2022 'MacBook' and 'iMac Pro' Could Help Apple Simplify Its Naming Strategy

[chucker23n1]

So I am saying "for Apple merketing Pro means nicer" and your argument is "no, words mean what I insist they mean, against all evidence to the contrary"?

No, I'm paraphrasing what I think Gruber is suggesting.

I'm not sure what you mean by "evidence to the contrary".

What does "targets Pros" mean?

An iMac Pro, for example, is very valuable for the niche where you have highly parallelized workflows, which almost nobody does. But the few who do benefitted from it greatly, especially in its first year or two.

For everyone else, the iMac Pro was a wash, and after a while, even a worse product, as its single-threaded performance was terrible (because it wasn't optimized towards that).

IOW, it targeted Pros.

MOSTLY they are willing to pay because they are nicer. iPods Pro is an obvious case (as you admit) but the same is true of iPhone Pro, or MacBook Pro.

But a MacBook Pro isn't nicer in every way. I have one, but it's heavier, fatter, and far more expensive than a MacBook Air. For use as a laptop, that makes it worse.

The device is not being bought by "professionals" per se, it's being bought by people who want lots of computation. Which is not the same thing.

It isn't, but it might as well be.

It's unlikely to be interesting to doctors, lawyers, or *********s.

Yes, I can see how *********s don't necessarily need performance. I don't understand the point you're making. A handyman doesn't benefit from a sports car despite its impressive specs, but that doesn't mean a sports care isn't a premium product. Conversely, a car enthusiast may prefer a sports care over a truck.

Apple — and the computer industry at large — has decided to that the typical way to address high-end needs is through high performance.

The whole POINT of this discussion is that insisting on the literal meaning of words (whatever that is) in a marketing context is idiotic.

OK.

 

[chucker23n1]

No-one's saying that Windows Azure is not a UI product so has no Windows in it.

In fact, plenty of people were saying that, and Microsoft agreed, so they dropped "Windows" from the name almost eight years ago.

 

[pacalis]

Cook messed up other names, too. He messed up the “MagSafe” name by applying it to a phone charger that has absolutely nothing to do with keeping the phone safe from damage in the event that the wire is pulled.

In fairness, he got Apple Watch "Hermes" right, "Hermes" meaning 1000%+ margin.

 

[pacalis]

I like the idea Tim single handedly does product names ? Perhaps he does the catering too ?

Maybe. Was Angela Ahrendts also in charge of catering?

 

[szw-mapple fan]

I think it was too confusing to have "Plus" mean either "this is a for-pay subscription service" or "this is a larger iPhone".

I'm not exactly a fan of "Max", but at least it avoids re-using that term to mean something entirely different.

I think if they kept using the plus name on iPhones after the 8 and used it in place of Pro there wouldn’t much confusion. The plus iPhones were getting better specs/cameras anyways.

I wish they would also just name it like the regular iPhone or iPad Pro line up with screen sizes. I think iPhone mini, iPhone 5.4” and 6.1”, and iPhone Plus 6.1” and 6.7” would have been a much cleaner naming scheme, but I suppose Apple wanted the top end models to stand out more.

 

[Bregalad]

A 16" MacBook would be awesome, but Apple insists that people who want big screens also need Pro power and Pro price tags. I'm scared that the next large screen iMac is going to be priced so high I'll never be able to afford/justify it.

Over on the other side of the fence such a price/screen link simply doesn't exist. Thin/light PC notebooks with ultra mobile CPUs, integrated video and soldered RAM often cost more than notebooks with larger displays, powerful CPUs, dedicated RTX GPUs and expandable RAM.

 

[pacalis]

I wish they would also just name it like the regular iPhone or iPad Pro line up with screen sizes. I think iPhone mini, iPhone 5.4” and 6.1”, and iPhone Plus 6.1” and 6.7” would have been a much cleaner naming scheme, but I suppose Apple wanted the top end models to stand out more.

It's not cleaner because sizes are already close to optimized and won't change much. So when the new phones come out, say at 6.0" and 6.6", people might think they are losing something even if it's a newer, better phone.

I think they've been trying to brand progress with a short consumer memory. So they are creating differentiators at each 2nd year but trying to capture any brand loyalty from a previous generation. That looks confusing across years, but is meant to capture and reflect the competitive positioning within the period that a consumer is making a buying choice.

Still, on the whole, despite their success, apple has really lost something. Some of their designs are getting ugly. {I'm looking at you, looking at me, notch}.

 

[UsernameAlreadyInUse]

Is there confusion? Or are you simply upset that your aesthetic sense has been affronted?
I find it very hard to believe that anyone who was choosing between an iMac Pro and a 27" iMac was in the slightest confused by the Pro label.

If you don't like the use of the word "Pro" for more expensive model, say so. But don't pretend that it causes confusion in people
(Not yourself, of course, you're smart, but "people generally" who can't tell, just from comparing the fact that Pro models cost 2x what non-Pro models cost, that they are the "better but more expensive" version. I mean, this is a rare and delicate concept, that products may come in a cheaper version and more expensive, but better in some ways, version...)

