On Wednesday, Apple is holding a ‘Back to the Mac’ event. The current rumor du jour is new MacBook Airs along with a sneak preview of OS X 10.7 (Lion?)
I do think that the MacBook Air will see a refresh (espeically since it’s been almost twice the number of days (on average) since the last refresh (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Air))
The idea that there will be MacBook Airs (plural) is interesting. But where will a new one fit? The current lineup looks like:
iPad - $499/$629, $599/$729, $699/$829 (WiFi/WiFi+3G)
MacBook (13 in) - $999
MacBook Pro (13 in)- $1199
MacBook Air (13 in)- $1499
Let’s assume the rumors of a smaller one are true and that the 13.3 inch model stays at $1499. What does that do to the MacBook & MacBook Pro (13”)?
I’m thinking this spells the end of the line for the MacBook ($999) and the 11 inch Air will replace the MacBook at $999.
Let’s face it, the $999 MacBook priced so close to the $1199 MacBook Pro just doesn’t fit with Apple’s usual strict separation between models. Those two machines are just too similar (the essential difference is one has an aluminum case, the other polycarbonite plastic).
If the new, smaller Air is $999, consumers can opt for the following:
iPad - $500-$829
MacBook Air (11 in) - $999
MacBook Pro (13 in) - $1199
MacBook Air (13 in) or MacBook Pro (13 in) -$1499
MacBook Pro (15 in) - $1799/$1999
A lineup like that fits more into Apple’s usual pricing/model structure.
