{"id":40565,"date":"2023-09-06T15:35:10","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T19:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=40565"},"modified":"2023-12-08T14:26:36","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T19:26:36","slug":"rumor-of-low-cost-macbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/06\/rumor-of-low-cost-macbook\/","title":{"rendered":"Rumor of Low-Cost MacBook"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tim Hardwick<\/a> (Hacker News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

Apple is developing a low-cost MacBook series to compete with Chromebook models in the education sector that could be launched as early as the second half of 2024, claims a new report out of Taiwan.<\/p>

According to DigiTimes<\/a><\/em>’ industry sources, Apple will likely launch the new product line to differentiate it from the company’s existing MacBook Air and Pro lines. The outer appearance will still use a metal casing but will be made of “different materials” and the cost of the mechanical components will be lower, claims the report.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’ve been wanting Apple to make such a Mac for a long time. If true, this would be the best Mac rumor in a while<\/a>. It doesn’t need to have a Retina display or a metal case, though Apple manages to do that with iPads so perhaps it’s not impossible. That said, I don’t expect that Apple would come close to the Chromebook’s price. Maybe it could hit $499.<\/p>\n\n

Colin Cornaby<\/a>:<\/p>\n

This would be a really good move. They have the low cost hardware components now that can perform well. And I don’t think Apple has built a great educational machine since the last plastic MacBook. I’m hoping the durability improvements over something like a MacBook Air are significant. Students are rough on machines.<\/p>

The build quality on the last plastic MacBooks was actually really amazing. When I worked in schools we had issues with durability on even the iBooks. But those MacBooks were really durable. Not indestructible… But you could drop them and usually not end up with LCD or significant case damage. Can’t say the same about the MacBook Airs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Jason Snell<\/a>:<\/p>\n

If I had a dime for every “Apple’s going to release a low-end product to compete with other low-end devices” rumor, I’d have a hefty bank account by now. And you can find plenty<\/a> of stories debunking this report as “sketchy.” At the risk of giving this report more credulity than it deserves, let me try to understand what this report might actually mean.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

Why does the M1 MacBook Air exist? Because Apple wants to have a product available at a (relatively) low price point: currently it’s $899 for education and $999 for everyone else.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n