Sure, Apple just posted a
record quarter of earnings, but it's been taking a beating lately on the price issue -- not only have cheap netbooks become the hottest category in the market, Microsoft's
Laptop Hunters commercials have reignited the Apple tax debate. That appears to have the wheels in motion in Cupertino:
AppleInsider says the MacBook and iMac lines are soon to be bolstered with lower-cost options that should take some of the bite out of Redmond's marketing. That's certainly interesting, but here's the real noise: according to AI, the low-cost machines are just an interim solution while Apple preps a new tablet line to take on netbooks directly without making any of the design sacrifices Steve Jobs has
repeatedly pooh-poohed. Wild -- but it jibes with those recent whispers about a
Verizon / Apple meetup and those reports that Quanta's busy building something with a 10-inch display. So -- cheaper Macs in the short term, crazy-insane iPhone tablet / MID thing riding a unicorn sometime later. You believe any of that?
posted April 30th 2009 8:29PM
Apple 10" netbook,
I hope they don't cut down prices on the macbook pro i just paid like 2000 for one. Also is it just me that is kind of annoyed that the macbooks and the macbook pros look the same?
Apple has been dragging feet in the netbook race for one simple reason - They Wont Sell.
The reasons is simple. Most people on the move looking for a size between iPhone and full laptops are doing so because they want real keyboard with full MS Office applications including Outlook. These needs are fulfilled by current breed of Netbooks, 96% of which run Windows! People not so picky and looking for convenience of small size are getting their needs fulfilled by iPhone, Blackberry etc.
Indecently, the 2 arguments given to windows user to try a mac - bootcamp and parallels would not fly for a "Apple netbook". I don't believe parallels would work at all while bootcamp would simply convert the Apple hardware to a Windows netbook. The later I'd rather "buy" for free along with a internet contract than pay the apple tax for shiny aluminium and not be able to use OS X on the go.
You could just get Office:mac and that'd solve the problem. By all accounts Entourage now works very nicely with Exchange since they started using the Web Services API and the bonus is that you don't have to use Outlook. The only shortcoming really is if you need Visual Basic Macros, at which point you probably are better off getting a Windows-based system.
Wont happen any time soon We always expect much much much much more then they deliver.
Honestly I don't recall when I ordered something right during launch ..... with a tablet I might do that >>>>
They need to make this magical netbook MID thing $600 or less.
If it's $800~$900 like everyone suspects from Apple for something like this then no one will buy it and they wont be touching the netbook market at all unless Vaio P becomes a huge success which is highly doubtable.
Ugh...I think I'm sufferring from Leo Laporte syndrome. I JUST ordered an iMac on Sunday. If they lower the whole line I'll be pissed. Ok not really cause I'll still have my iMac. If they only lower the entry level model it's all good cause more will buy one. I can't tell you how many times my friends all said they want a Mac but they cost too much.
I'd rather like to see a 13" MacBook with built in 3G/HSDPA+ modem.
Kids are kids. When they see someone having something new and shiny, they will bug their parents to get one for them, with never-ending reasons why they need one. The smartest kids are not those with gadgets, just look around. I laugh because I see how far people go to justify what they want. Look, a notepad and a pencil can go for weeks and require no power! Hey, I can draw pictures on a notepad too!
I am not against gadgets. I love gadgets as a matter of fact, just those that make sense.
oh my, if they can make it cheap (which I doubt) and Not underpowered (which I doubt even more) this could bring me to the dark side
Thinking bout it, maybe Microsoft shouldn't have made those ads cuz they hit abble so hard now they are gonna make price cuts and cheaper stuff (maybe, maybe not), so they showed them their Aquiles tendon so now they are gonna cover it
I guess the future is just one big rise of the hipster...whose hobbies will be limited to rubbing one out to his MacBook...
A 10" ARM based iPhone like device isn't a netbook and I'm not sure who it will appeal to other than Mac fans (and I'm not even sure they'll like it). The iPhone interface is fine for a 3" 480x320 screen. It's not going to scale well to 1024x600. And if you use MacOS, well, then either you'l lbe using an X86 - or you're going to have a horribly underpowered tablet that doesn't run your normal apps.
That's not what most people want in netbooks.
Apple simply don't get it. Netbooks aren't doing so good because they are small... But because they are CHEAP! we r in a recession. Some one might want to tell Steve that
While they're at it they need to develop a "Mid-Size" Mac Pro in the $800 range. Why the Mac Pro is Apple's only tower, which is really overpriced & way to large, I'll never know..
A $300 Apple Atom-powered Netbook would be awfully tempting.
I think $300 might get you an extra apple logo they couldn't glue to a macbook because of a manufacturing defect.
I don't think they're in for a netbook. I don't really see the point Apple would have with a netbook that could directly compete with the iPhone or, to a certain extent, the iPod Touch.
What I really don't get is how Apple could make a decent computer (as opposed to "junk" computer, which, according to Apple reps, seems to be the ENTIRE netbook panel) and still not step on its own markets. The difference in performance between iPhones and Macbooks is significant, but not enough to create a new computer, or new MID/tablet for that matter IMHO.
About the price decrease, I see Apple applying some basic price decrease and no revolutionary pricing strategy...
See? Apple does make "junk".
Would be a good thing for Apple. Their notebook prices are way out of line currently. Don't think they have to sell a $300 machine, but $1300 for the low end unibody is just silly.
found this while browsing for mac mini specs -
Steve Jobs famously said, "We don't know how to build a sub-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk." Since when does Jobs ever claim not to know how to do something? Former Apple engineer Andy Hertzfeld, in his book Revolution in the Valley, documented Jobs' drive to build a cheap, yet powerful personal computer. The price of the Mac was one of Jobs' biggest fallouts with new CEO John Sculley.
Cheaper Macs at this point are a given. What remains to be seen for fans is how Apple will redefine the idea of low-cost computer.
- PC World