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Apple Store upgrades
by Dave_K on Tue 15th Jun 2010 17:00 UTC
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Considering the neatness of the little Mac Mini and the premium you always pay for nice design, I don't find the basic price tag too shocking. It's not an entry level computer for people who want value, but it's a nice HTPC, carputer, or system for green/quiet computer enthusiasts.

The amount Apple charge to go above the basic spec is a blatant rip-off though:

£123 extra for a 2.66Ghz rather than a 2.4Ghz CPU.
£80 to go from a 320Gb to a 500Gb HDD.
£80 for an additional 2Gb RAM.

The cost of a minor upgrade is more than the actual cost of the component. For example, you can buy a 500Gb 7200RPM 2.5" HDD for around £60, with the price difference from a 320Gb drive at around £10-£15.

With the Mac Pro it's much, much worse. With Apple charging some crazy prices, like £450 for a 2Tb hard drive.

Add the above upgrades to the Mac Mini, plus a basic Apple keyboard and mouse, and the price rises to around £1000, without a screen or additional software.

You can get a very nice little PC for £1000.

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