At this point, the iMac lineup is pretty clear and has been for a while now (iMac vs iMac Pro: done). This was how Jobs originally envisioned Apple lineups and I stand by it even today. However, the Macbook and iPad lineups have been an utter mess for many product cycles -- largely due to the outdated 'Air' nomenclature. There is nothing 'Air' about any of the Macbooks or iPads today. One could argue that they are all equally 'Air' (go ahead and compare dimensions of the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro 11").

The average consumer is not like you and I. They don't sift through tech specs comparing refresh rates, dimensions, pixel densities, etc. Simple and distilled lineups are (well, used to be) quintessentially Apple. That clarity is what made a lot of folks (including myself) spring towards their first Mac. A consumer needs to feel confident in what they are purchasing and that is especially true today at the price-points Apple is asking.

 

[sublunar]

I'm just surprised that the Touch Bar continued on the M1 MacBook Pro.

Notwithstanding the Pro name, going to ARM would have been the perfect opportunity to let the Touch Bar die with Intel. Instead, the Touch Bar lives on in a single M1 model.

This stalling of the design choices for the M1 Macs might have been down to development work for the 24" iMac and subsequently the 14" and 16" MacBook Pros.

We've since seen redesign mockups for a future Air which, with an M2 refresh, might make sense.

Personally, I'd like to see an M2 MacBook Pro come with a mini LED Pro Display XDR like the 14" model rather than a Touch Bar - I use an Intel MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and it's very much a gimmick or afterthought as far as I am concerned.

In fact, if the basic MacBook Pro is up for a redesign like the Air, then why not use the 12.9" iPad Pro aspect ratio panel with the higher density retina display? It might encourage more cross device app development if they can rely on a screen that is cross platform.

 

[darngooddesign]

There is nothing 'Air' about any of the Macbooks or iPads today.

iPads I agree with, but the 13" MBA is slimmer and lighter than the 13" MBP. The only time the Air name didn't make sense was when Apple also had the 12" MacBook which was airier than the Air.

 

[Harshan]

“iMac Pro”—a name that shows Tim Cook’s cluelessness and that he is not a product person (because he is an MBA suit who cares more about shareholders than users).

Cook messed up Apple naming conventions. i-devices are named with an “i” to show that they are consumer devices. “Pro” devices are named with “Pro” to show that they are professional devices. That naming convention was created under Steve Jobs because he was a product person (because he cared more about users than about shareholders).

The iMac was created for the consumer market. The Mac Pro was created for professionals. The iMac Pro is a joke of a name because, although it is the most technologically advanced computer in the iMac line, it is not internally expandable like the Mac Pro. Professionals need internal expandability in their computers.

The iPhone Pro is a joke of a name because, although it is the most technologically advanced smartphone on the market, it is not predominantly a device for professionals.

Cook messed up other names, too. He messed up the “MagSafe” name by applying it to a phone charger that has absolutely nothing to do with keeping the phone safe from damage in the event that the wire is pulled.

Cook messed up the “Air” name which was meant to be the lightest weight product in a given category (because air is light). Under Jobs, the MacBook Air used the name “Air” because it was the lightest product in the MacBook product line. Under Clueless Cook, a MacBook named just “MacBook” was released which was lighter than the then-available MacBook Air. Also, the iPad Air is not the lightest iPad.

This suffers from the fallacy that Tim Cook is the source of all evil. Tim Cook is a manager, not a technician; or you might say he is the conductor, not the orchestra. He is very good at delegating work, and likely has very little to do with naming or designing products. Apple is too big for one man to do everything.

 

[Harshan]

Glad they keep the Macbook Pro the same. THIS new one is definitely "Pro" and not confusing.

Glad I bought a "Pro" MacBook before I get confused..

I'm sure that there is more than one employee at Apple, and that Tim Cook has delegated naming to some committee or the other. He is not Adam in the Garden of Eden naming everything.

 

[loby]

I'm sure that there is more than one employee at Apple, and that Tim Cook has delegated naming to some committee or the other. He is not Adam in the Garden of Eden naming everything.

LOL..but like Adam, he is responsible for what happens in his garden. Though Tim may not name his animals, he will give a yeah or nay at the end of the day and is the face ultimately for the blame to all.

Glad they kept the “Pro” and served us this time. After a month with the new Macbook Pro, I am still amazed at how fast and reliable it is for my workflow. The FIRST computer/laptop I have ever had that does everything that I need at a “Pro” level and some. Don’t notice the knotch really and the ports are fine for me.

 

[Mainsail]

I still dont see what is so complicated about having three levels: Consumer, Premium, Pro.

Consumer (SE models): iPhone SE, iPad, MBA 2020*, Watch SE, Mac Mini
Premium: iPhone 13, iPad Air, MacBook 2022, Apple Watch, iMac
Pro: iPhone Pro, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, iMac Pro

*The MBA 2020 form factor could be rebranded as the MacBook SE and receive periodic processor updates like the iPhone SE and entry level iPad.

Basically, other than clearing up the legacy naming convention for the MBA model, I really don’t see how this is a big deal. On this forum, we often forget there is a huge market for a consumer level SE line-up. The iPhone SE and iPad are two of the best values in tech. You get the Apple ecosystem and high quality devices at a terrific price. This appeals to a lot of people.