Chromebook vs MacBook
This past week Matt Novak posted an article on Gizmodo on, "Why I bought a Chromebook Instead of a Mac." Apparently Matt was a long time Macintosh user that switch to Chromebook because it was cheaper than getting a new MacBook.
Couple of quotes from the article:
"When all was said and done, even the cheapest Mac laptop was going to set me back about $1,300 after taxes and AppleCare. And the siren song of a computer under $200 was calling my name."
Later on he writes...
"I rarely have to edit video and my photo manipulation needs are minimal. So when I walk down to the coffee shop to work, what the hell do I need doing that can't be done on a Chromebook? Nothing is the answer."
Why even bother with a Chromebook? He should have just gotten a Kindle and a Bluetooth keyboard for a lot less than the $200.
Should Apple be Worried?
Apple isn't a bit worried about the "cheaper" laptop trends. Steve Jobs actually address this issue back in 2003 at the closing statements at MacWorld:
These are very challenging times across the whole economy - particularly in our industry.
Our competitors are laying off thousands of people and there is certainly a cause for despair if you believe that the personal computer is basically something that you spreadsheets and word processes on and HTML terminal for the internet
if that all you think it is then there is cause for despair.
That not what we think.
We think different.
WE believe that the personal computer is undergoing a rapid evolution at the center of our digital lives.
We have never been more excited about this stuff.
We are investing
We are going to innovate through this downturn
like the product you see here today and more coming.
and when this thing turns around, we are going to be in a great place....
Hear him on a recent SoundCloud posting:
In addition, this issue was addressed many years earlier. In 1996, when Network computers were all the rage in Silicon Valley. There was a lot of talk about how some engineers were going to feel about doing their work on the "cheaper computers."
When putting together this post, I was looking for a great quote about it. I can't seem to find it. When I do, I'll be sure to update this post.
The net/net is that the MacBook offers a lot of functionality than the cheaper computers. If your going to depend on the cheaper computers, your not getting the full use of the applications.