Tim Cook: 'Ideas' for a Netbook, iPhone Price Changes, iMacs?

[Patriks7]

I'd like to see a price drop. But more than that I'd like Apple to sell the iPhones themselves. I hate how we have to be tied down to carriers just so we can purchase the iPhone, and there is no way I'm paying $600 to some lunatic on craigslist who thinks he can fool me.

I'm waiting on the iMacs aswell.

Sorry to ruin your day, but unsubsidized iPhones cost about 700 Euro for the 8GB model, which is almost 900$, so if on Craigslist they really are unsubsidized then thats a great price.

 

[puffnstuff]

I don't see the point in a netbook either. I think if Apple came out with a smaller MB and dropped the price $100 it will make everyone happy.

 

[bmorris]

ive been saying since jan, 48" iMacs in March.




brandonmorris.com/blog

 

[AUFan]

I don't see the point in a netbook either. I think if Apple came out with a smaller MB and dropped the price $100 it will make everyone happy.

Netbooks have their happy place between your smartphone and your 14" + laptop. Quick email/web + basic document editing in a small, lightweight package brings a lot of benefits if you travel a lot and need some sort of contact with the internet and your documents. Instead of creating a new line of machines, I could see Apple perhaps shrinking or modifying the Air down to about 12" and trying to compete with netbooks and super-ultra portables, but I don't quite see them jumping off into netbooks yet.

 

[Evangelion]

Erm, no, I don't think you would see better resolution etc. on netbook screens, but I think that more and more of the web will have HD content, and it would be handy to have processors that could cope with playing that. The primary purpose of netbooks is to surf the full web, no?

Yes, the netbook is meant for net-use (and other tasks). But the point stands: what's the point of demanding FullHD-capable CPU/GPU in netbooks, if the screens in netbooks are not FullHD-capable? So you would have a CPU/GPU that could play back FullHD-content, but your screen could not play that content back.

Regarding the TV business, I believe Apple will do something much more than the ATV. The existing add-on has hardly set the world on fire now, has it?

None of the AppleTV-like devices has set the world on fire. The market is still a bit too fresh for that. That said, AppleTV is selling well. Didn't Cook say that AppleTV tripled it's sales year-over-year?

iPod didn't set the world on fire after it's launch either. It took several years for that to happen.

I also think that computer-manufacture is more cut-throat than TV manufacture, and the models depreciate in value even faster. Premium products delivering a great, reliable experience tends to be what Apple aims for...

"premium TV's" cost quite a bit of money, we are talking about Mac pro pricerange here. And even there their value depreciate quickly. If Apple sticks to longer product-cycles with higher prices, they will be left behind, as screen-technology improves so fast.

It makes a lot more sense for Apple to provide relatively cheap add-on to the customers existing TV. That add-on would not depreciate quickly, nor would it become obsolete (AppleTV is still unchanged, hardwarewise). Had it been an AppleTV + TV-combo, it would ahve had to have hardware-refreshes already, and the price would have halved.

 

[ccuk]

There seems to be a lot of confusion here about the difference between a netbook and a tablet.

Netbook: A small, CHEAP computer in laptop form factor, usually without an optical drive. Contains mobile processor.

Tablet: A full sized computer (13" and above) with a touch screen and no physical keyboard. Usually has an optical drive. Can have "regular" dual-core laptop processors.

An Apple netbook? Gag! If they made one, I wouldn't be the least bit interested. As has been discussed countless times here, netbooks are underpowered as f***. A tablet, on the other hand, can be a real computer, and are definitely not a budget item. Tablets are large enough to contain real dual core processors and plenty of RAM. I'm drooling now as I imagine a Mac tablet with, say, an Intel Core Duo 2.93GHz, 256GB SSD, optical drive, etc. Apple would definitely charge about $4,799 for something like that.

Death to Apple netbooks, let's see a Mac tablet!

For what reason do you want a tablet? What benefits are there for a tablet over a standard laptop?

 

[mccldwll]

People. Why this thread? This is based on a Toni Sacconaghi note to clients. I trust Toni about as far as I can throw him. IMO he attempts to impact aapl price through spinning "news" and guesses (read some of his crap). Personally, I believe calling him an analyst is charitable (not that he's worse than many of the others)--many investors refer to him as "Toni the Tool." You can always count on Toni being picked up and echoed by Eric Savitz in Barron's to spread the word. Might as well believe Dvorak or Enderle IMO. There was absolutely nothing in Toni's note to clients from Feb 12, IIRC, that wasn't discussed in the last aapl Conference Call in January. Nothing. The note to clients might as well have said "Nothing new to say."

