That rumor is someone living in a fantasy land. Apple is at least a few years away from embracing OLED. It will come to the iphones before it makes its way to macs.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Will the next 12" Retina Macbook be released at the March event?
- Thread starter ThurmanMerman
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That rumor is someone living in a fantasy land. Apple is at least a few years away from embracing OLED. It will come to the iphones before it makes its way to macs.
+1
Seriously, it's almost humorous how some people don't get it.
Apple's stock price is bleeding, just bleeding, billions of dollars are slipping away from thousands of investors and they are under massive pressure to right the ship and get that money back. And the way to do that isn't to make their notebooks more expensive and more laden with niche features. It's the time to grow market share. A conversation I am sure is happening in heated board meetings goes something like this:
"You have the world's most beloved smartphone, tablet, and mobile operating system and yet you have only a 9% market share in computers and you can explain that how?"
BJ
Absolutely, the Mac & OS X is moving closer to the base consumer, bringing ever more users into Apple`s diverged ecosystem; more units, more sales, more revenue all with Apple`s carefully cultivated kudos, and impressive margins.
The mobile space is close to saturation, the PC arena is ripe for the picking, with the dominant OS being less than perfect, and overly complex for the basic user. Apple are very likely to be looking to wave the same "magic wand" over the PC space as they have so successfully done in the mobile market. The indicators are present with Mac sales being one of the very few trending upwards.
Q-6
I stand by my prediction that sometime in the near future Apple will announce "MacBook For Windows" and let millions of people get an Apple notebook to match their Apple iPhone's and get that first-rate Genius Bar customer service.
Apple can revolutionize the Windows experience and they can correct their dying stock price in one fell swoop, inevitably it must happen. My RMB is the best Windows 10 device on the market, pity so few people realize this.
BJ
Bootcamp and virtual desktop is as close as we will get to official support. That would be like android on iphones. They want people using OSX and the apple eco system....not windows on a mac. Having office on the mac is good enough for most people.
I understand their motives, but remember, the iPod gave birth to the iPhone and the Music Store and the App Store and the iPad, turned Apple from a small player into the largest company in the world. And the reason that the iPod launched this unprecedented burst of product innovation and growth?
Because Apple put its OS feelings aside and introduced iPod for Windows. The original iPod was supposed to be a market-building accessory for the iMac, wasn't available for Windows users for years. Turns out, tapping into a market that represents 92% of all desktops instead of playing in your 8% sandbox makes all the difference in the world. Apple should remember that move, do the same thing for their notebooks, allow Windows users to enjoy the fantastic hardware, customer service, and innovation, get that stock price exploding again as iOS levels off.
BJ
Unless they change their entire business model, control end to end, I do not see this happening. One of the reasons the iphone does so good is b.c they control the hardware and the software, which is optimized to run on it. Similarly OSX is optimized to run on whatever hardware they sell. I cannot see them "relinquishing" that control.
Don't give up your day job Nostradamus
slightly off topic here now but out of curiosity, do you run Windows 10 in bootcamp or in a VM and if its is VM which one do you use?
They said the same thing about the iPod back in the day, it was the Windows version that was the spark to the great company Apple has become in the decade since. And just like the iPod, OSX wouldn't go away or be compromised, Apple would just be offering a second version, doesn't take much to support Windows 10 here, Boot Camp already does 90% of the job and Apple would just need to create Windows versions of iMessage and AirPlay and AirDrop which are long overdue anyway.
92% of computer users use Windows, therefore 92% of iPhone owners do too and Apple would be smart not to frustrate us much longer. It's a very big market, Apple makes world-class products that could satisfy it, Microsoft is gaining traction with Surface products and mall stores, it's inevitable.
Windows 10 via Boot Camp, I never use or see OSX ever, it's rock-solid, haven't had any problems since Apple updated the drivers back in November, couldn't be happier.
BJ
Sure it does. We're not talking about Apple TV here.
Apple is soon going to sell it's 1,000,000,000th iPhone. That's 1 Billion. That's no niche product. That's cans of Coke-A-Cola, that's McDonald's hamburgers, that's about as universal and ubiquitous a consumer electronics product that was ever created. There are more used iPhone's out there than new ones, minimum wage workers can buy them off of Craigslist for a song.
If 92% of the world runs Windows, then 92% of Hershey bars are bought by Windows users, 92% of bottled water is bought by Windows users, and 92% of iPhones are bought by Windows users. Methinks Apple would be smart to open the door a bit wider and encourage their MacBooks to be bought by Windows users.
BJ
92% of computer users. You are assuming everyone is a computer user. If it said 92% of the world is windows users then sure. A lot more people than you think are post-computer and use tablets only.
It's pointless having a debate when every word you type is a random assumption... Why would Apple spend years building up one of the best eco-systems on the planet to then encourage everyone to use Windows placing a massive disconnect between their users and their software?
Windows can be installed just fine should their users require it.
Okay, LOL, be that way.
