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When is Apple going to release that inexpensive laptop?
- Thread starter hajime
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I think they would rather have students buy the outdated models at full price.
Only Apple knows, but current thinking is October, when they launch Mojave.
Set your expectation though - a cheap Apple laptop is not the same as a cheap laptop. Apple have no interest is serving the bottom to mid section of the market. It will still be more expensive than it needs to be.
Set your expectation though - a cheap Apple laptop is not the same as a cheap laptop. Apple have no interest is serving the bottom to mid section of the market. It will still be more expensive than it needs to be.
Probably after 09/25 (that's when the back to school promotion ends).
I thought you needed a fairly powerful laptop? While this is just my guess, its most likely going to have a low powered processor, and more then likely the butterfly keyboard.
I have been waiting for reviews on the X1 Extreme before purchasing but now it is out of stock and there is no review (very unusual given that it has been available for purchase a week ago). As for the similar P1, there is only one review but in Korean. I read that both P1 and X1 Extreme cannot be charged by USB-C external battery due to larger required wattage. From the Korean review, P1+AC adapter is over 2kg which is heavy for me. So far we don't know the real world battery life of the Extreme and P1 yet.
Portability is important as during the summer, I carried my MBP 17" 2010 (3kg), AC adapter, cloths and shoes to work and to the gym. The total weight became heavy. It looks like it cut my circulation on the shoulder. Even an iPad PRO 12.9 + cloths + a pair of shoes is a bit heavy for me. So now I am concerned that an X1 Extreme (1.8kg) might not be suitable to me. Perhaps X1C6 of about 1kg (USB-C charging OK) might be better? I am concerned about the letter and icon size on 13.9" display of the X1C6 Thinkpad as I am used to rMBP 15" display at work. What do you think? I read that new Surface Pro and Surfacebook will be released in a month.
The iPad PRO 12.9 is good for note taking and pdf annotation but it is not good enough to replace a laptop. One main reason is I cannot have two open windows running different apps slightly on top of each other. I guess I need Mac OS or Windows. X1 Yoga 2-1 is good but the weight is about 1.7kg.
I guess the new requirements are: 1) cpu good enough to do basic productivity work without heat, fan and thermal issues. 2) lightweight (the lighter the better). 3) ability to connect to projector at school for presentation without hardware/software issue.
If I need powerful machine, I may build a workstation at home.
P.S. Butterfly keyboard is absolutely no.
Then I suggest you move on from Apple. That's all we'll see from them from now on.
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If they are going to move to virtual keyboard likes the yoga book, I am interested. They probably don’t do it this year.
Rumors says that maybe we will see this thing in this Wednesday
That would be unusual - the September event is usually strictly iDevices, Watches and Music.
Since there's going to be so much iOS related stuff, I tend to agree. They may do a silent update, like they did with the MBP a couple of weeks after this event.
Hmm. Hope they hurry... The GPU on my trusty 17" 2011 MBP is starting to fail and although I've now got an iMac as a primary machine (so I don't need another MBP) I'm soon going to be laptop-less...
Tim Cook made a point at yesterday's announcement event to say the new MacOS release is coming in late October. I thought it odd at the time as it did not seem to fit in with the "flow" of his other comments. Afterwards, as I thought more about it, I think he was signalling the timing of the next/upcoming Mac announcement.
Never. Apple will never release a truly inexpensive laptop. Apple is the #4 by volume seller of laptops. In spite of not having a single laptop under $999 for sale. And that $999 laptop being *VERY* out of date.
The lowest end MacBook Air uses a processor from four years ago. And other than the CPU (thus also the built-in GPU,) faster SSD, and Thunderbolt 2 instead of Thunderbolt 1, it is near-identical to the MacBook Air from *FIVE* years ago. If you don't use Thunderbolt peripherals, and don't play games, a used max-spec 2013 MacBook Air would be essentially indistinguishable from the Air currently for sale. The current model would only be one CPU generation newer, with 0.1 GHz faster CPU, and a slightly faster integrated GPU.
Every component in the $999 MacBook Air, Apple could have bought three years ago. Presuming fairly standard reduction in component pricing, the Air is probably their highest-margin computer.
Apple has no business reason to release a truly inexpensive laptop. Right now on Amazon, the #5 top selling conventional laptop is a refurbished 2015 MacBook Air. Every other laptop in the top 10 is a brand new, current-generation-CPU model or a Chromebook. The highest-selling non-Chromebook with an older-generation CPU is #19, Acer Predator, with a one-generation-old CPU. Not a four-generation-old CPU like the MacBook.
No, Apple is doing quite well with their current lineup.
I'm sure they'll update the MacBook Air with more modern tech (mostly to bring it up to quad-core CPU on the higher-end model, probably a Retina screen,) but it will stay $999. They might even bump it to $1099.
The lowest end MacBook Air uses a processor from four years ago. And other than the CPU (thus also the built-in GPU,) faster SSD, and Thunderbolt 2 instead of Thunderbolt 1, it is near-identical to the MacBook Air from *FIVE* years ago. If you don't use Thunderbolt peripherals, and don't play games, a used max-spec 2013 MacBook Air would be essentially indistinguishable from the Air currently for sale. The current model would only be one CPU generation newer, with 0.1 GHz faster CPU, and a slightly faster integrated GPU.
Every component in the $999 MacBook Air, Apple could have bought three years ago. Presuming fairly standard reduction in component pricing, the Air is probably their highest-margin computer.
