Apple Answers Questions About Low-end iPhone and Mac Netbooks

[corywoolf]

Finally. Thank you Tim Cook. I'm tired of hearing about an iPhone nano and an Apple Netbook. We don't need these niche market products.

I'm happy with my fully featured iPhone and my Macbook Air.

Who is "we"? Like it or not, you do not represent Apple's entire market. There is much more money to be made overseas with an iPhone Nano then you might believe. We're talking about billions of people, I wouldn't be shocked to see Apple release a sub $200 iPhone targeted towards countries like India and China. What isn't a niche market? If you're trying to say the Netbook market is small, do your homework. The fact is, Apple lost potential revenue because they have decided to be late to the game. Although, it's better for them to take their time and release a quality product like they did with the iPhone.

 

[digitalbiker]

Apple Netbook next Tuesday, obviously. They have some ideas, you know.

Agreed.

It sounds like Apple has something up their sleeve that is going to compete in this market. Otherwise the response would have been "Were not interested" instead of "We are watching the market closely and everyone else is making a crappy product. However we have some ideas here"

 

[benspratling]

...the only thing that separates Apple from Microsoft is its OS and other software. The hardware is all the same, anyone wanting to believe otherwise is fooling themselves into paying a high amount for the hardware...

Dude, the iPhone has MULTITOUCH.
What Windows have you been smoking lately?
[Edit] or that Apple actually sells hardware...

 

[Mr Fusion]

No and at $1300 its a tad on the expensive side for a secondary computer. The reasons netbooks have been so popular is because they combine the advantages of an ultra portable without the insane price tag.

Exactly! Apple will never do a "netbook" because they're designed to compliment a larger more powerful machine. They'd try to throw too many features into it and their high price tag would defeat the whole purpose.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Apple release a sub $200 iPhone targeted towards countries like India and China.

There is no market in China. They assemble it all and probably get enough "freebies" off the line to satisfy the few who want Apple products.

Smug CEO's selling designer products at ridiculously high markups is a SoCal and European market, not the Chinese.

 

[iPhoneJoe]

i pretty much consider the iphone apple's netbook anyways

 

[NicP]

Too bad the college classroom desk manufacturers haven't heard about this and started making their desks wide enough. I can't fit a 13" widescreen anything next to a graphics tablet without the center of mass of one of them being over the edge. My 12" Powerbook, now that could fit. That's why I used it.

(Why do I need a graphics tablet? because English keyboards don't have all the greek symbols a physicist uses; complex equations, graphs and free-body diagrams are really difficult using ascii art)

Its easy to do the complex equations and greek symbols using latex (i use latexit to embed latex equations into other documents)

The graphs and diagrams are somewhat harder

Fortunately for me our lectures were recorded with video

 

[benspratling]

Its easy to do the complex equations and greek symbols using latex (i use latexit to embed latex equations into other documents)

The graphs and diagrams are somewhat harder

I hate LaTeX... and it's not WYSIWYG so it hasn't crossed the threshold from the '70's to the '90's, and we're well past that now.

I'm a scientist and an engineer, not a typesetter!

(On the plus side, I actually like BibTeX, and BibDesk which saved my butt yesterday!)

 

[iMaggot]

I just don't get why people like Netbooks.

i pretty much consider the iphone apple's netbook anyways

Agreed.

 

[corywoolf]

Exactly! Apple will never do a "netbook" because they're designed to compliment a larger more powerful machine. They'd try to throw too many features into it and their high price tag would defeat the whole purpose.

iPod Shuffle... simple and dumbed down.

There is no market in China. They assemble it all and probably get enough "freebies" off the line to satisfy the few who want Apple products.

There is a massive potential market there, the growing Chinese middle class.

Smug CEO's selling designer products at ridiculously high markups is a SoCal and European market, not the Chinese.

True, but I think if Apple truly wants to be a global player, they need to cater to different cultural needs.

 

[madmaxmedia]

What I am wondering is if people who want a Mac netbook (and I would like to see one, though I don't know if I'd buy one) want it mostly for low price, small size, or roughly equal parts of both.

I don't know how some people can call netbooks junk, when the standard netbook has the same Intel 950 graphics that came with the original MacBook (and can drive the Mac OS GUI just fine), and whose CPU is fine for many, many tasks. 10" netbooks have a reasonable amount of screen space and close to full size keyboards.