Let's say then, what, 80% of the world's iPhone users are Windows users? 75% make you happy? Whatever the number, it's huge, it dwarfs the amount of iPhone users who are Mac users. Point being, you have hundreds of millions of Windows users who adore their iPhone's and Apple's hardware quality who aren't allowed to easily waltz into a store and buy a Windows MacBook. Should Apple change their posture on this, there are hundreds of millions of dollars to be made. The angle here is on product design, hardware quality, and the sales experience, none of which a dusty Formica display at Best Buy can come close to touching.
BJ
[doublepost=1456957342][/doublepost]
Because Apple is missing a massive opportunity to make money, that's why, and at this moment that needs to be their priority.
And what good is an ecosystem where the portable devices in everyone's pocket can't seamlessly talk to the notebooks in everyone's backpacks? Apple has tried it this way forever, for decades, and it's not working. No Windows users are giving up their operating systems and no Windows users feel welcome at an Apple notebook display whereas they are bathed in scented water 10 feet away at the Watch display, the iPad display, and the iPhone display.
Make and market MacBook For Windows, provide apps like iMessage For Windows and AirDrop For Windows available only via this pre-installed edition, and start cuddling up to the computer users who are adored when they approach three displays in the Apple store and made to feel like the devil when they approach the fourth.
BJ
Yes it is. Apple has managed to make a world-class Windows notebook, it's fantastic.
BJ
Right. It was planned for March but it's been pushed out to WWDC in June as the March event is too crowded.
[doublepost=1456969500][/doublepost]
Apple update their laptop product lines yearly. It doesn't matter when it's announced and released. It's a yearly event. Witness the refresh coming for the rMB in June at WWDC.
I think the main thing would be reducing the bezel size. So either a smaller footprint, or more likely a 14" rMBP and a 16" rMBP in the current footprint. Add in a few USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. And make it come in Space Grey.
It's worth nothing here that the last few Mac updates, whether it be iMac, MBA, MBP, etc., haven't really had much buzz surrounding them. They've mostly been silent or quiet updates that just appeared quietly online overnight. Rumors as of about the last year have been sporadic and in most cases incorrect. That being said... I believe that beginning this month, any random day, today or in a few months, is the potential release day for a rMB. As of March, it's now totally likely and logical for a rMB update.
It looks like the MBP will be getting a redesign in its next update, so the possibility for a silent release for the rMBP is pretty much non-existent. The MBA has a good chance of never being updated again (though it will remain in the lineup). And the iMac just got updated while the Mac Mini is just the Mac mini (it has niche appeal). Really, the rMB is the only Mac that could be silently updated here shortly, and I think the chances, whether it's this month or in the next couple months, are pretty good.
[doublepost=1456972822][/doublepost]
I think it'd be really interesting to see the results of a Macbook for Windows experiment. On one hand, I think it'd bring a bundle of loyal Windows users to the Macbook world due to superior hardware. On the other hand, after thinking it through more and more, I don't see there being that big of an appeal.
This type of move would inevitably deal significant damage to the 'Mac' brand. OS X has been the Apple user OS of choice for 15+ years; I think 'Macbook for Windows' would deal significant damage to the consumer perception of OS X, since it would be in many ways an admission of superiority. I also think so many personal computer users have always resorted to Windows as a result of cost alone, and I think this fact severely erodes the personal computing user-base that this type of move would attempt to create excitement for. MacBooks have always been more expensive in terms of a 1:1 comparison of a comparable Windows machine. This makes it unlikely a large percentage of Windows users would think twice to purchase a Windows for Macbook implementation. On top of that, 'Macbook for Windows' would inevitably be more expensive than its equivalent Mac counterpart (Windows licensing).
From a corporate-sales perspective, I also think that it's unlikely this type of move would make a huge impact. Businesses are so often cost driven; as stated above, 'Macbook for Windows' is a more-expensive solution. It'd be targeting a premium or luxury market, not the lion's share of business customers today. I don't doubt that several businesses would buy in, however I still don't see the potential market being large enough for Apple to delve into an official 'Macbook for Windows'. I think the negative PR and perception that would be dealt to the OS X brand as a whole outweigh the potential benefits for a Macbook for Windows solution. I also think it's silly to suggest this would so significantly please investors as laptop sales are a sliver of Apple's overall sales figures.
It looks like the MBP will be getting a redesign in its next update, so the possibility for a silent release for the rMBP is pretty much non-existent. The MBA has a good chance of never being updated again (though it will remain in the lineup). And the iMac just got updated while the Mac Mini is just the Mac mini (it has niche appeal). Really, the rMB is the only Mac that could be silently updated here shortly, and I think the chances, whether it's this month or in the next couple months, are pretty good.
[doublepost=1456972822][/doublepost]
I think it'd be really interesting to see the results of a Macbook for Windows experiment. On one hand, I think it'd bring a bundle of loyal Windows users to the Macbook world due to superior hardware. On the other hand, after thinking it through more and more, I don't see there being that big of an appeal.
