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A Full Apple Ecosystem Now Costs Less Than a MacBook Pro

This isn't really how people enter the ecosystem. It starts with an iPhone that they get on a 3 year contract for basically no initial cost. Then maybe Earbuds or EarPods. Then, a MacBook or maybe iPad, So, for most it is:

iPhone SE 3 year contract: $0
MacBook Neo: $499 (EDU discount, which almost anyone can get)
iPad: $300 (on sale)
Earbuds: $19

$819, which is less expensive than an MBA or iPad Air + MKB
 
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Max_G said:
Is this to show that Apple stuff is dirt cheap?
Or is this to show that the MacBook Pro 16" is prohibitively expensive?
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It's showing Apple's business model: get users into the system, get them consuming services, buying apps, and seeing ads for the rest of their natural lives. Pretty clever.
 
I'll agree with with the many others pointing out that an iPad/keyboard and MacBook Neo are entirely redundant. I guess if you really wanted a tablet for just reading you could get a basic iPad and certainly wouldn't need the pencil and keyboard.
 
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capamac said:
I'd rather have the MacBook Pro.
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This comparison is pointless, for one the Neo is an entry and budget level Mac with a 13 inch screen and nothing pro while the 16” is miles ahead in horsepower and everything pro. Odd not to compare it with the 14” non-pro Apple Silicon M5 as that is an entry level MacBook Pro.

Seems like a slow news day for MR.
 
MacRumors said:


Apple's entire entry-level product lineup now costs less than a single 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip.

16-macbook-pro-lifestyle.jpg

The ten products that now define Apple's lowest-cost tier are as follows:

  • iPhone 17e: $599
  • MacBook Neo: $599
  • iPad (11th generation): $349
  • Magic Keyboard Folio: $249
  • Apple Pencil (USB-C): $79
  • Apple Watch SE 3: $249
  • AirPods 4: $129
  • Apple TV 4K: $129
  • HomePod mini: $99
  • AirTag: $29

The total comes to $2,510, which is $189 less than the $2,699 starting price of the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip. AppleCare One, which can cover any three Apple devices of the buyer's choosing, costs an additional $19.99 per month.

The MacBook Neo, announced on March 4, is the linchpin of the shift. At $599, it is Apple's most affordable laptop ever and the first Mac to contain an A-series chip, using the A18 Pro that debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro. After its March 11 launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple saw its "best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers."

The iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo, both at $599, anchor the lineup at an identical price point that would have seemed implausible just two years ago, when the cheapest Mac laptop cost $999.

What is striking about today's lineup is how capable most of Apple's entry-level products have become relative to their more expensive siblings. The iPhone 17e uses the same A19 chip and 48-megapixel main camera as the $799 iPhone 17, differing meaningfully only in its slightly smaller 60Hz display, single rear camera, and notch design. The MacBook Neo's A18 Pro chip posts a single-core score of 3,461, within 6% of the M5 MacBook Air, and is highly capable for everyday tasks. The Apple Watch SE 3 shares the same S10 chip as the $399 Series 11 and, with its last refresh, gained an always-on display, sleep apnea detection, body temperature sensing, and fast charging. The notable exception in the lineup is the entry-level iPad, which is the only current Apple device that does not support Apple Intelligence.

It is also notable that three of the eleven products on the list are also due for imminent replacements. The 12th generation iPad with an A18 chip and Apple Intelligence support is said to be "[url="http://

Article Link: A Full Apple Ecosystem Now Costs Less Than a MacBook Pro
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It’s a system, definitely not an ecosystem. Words have a meaning.
 
Mr_Ed said:
Not sure how this information is useful for most people. I’m sure there are a few who perhaps feel Apple products are part of their identity in some way, and owning Apple products in every category is some sort of goal. I’ve never met anyone like that.
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Writers should write.

While this may not be useful for “most people” it’s better than just rehashed newsletters and press releases (IMHO).

I don’t feel the need to ‘catch ‘em all’ and maybe this is just filler, but I do like this perspective.
 
Wanted797 said:
Also who uses a trackpad left handed (not many). Whys he holding the camera?
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Aren’t proverbial “creative” types almost exclusively left-handed? 😉

In clamshell mode I do have the Magic Trackpad to the left of my keyboard and operate the trackpad with my left hand and Magic Mouse on the right. Mainly use it for pinch/zoom or if I forget to charge the mouse (since the charge port is on the bottom). Working on my ambidexterousness (new word).
 
conmee said:
Aren’t proverbial “creative” types almost exclusively left-handed? 😉

Working on my ambidexterousness (new word).
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I’m right-handed and left-footed… does that count?

