October 15, 2008
Yesterday, Apple released a new line of laptops that uses a different manufacturing process to its other models. Contrary to expectations, the prices on the new laptops were not markedly changed, with only a $100 drop in price for the 2.1 GHz white plastic MacBook to $999.
"I think Apple has to go less than 1,000 dollars," says Rob Enderle, an analyst at the Enderle Group in Silicon Valley. "With the economy the way it is, holding on to a premium price point would mean taking a bath in the Christmas shopping season. It is tough to move premium products; that category is at huge disadvantage."
Click here for Fast Company's cover story last year: All Eyes on Apple.
Comments | 5 Total
October 15, 2008 at 11:16am by Rip Empson
I am a MacBook user and an Apple fan, so one small bungle by Steve Jobs & Co. is not going to get me to start slamming the creative thinking at Apple that has defined their products for years. Over time, Apple has been extremely innovative. Now that they've found something that they think works, they may stick to incremental changes rather than earth-shattering re-inventions.
Right now, I'm not so much concerned about the price (I don't think a ton of people will be buying computers right now anyway, regardless of price), as much as I am about Apple announcing that they will do away with matte screens, or non-LCD, glossy screens. Scanning the blogs, I've learned that this is what people are most concerned about. It shows that a lot of creative people use Macs, and multiple photographers/designers have said that they won't use it because of the reflective nature of the screen. And why Jobs is doing away with the option, I'm really not sure. That, in and of itself seems dangerously old-fashioned. Unfortunately, Mac controls all of its gear, so there are no non-Mac licensees who might be able to fix problems like this. Which is definitely annoying.
All in all, we are seeing the evolution of a product, not a revolution. And for some of you radicals out there, this might be a problem, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
October 15, 2008 at 12:18pm by Terry East
Given the competition, Macs are the most innovative laptops on the market; and they have an operating system that actually works and a good selection of application software. The workability justified the additional expense, i.e., $200 more than a Dell, for me. What I have noticed is that Apple appears to more mainstream; I see a large number of college students and small business persons sporting the laptops.
October 15, 2008 at 1:36pm by Mel Blitzer
I agree with Rip, being a MacBook and Pro user. I think as the current crisis gets more people thinking about sustainability and the practical impact of expecting radical change with every evolution, incremental improvements will be seen as less "earth shattering" than the quantum changes we have experienced before.
As for Jobs decision about the matte screens, it seems interwoven with his genius is this compulsion for limiting the market for Macs, even traditional markets. perhaps if there is enough of a howl from the creative communiy, Jobs will change his mind- but don't count on it.
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Mel Blitzer
October 15, 2008 at 10:53pm by Julie Bausman
I am a Mac Book Pro user and was considering the new Mac Book ever since last year. While I love the new design in the 13" MB and 15" MBP- there are a few things missing from the previous generation. I, too, am not concerned about the pricing but miss some of the design elements like a matte screen, like a firewire and such. For now, I will continue to love my 20 month old MBP with matte screen and firewire; I will eagerly watch and read the Apple discussions for the next few months as these new products roll out and customers demands become louder.
October 16, 2008 at 11:31am by Brian Flores
I think it's important to look at this laptop refresh within the context of their larger product portfolio. I have to wonder if we won't see the nVidia video cards in the MB and MBP find their way into the next-gen iMac, which are probably due for a refresh next year. I would think that Apple would be better able to compete on price in their mainstream desktop line, rather than having to reduce the quality of their core components to sell a cheaper laptop.