Why are people acting like the new "budget" MacBook is this completely new thing

[digimc]

Macrumors are saying this is so completely different than anything Apple has ever released before, and apparently we need a special "Apple Experience" to introduce this new product to the world. But as far as I can tell, this looks to be nothing more than a rehash of the failed budget 12 inch MacBook that Apple released about a decade ago.

I mean sure it will have a slightly larger screen. It will obviously be faster and may have more RAM, probably be a little more configurable, be a little cheaper than the MBA, if some rumors are to be believed. But what the heck is so radically different that we need a special media event in three major cities around the world.

I mean I like the color options, though it would be nice to have those color options on the more capable MBP, but whatever.

Let's kindly remember that the last time Apple tried this it was a complete unmitigated disaster and they quietly buried it and discontinued production of the cheap MacBook line four years later.

I mean sure it will not have the "butterfly keyboard" fiasco as from last time. Apple learned real quick that lesson.

To me the only thing "special" about this is going to be its price. Apple will have to be careful here. If it's too cheap, around $599 mark, it will cut into the cheaper iPad models and even the iPad Air. If it's priced closer to $799 (which is going to be my prediction) it is just going to do what the last cheapo MacBook did, and that's make people appreciate the MBA even more and spend just a little more to get a better computer.

Anyway I just don't see what is so unique about Apple's next attempt to make a cheap MacBook appealing to a large consumer market.

 

[Mike Boreham]

All true, so makes perfect sense for Apple to launch with a big fanfare to kickstart it and avoid a repeat.

The 12” MacBook had a lot of passionate devotees (me included). One of its biggest drawbacks was the single port, so I hope Apple won’t repeat that. The other was maybe that it needed the power-without-heat capability of an M processor. I hope the new incarnation recognises this, even if it doesn’t have an M processor, as rumoured.

 

[4sallypat]

It was not a "rehash of the failed budget 12 inch MacBook that Apple released about a decade ago."

The 12" Macbook was a success as it was the early ones to have a Retina display.

I loved both 2015 12" MB with M processor and then upgraded to the 2017 12" MB with i5 processor. My 2017 MB is still going strong and I am planning on taking it on my trans Pacific flight to Japan this year.

Both had no issues - no keyboard problems - excellent battery life - perfect for travel which I took all over the world.....

As @Mike Boreham stated - the single port was the only issue - wish it had magsafe and USB-C port.

Hoping this new Macbook with A18 processor will have lower power draw, no heating, and excellent battery life.

 

[digimc]

All true, so makes perfect sense for Apple to launch with a big fanfare to kickstart it and avoid a repeat.

The 12” MacBook had a lot of passionate devotees (me included). One of its biggest drawbacks was the single port, so I hope Apple won’t repeat that. The other was maybe that it needed the power-without-heat capability of an M processor. I hope the new incarnation recognises this, even if it doesn’t have an M processor, as rumoured.

I sort of understand your thinking. I get wanting to make a big splash. But I just don't see much here, at least from the rumors that we have heard so far.

It doesn't seem like the radical departure from what Apple offered last time in the way of a budget MB. This event just seems really forced by Apple. I hope that I am wrong, but I am just getting a weird sort vibe.

It feels like Apple is mostly targeting the YouTube influencers and a few "reliable" print bloggers that will toe the company line and give them plenty of glowing reviews, but once the fanfare dies down, I feel like this new MB will not be able to fully cement itself in the crowded market that it's about to enter. I also feel that it will give up too much compared to the entry MBA, but not have a low enough price to justify its existence.

But I guess I could be wrong. Only time will tell.

 

[capamac]

There was the Mac LC (Low Cost) series back in the 90s also. Definitely not a new thing.

 

[Tagbert]

I sort of understand your thinking. I get wanting to make a big splash. But I just don't see much here, at least from the rumors that we have heard so far.

It doesn't seem like the radical departure from what Apple offered last time in the way of a budget MB. This event just seems really forced by Apple. I hope that I am wrong, but I am just getting a weird sort vibe.

It feels like Apple is mostly targeting the YouTube influencers and a few "reliable" print bloggers that will toe the company line and give them plenty of glowing reviews, but once the fanfare dies down, I feel like this new MB will not be able to fully cement itself in the crowded market that it's about to enter. I also feel that it will give up too much compared to the entry MBA, but not have a low enough price to justify its existence.