 

[burningbright]

Evangelion, perhaps I'm wrong, but as I understand it videos encoded for HD put greater strain on the processors than standard definition does, and that computers will display HD content even if there is no visible difference. It's my bet that the web will include more and more HD content, and that they often won't offer a choice between HD and SD versions. So if a netbook can't process HD images well then the playback will stutter etc. That's my thinking, feel free to correct me if I've misapprehended something.

Your points about the TV are all valid, but I can't see a great difference between your arguments and 'why would Apple sell an iMac when it can sell a Mac Mini?'

 

[Evangelion]

Evangelion, perhaps I'm wrong, but as I understand it videos encoded for HD put greater strain on the processors than standard definition does, and that computers will display HD content even if there is no visible difference. It's my bet that the web will include more and more HD content, and that they often won't offer a choice between HD and SD versions. So if a netbook can't process HD images well then the playback will stutter etc. That's my thinking, feel free to correct me if I've misapprehended something.

How are you going to watch FullHD-video that has resolution of 1920×1080 on a screen that is only capable of 1024x600-resolution? That is my point. Where's the point of equipping a netbook with a CPU/GPU that can handle FullHD-video if the screen on the netbook is not capable of FullHD-resolution?

Your points about the TV are all valid, but I can't see a great difference between your arguments and 'why would Apple sell an iMac when it can sell a Mac Mini?'

Mac Mini and iMac are not comparable machines, specwise. And in iMac/mac Mini comparison we are comparing a 500 dollar machine with 1000+ dollar machine. In the AppleTV-comparison we would be comparing 200-300 dollar machine with 2000 dollar machine. Besides, monitor-market and tv-market are two different things.

 

[199708]

I think i'm late in the thread,

If apple release a netbook (9inch or 10inch [preferably 9inch])in before July, I'm definitely picking one up, otherwise eeepc or dell mini9 here i come

 

[TheSlush]

There seems to be a lot of confusion here about the difference between a netbook and a tablet.

Netbook: A small, CHEAP computer in laptop form factor, usually without an optical drive. Contains mobile processor.

Tablet: A full sized computer (13" and above) with a touch screen and no physical keyboard. Usually has an optical drive. Can have "regular" dual-core laptop processors.

An Apple netbook? Gag! If they made one, I wouldn't be the least bit interested. As has been discussed countless times here, netbooks are underpowered as f***. A tablet, on the other hand, can be a real computer, and are definitely not a budget item. Tablets are large enough to contain real dual core processors and plenty of RAM. I'm drooling now as I imagine a Mac tablet with, say, an Intel Core Duo 2.93GHz, 256GB SSD, optical drive, etc. Apple would definitely charge about $4,799 for something like that.

Death to Apple netbooks, let's see a Mac tablet!

Here here!

 

[bloodycape]

I don't. NBs are underpowered, tiny and cramped...they only sell because of the economic depression, not because they are attractive per se.

If that is the case why aren't some of those $400-$500 laptops popular? After all most of them are either using faster cpu, have larger keyboards, and cost up $150 more(in most cases about the same price as windows hdd netbook with a larger battery). Or why is the $900 base Sony P series fairly popular?

Then again there is nice portion of netbook users running OSX on their device(mainly along side either windows or linux).

 

[Adidas Addict]

The thing is Leopard runs fantastically on current netbooks (1.6 Atom, 1-2GB ram). Just look how many people are running it on Lenovo S10, Msi Wind, Dell Mini 9, Asus 1000 etc etc

I for one will buy one of the above and install OSX as soon as I get it if apple do not release a netbook soon.

 

[xlii]

Tim Cook talks too much all ready !!! he is going to get screamed at by Jobs

That's right... no new products until Steve comes back. I thought everyone knew that.

 

[Mister Snitch]

Steve, or Tim?

Yeah the wording is sort of ambiguous... I mean "he" could refer back to either Steve or Tim. I would like to think it refers back to Steve, but maybe not.

I'm with you - thought Cook was saying this was how STEVE was spending his time, since he (Steve) was no longer concerned with Apple's overall day-to-day operations.

