wouldn't have bought the MBP 16" base model for MSRP. I only decided to buy it for $300 off MSRP. That extra $600 buys me double the RAM, double the storage, a vastly better keyboard, a dedicated GPU, better thermals (hence better CPU performance), a bigger screen, and better speakers. Those things, together, are definitely worth $600.

4) I don't deny that I paid the Apple tax, but at least I got a capable computer out of it with internals that are arguably fair for the price I paid. At the $1500 price point, there are simply too many good alternatives.

5) You can make the case that resale value is unimportant, but you are also on Slickdeals where people very much care about getting the most mileage out of their dollar.

6) Since when am I not allowed to expound on why a discount is not a good deal in the comments section? Isn't that the whole reason that the comments section exists in the first place? I think you are placing your feelings before the facts.