“Apple made a few jabs at Microsoft during Tuesday’s notebook event, but if I were a Windows executive today, I’d probably be breathing a sigh of relief,” Ina Fried reports for CNET.
“Although Apple did revamp its entire Mac product line on Tuesday, it didn’t hit the $800 price point that the rumor mills had projected,” Fried reports. “The new laptops seem nice enough, and they might be enough to keep Apple on a roll, but Apple didn’t take the Mac into any new segments of the market.”
Fried reports, “Clearly fearing that Apple was on the brink of such a price move, Microsoft launched a pre-emptive attack on Monday, with Vice President Brad Brooks going into great detail about an ‘Apple tax’ ahead of what even he thought would be the introduction of significantly cheaper Macs.”
“But in the end, Apple’s attack was limited to those words and the company’s usual arsenal of elegant but pricey machines,” Fried reports. “Apple has made some significant advances, to be sure, but it looks as if this year’s Mac-vs.-PC battle will remain at the high end of the market rather than dropping down to the mainstream.”
Fried reports, “Apple’s market share is significant and growing. Although its share of the global market is only a few percentage points, its share of the dollars spent on PCs, particularly in the United States, is far more significant.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Quick, someone ask Mikey Dell how amassing “market share” is working out for him. In the last quarter, Dell had to generate 2.2 times the revenue just to make 58% of Apple’s profit. Not good.
Why kill yourself trying to educate clueless Wal-Mart shoppers in order to make a few pennies per unit when you can make advanced, elegant machines that informed customers highly value?
These new laptops are a minimal update at best. Pure style of real features… Very Sad. I won’t be replacing my 2007 MBP on this refresh – thats for sure!
I was hoping for a $800 laptop, that would have been exciting. Come on Apple, let’s take this fight to Micro$oft and finish them!
> These new laptops are a minimal update at best. Pure style of real features… Very Sad.
You must be joking. The old MacBook had Intel graphics. The new ones have NVIDIA GeForce 9400M. And LED backlighting. Even if you don’t care about the “cut from a block of aluminum” construction, calling it a “minimal update at best” is moronic, “at best.”
That’s partly because this refresh will set the groundwork for Snow Leopard. Your Core 2 Duo probably won’t benefit from the OpenCL features that these computers will get for free. The mega hertz race has stalled for now and greater power for home computing will be seen through multicores. The new OpenCL enabled Snow Leopard potentially whilst itself better optimized for speed will get another boost from the GPU and newer Macs really will get snappier from the upgrade.
minimal.
the construction makes it immensely more durable, the graphics should be a huge improvement, the touchpad looks incredible, plus several feature bumps…..
i swear, there is no reason to keep coming here. the comments are regularly made by people with exactly zero vision.
Skeeter, you fool, it’s not style. Do you know the difference between refresh and redesigned?
A MBP won’t flex like your Dell will. A MBP is now built like a brick shit-house.
A Dell is built without the brick or the house. I think you can smell what’s left.
I have a question that has been on my mind since this morning’s presentation of new products: Has Apple overhyped itself during the last analyst call by saying that they will be producing products this quarter that the competition cannot match?
Is “The Brick” way of production really that drastically different and important to consumers? I am assuming that by switching to the new material and production, Apple will be saving money, but after seeing today’s prices with the products, it is actually increasing the prices on the customers (as is the case in the entry-level next-gen MacBook.) So, in the end, it is not really revolutionary for the customer (other than perhaps in the case of overall weight reduction, but is that really more important than price?).
Am I missing something here, or has Apple taken a wrong turn today, when it could’ve passed on those savings to the customer to a certain level (and don’t even dare mentioning the $999 old-gen price redux — I don’t buy it.). 🙁
The laptop under $1000 is a new segment for Apple.
Sure, you can find a bunch of advertised laptops for less than Apple, but they aren’t ones that people actually want to buy. They are just to lure people in, so they can be sold more expensive, but actually usable models.
@CYxodus
“I was hoping for a $800 laptop…”
And I was hoping for a $100 Apple MBP! That would really do-in Microsoft!
But really, you or me being a cheap sh!t is perhaps not a compelling incentive for Apple to go down the road of crap components, shoddy materials, bargain-basement manufacturing contracts, and eliminating R&D;.
See you at Wal-Mart.