Seems to me that, with his (Cook's) promotion to CEO, he would not have time to focus solely on new iPhone-type products. He has too many other new responsibilities now. (Not the least of which is finding the next Tim Cook to make sure operations run lean and mean.)

 

[puffnstuff]

For what reason do you want a tablet? What benefits are there for a tablet over a standard laptop?

photoshop,illustrator,etc

 

[Sehnsucht]

For what reason do you want a tablet? What benefits are there for a tablet over a standard laptop?

Benefits of a Mac tablet? Because it'd be shiny and made by Apple, what more do you want?? No but seriously, I'd lurrvvv to be able to draw directly on my Photoshop canvas without having to lug around a huge Wacom tablet. Now although I realize Wacom has the market cornered on the 1,024 levels of pressure on their styluses (styli?), that loss wouldn't really bother me if I had a real, honest-to-goodness tablet. Most of my drawings have only a single line thickness anyway.

EDIT: And speaking of Photoshop, the damn thing had BETTER have a decent CPU if it ever exists. It's my understanding that Photoshop is all CPU-dependent, rather than a GPU thing.

 

[kastenbrust]

Benefits of a Mac tablet? Because it'd be shiny and made by Apple, what more do you want?? No but seriously, I'd lurrvvv to be able to draw directly on my Photoshop canvas without having to lug around a huge Wacom tablet. Now although I realize Wacom has the market cornered on the 1,024 levels of pressure on their styluses (styli?), that loss wouldn't really bother me if I had a real, honest-to-goodness tablet. Most of my drawings have only a single line thickness anyway.

EDIT: And speaking of Photoshop, the damn thing had BETTER have a decent CPU if it ever exists. It's my understanding that Photoshop is all CPU-dependent, rather than a GPU thing.

The plural is actually styli, Romans had them too for writing on wax tablets.

A Mac tablet screen wouldn't have an accurate enough screen to do professional Wacom level Photoshop drawings on and if it did it would cost a fortune, however it would be very very very nice

A Mac Tablet with a built in projector would be very very nice however! (the technology exists, you can get projectors the size of pens already) and a retracable hydralic stand from the back to make it stand upright would be even nicer!

One of these:
(With an accurate touch screen)

and this built in:

Would be Amazing Please

 

[NT1440]

See this is what I dont understand. On the iphone and touch its the perfect size to be able to type with both thumbs. Everyone asking for a tablet says "lets just use the on screen keyboard!". Too bad you wont be able to use it while holding onto the device.

 

[karterius]

Pipeline Quiet Since Steve's Departure

Is it me or has the Apple rumor pipeline been unusually quiet since Steve's Departure...

To be honest there really hasn't been a major product announcement in almost 4 months.

Let me say i don't count the 17" macbook as a major product announcement.

 

[kastenbrust]

See this is what I dont understand. On the iphone and touch its the perfect size to be able to type with both thumbs. Everyone asking for a tablet says "lets just use the on screen keyboard!". Too bad you wont be able to use it while holding onto the device.

why not? you can type with one hand!

theres some technology Apple pateneted recently where you drag your fingers from letter to letter on a touchscreen without removing your finger, and the program predictively works out what word your typing, its actually quite clever and with one hand a lot faster than normal typing.

 

[NT1440]

Is it me or has the Apple rumor pipeline been unusually quiet since Steve's Departure...

To be honest there really hasn't been a major product announcement in almost 4 months.

Let me say i don't count the 17" macbook as a major product announcement.

Well the product pipeline itself is exactly as it would be if steve was there, seeing as the average project pipeline is well over a year....

Cook isnt making anything new so get it out of your heads people, if there is a new product Apple has been planning it for months/years.

 

[kdarling]

theres some technology Apple pateneted recently where you drag your fingers from letter to letter on a touchscreen without removing your finger, and the program predictively works out what word your typing, its actually quite clever and with one hand a lot faster than normal typing.

Yes, it's a really clever idea. But it's not from Apple.

It's from a company called Swype.

Or perhaps ShapeWriter ? (I think they demo'd it on an iPhone)

 

[kdarling]

Speaking of netbooks... has this been posted in the thread yet?

how-to-hackintosh-a-dell-mini-9-into-the-ultimate-os-x-netbook

 

[coolchris101]

Omg

I would LOVE to see a net book!!!