It really seems like Apple could stop over engineering their hardware, add some ports, maybe make it a mm or two thicker, add up to a pound in weight, and still have a 5 pound 15" professional work horse?
I just made up the $7k, but the OP mentioned he'd be willing to pay more for that, I already think the MBPs are overpriced so I was curious how much more he'd be willing to pay for a functional laptop again. I wasn't being snarky and it was a real question. How much would an Apple user be willing to pay for a laptop that had what they wanted in it.
Just because they happen to be an Apple user doesn't mean their status as an Apple user is relevant to your inquiry.
I'd pay quite a lot to have an optimal laptop. But last time I went laptop shopping, Apple was the only one offering a non-touchscreen, metal bodied, unix-like environment with a reasonable keyboard layout. I have no loyalty to Apple (I've only ever purchased a 2015 MBP from them) but everything else I could find in stores at the time had nothing I wanted, and a lot of what I didn't want (Windows 10, touchscreen) I would have to pay for and remove/ignore anyway. I would pay a lot for a good laptop precisely because the process of finding a laptop that I'll feel good about buying is so difficult these days.
> Just because they happen to be an Apple user doesn't mean their status as an Apple user is relevant to your inquiry.
Sure it does, the OP I was replying to is already an Apple user and said he'd be willing to pay more. He is already paying a premium price, so the question of how much more premium is he willing to go has everything to do with him/her being an Apple user.
It really seems like Apple could stop over engineering their hardware, add some ports, maybe make it a mm or two thicker, add up to a pound in weight, and still have a 5 pound 15" professional work horse?