OTOH the starter MacBook is now a lot more interesting with a solid CPU and better Nvidia graphics for $999. To me that is starting to look like a pretty compelling package compared to what Apple might do with a $600 netbook.

One of the really nice things about a netbook (I had a MSI Wind Hackintosh for a bit and it was really nice) is that they can be found for dirt cheap if you shop around. I was amazed at what I got for under $400 with the Wind. That level of amazement would decrease dramatically if it cost $600 or above. Again I am comparing against the base MacBook, since size is not that big of a deal (the MacBook is not too bad in footprint or weight.)

 

[BTW]

With some of Apple's billions they should buy-out Vonage and offer an app for the iPod Touch to connect to that VOIP network. Could use a phone solution that replaces the land lines. I have Vonage and they offer a key to take your VOIP phone service anywhere. It would be nice if that service were encapsulated into the iPod Touch. I pay $24.95 a month for service which beats the $79 for AT&T iPhone service.

How long will Apple go in avoiding VOIP? Is there an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that does VOIP?

 

[corywoolf]

With some of Apple's billions they should buy-out Vonage and offer an app for the iPod Touch to connect to that VOIP network. Could use a phone solution that replaces the land lines. I have Vonage and they offer a key to take your VOIP phone service anywhere. It would be nice if that service were encapsulated into the iPod Touch. I pay $24.95 a month for service which beats the $79 for AT&T iPhone service.

How long will Apple go in avoiding VOIP? Is there an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that does VOIP?

Vonage is a dying company. It's got nothing worth buying out. There is an app for the iPhone for VOIP, but it is restricted in many ways. It's not in Apple's best interest to pursue VOIP at this point. That's also not a fair comparisson you made between Vonage and AT&T. One offers cellular service, the other is just VOIP. Check out T-Mobile for their @Home service with VOIP/Cellular hybrid phones.

 

[nfl46]

Come on guys, do yall really believe Apple? LoL! Think about it. Would they seriously say, "yes we have an iPhone Nano coming out this summer." That could possibly effect the 3G iPhone sales until summer. I don't buy this whole no low end iPhone thing! I still think an iPhone Nano is coming.

 

[BuddyTronic]

Regarding "Netbooks"

They are low cost, and they are nice and small, and I know a bunch of people who bought them as an "impulse buy" - guys who have lots of other computers and bought one of these because it was so cheap (like $300.00 or something). Like the chap a few posts up who was "amazed" - it's like so cheap, you gotta have one - even though you'll end up shelving it in a month.

The low price was really the big draw - but in my opinion, most of the current $300 netbooks end up collecting dust like the Costco portable DVD players that everyone (my wife) bought for $120.00 last year - kinda cute - seemed like a good idea - but then you have so much consumer garbage around the house, you just put it in the closet and forget about it. We just didn't really need that DVD thing, and I am equating that with the current netbooks.

A few business users will take the current netbooks with them on a trip or two, but after the novelty wears thin, I think they'll go back to their favorite computer.

That's just my opinion of things.

So, what is the significance of this? Well, some companies did sell a lot of $300.00 netbooks - so it's good sales, and yeah Apple missed out on these - but that's OK for Apple. I think Apple is right - these things are junky crap right now. I think Apple will come out with some smaller type "netbook" computer within the next year - it won't have all the star wars battleship rectangular reliefs on the bottom case from poor case and electronics layout and design, and a crappy charger adapter thing, it will look nice. I'll probably buy the Apple version regardless of price. Maybe the Apple version will have longer life with the end user than what I am thinking of these junky $300 netbooks right now.

There is no market in China. They assemble it all and probably get enough "freebies" off the line to satisfy the few who want Apple products.

I don't think that's correct.

China market is huge. For example - I think more Porsches and Mercedes are sold in China than in California, and that has probably been the case for several years now. So yeah, if they can get it going in China and India - that's a lot of customers.

 

[Andrew K.]

Make a 10" notebook with the 1st Gen Macbook Air's internals for $600 and...BOOM! netbook or they will call it an " Applebook "

 

[BuddyTronic]

With some of Apple's billions they should buy-out Vonage and offer an app for the iPod Touch to connect to that VOIP network. Could use a phone solution that replaces the land lines. I have Vonage and they offer a key to take your VOIP phone service anywhere. It would be nice if that service were encapsulated into the iPod Touch. I pay $24.95 a month for service which beats the $79 for AT&T iPhone service.

