Apple computers and the Mac OS are known for their simplicity in both design and operation, and the Macbook Air still reigns supreme in the realm of portable powerhouse and mobility, but Apple has yet to announce any specific plans to produce a netbook running the Mac OS.
Acting Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly alluded to the possibility of a Mac Netbook during a meeting with top analyst Toni Sacconaghi. Previously, Apple higher-ups claimed that the iPhone is essentially Apple’s contribution the ultra-cheap ultra-portable netbook marketpool, leaving the MacBook Air in it’s own expensive category.
Calling the iPhone a netbook would be fine, after all, pricing is roughly the same, with the initial cost of a 16G 3G iPhone currently set at $299, but whatever CEO suggested this neglected to acknowledge that paying upwards of $100 monthly for access to the 3G network ups the price significantly, arguably putting it out of the competitive price range for most netbook purchasers.
Why Apple hasn’t jumped on the netbook train, a train that, as the numbers indicate, won’t be derailing anytime soon, is a mystery. You don’t have to be an analyst with an inordinate salary to realize that the burgeoning netbook market has more than enough room for a 10 inch netbook with the Apple logo on the back of it. A snazzy Steve Jobs-esque press announcement about a new, smartly designed, moderately powerful netbook running a Mac OS would create enough media buzz amongst the blogosphere and with the Mac-faithful to sell an insane amount of netbooks. Imagine how much Apple entering the netbook market at full speed could potentially hurt arch-nemesis Window’s currently dominant market share.
Now, that’s something that would make Steve Jobs feel better.
I don’t see Apple in the Netbook market.
They have always been very careful at marketing models that aren’t likely to step on the next model. Think they want to sell Minis?
Everyone thinks Jobs is stupid for not having a sweet spot $699 decent powered rig. Sell millions. True. But at 10% margins.
That $799 Mini isn’t much of a deal but it sure makes that iMac at $1299 an easy bump. Like a woman who stands next to a heavy girl at the party.
How many Netbooks would Apple need to sell at a minuscule, for them, margin to equal one Macbook profit? How much extra support staff, programmers would you need to ensure the “Apple Experience” and not cheapen the brand?
Apple competes with Apple. If they make a model change it only hits their hardware.
Jobs has seen that strategy. He got booted from Apple and watched a steady march of the company he built off a cliff driven by bean counter CEOs. Woz built the hardware. Jobs built Apple. He had talented people that helped him. But the direction was his, those were folks he hired.
You listen to some of the current things people suggest. Sell OSX to run on non-Macs? Get down in the mud and license quality clones to sell to fill the gaps in models? Go for market share by lowering margins? It damn near killed the company.
A Netbook has very little upside for Apple. They are a hardware company and Microsoft isn’t. You are basically asking them to fight on two levels. Software with the OS and hardware. It would totally screw up the model mix and the sales wouldn’t primarily be taking one from MS and Asus, it would be canceling a Macbook sale.
Apple Netbook DIY // Feb 23, 2009 at 7:39 pm
[...] still has not entered the netbook market. Apple fanatics do not despair; Gizmodo has an excellent tutorial on how to [...]
Apple to Succumb to Netbook Pressure? // Mar 11, 2009 at 4:23 am
[...] talked about the possibility of an Apple netbook several times in the past, and by the looks of it Apple has done their own research. Commenters and industry [...]