Apple shipped 1.1 million MacBook Neo units in the first quarter of the year, according to IDC, making it one of the strongest Mac debut performances in recent memory (via TechCrunch). The figure is particularly striking given that the laptop was only available for roughly three weeks of the period, having gone on sale in mid-March. Shipments began spiking from early April, suggesting the March tally understates underlying demand.
It’s interesting because it completely bucks the normal Apple trend where the best selling devices are their most premium offerings. People who buy Apple devices don’t usually want the cheapest base models, those folks usually turn to cheaper mid-market alternatives from other brands.
The fact that MacBook Neos are their top selling laptop is objectively sensational news precisely because, and to the contrary of your suggestion, it was not predictable at all.
For the last six years the MacBook Air was the cheapest option with the MacBook Pro being the premium option. During this time the more expensive MacBook Pro was the best seller between the two when you look at consumer sales.
There’s an argument that the air is overpriced so it was worth paying more for a better option. Now that the cheap option starts at 40% cheaper than the cheapest air, it is a good value. I’m not making that argument as I have no stake or knowledge in apple sales, just throwing out possible reasons. I think it’s more likely that they are poaching Windows users to some degree.
It’s interesting because it completely bucks the normal Apple trend where the best selling devices are their most premium offerings. People who buy Apple devices don’t usually want the cheapest base models, those folks usually turn to cheaper mid-market alternatives from other brands.
The fact that MacBook Neos are their top selling laptop is objectively sensational news precisely because, and to the contrary of your suggestion, it was not predictable at all.
Err have there ever been cheap laptop option from Apple for Apple customers to turn to?
For the last six years the MacBook Air was the cheapest option with the MacBook Pro being the premium option. During this time the more expensive MacBook Pro was the best seller between the two when you look at consumer sales.
There’s a massive market for workplaces and education that fill their inventory for frontline and mass deployments.
Moving to a chip they probably over produced was a smart choice
There’s an argument that the air is overpriced so it was worth paying more for a better option. Now that the cheap option starts at 40% cheaper than the cheapest air, it is a good value. I’m not making that argument as I have no stake or knowledge in apple sales, just throwing out possible reasons. I think it’s more likely that they are poaching Windows users to some degree.