If the rumors are true, Apple plans to add even more MacBooks to an already bloated laptop lineup. It’s time the company fixed this bewildering situation.
Last week, it emerged that Apple could be planning to revive the 12-inch MacBook and launch a new 15-inch MacBook Air. While these are certainly head-turning revelations, I couldn’t get one question out of my mind: What is Apple thinking?
Drowning in laptops We’ve been here before. Back in the 1990s, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy with a product strategy that could be best described as “flailing.” The company offered a confusing array of computers, with multiple lines for consumers, pros, and businesses and experimental products like the Newton butting in from the wings. It was a mess.
Compare that to the latest leak from Gurman, and we couldn’t be further away from that focused, streamlined business plan. If this rumor comes to fruition, we could potentially see Apple selling as many as seven different laptops: We’re just scratching the surface here with the number of customization options available, but it’s pretty clear that buying an Apple laptop in the future could become an arbitrarily confusing ordeal — even more so than it already is.