Apple to Resellers: Stock Up on MacBooks, iPods (PS: Good Luck Selling Them After the Refresh)
by John Paczkowski
Posted on July 30, 2008 at 4:09 PM PT
If you’re considering buying a new MacBook/Pro or iPod, you might want to postpone that call to Apple Financial Services for a few months. Otherwise, you may end up with a very quickly outdated laptop and media player. In a bulletin to retail partners today, Apple warned of declining iPod and MacBook/Pro inventory and “strongly suggested” they stock up on the devices before the back-to-school rush. What this means, of course, is that the company is very likely nearing refreshes of both those product lines.
And it’s about time, isn’t it? The iPod would certainly benefit from a storage and feature update. The MacBook is due for a six-month refresh. And Apple’s (AAPL) MacBook Pro is due for a revision, since design-wise it’s really just a tweaked version of the machine that debuted as the PowerBook Titanium in 2001.
Anyone want to buy a used MacBook Pro? In September?
Comments
I love just about anything Apple these days but its frustrating when there’s little knowledge or information about upcoming product, features or software. Granted, its okay to some degree because that’s what puts them at the competitive edge of creativity and innovation. However, I continue to postpone changing my phone even after the release of the 3G iPhone because I’m hoping for a more commercial, business oriented version. It’s pure speculation on my part but I’m getting to the point of having to replace my phone and because I have no visibility to their roadmap, I’m probably going to go another direction.
To me, thats the flaw in this logic because I’m sure I’m not alone but people can’t keep waiting for the next atta-boy at Apple until the one they’re looking for shows up. Its sort of like playing Bingo, you’re about get that row filled up but they keep calling out the wrong numbers.
Ok, there’s a certain mystery to innovation and Apple has the market cornered there, I concede. But… we need a hint and for cryin-out-loud, those of use who have ponied up for .Mac (now .Me) extended warranties, Mac software and other Apple hardware, should account for something. I would think that Apple has a robust database of good, solid customers who almost religiously buy Apple product that would be allowed a peak at up and coming products. Maybe its just a fantasy I have but one can always dream.
Posted by Jim Naeve at July 30th, 2008 at 5:34 pmI don’t see how apple owes disclosures about upcoming products to anyone. Companies just do not do that. It is a fact of life that if a company has an upcoming model of a product that could cannibalize sales of existing product of the same company, they will not announce new product until it is actually available.
Honda will not advertise 2009 Odyssey until it is available for purchase or very shortly before that, and so on.
As a loyal Apple user you are rewarded by excellent products that inspire your creativity and work well.
Posted by Igor Stavnitser at July 30th, 2008 at 7:21 pm“The road of mediocrity is paved with predictability”. (Unknown philosopher)
Posted by Michael Koren at July 30th, 2008 at 8:04 pmAnd who’s paying you to write completely made up things, utterly unfounded? You know there is a conspiracy against Apple. I don’t see anyone telling this is the 3rd largest computer producer in the WORLD today. But you rather milk the cow a little longer. Macs can’t run all the programs, Macs can’t play games… and you know those were all lies, to keep Microsoft on top. Anything else? The only public company to have 30% higher earnings in the last quarter. Sold over a million iPhones in three days, let’s find something to keep it down… Oh, 1% of the new Me users lost their e-mails! Bummer! Make the stock go down 20%, so they’ll learn not to be so bold. Jobs lost ten pounds, sorry, the stock has to pay for it. You know what I think? I cannot believe you get away with writing such crap. The iPods need an update? The best software on the market and 160GB hard drives? I bet your crappy computer you used to type this sorry false commentary on the state of Apple isn’t even that big. Why don’t you put your time at better use, and tell your readers the every single release of Windows in the past ten years was a huge disaster? What’s your outlook on the next release of MS Exchange? How many people will loose all their e-mails? Only one percent?
I doubt it. The proof that what you just wrote are lies? The MacBook Pro is an entirely new machine from top to bottom, uses the most sophisticated circuit boards available, and top of the line DualCore Intel processors, superfast RAM, Fastest wireless available anywhere, Bluetooth, you name it it’s there. Titanium from 2001? Who are you, the guy from “Cast Away”? Or this is supposed to be funny? Maybe you are talking about the average sorry PC machine, like the one you own; yes, that hasn’t changed very much since 2001, and the software is the same it used in ‘98, except the cosmetics, they are the same bloody, buggy, crashing, unreliable, stubborn, horrible machines that average 9 months of life span. Enjoy your crappy Microsoft ass kissing job, but let’s tell the naive reader that doesn’t know high tech stuff: You are going to hear the worst possible stuff about Apple in the next few weeks and months, just like in the past two. A whole world of financials, techs, and writers like this guy, etc., has been in a way or another on payroll by Microsoft. All these people and organization cannot stand that while the world is crashing around them, Apple is the only performing stock on the market, Apple is the only company showing a profit, Apple is completely sucking away all the business from smart phones, MP3s, laptops, computers and you guess what else they’ll make. How can we stop them? Get the whole army of conniving slaves to MS to come up with all sorts of stories to put Apple down. This has been tried since the early ’80s, when Bill Gates borrowed a Mac from Steve Jobs and then invented Windows…
Buy your Macs for education any time you want! Especially the edu Macs don’t change that fast, and I assure you, they are just fine, they are not tweaked versions of a 2001 Titaniums! ( This is the biggest BS I heard this far!) My son’s Mac has been on for five years, I never had to troubleshoot it, fix it, or curse at it once. My blind guess is that the author’s PC hasn’t been that reliable… but you know, all he does with it is to use Word, and kick it when outlook or explorer crashes. We feel sorry for you. Maybe, after this pitiful crusade against Apple will subside (see 1 year stock performance: $210?) you can still have a job. They might need a new PC guy for the TV ads. You really sound like you fit the part perfectly.
