New Apple products, but is the timing right?

Posted on Wednesday 15th October 2008 at 3.00 pm . Filed under Industry Marketing 1 comment . Leave a trackback from your own site.

Yesterday Apple launched the new Macbooks, Macbook Pros and Cinema Displays and the reception seems to be quite positive. Twitter was certainly set alight by those pouring over the beautiful new designs and glossy finishes. However is the time right for Apple to launch such high-end and dare I say, expensive, products?

The Macbook family; Macbook, Macbook Air and Macbook Pro

Leading up to the event there was speculation of Apple releasing an $800 laptop. Sadly this did not happen. Instead 3 new Macbooks were revealed priced at £719, £949 and £1149 along with 3 new Macbook Pros priced at £1399, £1749 and £1949. Worlds apart from the speculated ‘budget’ laptop.

Whilst I appreciate that it was merely speculation from a doubtful source that first mentioned the $800 laptop, I can’t help but feel that a product at this price would be more suitable with the world’s economy being in turmoil.

Perhaps I am painting too dark a picture on the current situation, but as Daniel Mcskelly suggests over on David Naylor’s blog;

Consumer goods, financial products, utility services and the like will see an upswing in popularity for searches indicating a high degree of price sensitivity.

Another way of looking at it is that Apple were forced to play their hand earlier than anticipated. As Apple shares slipped on the stock market they felt the need to rally confidence in their products and to do so they released new products, even though the current market not be the best time for them.

Maybe my negatively comes not from the current economic climate, but from Apple not updating their Mac Mini in over a year! Come on Apple, I really want to know whether it’s worth buying one now or if there are any plans to update in the near future.