Apple netbook coming soon?
Ok, I’m still trying to get back into a normal posting rhythm here following being on my deathbed, and even though I’ve already posted something today, I thought I’d make a couple of comments about recent speculation of an Apple netbook (ironically, not an Apple tablet computer). It’s widely suspected that Apple will be announcing product refreshes on the 14th, and possibly, some new products.
A recent article seems to speculate that when this product line refresh/announcement happens, there will be an Apple netbook once the dust settles. I don’t want to steal the meat of the article and completely savage what is a well-thought out article, so here’s the gist of it, and I highly suggest you go read it for more:
Apple will consolidate product lines and re-introduce the MacBook as an Apple netbook.
That’s the basic idea, but of course the reasoning and speculation are far more thought-out that my super-duper summary is. However, I’m going to disagree with the idea and stick to a much more common opinion that we’ll see changes, but nothing that drastic.
I maintain that we can expect an Apple tablet computer some time next year (Macworld), and that we’re going to see everything get a product refresh, but there won’t be any new products introduced. The greater majority of the speculation (I’d have to turn this page into a linkfarm to point to all of them) seems to indicate nothing more than a regular product refresh for all of the portable Apple machines, and possibly the Apple Mac Mini (which is sort of original mainstream nettop, isn’t it?).
While one of the points used to backup the article is the price point, and there’s been a lot of word on Apple cutting prices on their machines (their stock calls even admit this), I’m not sure I can see Apple jumping into the netbook market right now. Apple isn’t the type to jump on whatever new bandwagon is around, they’re more likely to jump into and create a market. Remember the Newton? How about all of the all-in-one computers around now? Touchscreens on phones? They’re innovators, not followers. Even though the netbook market is huge, I think they’re working on something bigger and better (smaller and better?) and it’s not a netbook.
Look for a regular product refresh: new CPUs, and possibly new video in the MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and the MacBook Air. And with any luck, also the Mac Mini because I think that’d be the perfect machine for my media needs, if only it had a better video card to help offload the video work.
jkOnTheRun has the original article speculating on the Apple netbook.
