With the refresh of the iMac and the “lower-end” MacBook last week it seems that Apple has once again disregarded the idea that a cheaper option in the Mac family is needed. Most Mac enthusiasts are touting that the $999.99 white, plastic, unibody MacBook is a “great value” and that this is a great price point for entrance into the Mac family. With the release of Windows 7 the web is full of insane deals on new notebooks, netbooks, and desktops that are damn good. Does Apple need to do something about the “middle-of-the-road” consumer line who wants quality but not at a premium cost.
The Tablet Argument
Most analysts are saying that the tablet is coming (yes, they are still talking about it) and that the tablet will be the device that finishes the Mac family. On, average most analysts speculate a $700 dollar price tag. They say that it will be bigger than an iPod Touch yet smaller than a MacBook; physically and monetarily in the middle of the road. But, for $700 you could get a sweet Windows 7 machine with the same specs as a $999.99 MacBook.
Although $700 is a good price for a decently powered notebook, a tablet priced at that amount seems, well, sort of useless to the common consumer. Apple will once again have to create the need for this device, the same way that they have created the need for the iPod and iPhone in the past, and you better believe that consumers will buy it even if it isn’t a netbook.
Apple products aren’t cheap, because Apple isn’t cheap
Just because every other company has to charge less for more product does not mean that Apple does. In fact Apple has convinced us that what they give consumers is a premium experience and in return they expect a premium profit.
Apple has and will continue to convince consumers that their products are hands down the best on the market. Not just with clever marketing but with price. They will continue to keep their prices relatively high compared to any competitor. This helps make the consumer feel that he has purchased a product that is different, cool, and so much more valuable than the other guys.
Because of this, even with three Windows 7 machines for $1,199, Apple may never have to relatively lower there prices. Consumers will pay for the added perceived value and Apple does not need a cheaper option.
Suggested Reading:
- The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience
(Amazon Associate Link)
- Mac OS X Snow Leopard: The Missing Manual
(Amazon Associate Link)
- Cocoa Design Patterns
(Amazon Associate Link)
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In our society of cheaper, faster, and more, I think that we overlook that folks tend to keep their Macs longer and require less maintenance and help during their ownership. This all leads to lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to use a popular biz term. Plus, if you actually look at any of the Macs and match them up feature-for-feature, the actual cost difference isn’t much.
All that being said, I don’t own a Mac. My daughter has a MacBook and we bought an iMac for my son, but I don’t use them often since I’m a Windows support dude. I LOVE using the Mac, but like Linux, it doesn’t require a lot of tweaking and coddling like Windows does.
Rick you are right.
I haven’t owned my Mac for that long, but I feel that the build quality, tech support, and just overall quality is worth the price payed.
I feel like the aluminum construction of my MacBook is quite amazing and know that this thing will last way longer than I even expect it to. The only thing that I may have to change on it would be the battery after a couple of years, which is par for the course on a notebook.
I love my Mac!
Oh, yeah, the new aluminum MacBooks ooze quality. And the feel of a Macbook keyboard is second to none…IMHO.