Apple still expected to retire 17-inch MacBook Pro in 2012
With a new MacBook lineup said to be on the way, Apple is expected to discontinue its 17-inch MacBook Pro this year, and might even ax the Pro lineup entirely in favor of the "new MacBook" in 2013.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI said in a research note shared with AppleInsider on Friday that Apple is still planning to retire the 17-inch MacBook Pro in 2012. He expects only the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros will receive updates from Apple this month.
A discontinuation of the 17-inch MacBook Pro is expected to be part of a major shakeup in Apple's notebook lineup. Kuo also indicated on Friday that Apple is apparently planning to introduce an entirely new MacBook lineup next week, with new models positioned between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro sized at 13 and 15 inches.
The 17-inch MacBook Pro would be a logical choice for Apple to retire, as the premium professional notebook only accounted for 1.7 percent of the company's notebook sales in the first quarter of 2012. The most popular option, Kuo said, was the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which took 46.9 percent of sales, followed by an 18.1 percent share for the 13-inch MacBook Air, and 16 percent for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Kuo believes that Apple even plans to go beyond the 17-inch model and potentially discontinue the entire MacBook Pro lineup, replacing it with new 13- and 15-inch notebooks he has referred to as simply the "new MacBook." If the new MacBook proves popular enough, he thinks Apple could reduce its notebook lineup to just four products: the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Airs, and the new 13- and 15-inch MacBooks.
But given a "high sales weighting" for the MacBook Pro, Kuo admitted it would be "difficult" for Apple to quickly discontinue the MacBook Pro. He expects the product will remain on the shelves until 2013, at which point Apple is seen as "likely" to reduce supply of the MacBook Pro to help boost sales of the new MacBook.
The new MacBook series is expected to be a merging of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineups. Apple's new laptops are believed to feature a thinner design and will lack optical disc drives, but will offer more power than the MacBook Air.
Kuo first suggested in April that Apple could discontinue the 17-inch MacBook Pro this year, citing falling shipments of the top-of-the-line notebook. He was the first to indicate in 2011 that Apple planned to phase out its 13-inch polycarbonate MacBook.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI said in a research note shared with AppleInsider on Friday that Apple is still planning to retire the 17-inch MacBook Pro in 2012. He expects only the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros will receive updates from Apple this month.
A discontinuation of the 17-inch MacBook Pro is expected to be part of a major shakeup in Apple's notebook lineup. Kuo also indicated on Friday that Apple is apparently planning to introduce an entirely new MacBook lineup next week, with new models positioned between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro sized at 13 and 15 inches.
The 17-inch MacBook Pro would be a logical choice for Apple to retire, as the premium professional notebook only accounted for 1.7 percent of the company's notebook sales in the first quarter of 2012. The most popular option, Kuo said, was the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which took 46.9 percent of sales, followed by an 18.1 percent share for the 13-inch MacBook Air, and 16 percent for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Kuo believes that Apple even plans to go beyond the 17-inch model and potentially discontinue the entire MacBook Pro lineup, replacing it with new 13- and 15-inch notebooks he has referred to as simply the "new MacBook." If the new MacBook proves popular enough, he thinks Apple could reduce its notebook lineup to just four products: the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Airs, and the new 13- and 15-inch MacBooks.
But given a "high sales weighting" for the MacBook Pro, Kuo admitted it would be "difficult" for Apple to quickly discontinue the MacBook Pro. He expects the product will remain on the shelves until 2013, at which point Apple is seen as "likely" to reduce supply of the MacBook Pro to help boost sales of the new MacBook.
The new MacBook series is expected to be a merging of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineups. Apple's new laptops are believed to feature a thinner design and will lack optical disc drives, but will offer more power than the MacBook Air.
Kuo first suggested in April that Apple could discontinue the 17-inch MacBook Pro this year, citing falling shipments of the top-of-the-line notebook. He was the first to indicate in 2011 that Apple planned to phase out its 13-inch polycarbonate MacBook.
Comments
What crap, if true.
Now, it's conceivable that they might drop the 'pro' from the name, but dropping the entire line - and not making a 17" laptop? Absurd.
I don't believe it...
I seriously doubt this guy is privileged to what apple is doing in 2013. Most devs I work with are on 15" MBPs, for them to just take it away, just doesn't seem logical.
I do rarely see the 17" in the wild any more. I remember one year at WWDC it was a dominating notebook, but not so much now days.
