According to our IT department at work, a Mac is now on-par for price in the Q1 2026 numbers we have for our region with the Lenovos we have been getting and cheaper than comparable (hardware spec enterprise type) HP models, so kinda, yeah.
Currently it sounds like any member of our workforce that wants a Mac can get one now, where previously it was deemed cost-prohibitive and required an exception and approval.
Who knows if that will hold, though, those numbers might be based on Apple’s existing stock of RAM and subject to change when they need to re-up.
RAM prices for Apple were historically ultra expensive, already before the crisis they were charging 250 euro for 8gb.
Now it’s almost the normal price. (But still expensive)
Also, their RAM are embedded in the soc package, meaning they buy the raw dies, then package them in the same block, and have a very different contract directly from the chip manufacturer (they will buy n millions of chips over n years at this fixed price)
It’s not like normal PC manifacturers where they need to buy already made sticks at market price
It’s not like normal PC manifacturers where they need to buy already made sticks at market price
AFAIK, they also negotiate and buy product into the future. The only difference is the product is the stick, sent by the palette from the factory, instead of a spool of memory chips. Neither are paying the market price, they negotiate a price for delivery a year in advance.
According to our IT department at work, a Mac is now on-par for price in the Q1 2026 numbers we have for our region with the Lenovos we have been getting and cheaper than comparable (hardware spec enterprise type) HP models, so kinda, yeah.
Currently it sounds like any member of our workforce that wants a Mac can get one now, where previously it was deemed cost-prohibitive and required an exception and approval.
Who knows if that will hold, though, those numbers might be based on Apple’s existing stock of RAM and subject to change when they need to re-up.
RAM prices for Apple were historically ultra expensive, already before the crisis they were charging 250 euro for 8gb.
Now it’s almost the normal price. (But still expensive)
Also, their RAM are embedded in the soc package, meaning they buy the raw dies, then package them in the same block, and have a very different contract directly from the chip manufacturer (they will buy n millions of chips over n years at this fixed price)
It’s not like normal PC manifacturers where they need to buy already made sticks at market price
AFAIK, they also negotiate and buy product into the future. The only difference is the product is the stick, sent by the palette from the factory, instead of a spool of memory chips. Neither are paying the market price, they negotiate a price for delivery a year in advance.