Pismo: Good Stuff Cheap (11/13/00)
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If at first you don't succeed, wait a month, and then quick, try something else! It's no secret that Apple's been having a rough time selling PowerBooks over the past few months, and the reasons why are numerous and sundry. For one thing, rumors have been flying about a PowerBook G4 coming "any day now" seemingly since Carson still hosted the Tonight Show; that keeps the "wait and see-ers" from plunking down any cash. Another factor is the refreshed iBook product line; now that a $1799 iBook Special Edition has most of the more important features present on the PowerBook (FireWire, DVD-ROM, video-out for presentations), it's been tough for many people to justify shelling out a sizeable wad of extra cash for the "professional" model. And never underestimate the importance of packaging. While the new iBooks are spiffy and crisp-looking, the current PowerBook chassis hasn't really changed its (admittedly classic) basic-black look in two and a half years.

So, in an attempt to boost the PowerBook's sagging sales, Apple instituted a $200 rebate program: anyone who buys a PowerBook by the end of the year can get a couple of Benjamins back by mail. Sure, it's not quite the same thing as saving two hundred bucks at checkout time, but hey, it's better than nothing. Or is it? Maybe not, since the promotion's been running for a month now, and evidently the PowerBooks still aren't flying off the shelves. We don't know that for a fact, but we see little other explanation for Apple's sudden decision to slash the list price of the 500 MHz PowerBook from $3499 to $2999. That's right, $2999. And better yet, the rebate still applies, so your net cost on a 500 MHz Pismo is a mere $2799-- assuming you pay list price. A little digging around can get you one for the low, low price of just $2624, as the PowerBook Zone notes.

The question now is, will this substantial price drop be enough to entice the public into snapping up 500 MHz PowerBooks like they're going out of style? Good question-- because they probably are going out of style. Only the thickest individuals will miss the implications of first the rebate with its end-of-year time limit and then this huge price reduction: Apple is obviously trying to clear out its inventory in preparation for new models due to arrive, we'd assume, right after the first of the year. Gee, if only there were a huge Mac-centric trade show scheduled for right around then that would serve as a natural venue for the introduction of new PowerBooks. Yeah, you get the picture. So what we'll be interested to see is whether the "wait and see-ers" will be able to resist buying a yummy 500 MHz Pismo for such a bargain-basement price, even knowing that something spiffier is just around the corner. And the eternal struggle continues...

 
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The above scene was taken from the 11/13/00 episode:

November 13, 2000: Ars Technica adds fuel to the fire, as the rumors of Mac OS X on Intel flare up once again. Meanwhile, an Apple rep counters Dell's claim to be tops in education sales (boy, that sounds familiar), and Apple slashes the price on its 500 MHz PowerBook to $2799 after rebate-- who can resist?...

Other scenes from that episode:

  • 2673: Wuh-oh: Intel Inside? (11/13/00)   Question: now that the 1.5 GHz Pentium 4 is allegedly shipping, well ahead of its official launch date, how much longer do you suppose Apple will wait for Motorola to close the PowerPC-x86 clock speed gap before the company jumps ship completely?...

  • 2674: "We Demand A Recount!" (11/13/00)   It's déjà vu all over again! Let's set the stage for this eerily familiar-sounding scenario, shall we? Last month, the Wall Street Journal broke the story that, in terms of sales volume, Apple was no longer king of the education hill, having been toppled by the upstart Dell...

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