Apple's Notebook Sales Drop to Estimated 2.5M as Buyers Await New MacBook Pro

[ProjectManager101]

The best deal is to buy a 2014 Mac Book Pro. It is cheaper and still super Powerful for today applications. My older brother used to do that, he waited for a good model to be discontinued and buy it at 60% of the retail price.

The reality is that Apple takes at least 3 or 4 years to release another model (on any line) that can be really different. If you buy the next model the improvement will be like... 10% at the most, no much noticeable. If you want to tell a difference "Apple Advertises" wait 3 or 4 years.

 

[8692574]

Sales are low because of a 2 years old computer (the 15 inches still uses the same old cpu...)....you don't say!!!!!

 

[ike1707]

Rotting fruit goes unsold. *surprise*

Whoa.. very well phrased

 

[retep42]

That's a huge drop off, I'm not sure it can easily be explained away with people waiting for the newer model.

Well, only half the people are still holding out for a newer model - I have been waiting to replace my 2009 MBP for 3 years now -, the rest of them have given up on Apple for a new computer. Some deferred sales, some costumers lost until the next screw-up by Microsoft (my 2009 MBP was a response to Windows Vista on a piece of Lenovo hardware that started disintegrating after only 2 years). WWDC may be the make-or-break for me this year.

 

[macduke]

Apple has really fallen behind in MacBook innovation since 2012. Part of that is Intel's fault with chips that are barely faster than the previous generation. But part of it is their fault with the MacBook. It's kinda flimsy, rather slow, and only has one port that is so new that most things can't plug into it without an adapter and can't even be used if you need to charge it or connect it to an external display.

People say that's fine for a typical user, but I don't think the typical user is going to pay a minimum of $1300 for a base model machine with a 1.1GHz processor that benches similar to an iPhone 6s. An exceptional user will pay that price. Apple should fully embrace the Mac as the "truck" that Steve Jobs said it was and focus more on building in features that help people (especially creatives which is probably the majority of users) get crap done.

I mean, for the love of Steve, the thing has a 480p FaceTime camera. In 2016. In a $1300 machine. That's the same resolution as the original MacBook iSight, which turns 10 years old on Monday. And it's only about 2.5x slower than the current machine. TEN YEARS. Meanwhile, they've gone from the iPod Video to the iPhone 6s. I mean, am I being unreasonable here to expect more from the Mac team? I understand they won't have the same kind of incredible growth and innovation as the iPhone did in such a short period, but I expect more than what they've delivered. Especially as the Mac is currently still so necessary to the success of the iPhone as designers and developers use them to construct their apps.

 

[nazaar]

This was bound to happen. Making different iterations of the same product isn't sustainable.
Also its hard to find value in Apple's price point.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

That's a huge drop off, I'm not sure it can easily be explained away with people waiting for the newer model.

I'd agree. It makes me wonder if the era of the desktop equivalent laptop is over too. Apple has been cutting back for sometime here, now with just one "Pro" model that has a discrete GPU. Maybe people have decided that while the iPad isn't enough, the MBP is heavy and overkill for their needs. The original MB was always Apple's best selling computer before it was EOL'd. Perhaps it's time as sales leader has come again.

 

[RuffyYoshi]

The prices are ludicrous considering what the machines can do. If they want me to shell out 1000 euros then give me power, and I mean POWER. A 450 euro hackintosh is just as if not more powerful than a Mac Pro. Sure it may not be a pretty little trashcan, but still.

 

[Narcaz]

$3000CA for the high end Macbook Pro 2015 - a total rip off. Looking at what you get for "PC" laptop at the same price range is an embarrassment for Apple!

Apple had better increase value for money in the next model...

Sadly, Apple are losing the edge with their computer range.. slimmer and eye candy hardware just doesn't cut it. There needs to be value for money. I'm not seeing it with the existing range.