How long will Apple go in avoiding VOIP? Is there an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that does VOIP?

Go for that right now with an iTouch and wifi connection using "Flutter" from the app store - you can skype out - it's awesome if you really need cheap long distance or are trying to be thrifty with the phone bill. I put about $20 through Skype every year, and it has saved me a lot of overseas phone bills. I don't skype out much from the iPhone with flutter, but I have done it a few times when I had to.

Make a 10" notebook with the 1st Gen Macbook Air's internals for $600 and...BOOM! netbook or they will call it an " Applebook "

Yeah, that gives me an idea.

Maybe Apple should make a "loss leader" product - to get people hooked on OS X. Similar idea to the X-box (which I once heard was being sold at a loss by MicroSoft, just to get market penetration).

Maybe an Apple Netbook could be done that way? Basically make a tiny Macbook Air as you say, but sell it for $399.00. It would have to outperform all the $300 current model junky netbooks of today, and do it for not much more dollars - maybe it would help to convert the stalwart Windows users over to OS X. Apple could afford that with $28 Billion Cash in the bank right now, and it would shake up the market and be welcome to the "don't care what it is, I'll buy it if it's amazingly cheap" crowd that fills the Walmart stores around here.

I'd like to see it happen.

 

[Andrew K.]

Yeah, that gives me an idea.

Maybe Apple should make a "loss leader" product - to get people hooked on OS X. Similar idea to the X-box (which I once heard was being sold at a loss by MicroSoft, just to get market penetration).

Maybe an Apple Netbook could be done that way? Basically make a tiny Macbook Air as you say, but sell it for $399.00. It would have to outperform all the $300 current model junky netbooks of today, and do it for not much more dollars - maybe it would help to convert the stalwart Windows users over to OS X.

I'd like to see it happen.

ME TOO!!!! Apple needs to get in this game! Good idea

 

[JonasLondon]

As an Apple user and shareholder, I could not wish for a better answer!

They are so right in my opinion - who on earth needs a smaller, cheaper iPhone - it is by far the best phone ever, is so incredibly flexible with the App Store (and many free great software apps available too), and it is neither "too big" nor "too expensive". If I look at all the crappy "Nokia business phones" I've owned over the last ten years, they were way more expensive in terms of loss of productivity and general annoyance due to various reasons, that I'd pay twice of what I paid for the iPhone had I known what great apps were to come for it less than a year later.

As for netbooks - totally agree here as well. I have to say I did wish for a small laptop by Apple for a while, but frankly between the iPhone - which is perfect for casual browsing and typing a few emails a day, and the MacBook, there is not that much room/need for another hardware device. Because given the choice, I would go for the MacBook so I can use it to store images whilst traveling and to show people large, nice crisp 13 inch images and work "ok" with all main applications. On a 9 inch? Not so sure.
Then again, they may surprise us.

CONGRATS TO APPLE for those amazing figures! Awesome to see they are doing so well (I am not surprised, but in these times it is almost incredibly good results) - good things to come for us Apple users over the next years, they've got massive financial firepower to innovate and buy up promising technologies, very amazing feat indeed.

 

[BuddyTronic]

ME TOO!!!! Apple needs to get in this game! Good idea

Right on. OK, here's a so-so idea I was thinking about too.

OK, how about replacing the monitor with one of the new small size projectors built into the "netbook". You could then project a big screen on a wall or something, and type away with a reasonable size keyboard. These tiny projectors can be low cost in volume - for those end users who are willing, it seems feasible to have a very small laptop that consists of mainly a keyboard and projector lense type thingy. Thought about that a long time ago and now after seeing the CES show, it seems do-able. It would be a specialized unit that's for sure, but it seems like it might be kinda cool if you really want low weight and small size and reasonable keyboard size.

 

[JonasLondon]

I don't think that's correct.

China market is huge. For example - I think more Porsches and Mercedes are sold in China than in California, and that has probably been the case for several years now. So yeah, if they can get it going in China and India - that's a lot of customers.

LOL! Well, California is totally bankrupt, so fewer Porsches will be sold there over the next few years...