But I guess I could be wrong. Only time will tell.

Whether this new MacBook succeeds or fails will come down to the price. If they keep the price down and go for volume it will be popular. If they do what they did with the 16e and make it just a little less expensive than the MBA then buyers will be likley to just pay a little more and get an Air.

If they want to go for high volume, an event like this is a good start to get some attention on this.

BTW - the 12” MacBook was not a budget MacBook. It was clearly intended to replace the Air and to introduce the retina displays, but it was noticeably more expensive than the non-retina Air and had too many compromises in ports and performance to justify any kind of price premium. It would be fun if they used that case for this new MacBook but added more ports, used scissor switch keyboards, and squeezed in a (rumored) slightly larger screen.

 

[Mike Boreham]

As above, the 12” MacBook sold on size and portability, not price.

Seems like this machine is being sold on price, as I can’t see it being more portable than an Air.

For me and many others the appeal of the 12” MacBook was the unique portability….seemed much smaller than a one inch difference would imply, and we were prepared to accept the limitations to have this.

So I don't see this new machine appealing to those who loved the 12” MacBook, unless price is a big factor. If I want a 13” MacBook it will be an Air.

 

[Macky-Mac]

if the price is $799

Whether this new MacBook succeeds or fails will come down to the price. If they keep the price down and go for volume it will be popular. If they do what they did with the 16e and make it just a little less expensive than the MBA then buyers will be likley to just pay a little more and get an Air....

Definitely the price will be a make-or-break factor. The rumored $799 is only $50 less than the currently available refurbished M4 MacBook Air

 

[turbineseaplane]

Macrumors are saying this is so completely different than anything Apple has ever released before, and apparently we need a special "Apple Experience" to introduce this new product to the world.

We don't actually know what it is yet.
It may indeed be something quite different ... or not at all, to your point.

 

[ForkHandles]

Account vacated.

 

[digimc]

Whether this new MacBook succeeds or fails will come down to the price. If they keep the price down and go for volume it will be popular. If they do what they did with the 16e and make it just a little less expensive than the MBA then buyers will be likley to just pay a little more and get an Air.

If they want to go for high volume, an event like this is a good start to get some attention on this.

BTW - the 12” MacBook was not a budget MacBook. It was clearly intended to replace the Air and to introduce the retina displays, but it was noticeably more expensive than the non-retina Air and had too many compromises in ports and performance to justify any kind of price premium. It would be fun if they used that case for this new MacBook but added more ports, used scissor switch keyboards, and squeezed in a (rumored) slightly larger screen.

Sorry yes to clarify I consider it budget to the more expensive MBP line. Yes obviously it was not cheap in price, but I felt it was cheap in its design in some critical areas that were/would be important to me. I just feel like this new 12 inch MB, is going to face the same problems that the last one faced, and that is many people are going to look at this new budget 12 inch model and then look at the MBA, and the vast majority are going to choose the Air, especially if there is only a $100 price difference. Again based off past Apple pricing I am going to predict this new 12 inch MB comes in at $799.

Now I will hold further comment until we get finally pricing from Apple. If Apple truly does come in at a price closer to $500 then, maybe, it will have a brighter, long-term future. But again I fear that will not be the case.

 

[DankeBrutus]

But as far as I can tell, this looks to be nothing more than a rehash of the failed budget 12 inch MacBook that Apple released about a decade ago.

Budget?? Buddy, the original starting price of the 2015 12" MacBook was $1299 USD. I think you're forgetting that back then the MacBook Air was the budget model starting at $899 USD.

******

Edit:

You clarified while I was forming my comment.

I just feel like this new 12 inch MB, is going to face the same problems that the last one faced, and that is many people are going to look at this new budget 12 inch model and then look at the MBA, and the vast majority are going to choose the Air, especially if there is only a $100 price difference.

Keep in mind that until Apple comes out and says "hey guys here is the new MacBook" we are only looking at rumours and speculation. Back then the biggest thing holding back the 12" MacBook was, in my opinion, Intel. The compromises that laptop had then, a single USB-C port, no MagSafe, no Thunderbolt, a weak CPU, etc. was all for the sake of thinness. It was basically a flex of hardware design.