We will have to see how many C2D notebooks priced below 1299 will have multitouch glass trackpads, nvida GeForce 9400M graphics, LED–backlit displays, 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 1066MHz frontside bus, DisplayPort, and the all aluminum body rigidity of a MacBook, before we can tell if this is a good deal or not.
‘Quick, someone ask Mikey Dell how amassing “market share” is working out for him. In the last quarter, Dell had to generate 2.2 times the revenue just to make 58% of Apple’s profit. Not good.”
———————
Were not talking about Dell pricepoints or margins here..
There is no reason that Apple can’t make a nicely equipped yet profitable computer for $899.
It doesn’t have to be low end junk either..
I don’t care if the whiners think they’re too expensive and/or don’t like them or not. I’ve already put in my order for the new $1,299 MacBook model and I can’t wait until it arrives!
“Why kill yourself trying to educate clueless Wal-Mart shoppers in order to make a few pennies per unit when you can make advanced, elegant machines that informed customers highly value?”
No FireWire. They are not advanced elegant machines, they won’t even hook up to ubiquitous technology developed by Apple itself. USB 2.0 does not remotely replace what FireWire can do.
I can’t consider these machines to be successful designs with out FW. They remind me of Apple’s puck mouse. Nice to look at but bad to use.
“There is no reason that Apple can’t make a nicely equipped yet profitable computer for $899. “
I agree. I really think Apple missed the mark with these new machines.
“I don’t care if the whiners think they’re too expensive and/or don’t like them or not.”
They are too expensive. People will buy them but their price point will keep them from picking up significant new marketshare.
The issue is not whether Apple’s existing customers will buy these machines but rather if Apple can pick up new additional customers, and I don’t think these will help pull in people who would not have already purchased a Mac. Apple loses a certain number of customers who would have bought them due to lack of FireWIre and another percentage based on the high cost of entry.
They may be pushing the technology ahead with the new track pads, I’d have to see them to decide, but it comes at a cost to marketshare now.
“No FireWire,” twilightmoon whined.
Then get a MacBook Pro and shut the fuck up.
Apple has been gaining market share quickly BEFORE these cheaper and better laptops came out. Apple will continue to gain market share despite the groaning and gnashing of teeth by geeks.
Firewire is generally not used by newer consumers, especially compared to USB2. The expresscard slot offers firewire or better for those with pro machines. There was a time before firewire, there will be a time after.
The glass trackpad has absolutely nothing to do with market share.
Sheesh. Stop complaining. These things are going to be very popular. Just suck up and deal with the success. It’s such a tough pill to swallow, after all.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”blank stare” style=”border:0;” />
Looks to me like they nearly eliminated the MacBook line and added a couple of 13″ MacBook Pros. The latter was a good idea, the former not.
Very disappointing. I am an Apple fan but when I try to convince some of my friends to switch, the price differential is always a big issue. I kind of understand that comparing an $800 Dell to an MacBook is not fair, but what do you say to someone who can get a 15″ Dell with 4 GB ram, 300 GB hard drive for below $1000?
Apple would kill the competition if they came out with an $800 notebook.
@twilightmoon
Who’s paying you to write your schtick?
Yes. Without an $800 notebook offering from Apple, Microsoft has exclusive access to the “Trailer-trash” market.
I do think you need firewire on the macbook. I’ll not be buying one without it. No firewire makes several of my existing external drives useless.
The other new features- I love them. but not enough to give up $600 worth of hardware.
No Firewire, does it still come with iMovie and iDVD? Now I have to purchase a firewire add-on to transfer my movies, or spend the extra for the pro? Are the low end books just for gamers. You give us better graphics and speed, but we have to search around to use them with our video cameras.
Does seem short sighted.
Find another $1299 laptop that can drive a 30″ monitor.
@Greg L
Yes. Without an $800 notebook offering from Apple, Microsoft has exclusive access to the “Trailer-trash” market.
very nicely said.
I’ll be checking my bank balance to see if I’ll be buying the remaining plastic MacBook or a few more shares of stock. I know there isn’t enough for both and I know my iBook is nearing a problematic age. And, of course, the iBook is my only computer still running Tiger! In not too much time, my wife will be upgrading to Snow Leopard and I’ll be left with Leopard and Tiger – and I just do NOT want to wrap my head around supporting three OSs.
