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

[keysofanxiety]

so your dGPU from 2012 is stronger than current dGPU ?

No ... more than the iGPU in the base 15" rMBP, which does not have a dGPU as standard.

The point is that at the time, my 2012 had that dGPU on the standard base model. 4 years later, and the graphics performance hasn't improved on the base 15" MacBook Pro, is a sad fact indeed.

 

[kuito]

So, I got an HP Omen 15" instead. Beautiful black aluminum, thin, quad core i7, 16gb ram, 512gb PCIe SSD, etc... for $1800. It's a steal, and mine runs OS X

great specs, but the screen resolution is pretty damn bad if you value screen real estate. I am sure it's a damn nice machine otherwise though.

 

[Dave245]

I was wowed when they rolled out the 5k iMac a few years ago, I was wowed by the retina Macbook (but it was pricey), but I do agree with you, that we need to be wowed

I was really wowed with the 5k iMac and was really tempted to buy one but I have an iMac from 2012 so I didn't think it was worth upgrading at the time. I haven't tried the retina MacBook I'm still using a 2011 MacBook that came with a non retina screen and a traditional hard drive, I may upgrade this year possibly to the 12" MacBook or the new MacBook Pro's if they are announced at WWDC.

I know I'll probably be wrong but I think there will be something great at WWDC, maybe a redesigned MacBook Pro or something (I'm not sure) the reason I'm thinking that is because of where they are holding WWDC keynote this year (Bill Graham Civic Auditorium). I don't think they have held a WWDC there before.

 

[Tiger8]

1 port and a pile of adapters.

100% true. I have yet to meet someone who bought the new MacBook without adapter(s)

 

[inhalexhale1]

Hardware sales are tanking all across the industry.

Other than high end enthusiasts, people really don't see any value in these incremental updates.

My 4 year old MacBook Air is desperately in need or replacement, but the price point of a new Apple Laptop is just too high.

Exactly. There isn't a reason to upgrade a laptop every year, unless you just want whatever is new for the sake of it being new.

 

[Marx55]

Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 Type-C (reversible) Generation 2 in all Apple devices.

Apple, just about time. Other manufacturers have released that last year!

 

[StarlightSun]

WWDC '16 can't come soon enough.

 

[FatherJack1980]

I'm a general computer user, and don't have one brand favorite (I have an iPhone 4 and a Windows computer - the one down below)

What I look for, the few times I buy a new computer is a big screen and big storage. So, 15" at least and at least 500 gb. Nothing else matters to me.

I can get a computer like that from Dell at 570.416 USD (https://www.advania.is/vefverslun/vara/Dell-Inspiron-15-3551-fartolva-Celeron-1/) or from Apple at3,830.40 USD (https://www.epli.is/mac/macbookpro-11/macbook-pro-15-retina-512gb-2015.html)



I couldn't care less about any internals, what the computer looks like (although the Dell looks nicer, in my opinion, because it has one solid black color) or whatnot, just the big screen and big storage. And of course I went for the much, much, much, much, much, much cheaper option.

 

[davidwes]

100% true. I have yet to meet someone who bought the new MacBook without adapter(s)

My Wife - and she loves her computer. Doesn't own a single accessory with it either.

 

[reyesmac]

Too many people are well aware of Apples incredibly high margins on their products. That wont make people feel better about paying more than anything else similar. Add to that an economy on its way down, the people who can afford to buy these are not first time buyers and came tune their systems to last longer, and a version of windows that isn't generally hated and that will lead less people to buy macs. Apple makes more money from switchers and they have less reason to switch now. Apple has stopped trying to give people more value for their money and they just seem to be in a look what we can do phase. Big disconnect from what people want or need. Maybe when they figure out how to make these things with only robots putting them together they might actually start lowering prices.

 

[SpiderDude]

But wait, we have all kinds of innovative products in the works. Really!

You have literally made me LOL.
And also quite sad.
It really is a crying shame what happened to Apple.
Who here remembers when the aluminum unibody macbook(before it was dubbed pro) was introduced?
I remember clearly thinking how amazing and innovative (in the true sense of the word) that machine was.
Now, innovation means thinner but with less features, or less battery.

Apple laptops nowadays are a shameless money grab.

What a shame.

 

[actinide]

I still use my macbook air dated mid 2011. Compared to the current models, there are no significant improvements (CPU and GPU wise). I am still annoyed by my fan, but that is not a reason to update my notebook.

 

[RickInHouston]

Or, customers aren't upgrading or buying new MacBooks because their retail price point is way off the mark, incredibly too expensive.
Many "prospective buyers" wouldn't know exactly what was a "redesigned MacBook Pro" or a "Skylake processor", "Thunderbolt 3" or even "USB-C".
The price points are completely wrong.

Add to that, if your computer isn't at least 6 years old you probably don't even need a new computer!

 

[Chicane-UK]

At this point most Mac OS customers have woken up to the fact that Apple has not reinvested in product development, refreshes and more. It is very upsetting that Apple does not release refreshed computers more often, even waiting 2+ years.

I'd be happy to buy a new MacBook Pro with latest in tech, great graphics chip and more....but apple isn't making one.

This is a real problem, I'm not alone in thinking Windows 10 is a viable alternative.

The Mac OS X ought not be a part time hobby for Apple, they need to have proper and ongoing product development with new models and updates across the product lines for each model at no less than 1x a year.

Consumers are demanding this.

Nuts

Having switched to a Mac and OSX back in 2013, I thought that it would need to snow in hell before I considered moving back to Wintel. But I have to say, Windows 10 is slowly coming together as quite a nice platform based on my experiences with the most recent technical preview builds. It certainly wasn't ready for prime time at RTM, but is feeling far more complete and polished now.