Apple has no business reason to release a truly inexpensive laptop. Right now on Amazon, the #5 top selling conventional laptop is a refurbished 2015 MacBook Air. Every other laptop in the top 10 is a brand new, current-generation-CPU model or a Chromebook. The highest-selling non-Chromebook with an older-generation CPU is #19, Acer Predator, with a one-generation-old CPU. Not a four-generation-old CPU like the MacBook.
No, Apple is doing quite well with their current lineup.
I'm sure they'll update the MacBook Air with more modern tech (mostly to bring it up to quad-core CPU on the higher-end model, probably a Retina screen,) but it will stay $999. They might even bump it to $1099.
I think the OP is looking for an inexpensive model for Apple. They won't ever release a truly inexpensive computer
It is available right now for about $580
https://eshop.macsales.com/configure-my-mac/macbook-pro
The new Macs are not enough better to justify the difference in price.
https://eshop.macsales.com/configure-my-mac/macbook-pro
The new Macs are not enough better to justify the difference in price.
I also have wanted to see a 500 dollar mac book or macbook pro. New not used. But that will never happen.
But there is was a efurbished air for 800 few weeks ago. And there are some refurbished macbooks for 950.
https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac
But there is was a efurbished air for 800 few weeks ago. And there are some refurbished macbooks for 950.
https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac
Look at the new iPhone lineup and see how the older iPhones have taken the place of the "budget" iPhone models.
The same thing could happen here.
Take the now-retired 11" MacBook Air and bring it back with the following changes:
The same thing could happen here.
Take the now-retired 11" MacBook Air and bring it back with the following changes:
- Reduce the bezels and use the same LCD as the iPad Pro. This lowers the number of custom parts Apple needs for the laptop. The rumours keep saying "around/near 13 inches" which fits with the 12.9 inches of the iPad Pro display.
- Keep the current yet older keyboard since it's probably cheaper to manufacture than the butterfly mechanism with its thin membrane. Same thing goes for the trackpad, and the newer trackpads would be too big for the 11" MacBook Air case anyway.
- Keep the current ports, except maybe replace both magsafe and thunderbolt with USB-C ports.
- Upgrade the CPU to the latest but cheapest Intel CPU that fits the watts per hour and cost requirements.
- Keep the RAM to 8GB, add 16GB BTO.
- Stay with the current SSD sizes, 128GB standard and 256GB BTO. Maybe add 512GB BTO.
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I think sub-$1000 is the best that can be hoped for - if you’re really lucky that might not mean “useless base model starts at $997”.
Prices are not going down again until Apple finds the tipping point at which falling sales outweigh rising margins. Probably the hard way (and probably with the iPhone, where the factors locking people in to the ecosystem are more ephemeral).
Apple is a trillion dollar company, not because they produce inexpensive products. Just look at the price increases we're seeing in the Apple Watch and iPhone. They may rollout a cheaper laptop, but its not going to be inexpensive, at least not using the definition that most of hang our hat on
Apple is a "trillion dollar company" because they are last quarter's winners of the Wall Street popularity contest... and while that "trillion dollars" can be leveraged in various ways, no significant portion of it can ever be cashed in - its not a gold-filled swimming pool*, If Apple don't keep turning in impressive looking growth quarter after quarter, that trillion could rapidly vanish - and the markets won't care about sustainability because they know how to make money off a falling share price, too. It's very, very dangerous to assume that because you're Wall Street's darling today then you must be doing everything right.
So if Apple's results in the last year came from hiking prices rather than finding new business, they have a long-term problem - because its not far along that path before your product becomes a niche status symbol for millionaires. If you make designer handbags then it doesn't matter whether you sell 1000 units at $1,000 each or 100 units at $10,000 because handbags don't need a third-party software/support ecosystem - if you're the only one at the Ambassador's ball with an Apple handbag, that's perfect - if you're the only one at the conference with a Mac that could start to be a problem.
I'm sure that Apple (the brand) could survive by selling $10,000 MS Surface clones encrusted in Swazwhatnot crystals, but I think most people here would have lost interest by that stage. However, they'd probably still be advised to do some $100 T-shirts or rose-gold styluses that little people could afford in order to maintain the brand image.
Meanwhile, low-cost machines make money, too. Part of the original plan of the "Mac Mini" back in the day was to produce a low "sticker shock" item that would at least get people in the door (either literally, at an Apple Store, or figuratively) so you could up-sell them. The reason I'm currently using a Mac as my main machine rather than a PC is that back in 2005-ish I got a Mac Mini to "play with" - and upgraded to a Mac Pro six months later (well, the fact that I like Unix also contributed - but that's probably not such a big seller).
I don't see Apple ever producing a $400 laptop or Mini to compete with commodity PCs and Chromebooks (you need some margin if you're going to roll your own OS) but I think it would be a huge mistake if they didn't keep a credible sub-$1000 offering (...and then its the job of Apple staff to make sure that a fair proportion of customers who walk in the door for a $900 Air walk out with a $2000 Pro).
(* although Apple have one of those as well, but that will just make them a juicy asset-stripping target if their shares have a bad hair day...)
I disagree, they're on a roll selling and being successful. Regardless, they're a hugely successful company built on the premise of making premium electronic products.
Yes, but apple markets itself as a premium brand, and while we we will see a less expensive model, we'll not see a cheap model. Mercedes offers a less expensive car, but they don't seem a cheap car, the same thing with apple.
When Hades has a snow storm! You think a $45B company gives a thought to anything? I want some of your drugs!