Do I want the faster FireWire version for $300 less? Or the slower nVidia version with the tougher case for the extra money? Tough decision, there. Very tough.
for all those people that re complaining about no Firewire on the MacBook – buy a USB enclosure or a new USB external drive as they are so freggin cheap now. If you don’t like the new lower prices and better features then buy a piece of shit PC.
So, let me get this straight…
Yesterday, low-end, entry level, latest tech MacBook was $1099.
Today, low-end, entry level, outdated tech MacBook is $999,
and low-end,entry level, latest tech MacBook is $1299.
Steve Jobs: “We got away with gouging initial iPhone buyers for $200, let’s do it again!”
My correction, there isn’t a way to use firewire on the Macbook. No express card on the Macbook, Pro yes, Macbook no. I can’t imagine a USB to Firewire adapter to be worth the cost of the adapter. Apple intros firewire, it is used as a standard, then they drop it from the lower end systems. Not exactly a good idea for switchers looking to use their video camera.
For all those whinging about the lack of FW:
Try this
And while the new “brick” manufacturing is fairly new in computing, it’s nothing the aviation industry hasn’t been doing for the last 25 years. I filmed a documentary for British Aerospace in the mid-80s where we filmed in a factory where the wing skins for the Airbus AA340 were being made. 5 tons of aluminium milled away to less than 1.5 tons on a 5-dimensional milling machine.
Apple could’ve done better on the pricing. A measly hundred dollar drop in the ancient white MacBook is very weak. If they can drop the price of the iPhone two hundred bucks in two months, they should’ve been able to drop the price of the MacBook nobody will now want to $899.
Pure stupidity.
Windows zombies will never be satisfied until the Mac laptop is 500 bucks. Fine, go buy a DELL and enjoy your creaky POS slapped together, stickers happy laptop. None of these guys can even understand the value of owning and using the best of the best in industrial design and build quality.
Actually it’d be nice for a punter to talk about the huge Microsoft taxes on PC other then Macs. The facts are clear PC makers that OEM Windows still have to charge customers for Window even if the customer wants Linux on their PC. Even Dell systems that ship with no OS the customer is still charged and MS profits from an OEM license that the customer never gets.
Now that is what I call a TAX on PCs!!!
Sorry kiddies, but USB2 ain’t NO substitute for FireWire. Not even remotely. NOW or EVER!
USB2 is fine for keyboards, mice and low capacity thumb drives. For hard drives it’s an absolute joke. Google it.
FireWire speed and Target Disk Mode are HUGE advantages. Can you BOOT from a USB2 drive? I didn’t think so, either.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Disk_Mode.
Unfortunately, Apple seems to be taking advantage of all the PeeSea to Mac converts who don’t expect much from their computers (and probably outnumber Mac users at this point). How COULD you, had you been held prisoner by Microsoft?
So, now Apple can chop off real, solid Mac advantages, such as FireWire, and the Mac newbies won’t be the wiser..,. ALL to to save a few pennies. If I’m not mistaken, Windows STILL can’t be installed on or booted from external drives!
REAL Mac users are horrified by omission of some truly powerful and for many, NECESSARY features.
Oh yeah, glossy monitors are NOT PRO screens, regardless of what BS Phil “Fatboi” SHILLer happens to spout. Nor are they ergonomically correct.
Wait till Apple resizes their mistake not including a FireWire option and then puts it back in on the next update.
When they made the mistake not including FireWire 800 on the first MacBook Pro’s, they then reversed that mistake and then put it back in on a later update.
“Yes. Without an $800 notebook offering from Apple, Microsoft has exclusive access to the “Trailer-trash” market.”
The Sub 1000 dollar market IS the market. So a few machines, maybe 10% of total retail sales are at above $1000.
“Can you BOOT from a USB2 drive? I didn’t think so, either”
Of course, or a Thumb drive, or a CD or remotely over a network, if you own a PC.
“Windows STILL can’t be installed on or booted from external drives! “
Damn. I’ll have to stop doing it then.
One thing is sure: I won’t update my MacBook before it gets FW back. And no, a MacBook Pro is not an option.
Apple doesn’t have the capacity of creating that many notebooks because demands will be massive. It would be a logistical nightmare.
“Can you BOOT from a USB2 drive? I didn’t think so, either”
God Mac users are stupid
Apple IS taking the fight to Microsoft, without reducing margins to levels that degrade R&D;financing and customer service levels.