It really does grate how Apple have completely dropped their focus on their desktop / laptop products. Virtually the entire lineup is looking extremely stale and dated. They need to get a grip, and get some new hardware out the door and soon.

 

[639051]

I switched to an XPS 13 with Skylake. The size of the MBA 11 but with a 13" screen and updated internals, PCI-E SSD, 1080P screen (all I need). I actually don't hate Windows 10 either, it has grown on me. Apple needs to start upping their game, this refresh stuff is not going to last.

 

[JackieInCo]

I bought the $2500 15" MBP last May. This isn't something that I intend to replace every year. I'm sure most people are the same way. I also have a 2012 MBP that I bought in July. Even if the 2012 was my only MBP, I would not be interested in buying a new one this year.

 

[manu chao]

Or, customers aren't upgrading or buying new MacBooks because their retail price point is way off the mark, incredibly too expensive.
Many "prospective buyers" wouldn't know exactly what was a "redesigned MacBook Pro" or a "Skylake processor", "Thunderbolt 3" or even "USB-C".
The price points are completely wrong.

And that was different one year ago? Or two years ago? Or three years ago?

 

[maflynn]

I was really wowed with the 5k iMac and was really tempted to buy one

I took the plunge with the latest iteration. I will say I struggled with the decision because of the price tag. I have no regrets but its a lot of money and I was questioning whether I'm getting value for that price tag. I came to the conclusion I was, because a 5k Dell display costs 2,000, never mind the cost of the computer.

On the laptop front, I cannot justify spending that much money any longer, it just doesn't make sense to me, I wonder if others are having similar thoughts

 

[satchmo]

I can't help but think this is a case of Apple falling asleep at the wheel.
While their focus has been on other projects (i.e Watch, car, iOS), computer hardware has seen little growth in the area of innovation. Because the MBP was so ahead of the competition, Apple has been able to coast and rest on their past laurels.

Sure, Windows is not a great alternative and Apple knows that.
But other manufacturers like Dell and HP are now pushing the envelope in laptop design.
Here's hoping this is a wake-up call for Apple.

 

[639051]

On the laptop front, I cannot justify spending that much money any longer, it just doesn't make sense to me, I wonder if others are having similar thoughts

I can't justify spending more than $1500 on a laptop anymore. The XPS 13 I mentioned above cost me $700 (refurbished with regular warranty) and it is, crazy enough, a REALLY nice machine. It handles Photoshop and Lightroom easily enough, no real need to spend more.

Sure, Windows is not a great alternative and Apple knows that.

I disagree. I've been using 10 for awhile and cannot say a reason I would prefer OS X over it besides having the terminal.

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

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

This^^^. Accountants know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. [REF: Modified Quip by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray]

 

[donpaluh]

Apple reported its first negative-growth quarter since 2003 last month as iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales all declined compared to the year-ago period, and new data shows that notebook sales unsurprisingly fared no better when broken out.

MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro sales totaled an estimated 2.53 million in the first quarter of the 2016 calendar year, down from an estimated 3.4 million in the year-ago quarter, according to market research firm TrendForce.

Apple's notebook market share dropped to an estimated 7.1-percent in the first quarter, down from 8.8-percent in the previous March quarter, as Windows-based PC vendors and the overall notebook industry continue to suffer from slowing sales.

Apple remained the sixth largest notebook vendor in the first quarter, trailing behind PC makers Lenovo, HP, Dell, ASUS, and Acer but ahead of Samsung and Toshiba. Mac notebook sales dropped 40-percent quarter-over-quarter, but largely due to expected seasonality following the holiday shopping season.Many prospective buyers are also hoping for a redesigned MacBook Pro featuring faster Skylake processors and Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C, which could be announced at WWDC next month. Apple released a Skylake-based 12-inch MacBook in April and started shipping the 13-inch MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM as standard.

Apple officially reported Mac sales of 4.03 million during the past quarter, including the iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro alongside notebooks.

TrendForce estimates worldwide notebook shipments totaled 35.62 million units during the quarter, marking a year-over-year decline of 7.3-percent.

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

 

[centauratlas]

17 inch retina Mac Book Pro!!!!! Please.

My early 2011 17 inch MBP will need replacing eventually, but I'll be holding off as long as possible. The spouse's 2013 15 inch is doing fine though.

 

[Dave245]

I took the plunge with the latest iteration. I will say I struggled with the decision because of the price tag. I have no regrets but its a lot of money and I was questioning whether I'm getting value for that price tag. I came to the conclusion I was, because a 5k Dell display costs 2,000, never mind the cost of the computer.

On the laptop front, I cannot justify spending that much money any longer, it just doesn't make sense to me, I wonder if others are having similar thoughts

I would of took the plunge on the 5k iMac but I did buy the 27" iMac when it was announced in 2012 and I wasn't sure if would be worth the cost just for the screen. Laptop wise I'm not sure if it will be but it depends what Apple announce with the MacBook Pro, I'm guessing an all new design, probably the same as the 12" MacBook.

 

[TallManNY]

I need to upgrade my iMac this year. As a 2011 with an HD it is too slow. But to get the iMac I'd want with the GPU I have to drop close to $3k. I'm also a bit torn about possibly buying just a laptop. It would be nice to just close the lid and push it to one side when I want more physical desktop space.

But the one thing I won't do is buy non-upgraded computers. I will only buy soon after a release. I won't pay for one year old tech. So the window for my upgrade will be on the next release of upgraded iMacs.