They ended the macbook so people can start buying airs, but why? I remember when it first launched in 2008 i think, it kinda flopped. Why were they so eager to force it on people? They even went to such lengths and ended a product
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Why did apple want to force the MBA on people?
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The MBA was pre iPad. Apple wanted a computer that brought greater portability to folks that wanted to browse the web, check email and run casual apps. The MBA was it and superior in terms of portability.
The MB wasn't killed until well after the intro of the MBA. They realized people that wanted high end performance would buy Macbook Pros and those that wanted casual performance and ultra portability will buy the MBA.
The MB just wasn't needed anymore once the MBA low end pricing was accepted.
Convoluted thinking IMHO. Apple brings products to market they think will sell, some times they're wrong, most the time they are right. The MBA fills a definite niche in the marketplace. No one is forcing anything on anyone. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy it. For me, the 11" model is the perfect laptop.
Lou
Lou
I think that the $1800 pricetag of that first gen MBA had something to do with that.
I think what the MBA shows is that Apple is in things for the long haul. 6 years is an eternity in technology and yet Apple has now gotten the MBA down to be anaffordable entry level OSX notebook that rivals some Windows-based ultrabooks.
If Microsoft was as committed to the Surface as Apple has been to the MBA, then Apple might have something to worry about. Fortunately for Apple, they're not.
How are they doing that?... They are providing a better faster and thinner more portable macbook for about the same price as the old Macbook so its not like people are losing anything. This type of thing happens in Companies and markets all the time as well so I don't get what your beef is with it?
They didn't force it on anyone. The Air has been a big success as far as I can tell. Mine is fantastic.
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No. In fact they didn't force anyone to do anything. You always have a choice.
That's such a short sighted statement.
Technology evolved that made a MBA possible.
The original MB was a compromise, a cheap MacBookPro that was neither as portable nor as powerful as the MBA.
It is simply a product cycle. What you claim is forced on you is called innovation.
Specialized hardware that fits a limited purpose.
You can easily make the same argument for the nMP (new MacPro).
Apple created a special purpose machine that is not extendable, nor does it offer the flexibility of an "old school" computer. It's not forced on you either, but it's Apple way to sell products with a high profit margin.
And believe me, they have to. If they would go back to compete with all the "flexible" all-purpose products, they would go under really fast.
I applaud them for it, because products like Apple TV would never been tried if you don't risk to target a small audience that will eventually understand what you are trying to do.
Even if you think Apple's transition of their product line is a failure, you have to admit that their high-end products justify these bold decisions.
If anything, the MacBook Pro replaced the MacBook. The MacBook Air was a completely different product category. You are correct. The MBA did not sell well in its first year. It was an experimental, expensive product that was double the price of the MacBook. When did Apple ever force it on people? The MacBook was discontinued in 2011, 3 years after the release of the MBA. And of course they discontinued the product. Everyone was purchasing MacBook Pros instead.
I think we need to take a good look at causality. Here are two scenarios:
1. The 13" MacBook Pro was released in 2008, a computer similar to the MacBook in many ways. Apple discontinued the MacBook 3 years later because the market for it had been eaten up by MacBook Pro users.
2. The 13" MacBook Air was released in 2008, an experimental, glitchy product that had astronomical costs. Apple discontinued the MacBook 3 years later because of the MBA, a computer very different from it that was in an entirely different price range.
Which one seems more likely?
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Its a free market, they didn't force anyone.
the MBA is a different class of a machine then the MB. The MacBook was aimed primarily at students and light users. The MBA was for the professional and given how many professionals I see using the MBA that still holds true.
Its a machine targeted for the highly mobile users, where as the the MB was for the budget conscience user.
Because it is a much better laptop, a much better take on what a laptop should be (faster, lighter, more portable, futuristic, more sophisticated).
It is the computer that made ULV processors successful. It is the computer that changed what a computer should be. Even today, is by far the gold standard.
As everybody that reviews computers for a living can agree (quoting pretty much every site):
- "The best computer for pretty much everyone".
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What? They Air blows all of them out of the water!
In late 2010 you could walk into any Microcenter and buy a base 13" Macbook Pro for $999 plus tax. I know because I did so. Actually got an open box for $900.
No reason to go with the plastic macbook at that point.
As the matter of fact, Intel has developed the first consumer ULV CPU specifically for the MacBook Air. The fact that these CPUs are now extremely popular only shows how successful the MBA is. It is a better machine for both the casual user and a professional business user than the classical MBP, and it costs the same. There was simply no reason for the MBP to exist in the Apple universe.
One day a guy wearing a mask and an Apple t-shirt came to my door, held a gun to my head and forced me to buy a MacBook Air! I have used one ever since, because he said he'd come back if I switched .
When the Air 1st came out it was big $$ 1800, way more than a macbook, so they are apple and oranges. I have had a macbook, and now have a 2013 Air, my 3rd Air, and it is great and much better than the MB could be BUT now it is at a MB price, and it is way better than the original Air at almost half the price.
Pretty good value to me.
Pretty good value to me.
I think the MBA really evolved from a niche product (expensive ultraportable for traveling professionals) to an everyday computer that meets the need of most users.
A few years ago, when the redesigned MBA was unveiled, Apple described it as what would happen if an iPad and a Macbook "hooked-up". In other words, Apple learned from the iPad that there was a demand for a simple lightweight laptop for everyday applications. The SSD and long battery life were part of the attraction for this new laptop. It was also a response to the emerging category of affordable ultraportable laptops.
About a month ago, I paid $750 for a brand new base 13in MBA at Best Buy....great value and I certainly don't feel like anyone forced the MBA on me.
A few years ago, when the redesigned MBA was unveiled, Apple described it as what would happen if an iPad and a Macbook "hooked-up". In other words, Apple learned from the iPad that there was a demand for a simple lightweight laptop for everyday applications. The SSD and long battery life were part of the attraction for this new laptop. It was also a response to the emerging category of affordable ultraportable laptops.
About a month ago, I paid $750 for a brand new base 13in MBA at Best Buy....great value and I certainly don't feel like anyone forced the MBA on me.
The MacBook was pretty much a MBA with a whole bunch of legacy features still in it (HDD, ODD, Ethernet, etc). Apple was just waiting until most people could live without being able to use DVDs or plug their computer into their router.
