Well folks, here it is–the new 13-inch MacBook. Unfortunately, those of you who were expecting the $800 model will be disappointed. The price tag? $1,299. Still, take a good look at this baby and the specs. It might be worth it if you love Macs. The 15-inch MacBook Pro rings in at $1999.
I’m not a rabid Mac lover–hate the keyboard, among other things. Still this model is a beauty. If only it were a little less pricey…ahh, but it wasn’t to be!
I am a MacBook Pro owner. I also have a desktop PC running Windows XP and a laptop running Vista. I’m not what you’d call a Mac evangelist, but I have to say that the MacBook Pro’s reliability, lack of virus issues and overall ease of use makes it much preferable to these bloody Windows products I have; every ten seconds I’m being asked “Are you sure?”, and getting dire nagware popups at every turn. In the world of operating systems, Windows is like trying to write in a day care center full of children who are all screaming for ice cream, where the Mac is a nice afternoon in the Smithsonian.
Wired magazine has been dropping hints about MacBooks priced below $1000. I would LOVE to see this happen–it would be a huge boon to freelancers who want a dependable and portable machine at a reasonable price tag. I pay for the extra firepower of the MacBook Pro because I use it for video and audio editing as well as my freelance writing, but the average writing-only freelancer would be perfectly happy with an “ordinary” MacBook.
Wired dropped some conjecture on what it thinks might be happening with the new versions of its MacBook and MacBook Pro series, including suggestions that an $800 price point for the standard MacBook might be possible. If this is true, you’ll see me getting a bit more evangelistic about Macs in the future–my main bone of contention to date is that for many freelancers, the Mac is priced too high. Not so if these rumors are true. Here’s hoping…