READ THIS: “With just days to go before Apple announces the results of its fourth fiscal quarter, new data from market research firm Gartner has the Mac maker snagging a near 10 percent share of the US PC market for the three month period ending September, with its unit shipments growing more than six times the industry average.”
source: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/10/14/apple_snags_nearly_10_of_us_pc_market_in_third_quarter.html
Look out Microsoft. Oh, and Ina Fried thinks Microsofts big problem is that everyone’s view of Windows has been defined by Mac and PC ads..!!
Yes. All Intel Macs can boot from a USB drive.
Get your facts right.
Macs at retail in the US over the last quarter accounted for 1 in every 3 dollars spent.
Apple doesn’t do disposable rubbish that is ONLY cheaper with a very very short term view.
Get your facts right.
Down under – Not so cheap!
It might be $999 for the low-end MacBook in the US ($100 cheaper), but in Australia, the laptop has gone AU$150 more expensive (from AU$1499 to $1649)!! I bought that laptop for my GF 2 months ago, and the value has now gone up!!
The new ones (Macbook Aluminum) are so pricey here, they equal the price of the previous MacBook Pro (and MBP equals the Mac Pro)!!!
I know it’s something to do with the world economic crisis, but still… who was once budgeting a MacBook will now look to a Dell/HP. Yes I know, iLife, cutting technology and al, but in the end, you can still check your email, browse the web, and do other things with an XP machine. And keep AU$700 for an Xbox 360 + Games!
I have a 24″ iMac, and wanted to wait for the new MB so that I can use it to wonder around, but no go this time, unless I get to travel to the States or something!
@iBest
yes, I saw that to and searched the apple website for an email address whereby I cul ask them apart the HUGE price differential (about $AUS250-300 at current exchange rates) between Australia and the united states for the same machine. Guess out in the antipodes the ‘apple tax’ is alive, well and kicking our ass big time. I’m starting to seriously dislike apple -> they taking advantage of the goodwill they’ve built up was only a matter of time but still…we are getting seriously ripped off.
Some of my good friends will be buying PC’s even though they want a Mac. SAD…and they have a GOOD argument. Price. They simply can’t afford a Mac.
I was going to buy one today, but the glossy screen is a dealbreaker for me. I probably won’t buy another new Apple laptop until they bring back matte.
Ebay, here I come…
the $800 price point isn’t trailer trash. There are lot’s of people who can’t justify the price difference between Apple and HP / Dell.
Statistics, 1/6th of mortgages in the USA have payments in arrears, I’d say the next 1/6th is tettering. That’s 1/3 of the home owning USA. Last time I looked, trailers don’t account for that market share!
Apple has a REAL opening here in the market that they aren’t taking advantage of. Poor market reception by VISTA and quality problems with Dell, it’s an opening that’s begging for Apple to walk through. An $800 notebook it would seem to me boldly announces Apple is ready to compete for the mainstream.
Let’s face it, that’s the major criticism of Apple, is it isn’t mainstream. Apple needs minimum 20% share to be viable. Apple needs to get there in a Hurry!!!!
…”Sorry kiddies, but USB2 ain’t NO substitute for FireWire. Not even remotely. NOW or EVER!
USB2 is fine for keyboards, mice and low capacity thumb drives. For hard drives it’s an absolute joke. “
And I must agree with you 1000% there. I’l take Firewire over USB2 any day.
@halapeño
I agree with you on the cheep price drop of only $100 less for the old one.. Basically no one is going to want the old one so it would be hard to convince to move over to plastic vs the new aluminum.
Also, apple didn’t drop the price of the iphone $200… that was all AT&T;doing that IF you buy a new 2 year contract.
So people are complaining about the still high MacBook prices…
Josh’s take: Let them eat cake!
What’s this????? A replaceable battery on the new MacBook!!!!
How did THAT happen????
please leave. don’t let the door hit you on the way out. commie.
You know, when the new Macbooks eventually hit the refurb store, (and they will) the price will be closer to $899. With the exact same warranty.
Be patient. A few should show up buy Christmas.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”LOL” style=”border:0;” />
The white MacBook is now $899 for Apple Online Store Education and Business customers. Don’t forget that 10% discount! This makes the new price somewhat more palatable. However, Apple needs to make all K-12 students (not just teachers and college students) eligible for the Education discount.
