I do agree that price was a big reason for macbook(white) sales, it is obvious that it was the cheapest fully functional apple computer. The mini was cheaper, but it doesnt have a screen or even keyboard/mouse bundled to its price.
Personally I know a lot of people that got the white macbook simply because it was the cheapest, not because they found its looks so compelling.
Lets keep in mind that it was the cheapest laptop computer that would offer a REAL OS X experience (I know about OS X in other computers, but it is not the same experience). I do find it pretty evident that its price was a big factor for its sales, probably more than its looks.
Same with ipod shuffle, some people buy it cause it is what suits their needs, some because it is the cheapest and it can afford.
I havent seen anyone saying that white/black macbooks design is awesome, i've heard such comments regarding the new aluminum designs. Some people would get the macbook for its 13" size, since 15" was too big for them.
In my case, I love the new design over the past one, I think aluminum provides a more serious look than white plastic that tends to get very very dirty, and for me I do move my laptop around with no case, aluminum so far has shown to be easier to clean.
Some people might hate the fact that now the "cheapest" apple computer shares the look with the higher end models, but they also raised the price for this product.
Apple design is evolving, and some people cant seem to get used to that idea, if you take a look around you will see that all the current designs are aluminum, imac, laptops, ipods (even touch has a aluminum frame on it, or at least my 1g touch looks like) and they are walking away from those plastics.
I personally believe that it was the right move, as the ibook/macbook has been made with white plastic for quite a while now, ever since the introduction of the ibook G4. Back then Apple bragged about the materials it was built with, thing that I dont recall they did with the macbooks as posssibly it was a way cheaper material than the one they used. I think the ibooks were said to be made from the same thing as some bullet proof vests, and it was considered shock resistant.
In my campus most people had the white macbook, lower end model, simply because of it is price, not because of its looks, of that I'm sure and so was the case in my house with 2 we got, it was within the budget and filled our needs, it was a combination of both, there wasnt a need to get PRO, but price was a big factor.
As for overall sales, price wasnt the only factor, but it was probably the biggest one, lets be realistic. It was the most affordable product they had, it is no wonder that it sold a lot, more than its design.
I dont recall appple showing off the design of the macbooks at all, not like this one at least.
I love the look and feel of the new one, metal wont be matched by plastic and for me it works and I love it. They have a pro look, and Im sure that most people find the design appealing more than the older one.
In my personal taste, I like the black bezel, and it doesnt bother me at all. I find the design pretty unique, I believe some sony laptops began to look like the white macbook.
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