I can picture them being able to do this with a high res display. We shall see.
Dammit. Still highly skeptical of this.
"The 17-inch MacBook Pro would be a logical choice for Apple to retire, as the premium professional notebook only accounted for 1.7 percent of the company's notebook sales in the first quarter of 2012."
So this suggests that future sales will be as flat? Perhaps all of us who use a 17" are waiting for a refresh. As a full-time RVer on the road, my 17" provides me with much needed screen space plus had multiple inputs...and yes, I use the optical drive, too, to burn DVDs/CDs. A desktop or iMac would never do in our limited space.
Sure I have an iPad, iPhone, iPods for various other functions but heavily depend on my 17". 15" is just too small.
good idea
i think Apple should firmly drive a message home that these 'desktop replacement' size machienes dont fall into line with modern day multi-device computing
these so called professionals moaning about this should head over to the world of Windows - plenty of options there - you guys are too old school for the modern Apple world
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Total, unadulterated nonsense. Why in the world would Apple drop an entire very successful product line?
Now, it's conceivable that they might drop the 'pro' from the name, but dropping the entire line - and not making a 17" laptop? Absurd.
The 17" is less then 2% of sales man, nothing absurd about discontinuing it.
That is ridiculous.
I believe this is true. 17" MacBook Pro is dead and will become merely a collectors item. But I don't care. The 17" is no longer required now we're getting these incredible retina displays in the 15" model. It has all the screen resolution we need.
s'obvious
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bounou
The 17" is less then 2% of sales man, nothing absurd about discontinuing it.
Yeah, it makes sense to me. The fad of the large laptop is over. People want normal to small size laptops.
As for the Macbook Pro line disappearing. It sounds like they are just rebranding it, although I think the "Macbook Pro" brand has more prestige.
I just wonder if the new laptop would include a Retina Display with Multi-Touch input.
If not now, I imagine that would be something coming soon.
So you accept everything you read? How in the world would this analyst know Apple's sales by product to within 0.1%?
You can trace the source of this rumor. Some time ago, an analyst stated that Apple sold 30 13" MBPs for every 17" unit sold and that the 13" accounted for 50% of sales. There was no evidence to back their claim and no methodology - yet everyone seems to have accepted it even though the results just don't look plausible:
13" 50%
15" 48.3%
17" 1.7%
That distribution doesn't sound plausible - since the price differential between the 13" and 15" is close to the same as the differential between the 15" and 17".
I'll believe it when I see it.
Doesn't make any sense to me.
Why not just unify all the different models into one new design under one brand name available in 12", 14", 16"
Plus an all new design iMac available in 20" 24", 28".
Apple will lose my laptop business if they do this. I work in development and infrastructure and every bit of screen space is needed. Simply cramming more data into a smaller screen due to a higher pixel density is useless if you can't see what's there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJRumpy
Apple will lose my laptop business if they do this. I work in development and infrastructure and every bit of screen space is needed. Simply cramming more data into a smaller screen due to a higher pixel density is useless if you can't see what's there.
Do you not understand what a retina display will do? It's pixel quadrupling. For every one pixel before, there will be four pixels now. It's clarity, not extra screen space.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonard
Yeah, it makes sense to me. The fad of the large laptop is over. People want normal to small size laptops.
As for the Macbook Pro line disappearing. It sounds like they are just rebranding it, although I think the "Macbook Pro" brand has more prestige.
The 17" MBP doesn't sell well anymore because it's just too expensive. The cheapest model is over 2 grand compared to half that for the 13" model.
Compare that with the windows PCs where 17" laptops are still very popular as desktop replacements because there isn't such a big price hike from 13" and 15" models.
I'm not sure we'll be any the wiser on Monday as I've never known Apple to announce an EOL at a keynote. They usually so it very quietly when nobody is looking.
Apple should just discontinue all computers and sell iPhone and iPad appliances. This year marks the last dollar I will ever spend on Apple ecosystem. Enough is enough.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Do you not understand what a retina display will do? It's pixel quadrupling. For every one pixel before, there will be four pixels now. It's clarity, not extra screen space.
You realise that the flip side of that equation is that while the number of pixel is quadrupling, the resolution is doubling?
That extra clarity is because things can be drawn at a finer resolution.
It also means that if things are drawn at the same resolution at they currently are, you can fit a helluva lot more on the same sized screen.
At least until Apple gets into the diaper business. Then you may want to consider wearing them.