Also…older (discontinued) Macs that still are in the pipeline after each new product rev probably will be available for around $800…The price drop mean everything gets dropped down a notch.
The competing $599-$799 PC laptops are just stripped-down, outdated models anyway…
i was switching a friend lately. he bought an imac and we transferred all the files and settings from his old pc by hand (no apple stores with geniuses for us here in germany). one month later he bought a white macbook. when starting the macbook the first time it asked if we wanted to transfer files and settings from another mac via firewire. he was so impressed. all automatic and the macbook had all the files and setting 30 minutes later with just one click. so it seems these days are gone. another amazing feature gone for what? 1$ more in profit? cheap, apple. very cheap.
Clutter Cutter: “Then get a MacBook Pro and shut the fuck up.”
MacBook Pro doesn’t have FireWIre 400 either, moron. Only 800 meaning you’d need an adapter.
The MacBook pre rev had FireWire, so this also makes you a moron, it was removed.
Got any other smart comments?
R: “will continue to gain market share despite the groaning and gnashing of teeth by geeks.”
FireWire is used by Videocameras to put video onto a computer for iMovie. Are you claiming every soccer mom who uses iMovie to create films of her kids is a “geek”?
Despite gaining marketshare, this rev is not as good as it could be, and it won’t sell as many as it could if it did have FireWire.
“Firewire is generally not used by newer consumers, especially compared to USB2.”
How do you actually know? Got any links? Surveys? USB2.0 doesn’t do target disk mode, it’s slower and has other problems including lack of guaranteed bandwidth. It’s definitely a lesser technology.
Regardless, is there any good reason not to have both? They already have both on previous models, why take it out?
MikeR: “@twilightmoon
Who’s paying you to write your schtick?”
I’m accepting donations.
I am so torn by these updates. The forums are on fire debating the merits of the new laptops. Firewire better than USB, no, yes, it’s a deal-breaker for some. From doing a lot of reading I have to say the firewire proponents have a point. If you have external drives, video cameras, other peripherals that are FW how can you update to the new MacBook? I think it’s a legitimate argument. For the people who say, “FU, just buy a MB pro.” Well, FU too. The cost difference is very significant. Why should someone have to pony up to a pro machine just to use their external drives and video cameras? These are consumer level needs that should be met by a consumer level laptop. I have not seen a good FW to USB solution anywhere. And target disc mode is important to the edu and business market.
I haven’t seen Apple address this issue besides to just go for the $2000 option. Sorry, that’s not a good enough answer (but typical for Apple).
I love Apple but I think people have real concerns about where the new updates are going.
mm
PS: Always a pet peeve of mine: if I’m a Mac consumer level customer, why do I only get a 13″ screen option? Why can’t I have a 15″ screen? Why limit my choice so drastically?
“Not even remotely. NOW or EVER!”
Sadly the entire computer industry disagrees with you and has gone to USB2 and USB3 completely blows away Firewire. It was a long time coming, but Apple is hammering the final nails into Firewire’s coffin.
Firewire’s not good for much even today. If you when high speed external disks, you’re already using eSata. If you want low cost peripherals, it’s USB, If you want cheap and still fairly fast external storage, it’s USB. If you have a new 1080p camcorder and chose wisely, it’s USB.
MDN Word: planning – no kidding you should have been planning for this for some time now.
Good evening. Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well informed about the United States. Help me! Could you help me find sites on the: Discounted bathroom mirrors. I found only this – country debt relief. This decotec bathroom vanity mirror is sold in a variety of colours, such as wengeacute; mandarin orange, imperial red, by buying these unique vanities. Benefits of buying used office furniture. Thanks :eek:. Claudia from Monaco.
Nice website. I can see why its so popular.
I am from Palestinian and also now am reading in English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: “As if the subway system wasn’t horrible enough, no.”
Regards
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> Rick.
You guys really rule.
I am from Venezuela and too bad know English, give true I wrote the following sentence: “Asia through identify of upper factories, vehicles and eggs.Good convertible of assembly for us alloys was date placing.Rear aerokit wheels are a prevalent decade with a integrity custody that make the pressure’s deception, lineup nicks, and a integrated embellishment that has been put in components of both gossip and design.”
Regards
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> Dunne.