I agree that if the difference is only $100 then most people would probably go for a 13" MBA than a new 12" MB. Unless that 12" MB has some kind of crazy battery life plus enough features for most people to get by. Even if this alleged 12" MB revival has to fit within the confines of an A18 SOC it still blows competing laptops out of the water. It would also fit into Apple's pricing ladder.

 

[theluggage]

Macrumors are saying this is so completely different than anything Apple has ever released before, and apparently we need a special "Apple Experience" to introduce this new product to the world. But as far as I can tell, this looks to be nothing more than a rehash of the failed budget 12 inch MacBook that Apple released about a decade ago.

Sure, because Apple are totally going to launch their new product with the slogan "The New MacBudget - it's just OK" via a quarter-page advert in the Bay Area Advertiser. Not.

Also the 12" MacBook was more expensive than the MacBook Air when it launched - you were paying a premium for the super-compact design. (checking with EveryMac - 12" MB Early 2015 $1299 vs 13" MBA Early 2015 $999-$1199 ). The MacBook Air launched in 2008 as a relatively expensive "premium" product (for its spec, compared to MacBooks and MacBook Pro) sold on its ultra-compact size - and slowly evolved into the entry-level Mac laptop as its size became more commonplace. Even the 11" MBA started out fairly expensive.

I agree that "completely different" is a bit of a stretch unless you have a short memory - Apple haven't really launched a Mac laptop specifically as a "budget" option since the plastic 13" MacBook range (last updated in 2010).

 

[digimc]

We don't actually know what it is yet.
It may indeed be something quite different ... or not at all, to your point.

And again perhaps you are right. Maybe Apple has something up their sleeve here and not just what we have heard thus far in rumors. I am not trying to be a downer here. I do like the rumored color options. I don't necessarily mind that they are going with an iPhone chip, instead of an M chip. The Ram worries me a bit though and anything lower than 256 GB of storage will almost necessitate a price point closer to $599 than $799. But the uncertainty in the price is what worries me. If it is too inexpensive in price, I just feel that it will be too cheap in quality or have too many sacrifices.

The last 12 inch MB had a lot of compromises and despite being cheaper than the MBP, it never really gained mass appeal, and again most people who couldn't afford the MBP just went with the Air.

 

[DankeBrutus]

Apple haven't really launched a Mac laptop specifically as a "budget" option since the plastic 13" MacBook range (last updated in 2010).

Those plastic MacBooks are iconic. They stand out in my memory far more than the aluminum Pro models at the time, or the titanium PowerBook that went away in 2006.

 

[Quackington]

To me the only thing "special" about this is going to be its price. Apple will have to be careful here. If it's too cheap, around $599 mark, it will cut into the cheaper iPad models and even the iPad Air. If it's priced closer to $799 (which is going to be my prediction) it is just going to do what the last cheapo MacBook did, and that's make people appreciate the MBA even more and spend just a little more to get a better computer.

Would it really eat into iPad sales? I feel like people that want a tablet would get one, rather than a laptop.

 

[capamac]

I had a plastic G3/700 iBook ... probably the worst laptop I ever owned. The graphics started glitching afte a year or three. Sent it in for repair under warrantly and it worked for a few months, then failed again. After the second failure I opened the laptop myself and was surprised to find obviously loose screws and poorly applied tape. The repair job Apple did was quite sloppy. The plastic laptops also flexed a bit when you picked them up by the corner ... doesn't happen with the aluminum unibody Macs.

The user-replaceable battery on the iBook/G3 was nice in that it was easily swappable, but on the other hand this design weakened the case rigidity. So it makes sense that modern macbooks have had the battery inside the body and not accessible via latch from the outside.

 

[digimc]

Budget?? Buddy, the original starting price of the 2015 12" MacBook was $1299 USD. I think you're forgetting that back then the MacBook Air was the budget model starting at $899 USD.

******

Edit:

You clarified while I was forming my comment.



Keep in mind that until Apple comes out and says "hey guys here is the new MacBook" we are only looking at rumours and speculation. Back then the biggest thing holding back the 12" MacBook was, in my opinion, Intel. The compromises that laptop had then, a single USB-C port, no MagSafe, no Thunderbolt, a weak CPU, etc. was all for the sake of thinness. It was basically a flex of hardware design.

