Apple shipped 1.1 million MacBook Neo units in the first quarter of the year, according to IDC, making it one of the strongest Mac debut performances in recent memory (via TechCrunch). The figure is particularly striking given that the laptop was only available for roughly three weeks of the period, having gone on sale in mid-March. Shipments began spiking from early April, suggesting the March tally understates underlying demand.
Yes, and there’s clearly been a market for more affordable Apple products for a long time.
I run all Linux at home, but I an enthused about Apple silicon and I like the fact that macOS is certified UNIX, making a lot of aspects of working with it more similar to Linux than working with Windows.
I’m poor, but I plan on saving up and eventually getting one just so I have a functional modern Apple device for once in my life. (Other than when I was 12 and my parents bought a 66mhz PowerPC Macintosh)
I was thinking of getting one in the future for similar reasons. My current laptop is an Intel Mac from 2011 running Ubuntu (Windowmaker session). It runs macOS and Ubuntu well enough, but it does run hot and the fans are loud.
My only fear is that unlike previous MacBooks, when macOS expires the device could become e-waste rather than something I can install linux on.
Valid fear especially considering Asahi Linux is being developed for the M-series chips from Apple and this laptop is technically an A-series chip that they usually use in their phones. There’s no telling on if or when there could be even baseline Linux support for it!
I was making the complete opposite point, actually. That’s why it’s not surprising in the slightest. Just like cars, phones, and other tech. The base model moves the most. It’s always been that way. This is probably the least surprising headline I’ve heard about Apple in years.
The base model moves the most. It’s always been that way.
Except that it doesn’t, and hasn’t been that way in more than a decade. In any given Apple tech lineup the more premium options always sell the most. This is a surprising headline because it actually defies the expectation.
What you said would make more sense if you were comparing laptops across brands, but not when comparing Apple devices.
I am both surprised and also entirely not surprised. I forgot it’s Apple we’re talking about. Of course they sell more of the expensive model.
So all it took was for them to finally price one of their products competitively, compared to the performance of the competition, for the base model to become the sales leader.
Can it also be the case that a lot of the buyers are first time Apple users that have never owned a macbook because of the price? So it’s an entirely new segment of users. Most people buying the flagship models are likely repeat customers.
Isn’t it their cheapest model?
Yes, and there’s clearly been a market for more affordable Apple products for a long time.
I run all Linux at home, but I an enthused about Apple silicon and I like the fact that macOS is certified UNIX, making a lot of aspects of working with it more similar to Linux than working with Windows.
I’m poor, but I plan on saving up and eventually getting one just so I have a functional modern Apple device for once in my life. (Other than when I was 12 and my parents bought a 66mhz PowerPC Macintosh)
I was thinking of getting one in the future for similar reasons. My current laptop is an Intel Mac from 2011 running Ubuntu (Windowmaker session). It runs macOS and Ubuntu well enough, but it does run hot and the fans are loud.
My only fear is that unlike previous MacBooks, when macOS expires the device could become e-waste rather than something I can install linux on.
Valid fear especially considering Asahi Linux is being developed for the M-series chips from Apple and this laptop is technically an A-series chip that they usually use in their phones. There’s no telling on if or when there could be even baseline Linux support for it!
I actually forgot that this machine isn’t M-series. Thanks for the reminder!
Not only cheapest, it’s the cheapest by far.
Exactly. So none of this is really surprising.
Yes, which is why this news is surprising.
I was making the complete opposite point, actually. That’s why it’s not surprising in the slightest. Just like cars, phones, and other tech. The base model moves the most. It’s always been that way. This is probably the least surprising headline I’ve heard about Apple in years.
Except that it doesn’t, and hasn’t been that way in more than a decade. In any given Apple tech lineup the more premium options always sell the most. This is a surprising headline because it actually defies the expectation.
What you said would make more sense if you were comparing laptops across brands, but not when comparing Apple devices.
I am both surprised and also entirely not surprised. I forgot it’s Apple we’re talking about. Of course they sell more of the expensive model.
So all it took was for them to finally price one of their products competitively, compared to the performance of the competition, for the base model to become the sales leader.
I am vastly disconnected from the Apple world.
Yeah I think you’re on the money now. I think the Neo is just genuinely a good deal even compared to non-Mac budget competition.
Can it also be the case that a lot of the buyers are first time Apple users that have never owned a macbook because of the price? So it’s an entirely new segment of users. Most people buying the flagship models are likely repeat customers.
That is the scenario that this data suggests.