Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Retail, Apple, MacBook Air
MacBook Air: Woz predicts flop, store inventories say otherwise
Ars Technica has a very interesting article describing the strong demand and sustaining momentum behind the MacBook Air. While much of the evidence is anecdotal and based on the claims of retail sales associates, it is clear that in at least some markets, the MacBook Air is hard to keep in stock.Although the product has been available for more than a month, Apple.com's shipping estimate is still between 5 and 7 business days. Amazon.com won't have more units in stock until March 16 and although BestBuy.com is showing that the units are shipping from the website, store availability is still pretty low. Looking at the local Best Buy stores in Atlanta, only 4 of the 12 stores were showing units available for pick-up.
I was at the Apple Store yesterday (and so much for the claims that it's a great place to meet guys -- maybe if you're into married men or aren't yet old enough to drive a car) and I couldn't help but notice that most customers were congregated around the Air. How many people were potential buyers and how many people just wanted to play, I cannot say, but it was certainly the most popular product in the store.
Of course, it is easy to argue that shipping delays are simply because Apple didn't place a big enough order with its suppliers, and while that may be true, it doesn't change the fact, as Ars points out, that the Air has been the top selling product according to the Apple Sales Rank widget for at least the last three weeks. Of course, Apple has not released the sales figures for the Air (we'll have to wait for the next quarterly report, and even then it's likely to be lumped in with the other laptop sales), so this is all speculation. Still, it appears that Woz might have been a bit out of touch when he recently commented, "I don't think [the Air] will be a hit."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jon said 1:34PM on 3-03-2008
He also said he's tired of "Journalists" taking his words out of context in the same article.
Get your facts straight and post a correction please.
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Nick said 1:38PM on 3-03-2008
"
I was at the Apple Store yesterday (and so much for the claims that it's a great place to meet guys -- maybe if you're into married men or aren't yet old enough to drive a car)
"
I'm 23, single, I have my driver's license and I frequent the Apple Stores. Coincidence? I think not. Hit me up!
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mtk75 said 2:06PM on 3-03-2008
I'm 32, single, and have better things to do with my time than hang out at the apple store. Things like getting my new MB Air set up the exact way I want it. :)
To Christina, you can find me out on the beach playing volleyball on weekends. ;)
Not saying my story makes the apple store a bad place to meet guys, but it certainly seems a bit odd as a social destination. I only needed to go there a couple times. Once for my iPhone, once for my MBA.
To support what the Ars article was saying, the iPhone made me think about good UI design, and the Air convinced me that I could switch from my three pound Sony laptop that I have been using for 4 years. Count me as one of those switchers.
So far the MBA has been awesome. It is already better in terms of noise, heat, and UI. I just have to finish migrating. Hopefully I won't run into any problems with my last few transition items.
-Matt
adrenalin said 1:38PM on 3-03-2008
I'll still agree that it will not be a big hit. Why? Once the appeal wears off and most people realize that for a little more they can get a 15.4" Macbook Pro that is more powerful, better graphics, hard drive, screen, blah blah blah and is only 1/4" thicker and weighs in just over 2 lbs heavier, well, they may not opt for a MBA. I know that is why I didn't buy one. I decided that usability outweighed the "let me just impress my friends with it while I find it useless for the most part" factor.
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Jon said 1:39PM on 3-03-2008
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/03/03/woz-on-macbook-air-3g-iphone-reporters/
[Jobs] calls me and he says he doesn’t like something that I was reputed to have said. But he gets it out of context. A reporter’s seized on a comment and strung along with that. I’m very positive on Apple, but I’ll also point out things that could be better, or aren’t the way I’d like them to be.
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G said 1:57PM on 3-03-2008
Woz is one of the few people who can tell the truth with any authority, and not have to worry about the consequences. I hope the Air does well. I'm not interested in it, but I've heard from people who are and that's great. The Air is like a concept car come to life. Proof of excellence in engineering and design. If Apple makes a ton of money from those, the iPhone and more iPods, then that assures I'll still be using a Mac years from now.
I thought the Cube was more promising at the time, though.
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Chris said 2:00PM on 3-03-2008
Nice headline. "Flop"? Your interpretation of Woz's actual comments proves you have a huge career ahead of you in popular media.
