MacBook: Core 2 Duo or Price drop?
Two things on this thread:
1) Which would you prefer...seeing the core 2 duo introduced into the MacBook by the holiday season, or seeing the price drop about $100 or $200 instead?
2) Which seems more likely? What would MacBook sales look like if the thing were $200 cheaper? How would apple's stock be affected by such an announcement? If people are already buying the MacBook without the core 2, what incentive would that give?
Personally, I dont think adding the core 2 duo will do much for sales. What needs to happen is attracting more people away from PC and to the MacBook. For instance, the comparable dell laptop runs for about $800. If I try to buy a macbook with the same specs, its going to be about $400 more (at least). The OS alone isnt going to catch people by the holidays...esp if Lepoard isn't out yet. So....forget the core 2 in macbooks. Macbook Pro is a different story, but just give me a price drop on the MB for christmas. (I havent bought one yet because I expect either the upgrade or price drop to happen soon)
Apple stock would definitely be helped by such a price drop...especially if the company has been working hard to decrease the cost of production. If you decrease the cost of production, and decrease the sale price, sales will increase and your revenue should go up too. The Core 2 Duo is not that big of a deal to people who are buying a macbook. I'm not going to run crazy videogames on any laptop anyways, I just want to word process and watch dvds on the plane. 1.83 ghz and 1gb ram is good enough.
What do you all think?
1) Which would you prefer...seeing the core 2 duo introduced into the MacBook by the holiday season, or seeing the price drop about $100 or $200 instead?
2) Which seems more likely? What would MacBook sales look like if the thing were $200 cheaper? How would apple's stock be affected by such an announcement? If people are already buying the MacBook without the core 2, what incentive would that give?
Personally, I dont think adding the core 2 duo will do much for sales. What needs to happen is attracting more people away from PC and to the MacBook. For instance, the comparable dell laptop runs for about $800. If I try to buy a macbook with the same specs, its going to be about $400 more (at least). The OS alone isnt going to catch people by the holidays...esp if Lepoard isn't out yet. So....forget the core 2 in macbooks. Macbook Pro is a different story, but just give me a price drop on the MB for christmas. (I havent bought one yet because I expect either the upgrade or price drop to happen soon)
Apple stock would definitely be helped by such a price drop...especially if the company has been working hard to decrease the cost of production. If you decrease the cost of production, and decrease the sale price, sales will increase and your revenue should go up too. The Core 2 Duo is not that big of a deal to people who are buying a macbook. I'm not going to run crazy videogames on any laptop anyways, I just want to word process and watch dvds on the plane. 1.83 ghz and 1gb ram is good enough.
What do you all think?
Comments
However, I don't know if the Core is going to be significantly cheaper than the Core 2. Do we know that for sure?
It would definitely be better to drop the price. Virtually no purchaser will know whether it's a Core or a Core 2, and, according to everything I've seen, it won't make any difference in the speed, battery life, heat, or anything else.
However, I don't know if the Core is going to be significantly cheaper than the Core 2. Do we know that for sure?
If they decide to update the MB to the Core2 and they increase the price, that would be a dumb idea, and just shouldnt happen. So, I posted this on the assumption that the Core2 is in fact more expensive than the core (for apple to buy and put in its machines). Then, they are faced with the choice of either upgrading the MB to core2 at the same price or keeping the MBs as they are and simply dropping the price. Either option means less revenue per macbook. A business will only accept a loss of revenue per unit for two reasons: 1) it can sell more units at a lower price and make up for the loss in revenue, or 2) the fixed cost of producing macbooks has actually dropped. If #2 is the case, you could keep your profits per unit the same, and still sell more units. This means that Intel would have dropped the price of the core duo to apple...does anyone know if this is happening?
David
My bet is the same as the minis - bump them to the next core duo up the ladder. I don't think the plan has ever been for the consumer portable to have the same CPU as the pro one, but that has been the case for years because of the G5 powerbook problem and Steve Jobs not wanting Apple to ship anything with a Pentium inside it. When the MBP goes Core2, normal service will have been resumed.
David
So you dont think the MB will have any changes? You dont think their strategy will change at all before Christmas??
So you dont think the MB will have any changes? You dont think their strategy will change at all before Christmas??
They will update their bestselling computer before christmas.
When Apple updates their MacBook Pro line they are forced to update their MacBook line as well.
As far as I can see, they have 3 options:
01. Apple releases faster CoreDuo MacBooks (2.0Ghz/2.16Ghz)
02. Apple releases Core2Duo MacBooks with the current speed (1.83Ghz/2.0Ghz)
03. Apple is confident about its Pro line and Intels ability to increase processor specs every 6 months, they release Core2Duo Macbooks with 2.0Ghz/2.16Ghz
They will update their bestselling computer before christmas.
Why? It's already their bestselling computer. Wouldnt it just sell better if you drop the price? It's the best selling MAC, but it's not the bestselling laptop. If they want to increase market share (and investors sure want them to) then they should drop the price and compete with the cheaper dells. People are finding it hard to justify an extra $400 to $500 for the MacOS, even if it is better. Give us a cheaper MB, Apple!
Why drop the price if it sells itself already (to good)?
The upgrade is necessary to prevent sales to dip after a MacBook Pro upgrade.
The current processor isn't that much cheaper as the Core2Duo, so up the specs and charge the same is the best thing to do for Apple.
Anyway, if Apple updates their MacBook line the current line of MacBooks (if) available at resellers, will get cheaper. Or try a refurbished models from Apple.
On the other hand, maybe they do both with the higher end systems:
Drop prices up specs and memory.
But I don't expect a cheaper standard MacBook with 1GB ram this time around,
512MB max, just like the cheapest iMac.
They will update their bestselling computer before christmas.
When Apple updates their MacBook Pro line they are forced to update their MacBook line as well.
As far as I can see, they have 3 options:
01. Apple releases faster CoreDuo MacBooks (2.0Ghz/2.16Ghz)
02. Apple releases Core2Duo MacBooks with the current speed (1.83Ghz/2.0Ghz)
03. Apple is confident about its Pro line and Intels ability to increase processor specs every 6 months, they release Core2Duo Macbooks with 2.0Ghz/2.16Ghz
Option 1 and 2 make sense to me. Option 3 keeps the Macbook to close in specs and performance to the MBPs. I think there ought to be more separation given the price difference. Really what I hope will happen is that Apple will keep core duos in the MBs and drop the prices. I don't know if Intel has dropped core duos prices in order for this to make sense though.
Excellent!
Once the 64bit really takes off, like around sometime next year with Santa Rosa, then C2D might matter.
But for now, a pricedrop would sound so much more intruiging.
is that a real picture? just asking
WOOOOT just convinced my boss to get me a MBP
Virtually no purchaser will know whether it's a Core or a Core 2
I'm not too sure about this.... Intel's marketing blitz for the Core 2 Duo is well underway. I have seen several advertisements for it on TV, and I don't even watch much television.