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

The article is wrong when it says: Absolutely nobody who knows anything about Macs – or computers of any kind – is going to recommend that they buy the old model.

Two things better on the old model: keyboard and MagSafe.

I'm glad I own an older Macbook Pro Retina. I'd always have "keyboard anxiety" with any of the new models: is this the day my keyboard fails? And: do I dare take my laptop outside? Will airborne dust get into the keyboard mechanism?

Bah!

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

#5

Post by sys_64738 » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 2:32 PM UTC

PhantomGremlin wrote: post #4

The article is wrong when it says: Absolutely nobody who knows anything about Macs – or computers of any kind – is going to recommend that they buy the old model. Two things better on the old model: keyboard and MagSafe. I'm glad I own an older Macbook Pro Retina. I'd always have "keyboard anxiety" with any of the new models: is this the day my keyboard fails? And: do I dare take my laptop outside? Will airborne dust…

MagSafe is very cool and given the investment in power bricks I have around here it'll be a hard habit to break.

For me the most interesting aspect here is knowing there's an upgrade path now for legacy MBA and Mini owners.

Legacy MBA owners don't generally want modern MBP laptops due to price/keyboard/etc but don't want the MB either as it looks like a toy.

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

#6

Post by Synaesthesia » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 2:35 PM UTC

Because it’s smaller?

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

#7

Post by hencoappel » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 2:41 PM UTC

ape4 wrote: post #3

They use helium to make it lighter (joke)

A reference to the article about helium breaking iPhones?

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

#8

Post by geodel » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 2:43 PM UTC

I think weight wise MacBook Air is not much lighter than MacBook Pro 13". But it is about 500 dollar cheaper than MBP with newer 8th gen processor. I guess will wait until MBA gets cheaper or cheaper MBPs get new processor and keyboard.

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

#9

Post by pier25 » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 2:50 PM UTC

geodel wrote: post #8

I think weight wise MacBook Air is not much lighter than MacBook Pro 13". But it is about 500 dollar cheaper than MBP with newer 8th gen processor. I guess will wait until MBA gets cheaper or cheaper MBPs get new processor and keyboard.

> and keyboard

I'm also waiting for new keyboards but I fear it will take a couple of years.

I imagine a new keyboard means a complete redesign, and considering the new MBPs were released in late 2016 I doubt we will see new models before 2020.

Apple used to release new Mac models ever 2-3 years but the Mac line is not a priority anymore (it's only 10% of Apple's revenue).

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

#10

Post by falcolas » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 2:50 PM UTC

PhantomGremlin wrote: post #4

The article is wrong when it says: Absolutely nobody who knows anything about Macs – or computers of any kind – is going to recommend that they buy the old model. Two things better on the old model: keyboard and MagSafe. I'm glad I own an older Macbook Pro Retina. I'd always have "keyboard anxiety" with any of the new models: is this the day my keyboard fails? And: do I dare take my laptop outside? Will airborne dust…

Not to mention that CPU technology hasn't advanced sufficiently to render the old model obsolete. Most, if not all, tasks you can do on the new model can still be done quite competently on the old model.