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JohnPQ said 2:01PM on 3-03-2008
Just because something isn't in stock, doesn't mean that it's selling well. Apple is probably just running a lean ship, with the hopes of articles like this pumping it up.
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paul merrill said 2:14PM on 3-03-2008
It's a niche item. As such, it beats the pants off any competitive product.
I say YAY to Apple for breaking new ground once again.
And remember, kids, the Air is not supposed to be a MacBook Pro.
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Justin Eaton said 2:32PM on 3-03-2008
I can't say it'll become the new standard, but it'll certainly sell, and appeals to it's target market. MacBook Air will do just fine.
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dagamer34 said 2:34PM on 3-03-2008
Honestly, I think Apple just wanted to make a laptop with an option of a SSD drive and didn't want to tarnish the reputation of the MacBook Pro. $4,000 for a laptop when battery life barely increases? Most would cry foul there. It's just a way to drive down SSD prices and is hidden behind the slimness of a new laptop design.
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Jim Mallory said 3:31PM on 3-03-2008
I just received my MBA after a nearly two week wait. My local apple store was out so I did CTO. My last machine was a MBP 2.33 Ghz, 200GB, 3GB of RAM, 512MB of VRAM. My MBA is 1.8 C2D, 80GB HD, and 2GB of RAM.
My impressions so far...
1.) Sure doesn't feel any slower than my 2.33 Core 2 Duo with my normal tasks...Email, web browsing, Photoshop Lightroom, etc.
2.) In the past two weeks I have looked at Laptop usage and in my world, I am 80% traveling "light" and 20% traveling "heavy".
When I am traveling "light" I just need...my computer, wireless USB, extra battery (rarely used), battery charger, and bluetooth mouse. So if I am traveling light why do I need to carry an optical drive that I have never used except to install software and I think I burned a CD on it once.
So now if I am traveling light. I am carrying my MBA, battery charger (smaller than the MBPs), and my Bluetooth mouse. I am going to give up the extra battery and just plug the unit in if the battery starts to give out.
If I am traveling heavy. I will add my external superdrive.
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AlphaTeam said 2:47PM on 3-03-2008
My issue is a lot people buy the Air without considering the inconvenience. I find buying a laptop is about practicality. Most people might consider the behemoth of the 17" MBP an inconvenient, but personally I am to believe that the MBA does is worse: Slower, poor battery life (If you can't change the battery, you need better battery life), lack of ports.
It can be said I want the Air to flop. I personally think that if the Air were to flop, Apple would re-evaluate the whole thing and stop maximizing looks and start maximizing functionality.
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twitchy said 3:38PM on 3-03-2008
As a contract web designer who makes use of the mobility that working on the web gives me, I'm telling you the Air is perfectly (repeat perfectly) functional for what I do. I often have to respond to maintenance requests within minutes, which means that I'm rarely without my computer. I bike commute from Marin to SF coffee houses. I traveled around Europe last summer for 2 months with my 15" MacBook Pro strapped to my back all day, and I have a stubborn knot in my back a year later to prove it. I couldn't care less about ports, huge storage or changing my battery. I'm not the only one living aforementioned lifestyle. Web design is a niche profession? Blogging is a niche profession? I don't think so. Welcome to 2008. Get over it.
AlphaTeam said 4:02PM on 3-03-2008
I understand where you're coming from. My statement was mainly from far too many people I know or acquainted who actually have gone to the store and purchased the machine, only later to complain and tell me their woes. Also I'm a peripheral fanatic. I lug around a laptop, external harddrives, speakers, everything when I travel. Hey I'm in 2008, too. I'll go as far to say, if the Air had 2 more USB ports, it's be on the top my list too. I'd lug around that external HDD.
Matt said 3:16PM on 3-03-2008
The Apple Store *IS* a great place to meet guys!!
...if you're gay like me, anyway.
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unreal mccoy said 3:18PM on 3-03-2008
I predict that Woz is a flop.
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RJR said 3:44PM on 3-03-2008
Woz also had this to say recently down under.
http://www.scopical.com.au/articles/News/3131/Wozniak-not-happy-about-Apple-iPhone-technology
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joe said 4:23PM on 3-03-2008
"Woz predicts a flop"?
Spin much?
There's quite a spectrum between "not a hit" and a "flop".
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Sam said 5:15PM on 3-03-2008
Hey baby. I see you have a MacBook. I have a MacBook too.
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