Computer prices going … up?
By Oli
At 11:55 AM · Friday, 7 November · 2003
To Apple
I want to buy an Apple G5 1.8GHz computer (M9031J/A). About two weeks ago I almost bought one from Champ (despite their appalling website — frames plus javascript links making bookmarks impossible and disabling the back button). However after filling in my order and details I discovered they don’t take credit cards. While I have nothing against furikomi• (振り込み), they don’t offer instant gratification (or Takashimaya• (タカシマヤ) points). After a protracted email conversation with Champ about their credit card policy (their website appeared to say they accepted them), we discovered that this was only if you applied for a Champ credit card.
By this time, we’d discovered that no discount store listed on Kakaku.com accepts credit cards, and that several of the cheapest suppliers of the G5 had run out of stock. In a few days we watched the price of a G5 1.8GHz + 512MB of RAM (giving a total of 1GB) jump from 254,000 yen to 265,800 yen. Just today Champ has restocked on 1.8GHz models, and their price has skyrocketed to 279,000 yen for this configuration.
I’ve been researching RAM, and it looks like only Apple is selling CL2 RAM that works with the G5s now. Because RAM prices tend to drop, I’m now considering buying the same computer with the default 512MB to save some money, and getting extra RAM next year. However the cheapest price for a default G5 1.8GHz has increased from about 235,000 yen to 249,800 yen. Interestingly Kakaku.com’s cheapest/average price graph doesn’t remember dealers that stop supplying. The graph doesn’t show these price increases at all. It seems the old ‘cheapest vendor’ data is removed when that vendor stops supplying, and is replaced with data for the company who has the lowest price now.
Also annoying is the possibility of a price decrease on Apple’s 17" LCD screens (M7649J/A & M7649J/B). This monitor was released in January 2003 (making it reasonably old), and I suspect it will be getting an image makeover to fit in with the G5’s new case design. AlsoKakaku.com shows a small decrease for this monitor, something which might indicate vendors wanting to clear their stocks. I suspect this only because the price has been so constant since it was released, despite big price drops for LCD screens from other companies. Finally there are rumors of a new, larger top-line monitor, and this will probably push prices for smaller sized monitors down.
All in all, this is very strange. Computers are generally meant to get cheaper, but the computer I want to buy is in effect getting more expensive, while the screen I want to buy might drop significantly any day now. Or not. Frustrating!