This type of move would inevitably deal significant damage to the 'Mac' brand. OS X has been the Apple user OS of choice for 15+ years; I think 'Macbook for Windows' would deal significant damage to the consumer perception of OS X, since it would be in many ways an admission of superiority. I also think so many personal computer users have always resorted to Windows as a result of cost alone, and I think this fact severely erodes the personal computing user-base that this type of move would attempt to create excitement for. MacBooks have always been more expensive in terms of a 1:1 comparison of a comparable Windows machine. This makes it unlikely a large percentage of Windows users would think twice to purchase a Windows for Macbook implementation. On top of that, 'Macbook for Windows' would inevitably be more expensive than its equivalent Mac counterpart (Windows licensing).
From a corporate-sales perspective, I also think that it's unlikely this type of move would make a huge impact. Businesses are so often cost driven; as stated above, 'Macbook for Windows' is a more-expensive solution. It'd be targeting a premium or luxury market, not the lion's share of business customers today. I don't doubt that several businesses would buy in, however I still don't see the potential market being large enough for Apple to delve into an official 'Macbook for Windows'. I think the negative PR and perception that would be dealt to the OS X brand as a whole outweigh the potential benefits for a Macbook for Windows solution. I also think it's silly to suggest this would so significantly please investors as laptop sales are a sliver of Apple's overall sales figures.
Last edited:
Apple should hire you to be their financial manager!
[doublepost=1456986596][/doublepost]While true that 92% of computer users run windows, only a very tiny percentage of them buy laptops in the price category and configuration of macbooks. Apple already caters for those who can afford and want a luxury laptop. With the release of the Book, Microsoft already caters for the same fragment of market that use windiws
Besides, apple marketshare has been constantly growing in the declinig market. On top of that, corporations like IBM leave windows and switch to Apple/OSX because it rrequires less support, less technicians and leads to reduced costs in the long run.
So, OSX is superior to Windows, and Apple making windows computers does not make ANY sense.
OSX is not superior to Windows 10. Perhaps it's equal, but it's not better. An operating system is just something to boot up and get out of the way anyway, let the user get to his apps. There is nothing great about OSX, and what you'd call a "feature" of the operating system is really just an app with a Windows equivalent.
Apple making a version of their notebooks specifically for Windows users would only increase their notebook sales by 50X. If that doesn't make sense, I don't know what does.
BJ
[doublepost=1457033784][/doublepost]
When Apple made just the Pro and the Air, yeah, no real need to create a MacBook For Windows version. Those notebooks aren't very special, there are many PC's out there that look similar and are better in some ways. But the RMB is a ground-breaking notebook, no different to its segment than the iPod was to MP3 players back in the day. It's worthy of a Windows user, its form factor is very special. And, remember, a part of the BJ plan is for Apple to create Windows based versions of apps like iMessage and AirDrop, that seamlessness and familiarity with iOS would give it a convenience edge over a Dell or an HP.
Nah, that horse has left the barn. There are Windows people and there are OSX people and they are set in their ways, they own incompatible software/hardware, they don't jump ship. All this would do is allow Windows users to waltz into an Apple store and get a good notebook without the hassles of the Best Buy nightmare. I believe there are millions of people who could care less if something is Apple branded, they just need someone to tell them what to buy.
A lot of what you say is true, but I believe that only a fraction of corporations consider a Mac for their workforce because of operating system incompatibility. An Air isn't that much more expensive than a PC, and Apple build quality means something to IT managers whose craptastic Toshiba's break down frequently.
Investors would be pleased because Apple is sitting on a bit of a goldmine and the only reason that notebook sales are a "sliver" of their overall sales figures is because of their prejudice against Windows users. A bad business move, considering 92% of the welcomed iOS customers through their doors will only compute on a Windows machine. 1/3 of the square footage in some of the most expensive real estate in the world is dedicated to a line of gorgeous notebooks and desktops that only 8% of the shoppers will ever consider buying. That's BMW dedicating 1/3 of the showroom floor to cars without steering wheels. That's McDonald's dedicating 1/3 of the menu to frog's legs. That's bad business. Really bad business.
BJ
Last edited:
If you believe that, why wasting your time in this forum? Lot of us uses Macs just for OS X and see as a cute bonuses the iPhone phone market takeover and the perks of having awesome hardware.
I really do think OS X is the better OS, for me anyways. Sure it doesn't have the app compatibility of Windows, but I only need 1 or 2 Windows-exclusive apps ever which I can easily run natively via Parallels. In my experience, OS X is so much more stable than any version of Windows I've ever used. I have had limited time with Windows 10 but even that still didn't impress me very much. I also enjoy the OS X design, the Mac-specific apps devs create, and the superior hardware/software integration.
The biggest reason for OS X really though is the Apple ecosystem. iMessages, Notes, FaceTime, and so many other apps are already configured via iCloud. Handoff is another example. This single feature is something that you can't imitate whatsoever using Windows. While I would never argue that OS X is a superior operating system for corporations, I think many, many personal users would easily say OS X is the better OS choice.
The biggest reason for OS X really though is the Apple ecosystem. iMessages, Notes, FaceTime, and so many other apps are already configured via iCloud. Handoff is another example. This single feature is something that you can't imitate whatsoever using Windows. While I would never argue that OS X is a superior operating system for corporations, I think many, many personal users would easily say OS X is the better OS choice.