I agree that if the difference is only $100 then most people would probably go for a 13" MBA than a new 12" MB. Unless that 12" MB has some kind of crazy battery life plus enough features for most people to get by. Even if this alleged 12" MB revival has to fit within the confines of an A18 SOC it still blows competing laptops out of the water. It would also fit into Apple's pricing ladder.

Yes of course you are right at the beginning. The Air had increased to $999 by 2017 and by 2018 it was priced around $1,999 putting it right in the same area as the 12 MB. My point is, or was, that Apple has done this before already. Both the Air and the MB were marketed as "budget" friendly models or alternatives to the MBP line, which has always been marketed towards professional buyers.

I just don't see the point in going down this same road once again. Where we are going to have the Air family priced at around $899 for entry/base model and now a 12.9 inch MB model or line priced I am assuming maybe a couple hundred dollars less.

My fear/prediction is that people looking to buy a Mac laptop are either the professional type that is going to buy the MBP or they will just spend a little more for the MBA.

 

[brilliantthings]

What's the bet that Tim Apple makes them too expensive to be competitive with Chromebooks?

 

[Warped9]

The big news with this new MacBook is its price. If they bring it in with a good price as rumoured it could be very popular. And its performance could certainly outdo most, if not all other, mainstream laptops in that market segment.

The rest is sugar coating. That said I would really rather see at least 12gb RAM or even better 16gb as standard rather than 8gb. And the base storage should be no less than 256gb, but preferably 512.

 

[NewOldStock]

Crying about Vaporware i just dont understand this concept.
🤯

 

[capamac]

On an 8/256 M1 Air; I've really not found RAM nor SSD to be much of a hinderance, but I'm good at managing applications and data, and offloading data to an exernal 4TB spinning rust drive.

Parkinson's law: "Data expands to fill the space available for storage." You give people a larger SSD and they'll just fill it. Same with RAM; RAM capacity has grown over the years but application bloat often keeps pace, resulting in little apparent net gain. Boost the base level RAM and app developers realize this and bloat their code accordingly.

 

[Moukee]

budget 12 inch MacBook that Apple released about a decade ago.

The 12" MacBook line from 2015/2016 started at $1,299, it was significantly more expensive than the MacBook Air line which started at $899.

The new 2026 MacBook will be placed below the MacBook Air in terms of price (according to rumors).

It will obviously be faster and may have more RAM

If it comes with 8 GB, it actually won't have more RAM. Let's hope it launches with 16 GB.

But what the heck is so radically different that we need a special media event in three major cities around the world.

It's most likely not the only product they'll announce at this event. According to your logic, we wouldn't "need" an iPhone event most years because there's nothing "radically" different.

If it's priced closer to $799 (which is going to be my prediction) it is just going to do what the last cheapo MacBook did, and that's make people appreciate the MBA even more and spend just a little more to get a better computer.

That's a win in Apple's book.

 

[AlixSPQR]

One of its biggest drawbacks was the single port, so I hope Apple won’t repeat that.

No port at all is the next big thing? 😉

 

[G5isAlive]

Macrumors are saying this is so completely different than anything Apple has ever released before, and apparently we need a special "Apple Experience" to introduce this new product to the world. But as far as I can tell, this looks to be nothing more than a rehash of the failed budget 12 inch MacBook that Apple released about a decade ago.

So much to unpack, first of all I dont see anyone saying it's completely different, but there are some different things (compared to the current line) that people are talking about. It's going to be small. It's rumored to be lower cost. And those colors. So yeah, apple is going to announce it. would you rather they have a full on party like they often do to announce this years faster processor in last year's body? Or maybe you think they should just announce things in the press. the experience seems to be marketing hype (aka capitalism) that is somewhere in between and no doubt they hope great bang for the buck. And yeah. rehash. others have put that down already I dont need to.

I guess I am wondering why anyone feels the need to rain on this parade. news flash. some are going to love it. some are going to hate it. and if it 'fails', it will still make Apple more money than most can dream of.

I am looking forward to seeing what Apple pulls out of the hat.