Posted by Sergio Girgenti at July 30th, 2008 at 9:31 pmSergio
Did you notice that this author is writing humor? So perhaps you need a little beer or turn on the TV and find a good comedy parady show to remember what that venue is about.
I realize that there is a lot of stuff out there that does suspiciously look bankrolled in some fashion by Microsoft. But John does not pretend to be doing anything else but “poking fun at…” so maybe I’m a bit naive, but I like to laugh not just at the companies I don’t particularly like. It makes me feel just a little less fanatical. If you get my drift! And yes, I love what Apple does with its product line. So don’t start with me!
Michael
Posted by Michael Koren at July 30th, 2008 at 10:18 pmOk, guys. Thank you for the replies to my post. I will try either one of the suggestions, or maybe a combination of both. Maybe that’s the way it works. Smoke some weed, put on Comedy Central, and then check the latest fabrications about Apple on Macrumors.com… and the next day column is ready to go. Not too bad a job, when the country economy is hurting and thousands of people are loosing their jobs…. ok, ok it’s time to relax, I guess. After a good night sleep, I see things differently, I even want to apologize to the author for all the unnecessary invectives. I am sure he’s not paid by anyone to smir Apple image day in and day out. It’s just a trend, and we have learned to live with it. Peace to all. Let’s go and smoke the peace pipe…
Posted by Sergio Girgenti at July 31st, 2008 at 6:56 amSergio …
Two things.
1. I was referring to the design of the MacBook Pro’s enclosure (see new illustration above)
Posted by John Paczkowski at July 31st, 2008 at 7:27 am2. I am often facetious.
3. Now, come September, would you like to buy my MacBook Pro?
John,
I think you could do a better job exposing what you really think about upcoming updates. Sarcasm seems creates a fair amount of ambiguity in your article and does not leave me with a consistent understanding about what is in the cards for various product lines.
Here is what I do understand:
1. Apple issues statements to retailers to stock up.
Now here is where it gets a little fuzzy:
1. You claim that they will refresh: MacBook Pro, iBook, iPod in September. But now it appears that this was said with sarcasm. You could add something like
“tongue-in-cheek”. Without seeing your face it is hard to impossible to interpret this as a sarcastic remark.
Thanks.
Posted by Igor Stavnitser at July 31st, 2008 at 8:12 amPoint taken. But, I’m not claiming Apple will refresh certain product lines, I’m just noting that the current situation suggests it might. Here’s why:
- Apple issues a bulletin warning resellers of limited supplies of iPods, 13-inch MacBooks and 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros.
- Apple has issued similar bulletins in the past and when it has, it’s typically followed them up with a product refresh.
- As the linked MacRumor’s buying guide in post above illustrates, historical evidence suggests Apple’s notebooks and some iPods are due for updates.
- During Apple’s third quarter conference call CFO Peter Oppenheimer said the company was reining in its Q4 estimates because of a “future product transition.”
-Analysts have been predicting new iPods and new portables from Apple for quite some time now. Of course, they’re always predicting these things. That said, they’re channel checks, etc. lend these predictions some credence.
- The design of the MacBook Pro’s enclosure hasn’t changed all that much from the PowerBook Titanium. It may soon, though.
- Apple has technologies that are ripe for extending across its product lines. The company could, for example, add WiFi support to the iPod Nano and Classic so that they too could wirelessly access to the iTunes store. It might add some version of multi-touch to them as well and extend the reach of the App Store. It might bring multi-touch to its entire portable line.
- Apple acquired boutique semiconductor design outfit P.A. Semi back in April. The company specializes in super-low-power processors and Apple bought it for a reason.
Posted by John Paczkowski at July 31st, 2008 at 9:30 amFunny you should mention. On yesterday’s agenda: Buying an iPod (my first). Hesitated after reading this over breakfast. Ultimately decided that the current Classic already offers more than I need, so the likelihood that the next generation model will include something better is small. Also wanted to avoid the bugs that invariably accompany new designs. And let’s face it, there’s always going to be a newer model down the road. One could postpone making a purchase forever.
Posted by Jon Delfin at August 1st, 2008 at 6:05 am