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Apple Sold Fewest Macs in Any Quarter Since 2010 as Nearly Entire Lineup Was Outdated
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They will do better with the refresh through the end of the year but the reality is that most people simply do not need a real computer anymore. If you’re no longer in school and/or don’t rely on a computer to make a living (programming, video, photo) then you don’t need one. If you only use one for Office, then any machine from the last 10 years is good enough. For everything else an iPad and iPhone is enough. All the textbooks are available, note taking apps, keyboard on the iPad Pro, etc.
Also, while the MBP is not really more expensive than it was in the past, it is in nominal terms. Apple is really not offering good value for the magic $1000-1300 price that is the limit for most budgets. Most people are not spending $2000+ on a computer and that is what well configured MBPs cost. The MBA replacement should remedy this. While I think the 12” MacBook is gorgeous, it was a mistake. It should’ve just been an option like the original Air was a decade ago. They should’ve introduced something like the base 13” for that price. A single port machine is practically useless. It’s fine as a second or third computer to take with you on flights but not a great primary machine.
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ARM simply gives Apple total control over their designs. They don’t have to depend on anyone else. In fact Apple’s custom designs are what make them stand out from the rest of the pack in a mobile space where nearly every device is using Snapdragon. Just like in the PowerPC era, Apple wins if they aren’t competing apples to apples on specs. People focus on what the device can do and how fast it can do it.
[doublepost=1533178261][/doublepost]I will say one last thing. Most people want Apple to go bezel less on everything and I personally think it is a mistake. I finally tried an XPS13 and hated how small and bland it looked. I would’ve returned it immediately had I ordered one just based on the photos online. This is the problem with the decline of B&Ms. Very soon we won’t be able to look at and test stuff before buying. A video review just isn’t the same thing.
Bezels allow companies to differentiate themselves. At first I was really excited when TVs started slimming down but now when I go to a showroom every set looks the same sans picture quality. It is cool that we now get a larger panel with the same footprint though.
Apple managed to make the iPhone stand out in a sea of Galaxy S8 look alikes so perhaps they will be able to do the same with a future MBP. I would really hate for them to look like generic Windows notebooks.
Also, while the MBP is not really more expensive than it was in the past, it is in nominal terms. Apple is really not offering good value for the magic $1000-1300 price that is the limit for most budgets. Most people are not spending $2000+ on a computer and that is what well configured MBPs cost. The MBA replacement should remedy this. While I think the 12” MacBook is gorgeous, it was a mistake. It should’ve just been an option like the original Air was a decade ago. They should’ve introduced something like the base 13” for that price. A single port machine is practically useless. It’s fine as a second or third computer to take with you on flights but not a great primary machine.
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ARM simply gives Apple total control over their designs. They don’t have to depend on anyone else. In fact Apple’s custom designs are what make them stand out from the rest of the pack in a mobile space where nearly every device is using Snapdragon. Just like in the PowerPC era, Apple wins if they aren’t competing apples to apples on specs. People focus on what the device can do and how fast it can do it.
[doublepost=1533178261][/doublepost]I will say one last thing. Most people want Apple to go bezel less on everything and I personally think it is a mistake. I finally tried an XPS13 and hated how small and bland it looked. I would’ve returned it immediately had I ordered one just based on the photos online. This is the problem with the decline of B&Ms. Very soon we won’t be able to look at and test stuff before buying. A video review just isn’t the same thing.
Bezels allow companies to differentiate themselves. At first I was really excited when TVs started slimming down but now when I go to a showroom every set looks the same sans picture quality. It is cool that we now get a larger panel with the same footprint though.
Apple managed to make the iPhone stand out in a sea of Galaxy S8 look alikes so perhaps they will be able to do the same with a future MBP. I would really hate for them to look like generic Windows notebooks.
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I would be interested in seeing a survey based on the age of the Apple customer. Is it older folks, such as my self at 73, that are more likely to prefer desktop/laptop hardware as the hub of an ecosystem with mobile devices as handy synched peripherals? It was very easy for me to transition from desktop to laptop but to ditch Macs and go strictly iPad/iPhone would be an impossible leap. Perhaps my career, which was in mainframe/workstation IT, also contributes to my preferences. I have to know where my files are and I enjoy organizing them as I see fit. Finder is of huge importance for me. So is word processing and spreadsheets which require a decent keyboard and screen. Why lug around a big iPad? (I should also confess that my mobile phone is a 3G for emergencies; I am not a 24x7 consumer of the internet, nor do I put heavy demands on my AIRS 11 & 13.)
It is natural that Apple's business model would be focused on younger buyers and what they want for what they do.
It is natural that Apple's business model would be focused on younger buyers and what they want for what they do.
They can only burn people so many times before they leave and go elsewhere.
iPhone ASPs are up. Wearables are on a roll. Service revenue is strong. iPad sales have stabilised, leaving Mac sales as the sole sore thumb sticking out.
It is clear that customers’ willingness to pay higher prices for flagship iPhones has been grossly underestimated, while services and wearables will continue to boost revenues just nicely. There is nowhere for Apple to go but up.
