“If there were lingering doubts about how well longtime enemies Apple and Intel would work together, the svelte MacBook Air laptop should dispel them,” Jon Fortt writes for Fortune. “Many observers (including this writer) were unsure what to make of the machine when Jobs introduced it in January, especially given that it lacked two common features: a DVD drive and a removable battery.”
MacDailyNews Note: It also lacks serial ports and a floppy drive.
Fortt continues, “But in the months since, it has taken its place among Jobs’ brilliant if unconventional bets. The MacBook Air has been the top-selling computer on Apple’s online store for most of the year, even though a similarly appointed laptop without the narrow profile sells for hundreds of dollars less. And Intel can proudly say its researchers helped make it possible.”
“‘That was the first time they actually worked together on a custom project,’ says Tim Bajarin, president of the Creative Strategies consulting firm. ‘Before that, everything was pretty much off the shelf. As a result, the relationship grew even further,'” Fortt reports.
What does the future hold for the unlikely partnership? Expect more collaborative efforts like the MacBook Air. Intel Chief Technology Officer Justin Rattner says the two companies are working on more projects that are ‘equally aggressive’ – which probably means there are both tough technology challenges and tough deadlines,” Fortt reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
• “That thing’s missing half the things on my PC. Where’s the DVD drive?” – Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, commenting on Apple’s new MacBook Air, March 6, 2008
• “There are a lot of flaws with the MacBook Air, and it is unlikely to be much of a success.” – MarketWatch Gasbag John Dvorak, January 25, 2008
• “The Cube, although a stunning piece of industrial design, was a commercial flop, and I think the MacBook Air will be, too.” – CNET executive editor Molly Wood, January 22, 2008
I know, I know. I’m a hopeless romantic.
“What, no quote from Enderle?”
An MBA fell on his head during a recent earthquake and he’s been unconscious ever since.
Cubert:
I could have sworn it was magical pixel dust.
A former professor of mine who is a Mac user has an old college friend who has worked for Intel for years. He told me not long after the announcement that Intel was absolutely over the moon to get Apple’s business for precisely this reason. Apparently, Intel gets annoyed at Dell and the others because they are too conservative and aren’t adventurous, and Intel sees Apple as the spearhead to get its daring new stuff established in the marketplace.
“Any fanbois out there know of any links providing quantitative data regarding sales MBA since January 2008?”
Apparently not, as they all seem to be going from Apple’s “Top Sellers” list, which is about like asking MS how well Vista is selling. There’s no disclosure on what time frame these “Top Sellers” are calculated or when. A better yardstick would be Apple’s quarterly sales numbers but I don’t know where to find them nor do I think it’s late enough to get a second quarter evaluation.
As for the “Top Sellers”, apparently none sell in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore or Taiwan. Apple claims it’s the #1 seller in the US, Mex, NZ.; #2 everywhere else (18 countries) except Japan where it’s #3. That spread is way too neat and tidy. My local Apple dealer admits he doesn’t sell many MacBook Airs; most people buy the MacBook/pro instead. For all they are apparently selling, I’ve yet to meet someone who actually owns one.
“Apple+Intel’s first joint”
I’ll bet Paul Otellini tried to bogart it the entire time.
Paul Otellini did try to bogart it the entire time, you are right Ampar!
“Joint” “bogart”
Yuck, yuck.
How original!
Dope.
Brau:
What, no quantitative statistics regarding MBS sales? I’m shocked! I imagined Apple fanbois worldwide would be posting these hard numbers, corroborating the hype that MBA is indeed the most wonderful notebook every designed and revealng the sale figures to prove it.
No, instead we get fuzzy and nonspecific “best selling” references. Maybe MBA is “best selling” sub-notebook Apple has ever offered – even if MBA is the only sub-notebook Apple has every offered.
I am sure Intel will be deeply involved with Apple in optimising Snow Leopard’s multi-processor and 16 TB support. Maybe even the OpenCL work.
Look for more supercomputers and server farms using Macs after 10.6 arrives.
as usual afib, u need to stfu.
?what?
Quote me 2008 Mac, iMac, and MBA sales statistics and I’ll shut up. Obviously, Apple is not being generous with these numbers. Why not? The sales statistics of the these items are likely piss poor.
If you had any hard evidence to prove me wrong you would have posted it by now. You haven’t and Apple hasn’t, either.
Something stinks in Cupertino and it ain’t Woz’s left over tuna salad sandwich.
MBA is great if you have the money. Tell you what, my client used to show up with a 17″ MacBook Pro, but 3 weeks ago he started using his wife’s MBA. His explanation was: “You know, I need to whip the computer up about 100 times a day to show something or to do quick editing. MBA just makes more sense, it’s in different category; fast and light. I don’t need a workstation when I go from one meeting to another.”
He really is using MBA as a book, pulls it up for 10 secods to show a video clip and a price sheet or “look at this data, man”. It looks to me he will need to buy his own MBA soon.
I’m not surprised why MBA is selling so well, and wont be surprised if Apple brings out more MBA models. Funny thing though, I see more women using them, maybe there should be a pink MBA.
