Apple Revamps Mac Online Buying with Configurator

Apple has overhauled its online store's purchasing process for Macs, shifting from a selection of preconfigured models to a step-by-step customization tool that allows buyers to build their devices from the ground up, much like configuring an iPhone or iPad.

The change, which took effect this week, applies to all Mac models, including laptops and desktops. Customers now start directly in the configurator upon clicking the "Buy" button on Apple.com. For a MacBook Pro, for example, the process begins with selecting the display size, followed by color options. Subsequent choices include the chip type, such as the M4 Pro or M4 Max processors, along with unified memory capacities starting at 24GB for those models, SSD storage sizes, power adapter preferences, and keyboard layouts. Buyers can also opt to preinstall professional applications, including Final Cut Pro for video editing or Logic Pro for music production, as standalone licenses.

This replaces the previous system, where shoppers first chose from a landing page of predefined configurations with set combinations of processors, RAM, and storage. Those options required some comparison to understand trade-offs, such as a model...