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A Full Apple Ecosystem Now Costs Less Than a MacBook Pro

We can argue over the topic content all day long and miss the point.
The point in my opinion is, entry level Apple products are not that expensive. Apple is making entering the ecosystem much more accessible.

Even at overseas prices which can be 2x what is listed my MR in the first post, it’s still a lower cost barrier to entry.

The other issue is the entry level Apple products are very capable. They can do a surprisingly large amount of tasks relatively well.

The “Apple Tax” argument is no longer a thing. Well possibly for BTO options and higher end but not at all for entry level.

The comparison to the MBP price is not really needed. Probably better to advertise the fact the lot is less than $2500 USD.
 
Let me save you 934 dollars. Then you can look to upgrade the computer, the iPhone, the Airpods, the Watch and maybe get to use your AirTags since the iPhone 17e cannot use AirTags.

iPhone 17e: $599
MacBook Neo: $599

// OK, these are useful purchases.

AirPods 4: $129
Apple Watch SE 3: $249
AirTag: $29

// Mixed bag They're nice to have, and serve a purpose.
The Airpods don't have noise-cancelling, so they're missing a key feature.
The Apple Watch SE3 is missing 5G, which I feel is optional but nice to have.
The AirTags are ABSOLUTELY USELESS WITH AN IPHONE 17e THEY SIMPLY WON'T WORK, WHICH IS WHY THE 17e IS STILL A TRASH PRODUCT I WILL NEVER WANT. Would have upgraded form iPhone 11 otherwise.

iPad (11th generation): $349
Magic Keyboard Folio: $249
Apple Pencil (USB-C): $79
Apple TV 4K: $129
HomePod mini: $99

// Since the iPad is a worthless platform and the accessories are predicated on the main machine, none of those are essential.
The Apple TV offers little value besides aggressively making the HDMI/USBC/casting experience worse from Mac and iPad so you'll be incentivized to buy it, so I personally despise this product. I'd rather use Chrome and a Chromecast (much cheaper).
The HomePod is worthless as a base product, does something the Apple TV should do, and as a personal assistant or home hub, Siri is utter trash.
 
awesomecat said:
ah yes the unnecesary air tag,
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The AirTags aren't unnecessary.

Tiles were a great invention and I still use them weekly when I need to find my keys in a hurry.
They're a better option than the overpriced AirTags with the iPhone 17, as they won't work properly without a UWB chip on the phone.

I'm the type of guy who forgets where his car is parked, and AirTags would be great for that (my model Tiles can't do UWB).
 
aUniqueName said:
I use AirTags and love them. Got one on my wallet, on my keys and in my backpack. Also threw one in the car because i heard people have recovered stolen vehicles that way. It’s a great product. Also the way it is integrated into the ecosystem is great. If i leave the wallet behind, i get about a block down the road my iPhone alerts me that i forgot it.
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How often do you leave your wallet behind? 🤔
 
ronno said:
How often do you leave your wallet behind? 🤔
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That's not a worthy remark.
iPhones and Watches also have crash detection. How often do you need a life-saving 911 autocall?

You only lose your wallet once, then it's lost.
It's about managing risk.

And if you must know, I lost my iPhone twice, and twice, my Watch told me to double back and I was able to find it.
Once was at a stationary store. Once was at the library.

The Watch or Airpods are especially useful because you're less likely to miss that notification vs. the notification coming to your phone in your bag or outer pocket.
 
The weirdness of these articles...

Aside from the smartphone, which is pretty much necessary nowadays, if I were forced to choose between that "ecosystem" and the M5 pro, I would take the latter every day.

After years of sitting on the fence (decades actually) the first Apple device I bought was a MacBook, of course. What else. The fact that Apple computers are now considered somewhat a secondary product in their line-up is a bit sad really.
 
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Why can't people take the unscientific premise of this article for what it is?
"Isn't a $300K mint condition Apple I autographed by both Steves part of Apple ecosystem?"
I don't know, dude... the title just means entry level Apple ecosystem is very cheap right now, cheaper than some Pro solution Apple used to be all about.
 
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What I need the most is a powerful Mac desktop.

Other than that an iPhone where basic apps like messaging and banking can get updates, any M-series Macbook, a 4K Apple TV or newer.

I don't need all that other stuff with minor use cases.
 
cicalinarrot said:
Why can't people take the unscientific premise of this article for what it is?
"Isn't a $300K mint condition Apple I autographed by both Steves part of Apple ecosystem?"
I don't know, dude... the title just means entry level Apple ecosystem is very cheap right now, cheaper than some Pro solution Apple used to be all about.
Click to expand...
The premise is silly.

