New AppleCare packaging - get that same comprehensive care in a sleek new box
TUAW Reader Jett alerted us to another update we overlooked yesterday. Along with the launch of the new MacBook Pro came new AppleCare packaging and a slick, new AppleCare product page.I haven't seen the new box up close yet but it looks like it's styled and sized in line with Apple's recent shrunken iLife, iWork, .Mac and Tiger retail boxes. I'm not sure Al "An Inconvenient Truth" Gore had anything to do with this act of "green", but I applaud Apple's attempt to cut the fat from their packaging and stop wasting all that paper, plastic and cardboard just to house a disc or two and some Apple logo decals. Let's hope this is a trend that Apple and other companies that ship software will continue with.
Thanks, Jett!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Pieter said 7:13AM on 10-25-2006
Although I applaud Apple's good design for boxes, we can't really say that their intentions were all for the best of the environment. It just sounds really great to market it that way.
As you know larger boxes mean less boxes per container, therefore it costs fewer dollars to ship each box around the world. The cost of the materials used to make the box is directly related to the size of each box as well. The fact that we're only talking pennies here, implies Apple's ambitious sales numbers to dramatically reduce shipping costs. Anyway, while the price for consumers stays the same, the smaller Apple box saves money for Apple... and only Apple. In fact it easily earns money for Apple, since every time a new package comes out people scream for Green Apples giving both advertising and free press to an otherwise static product.
Anyway, I understand that it seems that I'm focusing only on the selfish aspects of Apple behind this move. but we really can't consider this product's change without a little business sense involved.
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Thomas said 2:15PM on 10-25-2006
I never understood why software came in such big boxes anyway. I never assumed I was getting any better value out of it or anything - I just had a bigger box to store or to dispose of, plus none of them were ever the same size so it was just stupid.
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thomas said 7:45AM on 10-25-2006
Pieter, if Apple's motives behind switching to smaller packaging are mostly in their own interests, then why hasn't the rest of the industry caught on yet? And why then did it take so long for people just to realize smaller packaging would lead to better revenue?
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Pete Osborne said 7:47AM on 10-25-2006
I agree with that, especially given Apple's environmental 'credentials' in other areas... http://www.greenpeace.org/apple/
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Pete Osborne said 7:49AM on 10-25-2006
Just to clarify, I was agreeing with Pieter. I think Apple are doing something because it suits them to do it. If they were really concerned about the environment, wouldn't they pick up on some of the more serious issues (such as those outlined on the Greenpeace website).
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Yuval Tobias said 8:21AM on 10-25-2006
It's not just a new box, there's also new pricing. It appears that AppleCare price changes for every product - MacBook Pro/PowerBook costs $350, while MacBook/iBook costs 250$ - for example. Just search for AppleCare in the Apple Store (as the links in the AppleCare page aren't working).
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akatsuki said 8:06AM on 10-25-2006
Also Applecare is just a number that gets registered and could be sold in even credit card style packaging, or even as printouts from the store...
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kris said 5:06PM on 10-25-2006
um, we have had that packaging since our apple store opened, on oct. 13th
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Andy said 8:34AM on 10-25-2006
GIVE ME A BREAK. I came to TUAW this morning looking for news.
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JT said 8:38AM on 10-25-2006
It's not just paper but inventory and shipping costs that are lowered when you can put more products in the same warehouse/boat/plane. Saves gas too. The sole economic reason is enough to produce smaller packaging - not to mention you can put more on shelves in retail stores...
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bob said 9:25AM on 10-25-2006
Ok, apple is reducing packaging for a product. Wait, the product is warranty service. How big a box does that need?
If you have ever experienced AppleCare, you know that packaging is the least of their problems.
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flysi said 10:02AM on 10-25-2006
I think I'd have to agree with Andy and akatsuki on this one. For a product that more or less ends up sitting in a drawer, and is basically just a number that gets registered, they should do away with the packaging entirely. Especially since whether you buy a Mac or iPod online or in-store, they email you your receipt anyway - they could just email you your AppleCare info as well.
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Macskeeball said 10:26AM on 10-25-2006
You're forgetting that the AppleCare box includes a CD, namely for TechTool Deluxe (not to be confused with TechTool Pro, which is more powerful).
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south said 10:27AM on 10-25-2006
AppleCare and .mac are just services, as far as I know, which don't really need any physical presence and only cost Apple money they could be putting into R&D for something i might actually want to buy (video iPod? smartphone?). It's an empty box to hold the psychological satisfaction of buying something.
I don't necessarily blame the company for pandering to such consumer stupidity, rather the stupid consumers themselves who feel the need to carry a box after they fork out money.
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digitalintrigue said 11:04AM on 10-25-2006
It's a slow news day.
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Worf said 1:12AM on 10-26-2006
Apple's "environmental credentials" are based on the PR the company gives on environmental protection, rather than what they actually do - pure marketing fluff. Like how HP's laptops aren't quite RoHS compliant (while Apple's are)
Apparently there's a series of interesting articles refuting those claims, too.
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM/FFD3F08B-6D43-46BA-BCC2-D075A506A016.html
But I will say, when I bought my Mac Pro, the only 'packaging' the AppleCare thing came in was a padded envelope - not even a box. And the padding was just for the CD.
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by southwest said 11:52AM on 10-25-2006
Just to pile on here--maybe Apple will listen? (Doubt it.) Any packaging for AppleCare is ludicrous. They should just email you the damn registration number, and be done with it--no fuss, no muss, and no paper waste. Trees saved, hugged, etc.
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Mac Spec said 12:49PM on 10-25-2006
AppleCare prices have not changed: MacBooks (iBooks) have always been $249 vs. MacBook Pros (PowerBooks) for $349.
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mike said 2:38PM on 10-25-2006
I think people forget that the size of software packaging was once tied to the size of the included manuals. With the advent of easy to use electronic documents, PDF in particular, less and less software is supplied with manuals - at least the large manuals - some still come with Quick Start Guides. Anyhow, I think it's just taken time for the size of the package to shrink to mirror that change.
Look at game software, a few years ago games started coming in smaller packages but not much else has followed suit - that I've seen.
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Sandy Campbell said 3:52PM on 10-25-2006
It looks like Apple has officially abandoned their "new" logo with the swoosh.
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