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As Apple’s renewed discount on the MacBook Pro kicks in, is it a deal with a sting in the tail?
SHANGHAI, CHINA – 01/12/2020: Apple logo of the American multinational technology company seen on a screen … [+]
The offer, hidden in the online Apple Store, is simple. Instead of buying a new MacBook Pro, Apple will sell you a refurbished unit at a small discount. With the latest MacBook Pro machines equipped with Intel’s 10th Gen Core chipset now for sale in the Refurbished section of the online Apple Store, many will be tempted.
While the $ 300 savings on the Core i7 machine is perhaps less noticeable than the machines further down the portfolio, it is still a savings, and that savings makes it easier to consider a jump from the slightly lower MacBook Pro. While the latter is new, Apple’s renewal process still comes with Apple’s one-year warranty and the Apple Care option.
The move to supplying reconditioned machines after a few months after a new machine is on sale is not a new step for Apple. In fact, the 10th-gen MacBook Pro is the last of the 2020 versions to appear in the store’s refresh area.
What’s new is that, for all intents and purposes, these MacBooks are the last not only of this generation, but the last of this dynasty. With the announcement of the change to the ARM architecture, and the new ARM-powered MacBooks expected later this year, it’s only natural to question the investment required, even with the upgrade discount, for a new MacBook Pro built on older technology.
The MacBook range has seen impressive sales volume in 2020 due, in part, to consumer and business upgrade machines as “work from home” took over; the replacement of the hated butterfly keyboard will continue to tempt existing users to upgrade; and the renewed offering will add more users.
The new hardware powered by ARM will propel Apple forward, bringing the macOS and iOS platforms closer together. But in the process it must maintain its reputation for long-term support of the Intel platform.
It’s all very well for geekerati to point out that Apple has supported older Macs in earlier transitions, but past performance is not a guide to future success. It’s a strong indication, but with the switch from PowerPC to Intel beginning in 2006, a fourteen-year precedent in the tech industry could well be ancient history.
Now read this week’s Apple headlines on Forbes’ Apple Loop …