YoYo:
“I’m not surprised why MBA is selling so well,…”
You’re just a pathetic Apple fanboi living in a fantasy world of unsubstantiated anecdotes and uncorroborated hype.
Please be so kind as to post the link to the independent news sources that have the MBA 2008 sales statistics.
name says enough
“You’re just a pathetic Apple fanboi living in a fantasy world of unsubstantiated anecdotes and uncorroborated hype.”
YoYo didn’t insult you or even address you directly.
You just lashed out at a stranger unprovoked.
You need to get help. Today. I’m not joking.
@Afib
Yeah, I know I should feed the trolls, but I can’t help lampooning (or is it harpooning?) somebody as lame as you.
First, you ought to try proof-reading your stupid posts. One of your entries above uses the word “every” TWICE when it is clear you meant “ever.”
Second, the second use of “every” was related to your assertion that the MBA is the only subnotebook Apple has ever marketed. <buzz> Sorry, contestant Afib, that would be WRONG. Apple sold a great little Powerbook called the Duo in the early 90s, followed by the 2400c. In fact, the Duo was Apple’s longest-running laptop form factor until the aluminum PBs and MBPs.
If you are going to post here, please write a literate entry and get your facts right, Afib. You are obviously clueless and, as Ampar suggests, in serious need of help.
@Afib
Please provide exact data on how many licenses of MS Vista are actually being used and how many of the people who own those licenses are actually running XP. Just thought I’d ask since you seem to be stuck on hard numbers. While we’re at it, how many Zunes, exactly, have been sold? And, Big Ass Tables?
Thank you for playing, please try again.
This wasn’t the first Apple and Intel joint venture. The two companies invested a million dollars each in New Video Corporation back in the early 1990s, to fun New Video’s port of Intel’s DVI technology to the Mac platform.
Yeah, I know I should feed the trolls, but I can’t help lampooning (or is it harpooning?) somebody as lame as you.
But you DO respond, despite your firm convictions. Conflicted? Troubled? Unnerved?
First, you ought to try proof-reading your stupid posts. One of your entries above uses the word “every” TWICE when it is clear you meant “ever.”<b>
Gee, thanks. Next time I’ll be sure to use both hands, instead of sipping my refreshing beverage with one and typing with the other. Kudos for you for being able to decipher what my intentions were. That’s quite a talent you’ve got there, Ralph.
<b>Second, the second use of “every” was related to your assertion that the MBA is the only subnotebook Apple has ever marketed. <buzz> Sorry, contestant Afib, that would be WRONG. Apple sold a great little Powerbook called the Duo in the early 90s, followed by the 2400c. In fact, the Duo was Apple’s longest-running laptop form factor until the aluminum PBs and MBPs.
Was, was, was. Why are you discussing ancient history when the subject matter is current events. MBA is the ONLY<b> Apple sub-notebook for sale in 2008. Not too bright are you, fanboi?
<b>If you are going to post here, please write a literate entry and get your facts right, Afib. You are obviously clueless and, as Ampar suggests, in serious need of help.
And which “facts” are those? You seem to have misplaced them.
SAB,
I couldn’t care less about Microsoft’s sales. Are you suggesting that Apple imitate Microsoft and conceal it’s sales data because this is the policy of Microsoft? Heresy!
But you delfect the issue, fanboi. You ignore the glaring question. Apple’s silence indicates that all is not well in Cupertino.
“Not too bright are you, fanboi?”
He just keeps on convincing folks with that charming wit.
Afib,
Of course, you’re right – there is no way of knowing how many MacBook Air units Apple have sold.
However, I doubt very much that Apple’s silence indicates that all is not well in Cupertino.
First of all, Apple sold nearly as many notebooks in the quarter ending 31/03 as it did notebooks and desktops combined in the same quarter in 2007.
Secondly, Apple’s average revenue per sale on portables is holding up relatively well even in the era of the sub-$1000 notebook: $1495 per sale for Q2/08 compares really well to $1520 for Q2/07. However, it could be noted that such a performance is positively lacklustre when compared to desktops where the average actually increased over the same period from $1460 to $1579.
Thirdly, growing your notebook shipments by 60.83% on year-over-year basis tends to imply that Apple is doing something right: either customers are being drawn into Apple’s product range by the advertising for MBA and then shifting to full-spec MB/MBP models or the MBA is drawing in customers and keeping them to the tune of a couple of hundred thousand units/quarter. It actually doesn’t matter which because it’s a win-win situation for Apple.
And that isn’t a one-quarter thing either; if you look at a rolling 36-month analysis of Apple’s performance, shipments are up 45% since 2007 and up by about 250% since 2005; in fact, something like 25% of Apple’s notebook shipments for the last three years actually occurred in the six months ending 31/03 which, by anyone’s standards, is the sign of a healthy business when viewed in the context of 60% unit growth.
Now, if that 25% suddenly slid to 16% and the unit growth flattened out, you’d have a point – but at the moment, I don’t know what the exact figures are, I don’t need to know and I simply don’t care.