Apple is on a roll, and they do make good products that people are willing to pay a premium for? Apple’s user base are not sheep that can be led around. Let’s give them more credit than that.
To the haters claiming that Apple is doomed, sorry, but it looks you will have to hide in your little holes for just a little longer.
Apple should understand that, affordability is reducing. They need to price it accordingly. Overpriced products will not sell well.
I own Omnigraffle and it is a good program. I also have Visio and it is equally as good. Omnigraffle has been touting import/export of Visio diagrams for years. I pay for the pro version for this reason. Sadly if the Visio diagram is even slightly complex the import/export falls apart fast. Also stencils are 100x more widely available for Visio and usually free. It is the standard in networking for network diagrams and there is no getting around it. Sure on occasion you can give someone a PDF. However most want an actual Visio diagram.
Windows 10 actually does not need to be tamed. Some hate the automatic updates but I have always updated all of my OS'es when the updates come out, from iPhones to Mac's to Windows.
Thats quite the rosy outlook you have there.
I wonder if there is a correlation between iPhones using flagship technology and selling like hotcakes, and outdated Mac's left festering in the abyss.
One new (I mean updated) MBP is not going to be enough to turn around a whole market especially when the MBP was released after the second quarter earnings had ended.
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I expect that to be more or less fixed for the last quarter of this calendar year. I have a strong feeling that after letting the Mac ecosystem languish for too long, they are really trying to make the hardware worth it again (for those that don't mind paying a little more for their hardware and getting macOS for free
) In reasonably good shape:
- iMac Pro - reasonable but will always be a small unit sales seller.
- MacBook Pro - solid release - moves the MacBook Pro line a little higher in the cost/performance lineup - so the new MacBook Pros will be a welcome addition to those wanting today's power (for the most part) in the MacBook for professional purposes
Outstanding:
- The "new" Air - which should drive unit sales - which will take the place of the escape MacBook Pro (many Air users had to move up to the MacBook Pro for the retina screen) and at the low end the MacBook Air "affordable".
- The new MacBook for those that value iPad like lightness above performance (I have one from 2015 - it works great for general purpose stuff - an emergency purchase which was covered by my billing during that two week period -- and more).
- The Mac Mini - which is really really out of date. Hopefully, they will also cover none low-end slots - with MacBook Pro 2018 like options at the higher end (fingers crossed) - moderate impact on unit sales
- And the Mac Pro - which has been promised for 2019 - I expect first quarter -- which hopefully a sneak peak in October.
It is really the "new" Air lineup to shoring up the unit sales.
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The current MBP update is aimed squarely at those that need power (at a price) and will have only a moderate effect on the Mac unit sales. So I expect still flat unit sales in the next quarter reporting...
I see a pattern, it’s called “never gonna happen”. I am pretty sure that the “modular” mac pro that everyone is hoping for, will not be that modular or upgradeable and it makes sense - better pay full price for a new computer than Lower price for 1-2 components - it’s simply not profitable for Apple. Wait and you’ll see that this will be the case with the “modular” mac pro...
Those USB-C only butterfly keyboard MacBook Pros must be flying off the shelves /s
We all know what is happening here, Jobs cared about the personal computer and the user. Cook cares about money, and only money. iPhones, Emojis, simple apps, Subscription makes money. He is not "Thinking Different" like Jobs did, he is not out there to make things better, they are just another HP or Dell now milking the loyal MacOS users
We all know what is happening here, Jobs cared about the personal computer and the user. Cook cares about money, and only money. iPhones, Emojis, simple apps, Subscription makes money. He is not "Thinking Different" like Jobs did, he is not out there to make things better, they are just another HP or Dell now milking the loyal MacOS users
I will wait a few months to see the rest of the lineup, but I would consider the new MacBook Pro to be a solid purchase option... you know the laptop computer with the most powerful expansion options built in (thunderbolt3/USB).
My guess is that short term this will drive their profits like crazy and shareholders will be happy. Long term, they will lose a lot of goodwill among their most loyal fans.
"I am more than sure...". What evidence is this optimism based on?
It's because Apple haven't released any new macs, the MBPs were too late to have any impact. I think Apple are waiting until the holiday period and then they will probably see a big increase, especially if they release a new mac mini and this 'budget' MacBook.
Too Right.
No-one is going to recommend that their friends or family get the current MBA, MM or MP - yet Apple are still shipping them.
I think Apple devices appeal to users of all ages because they are easier to use. Some older people are quite tech savvy and can use any technology. My mum isn't one of those people she switched to the mac in 2011 and thank god because she was forever calling me about her windows machines and I'd be giving her tech support over the phone and sometimes would have to go and fix whatever the problem was. Since she got her mac she's not called me with any issues.
Same with the iPhone. She got the iPhone 4 in 2010. No issues with the phone. Decided to get the galaxy S3 in 2013 because she saw me with the galaxy note. She never got on with the Samsung phone. She was always asking me to show her how to use it. After a few months she put it down, didn't bother to use it and carried on using her iPhone 4. I think she would use an iPad more than the kindle fire tablet she was gifted a few years ago but I don't think she really understands the concept/use case of a tablet.
outdated, or just plain undesirable and overpriced?
don't care if the CPUs are previous gen so much.
