pricing 9500 Vs. 6500

There's something very odd about the way the laptops are priced.
Yesterday, with the discount at HP.com, the price was higher by about $40
than the same PC configured at Costco - and Costco wasn't giving the hard
discount!
I configured the 9500 at HP.com today and get this:

* • Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7250 (2.00 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
* • 17.0" WXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1440 x 900)
* • FREE Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)!!
* • FREE Upgrade to 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS from Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100!!
* • FREE Upgrade to HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone!!
* • Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
* • 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* • LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
* • $30 OFF HP ExpressCard Digital/Analog TV Tuner!!
* • 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* • Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
Price - $1189
On the otherhand, the 6500 priced today:
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
• Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7250 (2.00 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
• FREE Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)!!
• 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
• HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Webcam + Microphone
• Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
• 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
• $30 OFF HP ExpressCard Digital/Analog TV Tuner!!
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
price $1143

But this is my point - yesterday, with the hard discount on the 9500z
($375?) I configured it with the Turion 64 TL64 otherwise similar to above
and it came to about $1100 - where's the big discount gone?
All the individual items are higher priced what else can it be?
I don't want to say it's deceptive, but buying a used car springs to mind.
Dave

 

They play these games because they make more money that way. Trust me they got it all figured out.

 

yeah, i don't think they expect people to actually compare the prices (most people think that because its at costco, its lower priced, which is not always the case (especially with electronics)

 

"yeah, i don't think they expect people to actually compare the prices (most people think that because its at costco, its lower priced, which is not always the case (especially with electronics)"

Well that's my point. It actually WAS CHEAPER AT COSTCO, the same configured machine, even though the HP site had the hard discount while Costco didn't !

 

If it was a difference of less than $50, I would definitely buy from Costco because of their generous return policy and the fact that I can get to one easily. Having had to return a dv6000 to costco and a tx1000 to HP, I'd say that Costco was much more convenient.

 

Well I tried it again today for a 6500T configured as follows:
T7250 cpu
8400m GS graphics
2 GB mem
160 GB sata
Intel network+Bluetooth
TV tuner
6-cell high capacity Bat.
Lightscribe DVD
webcam + Mic

Costco $1155
HP.com $1172

It looks as if Costco is absorbing HP's "reductions" and "offers" and giving a small
cut off the top (membership benefit?)

It's absurd really, HP tells you it's giving you various upgrades "free",
but their cost is already factored into the base price ! I'm amazed they get away with it.