Starting at $699**
** base prices don't include SSD and RAM, which are required add-ons at the time of purchase
** base prices don't include SSD and RAM, which are required add-ons at the time of purchase
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Apple to Sell Low-Cost 12-Inch and 13-inch MacBooks for $700 or Less
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Right. And probably why we’re seeing it return now that Apple appears to be refreshing iPads with more focus on the “Pro” models.
Well, relative to the bad old days of multiple Performa model numbers that only had different bundled software and confusingly named Power Macintosh offerings (what’s with the 5000 series, and the 6000 series is even more of a mess, and the 8000 series was the high end Quadra replacing tower, but only until the 9000 series came out, which was even higher end). The grid definitely did a better job of communicating the machines’ value proposition than the Dell-like lineup Apple had before.
I think that there is a huge market for laptops between $400 and $800 that is currently occupied by Windows PCs and Chromebooks and where MacBooks only exist as second hand devices (so no money for Apple directly). It's a very tough market because of lower margins, but I think that thanks to Apple Silicon Apple can still have decent margins in parts of this markets
Right. There was a time when the same hardware was being sold as “Quadra,” “Centris” and “Macintosh LC” depending on the store you bought it at and the software loaded on it. That wasn’t sustainable. But neither is “Pro+ Max Studio Ultra Edition Air” either.
I think there’s something to be said for some sort of Mac mini equivalent for the MacBook range to get the price down at least to iPad Air levels. Like you said, the only Macs in this range are second hand (and maybe Apple refurbished MacBooks on the high end of that range), so that’s money on the table if they can avoid cannibalizing the current model MacBook Air sales to a sufficient degree. One easy way they might avoid that is by only offering one or two SKUs and upping the base RAM/storage in the Air.
I think you have a misunderstanding here. Apple won't make a product exclusively for the 'school district' market where it would have to compete with dirt cheap ****. One source doesn't even mention chromebooks just low sales, the other has a general statement about competing with chromebooks. Schools handing out notebooks is a US thing, and globally just a small, niche market.
Well, Apple did make the eMac for such a market around 20 years ago. Granted, it was basically the shell of an iMac G3 with the internals of an iMac G4, so it didn’t take a lot of work to design. But an iPad Air or iPad‘s internals in a MacBook case might do the trick.
My dad used an eMac for years and years. It was a fully capable platform for email and light web browsing.
Yeah... but that's the problem.
One can already get the M1 Air for $799 on sale.
The problem reiterated by the key post is that a school district or student can pick up a Chromebook for $200. Heck, Amazon has some under a $100.
If you run a school district and need to buy 1000 devices, that $500 difference adds up to half a million dollars.
Now, maybe a society should not try to cheap ass educating their youngsters, maybe the rich should pay more taxes. But alas, schools and districts and students have to make these decisions constantly and not wait for some societal change to bring about bigger budgets for education.
Whether or not Apple should try to compete with $100 Chromebooks is not my decision. It's Tim Cook's.
But I think it will be most difficult for Apple to maintain their service standards and global environmental standards by rushing to the bottom.
Not exactly sure Apple would put a “pro” named chip inside a less expensive MacBook because of the confusion it would create with a MBP with M3 Pro. Also, some unaware people would think that A17 Pro would sound better than M3.
They COULD just put an older M1/M2 chip in there…
Let's look at an example: Lenovo Newest Flagship Chromebook, 14'' FHD Touchscreen Slim Thin Light Laptop Computer
Current Amazon price is $198.80 .
Is Apple really going to compete in that market?
It's "new" enough to have few enough comments at Amazon. Here is one of them:
"Overpriced" at the Amazon price!
If someone complains about Amazon pricing because Costco probably has it for $10 or $20 lower price, do really think Apple is going to want to compete for that person's business?
Current Amazon price is $198.80 .
Is Apple really going to compete in that market?
It's "new" enough to have few enough comments at Amazon. Here is one of them:
"Overpriced" at the Amazon price!
If someone complains about Amazon pricing because Costco probably has it for $10 or $20 lower price, do really think Apple is going to want to compete for that person's business?
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Wow the timing for this article is kind of uncanny for me, I was just looking at an old 12 inch macbook I got for family member that they returned and wondering how thin and nice the laptop looked. Was kind of wondering why they stopped the 12 inch but thought it made sense because they have an iPad Pro 12 that could kind of fill in that shoes to a certain extent.