DO CARE if the machines are overpriced and inferior to the machines they replaced.
I'm waiting for a 13" pro with a keyboard that isn't junk and preferably with a reduction in price.
The 2018 model is yet to prove itself.
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Next step: hire CEO of pepsi
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Sure, but they do sell CPUs that fit in the macbook air form factor. That has seen no love for about oh... 5 years...
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Sort of.
The screen is crap, and doesn't belong on a machine being sold for that amount.
1440x900 may have been acceptable on a TN display in 2011. But we're in 2018 now. If they aren't going to make it retina, at least make it IPS.
don't care if the CPUs are previous gen so much.
DO CARE if the machines are overpriced and inferior to the machines they replaced.
I'm waiting for a 13" pro with a keyboard that isn't junk and preferably with a reduction in price.
The 2018 model is yet to prove itself.
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Next step: hire CEO of pepsi
[doublepost=1533201424][/doublepost]
Sure, but they do sell CPUs that fit in the macbook air form factor. That has seen no love for about oh... 5 years...
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Sort of.
The screen is crap, and doesn't belong on a machine being sold for that amount.
1440x900 may have been acceptable on a TN display in 2011. But we're in 2018 now. If they aren't going to make it retina, at least make it IPS.
This post is ripe with lots of BS.
But the funniest part is the GPU part. No the only reason Apple is able to drive those 5k displays is because they are using the updated specs for either HDMI or DisplayPort, which has a lot to do with the Intel CPU/Chipset/thunderbolt controller chip because remember the output from the GPU needs to run through the thunderbolt controller in order to make those fancy ass USB-C ports work as display and data ports.
Also the first "Apple" that was able to drive 5k was using a hardware hack to do it.
Any GPU that supports DisplayPort 1.3 or 1.4 can drive 8k resolutions. Anything lower spec needs 2 lanes of display to do it; kind of like how the 30" Cinema Display required dual link DVI in order to drive the 2560x1600.
Guess what!? All of nVidia's current lineup of top tier GPUs support DP 1.3,1.4.
The 1080Ti I have in my hackintosh will crush every single GPU Apple is currently offering in any of their computers.
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This is also true.
Is this a surprise? Apple is no longer enchanted by the Mac. They let the Mac models go for years without updates. WWDC is all about iOS. I don't remember the last time I saw an ad for the Mac.
Apple is just coasting on the momentum of the Mac's popularity and cashing in, but it's clear they don't have a long-term vision for the Mac. The Mac is 34 years old this year; I don't think it will survive another decade.
I think it's a shame, because there's never been a better time to be a non-Windows PC. "Platform independence" has won the day. Everything has been moving to the cloud. Full office suites are available as web apps. Even Adobe's suite is web-based, in the cloud.
For a company Apple's size, would it really be that hard to have an agile team for each Mac product group that just focused on refreshing the CPU and GPU annually?
Apple is just coasting on the momentum of the Mac's popularity and cashing in, but it's clear they don't have a long-term vision for the Mac. The Mac is 34 years old this year; I don't think it will survive another decade.
I think it's a shame, because there's never been a better time to be a non-Windows PC. "Platform independence" has won the day. Everything has been moving to the cloud. Full office suites are available as web apps. Even Adobe's suite is web-based, in the cloud.
For a company Apple's size, would it really be that hard to have an agile team for each Mac product group that just focused on refreshing the CPU and GPU annually?
Yes, the A11 is 10nm and the A12 is going to be 7nm. Intel is behind in this regard. No, the A series chips are not the only reason iPhone’s and iPad’s are a success, but it shows that when Apple have full control over their processor development, they can achieve a regular release cycle, steady progression, and impressive results.
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Your example is fair and I’m sure could be said by many people, but the opposite is also true - many people are committed to the Apple ecosystem. Apple’s impressive results as of late prove that.
Apple’s definition of modular seems to entail the user connecting all manner of peripherals via usb C, such as E-GPUs. It likely will not mean that you will be able to (easily) crack open the device to access and upgrade its internals.
I would argue that it’s not so much that Apple has no vision for the Mac, but that their vision appears to be at odds with what their current Mac user base want. The new MacBook Pro design appears to primarily draw inspiration from the iPad (from typing on a keyboard with virtually zero travel to a touchbar which changes based on context to the removal of MagSafe). Instead, you get a glued-down device which requires the purchase of adaptors and usb C accessories to get the most of.
They don’t want this new vision of the Mac, and that’s where the friction and tension stems from. And you know how stubborn Apple can be in this regard.
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They need something at $599 if they want to hook youngsters on Macs so they will upgrade over the years. Chrome Books are selling like wildfire this back to school year for High School age. Not Mac Books, or Airs, and definitely not iPads. You need to hook them early for the Mac Book, Mac Book Pro and iMac purchases later on. Unfortunately Apple's DNA does not allow this type of product. Without the growth in Services Apple would not have had the Q3 it did. You need to sell devices other than phones to continue to have a demand for the services 5-10 years out.