The idea that someone might think: I want to buy an Apple "ecosystem", just for the sake of it, instead of 1 or 2 accurately chosen devices. The idea that owning a basic "Apple ecosystem" is desirable, is typical Apple cult mentality, I get it, and very silly.

So this "ecosystem" is composed mostly of accessories (the pencil, the keyboard, the homepod, the airtag, the watch etc), each of them one could happily live without, or replace with valid alternatives at a better price (hello iPhone 17e).
 
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thecombatwombat said:
Did I miss it when they canceled the Vision Pro?

Certainly it's still an important part of the uhm, ecosystem . . .
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There are no Pro items listed in the "ten products that now define Apple's lowest-cost tier". Nor is there a Desktop Mac nor Apple Display listed because consumers looking to buy into the Apple Ecosystem don't need professional products. If you want to buy all the Pro products maxed out and include the AVP, be prepared to spend around $33k. I enjoy the professional experience with Apple products, including the AVP, which gives me a massive display and saves me the $2300 for an Apple Studio Display. Your mileage apparently varies.
 
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JoeSilver said:
The premise is silly.

The idea that someone might think: I want to buy an Apple "ecosystem", just for the sake of it, instead of 1 or 2 accurately chosen devices. The idea that owning a basic "Apple ecosystem" is desirable, is typical Apple cult mentality, I get it, and very silly.

So this "ecosystem" is composed mostly of accessories (the pencil, the keyboard, the homepod, the airtag, the watch etc), each of them one could happily live without, or replace with valid alternatives at a better price (hello iPhone 17e).
Click to expand...

Actually, it does make sense to buy into an ecosystem that works. This is especially true if you are buying for a whole family of people that can take advantage of Family Sharing. Not everyone is a geek who gets entertainment value out of spending way too much spare time getting products from disparate manufacturers to work together the way Apple's do out of the box.
 
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The real difference is with a MacBook Pro I can make five figures per month and I can depreciate it on my taxes each year. In that way, the MacBook Pro is my most affordable Apple product, and it’s not even close.
 
Apple_Robert said:
The article is about comparing the price of the MBP to the other items listed.
Click to expand...
The article is supposedly about how:
A Full Apple Ecosystem Now Costs Less Than a MacBook Pro
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...that's the headline. They then invent something arbitrary called "Apple's lowest-cost tier". Then, instead of comparing with the base MacBook Pro ($1699) they pick a more expensive 16" MBP just so that it fits their narrative.

Personally, I don't make allowances for articles that make a claim in the headline and then move the goalposts.

adamlbiscuit said:
There’s no entry level equivalent for the Vision Pro.
Click to expand...
So it's the lowest-cost tier of the AVP and still part of the "full Apple ecosystem".

More problems:

They missed out the cost of an Apple One (the services - not AppleCare) subscription ($240/year) - because how can you have a "Full Apple Ecosystem" without Music, TV, iCloud etc? That alone breaks the claim.

...and before anybody says "but Apple One would cost the same for the MBP" - why would the MBP buyer not want an iPhone, iPad, Homepod, Watch, AirTag... ?

The point is it's all a silly bit of meaningless numerology.
If they'd just wanted to say "Hey, you can now get a Mac, iPhone and Watch for $howevermuch" that would have been fine.

thecombatwombat said:
It's not a shot at the article it's a shot at the Vision Pro. It's just not part of "the ecosystem," no?
Click to expand...
...but, of course, you could add an AVP to the list and it would still cost less than a Studio Ultra + Studio Display XDR combo ...or a swimming pool full of melted Dubai chocolate, 8 sets of Mac Pro wheels, a solid gold effigy of Tim Cook, a small Pacific island... 🙂
 
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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.
Click to expand...

For times when you want to carry a smaller device and still be able to type without the onscreen keyboard covering half your display.
 
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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
Click to expand...
That’s crazy, I know the MacBook Neo is a game changer for budget laptops but it’s also got me thinking about iPads as a whole.

In the UK, to get a base storage of 128GB (Wi-Fi) only with the magic folio keyboard it’s £578.

Or you can pay an extra £21 for a MacBook Neo with double the base storage, a superior chip and full Mac OS.

Essentially the only way an iPad with a keyboard can make sense these days is if Apple severely discounts their keyboard cases.

They almost cost as much as the iPad itself!

The MacBook Neo comes with its keyboard 😂
 
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