Apple executives must have been listening to Neil Diamond, because production of Mac computers is “Coming to America.” President Barack Obama even mentioned Apple during his State of the Union because of their move to the United States. It sure sounds like wonderful news. In fact, it’s fantastic. Finally MADE IN AMERICA is going to be inscribed on something as prestigious as a MacBook.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is looking to invest $100 million into U.S. based manufacturing, and that isn’t a mere bag of shells. Apple is used to throwing around big numbers, however, such as the prices of their products.
Apple is celebrating their arrival on U.S. soil by dropping the prices of some of their systems. Instead of having to pay $1,699 for their overpriced 13-inch MacBook Pro with that fabulous retina display, consumers now pay $1,499. $1,699 buys an upgraded processor and more hard drive space.
But wait, there’s more! The MacBook Air went down from $1,499 to 1,399. You can now buy a $100 pair of headphones to listen to that high quality AAC format of music on that brand new iPod. This, however, I am not joking about. They sound great.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro with retina display will not see a price drop. It will still cost an arm and a leg at $2,199, but good news, it will be upgraded. While this is great news for the Mac lover, in the eyes of the PC fan, it’s just not that exciting.
Prices of components have been dropping over the past few months. It’s scary to see, but at the same time, it is promising. If you’re looking to build a new PC, now is the time.
Yet if you want to spend the extra cash on a MacBook, that is fine as well. You would, however, spend less and get more if you decided on a PC, and could venture down to your local ShopRite for a bag of Macintosh apples at far less than $2,000 and ogle them until they rot. Remember, it’s just a logo.
But enough of Apple and their prices. The manufacturing aspect is a wonderful opportunity for this country, and will create more jobs for hard working American citizens. America was founded by manufacturers and built by manufacturers and it’s about time we start acting like it.
Even though I do not own a MacBook, I am the proud owner of an iPod. When it comes time to wind down after work, I can rest with ease, knowing that this product is being made in the U.S.A.
Enough of this outsourcing businesses are so fond of. It’s about time, as Americans, we start producing our own products. And who knows, if this takes off, and prices become even lower, I too may consider purchasing a MacBook Pro. You know what they say: an Apple a day keeps the doctor away.
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sohare@ramapo.edu
