If Apple makes a MacBook with iPhone parts, as is being reported, do we call it an iBook? Regardless of the name, we can probably call it cheap.
Apple is said to be making a lower-cost MacBook using processors found in the iPhone, targeting students and casual users, all to increase MacBook sales by challenging Chromebooks and cheaper Windows machines. Reports say it could come in some fun colors, too.
In this week’s episode of One More Thing, which you can watch embedded above, I explain why an iPhone chip can make sense in a MacBook. But what price is considered “budget” for Apple? After all, this is a company selling a $150 designer knitted iPhone holder that resembles a sock.
Taking on a Chromebook is a battle beyond price tags. It’s about winning over schools, where the Chromebook machine rules the classroom. For Apple to entice K-12, this machine needs to be durable, repairable, and easy for IT departments to lock down.
Apple knows the value of working with education. Colorful iMac G3 Apple machines were a staple of so many classrooms in the ’90s — leading to loyal customers when my generation grew up. Apple has tried to push iPads for classrooms, but it just didn’t stick.
Could a new generation of grade-school students find themselves working with colorful Macs? At home, perhaps. At school? That education discount will need to be mighty tempting to get educators to even consider trashing their entrenched Google systems.
If you’re looking for more One More Thing, subscribe to our YouTube page to catch Bridget Carey breaking down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.
