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The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

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Re: The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

#41

Post by toyg »

arnvald wrote: post #31
akshayB wrote: post #14

Apple have created a mess by providing multiple options between Airs and Pros. If you upgrade the RAM to 16GB on Air it surpasses the base model of Pro and similarly other storage options. At that point you should rather buy a Pro over Air because the only major difference is size. Lot of this is totally confusing for non-technical folks and they might just end-up making a wrong purchase.

I completely agree. I've been using MacBook Air mid 2013 for the last 5 years and it's a great laptop. Now I'm considering buying a new one, and Airs just don't make sense for me anymore. In Singapore the difference in price between cheapest Air and cheapest Pro is less than SG$100 (US$70). The only advantage of Air is longer battery life, but that's it. I think at this point the Air series should be merged with MacB…

> The only advantage of Air is longer battery life

And less weight.

(I was going to say "and less volume", but one end of the Air is actually thicker than the MBP, so overall volume might not be that different in the end - even though it does look smaller.)

Re: The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

#42

Post by drb91 »

logicallee wrote: post #38
drb91 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously. I just bought one for travel and loaded it with ram and I couldn’t be happier.

>and I couldn’t be happier. Even with the keyboard? May I ask how fast you type (roughly) and whether you use it much for text input (such as emails) or programming?

I mean the keyboard isn’t amazing: the key travel is still tiny. But, it doesn’t have that top row replaced with a touch screen, which I would never look at (let alone touch) anyway.

EDIT: ahh, you were wondering about the size. I have small hands and type on it with ease. No complaints :)

Re: The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

#44

Post by toyg »

xoa wrote: post #15

So I did a search in the article for the word "inflation" and found no hits, but I think it's something that the tech world is going to have to start getting used to after decades in the steep part of a S-curve that let it defy the normal. In most of the developed world at least inflation is generally quite low, but it's not zero (nor is zero or worse deflation a healthy sign). For electronics there has been a long t…

Inflation has been in the (low) single digits for about 20 years in most developed nations.

An iPhone cost $200 in 2008.

The combined rate of inflation in the US since 2008 is 17.2%. So an iPhone should cost less than $240 today, if inflation were the main driving factor.

The cheapest iPhone costs $450 now. The technological equivalent of that 2008 model costs almost 3x.

Inflation is not a driving factor. You could raise IT prices 5% YOY and nobody would bat an eyelid.

Re: The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

#45

Post by charlesju »

logicallee wrote: post #38
drb91 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously. I just bought one for travel and loaded it with ram and I couldn’t be happier.

>and I couldn’t be happier. Even with the keyboard? May I ask how fast you type (roughly) and whether you use it much for text input (such as emails) or programming?

Keyboard is definitely fine. I don't notice any issue with it when I travel and am forced to type on it.

But in general, I don't type on the Macbook when I travel. I usually have an ergo set up with a portable keyboard and touch pad and laptop stand.

Portable Apple Keyboard: http://a.co/d/4mKQqL1

Portable Apple Touchpad: http://a.co/d/acoXyuK

Portable Laptop Stand: http://a.co/d/2GSLqIa

Re: The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

#46

Post by bryanlarsen »

toyg wrote: post #44
xoa wrote: post #15

So I did a search in the article for the word "inflation" and found no hits, but I think it's something that the tech world is going to have to start getting used to after decades in the steep part of a S-curve that let it defy the normal. In most of the developed world at least inflation is generally quite low, but it's not zero (nor is zero or worse deflation a healthy sign). For electronics there has been a long t…

Inflation has been in the (low) single digits for about 20 years in most developed nations. An iPhone cost $200 in 2008. The combined rate of inflation in the US since 2008 is 17.2%. So an iPhone should cost less than $240 today, if inflation were the main driving factor. The cheapest iPhone costs $450 now. The technological equivalent of that 2008 model costs almost 3x. Inflation is not a driving factor. You could r…

The 2008 iPhone cost $200 + $480 of operator subsidies.

Re: The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

#48

Post by mh8h »

geodel wrote: post #32
rectang wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weren't the keyboard reliability issues largely addressed with the addition of membranes which keep out debris? Or is it a change of feel that you're hoping for?

I think MBP 2018 and new MBA have different keyboards. MBP just added improvements but MBA one is called 3rd gen keyboards.

The first gen was the first 12" Macbook. The second gen was the MBP with the high failure rate. The 3rd gen was the design with the additional membrane that was introduced with the MBP update earlier this year.

Re: The 2018 MacBook Air is the iPhone X’s ASP strategy all over again

#49

Post by bbrodriguez »

xoa wrote: post #15

So I did a search in the article for the word "inflation" and found no hits, but I think it's something that the tech world is going to have to start getting used to after decades in the steep part of a S-curve that let it defy the normal. In most of the developed world at least inflation is generally quite low, but it's not zero (nor is zero or worse deflation a healthy sign). For electronics there has been a long t…

When I started seeing posts of people complaining about the price, it was mainly complaints about how the updated model was more expensive than the outdated model that languished for several years. I would argue that the new model still launched at a cheaper price but the rate of price reduction definitely slowed down enough for people to notice. Considering the first MacBook Air launched in 2008 at $1,799 starting price, that would be around $2,100 in today's dollars adjusted for inflation. Then the second gen launched at a reduced base price of $1,299 in 2010. That would be around $1,530 today. Compare that to the 2018 version that just launched for $1,199 which is still several hundred dollars cheaper.

I think the rate of price reduction in tech has slowed down enough that even though the prices are being reduced, the inflation offsets the perceived price reduction and ordinary people just get upset that Apple jacked up the prices yet again.

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