Following a Ming-Chi Kuo post on Tuesday about the possibility that Apple could be working on a “more affordable MacBook model to boost shipments,” another rumor has popped up to echo that thought.
On yeux1122’s blog, a post by Landsk says that Apple is working on a 12-inch and 13-inch MacBook to address the education market. Landsk also notes that (translated from Korean), “It is significant that current iPad and MacBook sales are showing the worst figures in recent years,” which seems to indicate that Apple sees this as a way to boost Mac sales. Landsk makes this claim based on a supply chain source, though yeux1122’s blog has made other Apple-related posts in the past with mixed results.
The “cheap MacBook” motif is gaining traction. Besides Landsk’s and Ming-Chi Kuo reports this week, DigiTimes reported in September that Apple is working on a MacBook that would “compete with Chromebook models in the education sector.” So it looks like we’re in for more rumors of this sort in the coming year. Whether or not it actually happens is another story.
We’ve previously stated that we don’t think Apple would make a Chromebook-like MacBook–while there are top-quality Chromebooks for sale, the ones that are bought by educational institutions are cheap (under $500) and not well made. Apple is not interested in making a sub-$500 laptop, but a MacBook in the $700 to $900 range seems feasible. The 12-inch MacBook that Landsk mentions doesn’t seem far-fetched, either–Apple offered a 12-inch MacBook from 2015 to 2019. A 12-inch MacBook for $749 might be too pricey for education, but it would be a big seller in the general consumer market.
