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Intel Wants To Charge $50 To Unlock Your CPU's Full Capabilities
MBCook writes "Turnkey CPU upgrades aren't just for mainframes anymore. According to Engadget, OEMs (including Gateway) are selling computers with the Intel Pentium G6951, which can have extra cache and hyper-threading enabled through a $50 software unlock called Intel Upgrade Service."
Isn't this how Windows works now? There's a window somewhere which says that for $80 I can enable the 'Pro' features of Windows 7 that are already installed on my PC.
Not only is this a good thing, it's an evolution of something that's brought down computer prices for decades.
Remember binning? It's been around for ages. It's the simple process of, in this case, Intel trying to manufacturer a really fast processor. Then testing the processor, and finding out that 40% of the transistors failed. And then selling the processor as a lower-end model. Hard drives do this too. Try to make a 1TB HDD, fail, and sell the working 500GB as a 500GB HDD. The alternative is to have multiple fabrication lines, and a whole lot of waste. Even florists do this -- selling a box of rose petals that were ultimately taken from wilting roses that coludn't get sold as fresh flowers.
In this particular case, selling the unlock is the solution to the new problem -- there is less manufacturing defects. So what would you have Intel do? Actually create a line that produces low-end products? Or intentionally break high-end products? Or stop selling low-end processors because it simply isn't profitable to do so?
This is the perfect solution. For everyone. Intel has tehir on eline making their high-end processor. You get to pay less and get less. Business as usual. Only now, you can change your mind after-the-fact -- that's time-travel baby! And maybe some of those low-end sales get converted into high-end sales so Intel can actually get paid for the high-end product that you are holding.
So, as usual, quit complaining about other people's businesses. Buy the products you want, from the companies you like, and don't buy the rest. Instead, use your money to start your own business, and learn why others do what they do. Be the same, or be different. But be something more than a consumer, and you'll understand why you shouldn't be upset all the time.
*sigh*... the mac mini is $700, (a 30% difference on your $1000 figure) and your new PC was a sale price as you say. There isn't a 4-5 times markup on Apple Macs. If you compare like for like, (i.e. don't compare a top-spec Mac with an economy PC) there is a small markup. If you look at decent PC equivalents (proper equivalents) to iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and Garage Band and include software in your figures, the markup is negligible.