Same. I use my iPad for content and nothing else.
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Apple to Launch 'Low-Cost' MacBook Series Next Year to Rival Chromebooks
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I'm thinking they will want to discontinue production of the M1 at some point soon, would it not add complexity (and cost) to keep producing the M1 just for this device, rather than giving it the similar, newer M2 chip, which will still likely be used for a while in the iPad Air and some other Macs? Roping the M1 in for another couple of years on sale will also pose a bit of a support cycle headache in a few years when they're looking to drop M1 support but still have fairly new machines they've sold to schools etc.
The problem with just upgrading the M1 Air with an M2 chip is that there's already an M2 MacBook Air, hence making up a quick new 'MacBook' out of the older MBP chassis. Keeps things cleaner to separate this machine out of the Air line, IMO.
I'm begging you Apple - bring back the 12" MacBook with M1!
“Good-morning! Here at Apple we strive to achieve originality and quality, and our goal is to pair that with a GREAT, affordable price. We are excited to introduce, an innovation, new on the market: the SafariBook!“
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Why not slap an M1 into an iBook G3? Plastic, budget-friendly, and bulletproof—oh my God, it even comes in colors!
I loved my plastic Macbook. The top case (where the keyboard is) was a little bendy but an easy swap after getting half a cup of coffee in it.
I'd love a unibody plastic Macbook but I doubt it will be cheaper to make since you need to reinforce it here and there to protect the battery and anchor the display hinges.
But I would totally enjoy the display lid and the bottom lid be made out of plastic, I suspect the bottom lid has a lot of thermal mass required for passive cooling, then again the budget Macbook could have a fan.
Sure.
(Though… they do have older SoCs out there. The HomePod mini has the S5, which in turn uses cores from the A12.)
Right, but if they use an M2, why would it be significantly cheaper than the M2 Air? And how do they communicate the price difference?
I can see a MacBook SE, and with the 13 Pro chassis (which is seven years old now), but right now, that's more expensive than the Air.
Yeah.
The hardware is the easy part. The software is what makes Chromebooks special - its easy for a school administrator to manage hundreds of them, they are interchangeable when damaged since your documents/settings/etc are all in the cloud. Apple Platform Deployment (latest name for admin suite) is a lot more complicated. Google's ChromeOS Flex and CloudReady are also workable solutions for letting less resourced school districts repurpose older PC and mac hardware. Students use one Google account to log into many third party education apps/sites licensed by the schools with single sign on - I don't see "Sign In with Apple" option hardly ever. Students use GMail to communicate with teachers, Google Meet for remote learning, etc..
Apple's cloud based iWork suite (do they still call it that?) seems neglected compared to all that Google Workspace for Education offers.
I guess Apple is figuring it will have to discontinue the 9th gen iPad at some stage and they need some kind of replacement for schools to buy...
Low cost from Apple? That is an oxymoron and should be red flag number one this is bogus.
Apple isn't averse to selling low cost devices (see the Apple TV) as long as they can maintain their high margins. It helps if it comes with the ability to sell services.
By Apple's pricing logic, 128GB -> 256GB storage was $200 when they still offered it previously so there's the difference all else being equal. There's probably all sorts of other little cutbacks they can make to reduce the BOM further, I think the M1 Air screen is inferior in certain characteristics to the M1/M2 Pro screen for e.g. even though on paper they look similar, but halving the storage is likely how it would be explained in consumer facing logic.
Of course they could also just offer a 128GB M2 MBA for $799, assuming they can get the margins without cutting back on display & other component quality. I think that's what is more important to their margins ultimately, and why the M1 MBA could be cheaper than the M1 MBP in the first place, despite ostensibly being very similar machines.
Probably come with 512MB Ram and a 20GB HDD with a price tag starting at £499
Butterfly keyboard, 5400rpm drive. 4gb ram.
That's what I've been waiting for since forever
Like some other people have said, bring back something like the iBook clamshell - polycarbonate with color. Those were so cool, if I could have gotten obe with a 1024 x 768 pixel screen when I looked into them), I would have my first Mac sooner. As it turned out, the white polycarbonate iBook G3 was my first.
Bring back the iBook name as well, call it the iBook SC.
Or like yet others have said, bring back the MacBook 12" form factor. Yes, the original was pricey, but that doesn't mean that a similar sized model would also have to be expensive.
But, like others have said, this is just a rumor (although an interesting one, given all the commentary).
Bring back the iBook name as well, call it the iBook SC.
Or like yet others have said, bring back the MacBook 12" form factor. Yes, the original was pricey, but that doesn't mean that a similar sized model would also have to be expensive.
But, like others have said, this is just a rumor (although an interesting one, given all the commentary).
This.
If there was anything that made me skeptical about this report, it’s that realistically hardware doesn’t solve the fundamental roadblock in Apple’s path, and that is software.
I worked in education for many years and I can tell you now that you would get laughed at for even suggesting an Apple-based IT system at a school.
Chrome has its downsides, but the truth of the matter is that schools are willing to make that compromise as long as the outlay is small enough.
That's my concern. I'm seeing proposed specs in these comments for 500+... that is not going to cut it. That will not move the needle in this sector of the market. I assume apple knows that - either this rumor is fake, or they will be much more aggressive in their pricing than some of the commenters are
The base Air M1 is 1200€ or almost 1300$ at Apple in Europe (Germany). So you need to see the world a s whole. And there is pleeeenty of room for a budget version.
Compare a $1k MacBook to a $1k pc. I think they’re a good deal