You are not alone. European pricing is also way off. I guess the last currency price increase basically killed the 15 rMBP for most consumers. In november 2013, the 15'' rMBP 8/256 late 2013 was offered for around 1600€ by most retailers. The comparable base machine is now 2150€. Apple is even asking 2249€. The only upgrades are force touch, faster SSD, slightly faster processor (still haswell) and 16GB and sadly the same chassis and same specs.

 

[Dydegu]

I couldn't be more excited for WWDC.

 

[Tech198]

And this is why we all hook out Mac's do external displays.. Probably Dell displays.


I'm surprised to see Lenovo despite that had that super-fish thing. I gather HP came senond because of they thin laptop they did..

 

[Thunderhawks]

Neglected, outdated and overpriced. Mini, pro, displays - are especially insulting.

EDIT - and before - but but Apple waits on Intel! - there are insane amount of things they could have done years ago - much better facetime cameras, drop the pathetic HDDs and switch to SSDs-only, drop non-retina displays, reduce display bezels, release a decent ergonomic mouse?
How about Touch-ID for the Mac? How about Thunderbolt displays that are not 5 years old with USB 2, crappy speakers, reflective and so on?

As it stands right now - Apple offers stale products with outdated internals, at an unbelievable (exorbitant) price. That is something only Apple can do.

It hurts to admit, but you are sooooo right!:-(

On the positive side these MBPs last a long time, so if -like in my case- a 17" MBP from 2008 still does the job, I'll wait a little bit more. Upgraded to the max (myself) SSD and all, hooked up to a Dell monitor.

Don't like the battery eating behavior of that one, so it's kind of like a desktop.

Also have a 2014 15" MBP to be mobile.

Apple get with it!
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And this is why we all hook out Mac's do external displays.. Probably Dell displays.

Hah, see my other comment. DELL FTW.

 

[2ilent8cho]

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that computers just last much longer these days.

Yep, my 2012 Macbook Air works as good as the day i bought it 4 years ago. Still runs everything fine i need it to. I would love to get a newer Air with the battery considerably better from the 2013 model onwards and a bigger capacity SSD but i just cannot justify it when there is nothing wrong with my current one, its on 520 cycles and still last 5 hours.

Last decade i was buying a new laptop every 2 years, the battery would just go dire after a year (and was not great to start with, 2 maybe 3 hours if lucky), the fans would start being on non stop, would get random reboots and freezes, bits would fall off them from poor hinges and things, chargers would go pop (These are non Apple).

 

[yaxomoxay]

New Mac Pro with 30% off the current price or I go Windows.

if it wasn't for OSX I would probably switch, unless they make a great future laptop.

 

[Serban]

My 4-year-old 2012 15" MacBook Pro with a GT650M has more graphics horsepower than the integrated GPU in the current 15" rMBP, which is also driving a Retina display for goodness' sake. And the base 15" doesn't have a dedicated GPU, so can't exactly blame Intel for that one. It's an absolute joke and frankly unforgivable for a company who claim to adhere to such high standards.

No wonder Blizzard stopped developing for OS X.

wrong twice
blizzard only with overwatch put on hold develop. for macos because from the begining they developed the game for win and ps4 unlike other games, so in 2 years overwatch will be for mac too. Your dGPU is nothing compare to the hd580 and close to current iris pro. not to mention that hd4000 that hardly keep up with the retina in basic tasks in osx . Same was with the ipad 3

 

[Jim L]

No wonder sales are off.

Stale products with old tech at premium prices. Oh ... and make sure nothing is user upgrade-able or repairable.

If that's what their leadership thinks brings in maximum profits then they're truly in decline.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Apple has really fallen behind in MacBook innovation since 2012. Part of that is Intel's fault with chips that are barely faster than the previous generation.

If there were not Win laptops that ran rings around the MBP, esp the top end model, you'd have a point: the computer industry is at the mercy of Intel. But that isn't the case. Apple has been slow to adapt, perhaps choosing to stay within a certain design at the sake of performance. That is still Apple's ultimate doing though. Also there are other components that determine perceived speed than the CPU.

