Notebooks: How much price did premium models go to after the import tax increase?

This note has a problem. We decided to look for the local market notebooks designed for frequent travelers and demanding users. That is, cars light, thin and very powerful.

The basic parameters chosen are processor Intel Core i7, AMD Ryzen 7 or “its Mac equivalent”, screen between 13 and 14 inches very good resolution ssd disk of at least 256GB and no more than 1.4 kg in weight.

We have discovered that in this segment there are very little offer in Argentina. Maybe it’s because the frequent traveler, when flying abroad, can buy a laptop in the US or Europe and take it with him without being taxed on arrival in the country (income is free: one laptop and one mobile phone per person).

And outside, computers of this range are, at least, 20% down in dollars (if MEP dollar applies). Of course, the downside starts with the technical service and warranties, much more handy if the car was bought here.

This week, the government added a 16% tax for import duties to laptops and some tablets of foreign origin. In other words, brands such as Lenovo, HP, Apple and Dell, but not to national ones, such as Banghó or Exo. That’s why some of the products mentioned in this note may increase that percentage these days.

clarion has been able to verify that the international brand products that percentage or more was adjusted this Wednesday. Not the internationals, with whom the difference in value between the two is now very large.

However, by searching and searching, some good teams are found in Argentina. And it’s always important to know what they’re worth here and there, a have parametersand so later everyone can choose what to do.

To find out if the price is reasonable, the first thing is to identify the family to whom the processor. The latest available Intel generation is 12 and there are many 11 and AMD 6, but in the local market there are models whose processors are already three years old. The older it is, the lower its value. That is, for example, it must be an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor.

Another important fact should be noted in the connection ports. The most basic are USB 3.1 (blue), USB Type C (reversible and oval tip), and Thunderbolt (the fastest).

RAM is used by the operating system to store data and instructions for running applications, but only temporarily so as not to exhaust processor resources.

Software tends to use more RAM as its complexity increases. This implies that the more memory hosted by the system, the more programs it can handle at the same time.

Most laptops in this segment come with 8GB of RAM (little for our tastes) or 16GB (whichever suits us). Below are the models we noticed in our research.

MacBook Air M1

For example, the queen of this segment, the MacBook Air M1, is on sale in the country. Is that M2 is already out, but that’s not why the previous model is old. It’s almost obvious to say it’s an iron.

With a 13.3-inch Retina display, this Apple model achieves a higher level of detail and realism thanks to its 2560 x 1600 resolution. The glass extends to the edges of the case. The M1 chip is 8-core and achieves outstanding performance. The capacity of the SSD is quite low: 256GB. 8GB memory. Fingerprint unlock. FaceTime HD camera at 720p. Backlit keyboard.

VGA, HDMI and Thunderbolt 2 video outputs. Thunderbolt and USB 3.1 connections. It weighs 1.29 kilograms. $611,899, but some stores around the country offer it in 12 interest-free installments. At Apple in the US it’s worth $999 plus tax.

Also now available Air M2, which differs, above all, by carrying a new chip and a slightly larger screen, 13.6 inches. In the official Apple store in the United States they sell it for $1,200 plus tax, the 256GB SSD model. And at $1,500 plus tax for 512GB. Here it comes to about $909,499 in 12 installments.

Asus Zenbook Flip S13 OLED (UX363)

Ideal for hardware stores, it has a high-quality OLED touch screen that rotates on its hinge, 13.3-inch FullHD (1920 X 1080) and glossy display. Intel i7-1165G7 processor, 4 cores and 12MB cache. 16GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB SSD.

Video Intel Iris Xe graphics, white backlit keyboard, with numpad on pad. Connections 1 USB-A, 2 USB-C (Thunderbolt) and 1 HDMI. Military Certification US MIL-STD 810G military-grade standard. 12 months warranty. $793,500. Out we saw it at $900 plus tax.

Bangho Bes Pro X4 i7

The domestic brand has chosen to configure this model with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, a 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) screen, 8GB of RAM and a backlit keyboard. Intel Iris X graphics and 480GB SSD capacity. Add Windows 11 Pro and the security of the Kensington lock. The best, weight: just 1 kilo. Magnesium and aluminum alloy frame. $471,749in 12 interest-free installments in the official store.

HP ZBook Firefly

Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB solid state drive. The screen is FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, anti-glare, 14 inches. It also has very good graphics (NVIDIA T500).

With Bang & Olufsen sound, dual stereo speakers and fingerprint sensor.Full-size spill-resistant backlit keyboard with programmable key. Weight, 1.35 kilograms. As you can see, it hardly gets any better. The bad is the price: $724,000.