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Apple’s New MacBooks: A Big Meh

October 15th, 2008

Now that yesterday’s MacBook announcements have had some time to sink in, I’ll just say the new line of MacBooks is bumming me out. I dare say some of the Steve Jobs reality distortion field is wearing off for this Apple fan, and it’s all due to a heavy dose of… reality.

The new MacBook and MacBook Pro product line basically gave a lot more fuel to criticism that Apple creates premium products that people have to stretch to pay for. The new MacBooks certainly are cool: you more power (the graphics chip), attention to detail (the battery / RAM / hard drive access), and awesome design (the whole manufacturing process from sheets of aluminum).

But then I get down to actually pulling the trigger and buying one of these things. I’m very price sensitive and it’s often a deal breaker for me. So I was very disappointed to see that Apple has done away with its usual cheapest MacBook – priced at $1099. The cheapest aluminum MacBook is now $1299, a good $200 more than what I would normally pay. I’ve always bought the cheapest MacBook model and while at one point I was harboring dreams of a cheap Apple netbook, I now see the exact opposite has occurred – it’s $200 more.

They do have a “white” plastic MacBook priced at $999 – but seriously, I’m not going to replace my current MacBook with that loss leader.

Then there is the bizarre omission of FireWire from then new MacBook models. Yes, I’ve noticed that more peripherals are moving to USB 2.0, but I currently have two hard drives and a DVD burner with Firewire. And what about all the people with video cameras? A real head scratcher as far as I’m concerned.

So overall, this upgrade essentially fuels the stereotype that Apple cares more about design and gloss. They’re creating awesome computers for sure, that people want to buy, but in my case, and I’m sure many others, can’t. The price points are almost an insult, especially in a down economy.

And all those PC netbooks are now looking like a downright bargain.

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  • jcieplinski
    You're very price sensitive, yet you don't want to buy a "loss leader." Sounds like you need to figure out whether you care about quality or price. No shame in either, you just can't have it both ways.

    The industrial design behind the new MacBook is nothing short of astounding. And it will change the way all laptops are manufactured in the long term, while netting Jonny Ive more awards in the short term. Sure, that means the MacBooks are more expensive than cheap netbooks, but to compare the two is like comparing a Ford to an Audi. If all you really care about is casual computing, then the netbook gets the job done, and you're not really Apple's focus.

    Apple doesn't play in that bargain basement arena. They're never going to. There are no profits there. The economy has nothing to do with it. (Mercedes isn't going to start selling $15,000 cars.) One of the reasons Apple has been able to amass a $20 Billion plus war chest is that it sells products in the premium sector only. That lends prestige to the Apple brand, which in turn allows it to charge more, which in turn allows it to invest in research and development, which in turn allows it to be one of the few true innovators of the tech industry.

    Now with Firewire you certainly have a point. I guess they're figuring that so many new cameras having USB, it doesn't matter, but it does. Firewire is just a better standard. Period. And as much as I understood why they dropped it from iPods and iPhones (for better compatibility with Windows machines) there's no reason not to include one Firewire port on the MacBook. It's bad enough they took one away from the MacBook Pro.
  • Apple consistently had the cheapest MacBook at 1099 and this option was
    rather uncermoniously wiped away. I'll admit to being misguided for hoping
    for a $800 MacBook, but I didn't expect the $1099 entry point to be removed
    entirely.

    I've always been happy when Apple lowered their prices to make more inroads
    to the average consumer - the Mac Mini (which I own), the eMacs and the
    iMacs. I see even the MacMini a great combination of price sensitivity and
    decent quality (as opposed to top of the line). Now I find myself scratching
    my head at the neglected Mac Mini and the cheap, out of date $999 MacBook.

    Maybe they're leaving this low end open for some new product?
  • jcieplinski
    The entry level Macbook is now $999, not $1299. Sure, it's not metal, but it's there. So they didn't wipe anything away. They dropped the entry point, just like you asked them to. You're choosing to ignore an item priced below what it was two days ago in order to prove your point.

    The $999 MacBook is no more "out of date" than the aging MacMini you claim is a good balance between price sensitivity and quality. It still has better specs than most other similarly priced notebooks out there. In some ways, with its Firewire port and its FASTER clock speed than the mid-level metal MacBook, it's a better value.


    I think Apple is leaving the low end for the PC companies who are left to rip each other apart at razor-thin margins just to survive. Apple can't win that game, so it chooses not to play.
  • If there was an aluminum, new MacBook at $1099 I'd be in agreement with you.
    But there isn't. It's that particular price point that's bugging me - and
    rather selfishly, I admit, since that's the one I like to buy.
  • The new line is tempting to me. Even going as far as "downgrading" from an MBP to a regular MacBook. I want to play with the models first and even then, however, not sure I'll go for it. Already made a gadget purchase recently.

    I'm eyeing the 2.4Ghz MacBook. Pretty much all I use in my MBP is on it. I only use the Firewire (400 I think) for my external HD for Time Machine. I think it has a USB cable but if not, I have been thinking of getting Time Capsule anyway. I also use the Expresscard slot to read SD cards rather than connecting my digital camera via USB. So, technically I can sacrifice those two features and come out relatively on top (everything I use my MBP for in a smaller more portable, and awesome looking, package). Of course, I want to get a video camera eventually so that may also be a deciding factor.

    I am a bit disappointed that there isn't an iTablet, though. :P
  • Wll, very good points written there. I've recently bought "old" model of MacBook Pro at discount price, and i really don\t see a reason for upgrading to this new models. Yes, they look very nice, and are powered up a bit, but i am sure i wont see any noticeable performance difference, not to mention lack of Firewire support. They should have made something to bring old customers back to them.
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