 

[nt5672]

Been waiting for a decent laptop since 2011. Either this year is the year or I'll be forced to leave Apple hardware. Leave for what? Who knows? The best I can find now is hackintosh.

 

[American Hero]

Sadly, Apple are losing the edge with their computer range.. slimmer and eye candy hardware just doesn't cut it. There needs to be value for money. I'm not seeing it with the existing range

Tim Cook doesn't even know the word "value" exists. He'd have to pull out a dictionary to look up the definition.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Just purchased a new 2015 MacBook (1.2 GHz) for $900. The improvements of the 2016 MacBook are good but not enough to justify the extra money. I'm interested in what the new MBPs look like but I already have two 27" iMacs and don't really need a "pro" laptop.

 

[icrew]

Doesn't surprise me in the least:

I've got a late-2013 15" rMBP (the maxed-out version: 2.6GHz Haswell, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, 8 hours battery). If I was to upgrade to the maxed-out "current" Mid-2015 version of the 15" rMBP, I'd get a 2.8GHz Haswell, a 1TB (but faster) SSD, 16GB of RAM, and 9 hours of battery. An extra 0.2GHz and an extra hour of battery life are simply not worth ~$3300. And that's what I told my boss when he asked if I wanted to upgrade--I simply couldn't ethically agree to the expense, even though my machine is coming up on 3 years old.

 

[maflynn]

I'd agree. It makes me wonder if the era of the desktop equivalent laptop is over too. Apple has been cutting back for sometime here, now with just one "Pro" model that has a discrete GPU. Maybe people have decided that while the iPad isn't enough, the MBP is heavy and overkill for their needs. The original MB was always Apple's best selling computer before it was EOL'd. Perhaps it's time as sales leader has come again.

Proof will be in the pudding - if Apple experiences a huge uptick in sales after June then yeah we can say it was demand waiting for newer models, but I'm a doubting thomas.

MacBook Pros are very expensive and people need to know they're getting value for their money and I'm not totally sold that we're getting a lot of value for 2,000 dollars.

 

[Kiwikat88]

As I have said in countless of threads, I am mostly waiting to upgrade to the iPad Pro (probably next year). I actually am hoping to never again upgrade the desktop or laptop.

Honestly I am slowly coming to this conclusion as well. I can count the number of times I've sat down and used my MBP and gaming rig in the last month on one hand. The iPad Pro (especially) and Surface Pro 4 are phenomenal machines for their form factor. The times they are a changin'.

 

[braintumor]

Yeah Apple, keep shooting yourself in the foot!!! Lately Apple is doing everything wrong that a company can do wrong!! You pissing off your existing customers and I guess all potential new customers are now thinking twice to buy an Apple product!

Whats going at Apple? Maybe its time that Tim Cook leaves his position, because the company is falling apart!

Is it really so hard for the most valuable company in the world to push regular hardware upgrades????

By the way, Apple is just 2-4% (stockprice fluctuation) away from losing its title "biggest company by market cap" to Google!

 

[kodos]

You can build a killer laptop each and every year without having to wait for the latest from Intel. Dell has been showing how it can be done (XPS), and so has Microsoft (Surface). There is a lot that can be improved on the Macbooks. Apple also seems to want to sit on a product until they can have a glitzy keynote around it.

Tim Cook: use your truck analogy with the Macbooks - they are not the spotlight products anymore, and that's okay. Just quietly make them better regularly, and the people who need and want trucks (Mac video production guys I know are going NUTS because their friends can throw together a PC tower and be more productive for less $$$) don't need a keynote to appreciate a well-designed product. I think Apple is abandoning the (creative) professional (dumping Aperture sure didn't help, and was the first step for me away from Apple).

#MakeMacGreatAgain