“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?
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Today, low-end, entry level, outdated tech MacBook is $999,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????