A cheap MacBook will serve as a gateway to the Mac world

We’re gearing up for the official announcement of a cheaper MacBook this week, and it’s reported that Apple believes it will offer an “incredible value.”

The company thinks it will bring two types of new users to the Mac world. That’s not only important for sales of the MacBook itself, but what it means for the Mac system as a whole — even for those of us who have no plans to buy a machine…

‘Unbelievable value’

Of course, Apple’s idea of ​​an incredible price may not match consumer expectations, but it has been suggested that the starting price could be as low as $599. Even with rumors of a compromise, that would be a pretty good deal as a list price, since it costs $999 to buy the cheapest MacBook Air.

The company is reportedly targeting two markets, neither of which currently owns a Mac of any kind:

• Windows and Chromebook users
• iPhone users who currently own a computer

If the price really hits the low end of what we expect, I think the first target group is very realistic. There is definitely a market among laptop users who would like to own a MacBook but aren’t willing to pay four bucks for it.

Faced with a choice between a Chromebook and a budget Windows laptop in the $300 to $400 range, I think there are a large number of people who would be willing to pay more for a MacBook.

The second of these markets is probably smaller, but still a realistic target. There are people who start with an iPhone, find that the device is all they need, but later buy an iPad. Anyone who does so with a keyboard will surely now be a customer of a cheap MacBook instead.

We may not see people going around the block to buy a MacBook, but I think it will prove to be a hit.

Changing platforms has never been easier

There was a time when moving from Windows to Mac was a big deal. There were Windows applications that you would need to find a Mac equivalent, and for non-techie users even moving their data from one location to a new one was not trivial.

However, these days it is never easy. Much of our computing today is done with web applications and cloud storage. Our non-techie family and friends may still want our help, but we’ll be able to get them up and running in much less time and with less hand-holding than ever before.

The compromise seems acceptable

A report last week suggested that the device will have a price compromise to reach Apple’s desired price point.

We already expected it to be powered by the A18 Pro chip, but that won’t be a problem. A very long list of possible additional conflicts has been suggested. What makes me happy is that I say 9 on 5 Mac readers, we would expect them to be more demanding, our survey was not as dangerous as I thought.

It is true that almost all of you have seen the winner in the list, but even the limit of 8GB RAM scored only 30% of the votes, and everything else is very low. Couple that with the second poll showing that the new MacBook is one of the two anticipated announcements that excites you the most (along with the new Apple Studio Display), which seems to be an encouraging sign for Apple.

It’s a gateway drug to the Mac world

It looks like the new MacBook could bring more people into the Mac universe. That’s good for Apple’s mind in the short term, as we can be sure the company will be making its normal margins on the device, but it may be better news in the long run.

If you own a Mac, most people would extremely I hesitate to go back to Windows. This is even more so if one already has an iPhone, as they will now have all the benefits of Apple’s connected ecosystem.

Some people’s usage is such that an entry-level MacBook will continue to be all they ever need. Others, however, will be tempted to upgrade further down the line. That gives Apple a very important future sales funnel from a $600 machine to four figures.

It would be good news for MBA and MBP

Macworld’s Alex Blake also thinks the MacBook could be good news for all of us. If Apple wants to protect the existing MacBook Air market, he suggests the company will have to step up its game. The development of that machine will put the same pressure on the MacBook Pro, also forcing an upgrade there.

We’ll be bringing you full coverage of all of Apple’s announcements this week, as well as hands-on from the special event on Wednesday.