Also, I taught myself to throw a football (American) and baseball left-handed. Keep at it!
 
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tweaknmod said:
I choose not to add up the cost of all my tech (mostly Apple, but not entirely).

Ignorance is… well, it’s better than buyer’s remorse!
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I keep things 3 to 5 years, sometimes longer (retired 2019 16" Intel MBP last month). So this year has been wholesale upgrades... no more Lightning devices, clean slate. MBP, iPhone 17 Pro, ASD, USB-C accessories, Brydge Dock... I'm well north of US$7000 (would have been more if I'd gone Apple Studio Display XDR but I don't want ProMotion THAT badly). I have a feeling many MacRumors regulars have thousands/tens of thousands in Apple gear just based on many of the signatures. Anytime buyer's remorse tries to creep in, I just think of the Mac Pro guys/gals (especially if they opted for the 32" XDR Display and wheels for the Mac Pro). If only this article had come out a few weeks ago, I could have saved thousands. 🙂
 
That is a pretty remarkable value for the money, compared to what a similar amount would get you 20 years ago for a jumble of tech that was as close as you could get at the time.

We are spoiled in a sense.
 
I am pretty sure this is the beginning and more Neo Products will appears … iPhone / iPad … I just wished they stop with this stupid usb c pencil and replace it with the magnetic one we all loved for its convenience …
 
wonderings said:
who needs a keyboard folio when you have a MacBook already? Pretty redundant. Now you could price in a non Apple product to actually give the full lineup albeit without the same screen and power. You could skip a redundant bluetooth keyboard for an iPad and go with a Quest 2 and have a very decent VR wireless gaming headset that is enjoyable to watch movies in as well as play the massive library of games actually made for the device. Not a Vision Pro replacement but a headset with a massive library.
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Very true and I hope John will launch a quest killer linked to our Apple devices at a decent price (happy to pay up to 1k) so we can enjoy aTV and arcade with new features
 
I don’t get it.

This was possible before the MacBook Neo – with the Mac mini.

Before the iPhone 16e came around which was significantly more expensive, than the iPhone SE, it was even cheaper.

This article makes no sense.
 
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This pricing game sounds familiar. Last time I bought a new iPhone was 2022. Almost bought the Pro Max but ended up with the 13 Mini + iPad Mini 6 at a bit less than the cost of the PM. Thought it would be a more practical combo than just the PM. I was correct.
 
Getting into the ecosystem is even cheaper (under $2k) if you get EITHER the Neo OR the iPad with accessories but not both. I don’t really get why one would need both at this level of device anyway.
 
Apple become a cheap company. Got it
Thank god Ferrari is not doing the same and come with 1.5l 4 cil engine just for $59999
 
capamac said:
Personally:

  • iPhone 17e: $599 Samsung Galaxy A17 $175
  • MacBook Neo: $599 2020 M1 Air, $1,000, Sequoia.
  • iPad (11th generation): $349
  • Magic Keyboard Folio: $249
  • Apple Pencil (USB-C): $79
  • Apple Watch SE 3: $249
  • AirPods 4: $129 JBL Vibe BT earbuds $29.
  • Apple TV 4K: $129
  • HomePod mini: $99
  • AirTag: $29
$1,204 since 2020.
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If you're not in the Apple ecosystem, you're not in the Apple ecosystem.
 
All Apple devices are good and one need not get the ‘Pro’ always. For me, I go with the Air for MacBook, Pro for iPhone as I want the telephoto lens, Pro for iPad as I want FaceID and ProMotion. Will be good if Apple has a 16” MacBook Pro with the base M chip for those who want ProMotion and a bigger screen but don’t need the power of the Pro/Mac chip.
 
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racerhomie said:
I’m one. Not identity in any way but I love them
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I have from many categories but not the headphones.

Currently use an M1 MBP 16 Pro, watch 8, watch 4, iPad 9, iPhone 15PM, Airtags and a mini server 2010, homepod mini.

Part of the reason I don’t own Apple headphones is because they are overpriced and buying them would simply be due to being an Apple fan.
 
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