Despite Criticism, MacBook Attains Mild Success

Posted by Kirhat | Tuesday, August 11, 2015 | | 0 comments »

MacBook Success
There were several unflattering criticism hurled against the new MacBook when it was first introduced early this year. Overall, the device was praised in the press for its industrial design, thickness and weight, and high quality display, but the users focused mostly on criticism about its functionality. Engadget, which was usually positive when it comes to Apple products, complained about the new MacBook's touchpad, the inclusion of just one USB Type-C port, and the fact that the device "can get warm on the bottom."

Despite the device's faults, though, comments made by Apple CEO Tim Cook on the company's most recent earnings call suggest that the new MacBook is proving to be a commercial success.

In Apple's second fiscal quarter, the company saw its Mac unit shipments grow by 10 percent year-over-year, although revenue grew just 2 percent. This would seem to imply that Apple stimulated unit shipment growth by offering products at lower price points.

However, in the company's third quarter, it saw both revenue and units grow by 9 percent year-over-year, suggesting that the company saw average selling prices hold steady as unit shipments grew.

According to Cook, the Mac growth in the company's Mac business during its third fiscal quarter was "fueled by great response to [Apple's] new MacBook" and that the company is "working hard to catch up to customer demand."

In other words, it seems that the new MacBook is a commercial success for Apple.

It's hard to ignore the apparent parallels between the original MacBook Air launch in early 2008 and the new MacBook launch in early 2015. Both devices were "radical" reinventions of the laptop, and both were controversial as they removed features that were standard in mainstream laptops.

In the Air's case, the "shocker" seems to have been the removal of the optical drive; in the new MacBook's case, it appears to have been the controversial decision to include just a single USB Type-C port.

However, as investors are well aware, the broader consumer notebook market has seen a significant shift toward MacBook Air-style machines over the last few years as consumers seemingly value thinner and lighter notebooks.

It's too soon to tell whether the new MacBook represents what will be the dominant notebook form factor going forward, but many experts like Ashraf Eassa, The Motley Fool contributor, do think that this form factor is here to stay for the long-haul.

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