Headline FeedsMacNewsWorld Talkback
|
|
See Full Story
On Wednesday, Apple will hold a "Back to the Mac" announcement for the media. As with most Apple announcements from CEO and pitchman Steve Jobs, I find myself eagerly anticipating the day and big reveal. Along the way, I try to sort out my own hopes and needs against what Apple might actually deliver to the world at large. Obviously I'm just one guy among hundreds of millions of Apple customers, but if I held the keys to Apple Cupertino headquarters, I'd start with my core Mac needs first: a better mid-level MacBook Pro.
Let me be more clear: The guy I know was willing to entertain the idea of a Mac, despite being exposed to Windows-based machines most of his life. (I can only imagine his pain.) But this is a great first step for a PC user, who must remain on a PC at work. At $999, the low-end MacBook is a decent deal, but when a PC user strolls through the aisles of the local Staples, Office Depot, or Costco, he can see some pretty sharp-looking new PC laptops with big bright screens and decent internals, and suddenly, the wee little screen on the MacBook looks disappointing. If Apple were to provide a 15-incher down around the $1200-level, a guy like me might have been able to sway him on the joys of owning a MacBook. When the cost comparison is $600 for a PC laptop versus $1,800, I'm betting many consumers start thinking things like, "Well, I definitely want a bigger screen, so the MacBook is out. On a PC, I can still have iTunes, my iPod, and my iPhone, and I can use a PC to browse the web and do email and find an application to handle all my photos. And, oh, by the way, if I could spend $1800 on computing gear, why don't I just buy a new digital camera and get the PC laptop and not worry about the Apple Mac or learning a new system?
In some situations: screen size + out-of-pocket price = a lost potential new Apple customer. And for existing Apple lovers who need a reasonably powerful MacBook but can't justify a minimum of $1800 (like me), the price gap between the screen sizes on the MacBook Pros is disappointing at best, and in my case, means I'll end up making do with my existing setup rather than upgrading. Obviously Apple's pricing model is profitable. That doesn't mean Apple-loving consumers don't see gaps in the product line that they want filled.
In some situations: screen size + out-of-pocket price = a lost potential new Apple customer. And for existing Apple lovers who need a reasonably powerful MacBook but can't justify a minimum of $1800 (like me), the price gap between the screen sizes on the MacBook Pros is disappointing at best, and in my case, means I'll end up making do with my existing setup rather than upgrading. Obviously Apple's pricing model is profitable. That doesn't mean Apple-loving consumers don't see gaps in the product line that they want filled.
"The guy was ripe for a MacBook purchase..."
If the price turned him green, then he was not ripe.
The same is true for you. Get over it, or move on.
If the price turned him green, then he was not ripe.
The same is true for you. Get over it, or move on.