Boy I would be excited to see this news be true but at the same time the laptop should perform atleast at 13inch macbook level for me to consider it.
Boy I would be excited to see this news be true but at the same time the laptop should perform atleast at 13inch macbook level for me to consider it.
Are you in elementary or middle school, or buying for someone who is?
If not, this ain’t for you.
A more complex product lineup is not really optimal for the customer when you peel back the layers. A more complex product offering (in terms of many SKUs and product variations and configs and more extensive product model laddering) requires the company more expense that just gets passed to the customer:
- More $$$ to purchase more inventories of parts...
- More R&D $$$ and labor hours divided across more models...
- More $$$ to add more assembly lines and robots and labor to assemble more product models...
- More $$$ required for warranty and customer/tech support costs associated with more product models...
- More $$$ to spend advertising and marketing and differentiating a greater number of product models...
- More R&D $$$ and labor hours to spend crafting model plans / lifecycle revs / EOL tactics / etc for more product models...
The cost of all of that product largesse is passed to the customer. So a complicated product line ultimately means you pay more.
I would rather not pay more.
I hate Apple's current pricing practices. I hate them in general, and I hate them specifically as it relates to option pricing for memory and SSD. I also hate Apple's current model proliferation. Though must of us perceive that having the ability to select from 8 iPhones, 6 iPads, and 5 or 6 MacBooks as great, I say it is not done to benefit the customer. When you combine Apple's option availability and pricing strategy, the proliferation becomes a herding tactic that drives customers to specific higher margin configurations. There is more transparency for the customer when there are fewer choices.
And I realize historically under Steve, when there were fewer choices, we complained loudly about the lack of choice. I hated when he said the 4 inch phone was all you need (his decision, not mine) because he wanted to ensure one-handed ease of use with a thumb doing all the tapping and reaching across the iPhone screen. But many times - not all by any stretch - Steve gave us balanced products contented / spec-d to satisfy 80+% of use cases such that the product could have at least a 5 year life prior to a customer feeling the need for a replacement. As I type, I am on a Dec 2013 near full-spec Intel-MBP-15. My 10 year old MBP still looks new, still flies with minimal fan activation, and the 10 year old battery gives me about 11-12 hours before needing a recharge if I am doing very light web activity. (I am here looking at the rumors as I make a plan on what to replace my MBP with. I want an MBP-16-M3 fully spec-d. I will likely get a an MBA-15 for half price because my use cases are not what they once were.)
So, I am on the opposite side of the issue. I would love a simple line-up from Apple with more digestible pricing.
But I know what Apple will give me. Steve's Apple prized fewer products and strong R&D. He delivered a number of products I can truly say that I loved. Tim's Apple prizes any margin accretion plan. So Tim's Apple offers its greatest new product each year: the magical price increase at both the product level and the option level... with a helping of software that lately has more bugs than it should. When the product and pricing are awesome, I will buy. That time may be getting close. I will know soon.
Wanting the right product for my money doesn't make me "narcissistic". If they deliver a meh burger for $700 usd those parents can feel free to buy it for their (5-12 year old) but if they asked me for my two cents I would say no if they can get a better macbook for slightly more (discounted m1 air for example).
I want a solid product for $700 usd (they can exceed my expectations but by no means is that a requirement).
The point was it needs to be approaching a similar level of quality for a bit of a discount for it to be enticing otherwise people will just get the next best option and pay the premium.
Anyways, until we know more details of the laptop or if this rumor will come to pass, we will have to see.
That cripple of a system you suggest would save Apple about $1 over providing 256GB
$20 is not worth worrying about, but the point stands.
Apple can manufacture a chromebook killer cheaper than anyone because of their volume and in house components.
Apple absolutely can do this, the question is just if they want to.
In my opinion, I don’t think they’ll sell these to the general public but directly to school districts.
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Buddy, this computer we’re talking about is intended for elementary school children.
You are not the intended audience; your insistence that you are is pretty narcissistic.
Why are schools even part of the conversation? Apple would have crap margins by going for that market. It’s a non-starter.
This will be a MacBook SE-esque product targeting the general public.
This will be a MacBook SE-esque product targeting the general public.
I never said I was the target audience. Go troll somewhere else. A cheaper price point can be for anyone. My point stands if they cheap out (cut too many corners) at that price point most will look elsewhere.