I believe a significant issue with laptops, in general, lies in the ethical and environmental concerns surrounding the mining of precious metals and components, often carried out by underprivileged workers. The cost of materials and manufacturing remains low, while profit margins for companies continue to grow.
For example, Apple has experienced remarkable growth from 2010 to the present, yet laptop prices have only risen rather than decreased, despite advances in technology and economies of scale. This raises important questions about fairness and sustainability in the industry.
In a way, it feels as though we are being taken advantage of, all while maintaining a positive facade. This, of course, doesn’t even address the anti-consumer practices surrounding the repair and maintenance of Apple devices.
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/AAPL/apple/stock-price-history
As an IT professional, I encounter this frequently—people attempt to save money, only to end up with subpar equipment that hampers their ability to perform their work. In the end, they often lose more money than they would have saved, all because they focused on saving that small amount upfront. Cost savings are not always advantageous; it’s akin to the saying, ‘Saving a penny to spend a dollar’.