 

[JonasLondon]

Regarding "Netbooks"

They are low cost, and they are nice and small, and I know a bunch of people who bought them as an "impulse buy" - guys who have lots of other computers and bought one of these because it was so cheap (like $300.00 or something). Like the chap a few posts up who was "amazed" - it's like so cheap, you gotta have one - even though you'll end up shelving it in a month.

The low price was really the big draw - but in my opinion, most of the current $300 netbooks end up collecting dust like the Costco portable DVD players that everyone (my wife) bought for $120.00 last year - kinda cute - seemed like a good idea - but then you have so much consumer garbage around the house, you just put it in the closet and forget about it. We just didn't really need that DVD thing, and I am equating that with the current netbooks.

A few business users will take the current netbooks with them on a trip or two, but after the novelty wears thin, I think they'll go back to their favorite computer.

That's just my opinion of things.

So, what is the significance of this? Well, some companies did sell a lot of $300.00 netbooks - so it's good sales, and yeah Apple missed out on these - but that's OK for Apple. I think Apple is right - these things are junky crap right now. I think Apple will come out with some smaller type "netbook" computer within the next year - it won't have all the star wars battleship rectangular reliefs on the bottom case from poor case and electronics layout and design, and a crappy charger adapter thing, it will look nice. I'll probably buy the Apple version regardless of price. Maybe the Apple version will have longer life with the end user than what I am thinking of these junky $300 netbooks right now.

Extremely good post! Absolutely and fully agree and share the exact same view on this issue. Apple would never (and rightfully so) produce some "garbage item" that people get tired off and don't use anymore. They will also never again produce anything that's made out of "cheap to produce but expensive to re-cycle" materials. They are just now improving quarterly on green manufacturing and using higher quality materials, no one would want them to throw a cheap crappy plastic x-box type netbook on the market. Such a device would even be pushed of the Apple Store tables by the other proud aluminium MacBook and MacBook Pro's because "cheap" hardware just isn't Apple. If people started to realize how robust and generally long-lasting Apple's laptops are, no sane person would complain about their initial purchase price.

 

[Marx55]

Not all NetBooks were created equal. There are expensive and awesome ones:

OQO model 2+
http://www.oqo.com

Sony Vaio P Series
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644608896&parentCategoryId=16154

Apple should make an Ultra Mobile Mac or tablet (300 to 500 g) that is pocketable and with full Mac OS X inside (NOT just the OS X found on iPhone and iPod touch) for full blown Apple Keynote and Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations. Both wired (VGA-out port) and wireless. With TRUE AND SEPARATED Firewire (for Target Disk Mode REPAIRS) and Ethernet ports. Because the MacBook Air is too heavy, too large and port-limited! Check the first picture of:

Next Apple moves will be Books and Games…
http://spidouz.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/next-apple-moves-will-be-books-and-games

IT WILL SELL MILLIONS!!!

 

[michelepri]

It looks like Apple is finding always more market segments they want to stay out with. This is not what we are, that is not who we are... everything in the world is not good enough for Apple. This year was sad with Apple not releasing anything new at all. How will it be in the future?

 

[LethalWolfe]

Yeah, that gives me an idea.

Maybe Apple should make a "loss leader" product - to get people hooked on OS X. Similar idea to the X-box (which I once heard was being sold at a loss by MicroSoft, just to get market penetration).

Apple does sell loss leader products. It's called their software. What to conveniently use the most popular music store (iTMS)? Better grab an iPod. Want access to Final Cut Pro (IIRC the most used professional editing software w/over 1 million registered users)? Better grab a Mac. Heck, for a number of years the iLife apps were free.

The Xbox, like all video game consoles save for the Wii IIRC, is sold at a loss and the profits come from accessory and game sales. In this current gen I think the PS3 is sold at the greatest loss mostly because of the Blu-ray player.


Lethal

 

[Padraig]

The Xbox, like all video game consoles save for the Wii IIRC, is sold at a loss and the profits come from accessory and game sales. In this current gen I think the PS3 is sold at the greatest loss mostly because of the Blu-ray player.

Lethal

FYI, the PS3 is the only console that is sold at a loss. The 360 was turning a profit about a year into production, unlike the original xbox which throughout its life -despite 13 revisions- never made money.