HobeSoundDarryl

doggone said:

Now Apple releasing a low cost Mac will push the competition into an even lower margin market than it already is.  The cheapest MacBook Air is 999 so Apple releasing a cheaper offering at 799 would be typical of them.  I would like them to be more aggressive maybe 599 but it is not very Apple.  This would hit windows laptop hard and compete in the same price range.  There is no point trying to compete with Chromebooks yet.

You do realize- and if not, perhaps a few searches are in order- that there is SUBSTANTIAL competition already well below $799 and even $599 in laptops. Try doing some searches for "best laptops under $800" and under $600... and under $400 and $250 too. They won't have to cut their margins to compete with a new cheaper Mac(?) if they are already substantially BELOW either price. If you assume this is ONLY Chromebook territory, slug Windows into the search words.

Where your margin worries apply is that those competitors can pack more computer into those lower prices... because they are not chasing towards 50% margin on each unit sold. On the other hand, Apple seems to be a margin-foremost company, so a hypothetical $600-$800 A-series MB can't have total costs out the door of more than $300-$400 for the actual computer. 

What this could do- if true and it actually pans out- is provide a little lower entry price to a Mac laptop. Since cheaper Air is already the most popular Mac laptop, if price drives computer popularity among the masses, perhaps this becomes the NEW, most-popular-Mac laptop? I don't know if that's a good or bad thing though. More adoption can bring some benefits to all Apple people. However, cutting baseline specs for 'most popular' can result in app choices that cater towards low specs. 

If me, I'd probably keyboard case an iPad and scratch this apparent internal itch with further evolved iPad OS. But where's the $300-$400 margin per keyboard case sold? So bring on the A-Series MB MIN... presumably with standard (Apple) upgrade pricing for core tech so that a favorably-specced one runs right up into Air and low PRO territory like Mac Mini vs. Studio or Air vs. PRO considerations now.