Maybe they are banking on the hope that enterprises that are already 'locked in', will continue to purchase and refresh inventory with later models.
And trying to appeal to the wider audience with gimmicks like the touchbar at the top.
Also, I have to say, how many of us, with our complaints, are going to bite our lips and buy a new model anyway. I'm on the border, myself (although refurb'ed has been a go-to for me for years in the Apple space).
Innovation has gotten pained across the board - a separate rant, a separate disappointment for me was the new Pixel. I can't use it to replace my 5X because it costs double and doesn't offer much hardware-wise, but the 'Assistant' is supposed to enter that other gimmick captivating the imagination, the AI.
In Apple's case they're calculating that their changes will expand market share and profitability. I don't have an MBA (the degree, not the discontinued model of laptop) so my brain is too small to comprehend the greatness of the decision-making in the design, but I'm guessing it has to do with the 'thinnest, lightest ever' and 'the stupid bar at the top' bulletpoints.
I don't need a new laptop right now, but I was planning on ordering the 2016 model. After seeing what they offer and the substantial price increase, I'm waiting. And if there isn't anything better in a year or two, I'm going to start looking at PC laptops and switch to Linux.
I just think this is another sign that Apple either doesn't care about Mac or they don't know what to do with it. It's felt like a second-class citizen to iOS for a very long time.
Unfortunately I went from trigger-happy to hesitant, and re-thinking my "Windows = Games, MacOS = Unix shell + Adobe" strategy. See, the problem is that Adobe is the 'killer app suite' that forces me to use one of the platforms. Linux is what runs on my NUC, cloud VPSes and places where stuff serves stuff. Now, I'm re-thinking that strategy.
I'm thinking about Linux as a primary workstation, using the dreaded Gnome UI on a regular basis. And fighting with driver issues. On the other hand, the Thinkpad Linux support talk has me very interested because it sounds solid.
I wonder how many people are investigating other options at this point in time. This is prime time for other vendors to continue to trounce Apple in market share (see the link in my message above for those skeptical about that claim).
I'm tempted to say, Apple doesn't know how to take the Macbook to the next level, which is what they're constantly trying to do.
And trying to appeal to the wider audience with gimmicks like the touchbar at the top.
Also, I have to say, how many of us, with our complaints, are going to bite our lips and buy a new model anyway. I'm on the border, myself (although refurb'ed has been a go-to for me for years in the Apple space).
Innovation has gotten pained across the board - a separate rant, a separate disappointment for me was the new Pixel. I can't use it to replace my 5X because it costs double and doesn't offer much hardware-wise, but the 'Assistant' is supposed to enter that other gimmick captivating the imagination, the AI.
In Apple's case they're calculating that their changes will expand market share and profitability. I don't have an MBA (the degree, not the discontinued model of laptop) so my brain is too small to comprehend the greatness of the decision-making in the design, but I'm guessing it has to do with the 'thinnest, lightest ever' and 'the stupid bar at the top' bulletpoints.