This is an incredibly lazy comment. I think you and most people would agree on the immense utility of Apple products. There’s also no evidence that demand increases with price in MacBooks.

> This is an incredibly lazy comment.

It isn't, and it's amusing how people get riled with a simple request to justify why dismissed someone else's opinion without presenting a single argument.

> I think you and most people would agree on the immense utility of Apple products.

They are consumer electronics, and laptop manufacturers are a dime a dozen. Why do you believe they are special in that regard? I mean, until recently they even shipped with a below-standard amount of RAM.

> There’s also no evidence that demand increases with price in MacBooks.

That's the definition of a Veblen good, something that is not known for being useful beyond serving as a status symbol.

> That's the definition of a Veblen good, something that is not known for being useful beyond serving as a status symbol.

I don't think you understood the Veblen good definition. And MacBooks do not fit the definition. The parent comment explained it well.

It's mostly overpriced shit wrapped in a nice cellophane.

I love it though and I believe there is no better alternative. Everything else is just the shit without the nice package.

> It's mostly overpriced shit wrapped in a nice cellophane.

That's orthogonal to the concept of a Veblen good. A Veblen good can very much be shit wrapped in cellophane.

The core trait of a Veblen good is that customers buy it as a status symbol. Also, being overpriced contributes to reduce the number of those who can afford to buy one.

Apple products have always been status symbols and this Macbook is no different.

One could easily put together a significantly more powerful Linux desktop for a lower price. This has always been the case, but Apple's marketing tries to convince you otherwise. Honestly, I've always been surprised by how effectively their marketing has misled the tech-savvy crowd on HN.

You can’t simply swap OSX for Linux. I heavily use accessibility tools that are just not comparable on Linux. These tools probably cost more than the laptop, even though Apple include it in the OS.

I don’t think it’s possible to understand what a Veblen good is and also think that Apple makes them. Apple get a brand premium for sure, but a “Veblen good” is something specific, and Apple don’t make those.