Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster now estimates that the new MacBook models “may dip as low as $899,” Electronista reports. “This will reportedly come despite apparent moves to more upscale components, including a switch to aluminum; Munster anticipates a multi-touch trackpad similar to those given to the Air and Pro.”
“A price cut to $1,899 is considered possible [for the MacBook Pro] and may be accompanied by a more advanced trackpad,” Electronista reports. “The MacBook Air is also predicted to get a minor update, though Munster rules out the likelihood of a tablet or otherwise touchscreen-enabled Mac for the gathering.”
Electronista reports, “It’s also unknown whether the company has yet to reveal its mystery product transition that will lower the company’s margins; some have asserted that the reference applies to the $229 iPod touch, though Apple has never confirmed this.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple earlier today confirmed a special media event promising, “The spotlight turns to notebooks,” which scheduled for Tuesday, October 14th at 10am PDT/ 1pm EDT.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Brawndo Drinker” for the heads up.]
and the stock will take a shi(*t
Good thing too. The price of Macs always puts them off first time, no matter what they’re meant to think. Of course, it’s not me who says it’s not worth it, oh no.
Glad to hear it … my iBook is starting to feel a little ‘old’, and it won’t play WoW! Not while still running F@H, anyway. And, as this is likely to be a dual-core model, I will be able to run TWO copies of F@H at once.
Same hear, I’m getting tired of owning a White Laptop ( 12 Inch iBook G4 1.2GHz.) Kinda feminine looking I think. The only thing I want white is the glowing Apple Logo on back of the screen.
& the plastic casing tends to crack around screw holes & sharp corners around the screen. I’ve had to put dabs of Super Glue to prevent further cracking. Yet it’s been so reliable & would feel terrible giving it up.
Hope it while be an across the line aluminum or @ least a black color option with base model specs. Kinda disagree u have to pay $300 extra to get a Black MacBook.
I still use my PowerBook G4 12″ on a daily basis, and as a testament to it’s aluminum body, I dropped it at the airport once. Landed right on the front right corner and dented it up pretty good (it’s bent in from the corner, and buckled out at the front, about 3/8″ or more). Hasn’t missed a beat.
If that had been a plastic casing, it would have cracked severely or shattered.
Even if Apple Inc launch a $800 laptop I would not buy it. I’m a Windows user, and forever will. Why would I want to buy a laptop that’s not Windows?
Ah man, I only bought my MacBook Pro this spring. Had to as my only other computer gave up on me and died. Shortly thereafter my son in a fit of pique decided to fling himself down on the bed – where I was sat – and inadvertently head butted my new Mac. It bent the surround by the keyboard and sprung loose one of the inside brackets. But despite its now permanent buckle the laptop hasn’t missed a beat. And yes my son was perfectly fine – aren’t kids always – but I did impress upon him that I wasn’t chuffed with his hardware modifications!
“some have asserted that the reference applies to the $229 iPod touch, though Apple has never confirmed this”
Funny, that’s what I’ve been arguing in lots of places.
@pocket
Me too but I have got a lot of use out of the MBP already. Have been holding out to replace my wife’s PB with the new MB though.
I still think there is a place for the Mac Mini. I would love to replace my aging Sawtooth with a faster, smaller mini and move all the internal HDs containing media to external ones.
Price is the issue though. $400 entry price would be compelling. $300 would be fantastic.
Same for the MB – $900 would be good. 800 would capture a lot of windoze users wanting to switch but balking at the entry price for a MB.
The issue is whether Apple can get reasonable margins at those price points and maintain a good quality product.
You *do* know that Macs run Windows as well, do you not?
Of course you do. As a paid MS/Crispin shill, you’re fully aware of this fact.
“Why would I want to buy a laptop that’s not Windows?”
Because you want to get out of the crap.
In the long run you will have to get out.
dropped my powerbook g4 17″ on the back left corner at an airport, dented it and distorted the shape of a good deal of the corner, but it works just fine. but i am definitely getting a new one when they come out.
Now, if Apple doesn’t come out with an $899 entry level model, everyone is going to be really, really mad.
I know they are not a cheapo box assembler, but an $899 model would be great.
It seems obvious to me that the product transition is the new MacBook and the margins will be squeezed by the higher costs and lower price.
Anyone else think this is drop-dead simple?
The mystery trasition is from ugly silver and fisher price plastic laptop cases to ugly two tone cases. You heard it here first!
I think Apple’s “mystery product transition” will be something that won’t show up until MacWorld ’09.
A commentary on another site postulated that a $899 notebook would likely spell the end of the Mac Mini and this got me to thinking. Maybe the “brick” is a new device… a replacement for (and combination of) the Mac Mini and AppleTV.
This would be a Mac that lets you to surf the net, send email, and all that non-work, casual home computing activity you do at home… all in the comfort of your living/family room… as well as streaming your entertainment media, and letting you rent TV shows and movies from iTunes. Like the iPhone it might have its own highly-optimized, specific version of OS X, and like a MacBook Air it might come without a built-in optical drive, relying on an internet/wireless connection for OS updates.
An Apple HTPC.
I wish.
“replacement for (and combination of) the Mac Mini and AppleTV. “
Throw in Tivo functionality ad they could call it an Apple Media Center PC.
“Throw in Tivo functionality ad they could call it an Apple Media Center PC.”
For a number of reasons related to Apple’s connections to the TV/movie entertainment industry (as many others have posted), it’s unlikely Apple will ever release a Mac/Apple home theater device with Tivo/DVR functionality.
Not gonna happen.
Of course, when all the rumors said Apple was going to release a MP3 player, I thought it would never happen… and when Apple did unveil the iPod, I predicted it would flop big time. So what do I know?
“it’s unlikely Apple will ever release a Mac/Apple home theater device with Tivo/DVR functionality. Not gonna happen.”
Then it’s unlikely that Apple will ever take over the living room, selling devices that do less than what the competition does.
When will people get that customers want to record shows for free, or rent all the physical media they want from netflix for $14.95/mo or pay $8.99 for unlimited streaming rather than buy or rent at iTunes inflated prices. Currently Apple TV supports neither option.