[Bazza1]

Over the last few weeks, I've been doing a very informal visual poll of notebooks being used at my local coffee shop when I've stopped in there.

Of all the notebooks being used, over 80% of those have been Macs - and, of those, 90% have been MacBook Airs. Both 11 and 13 inches. The remaining 10% seem to be older MacBooks / Pros. I have yet to see a 12" MacBook, nor any Pro with the touch bar.

There's a couple of tablets (iOS and Android) - but all are being used for viewing materials / websites / apps / games - little actual real computing.

Now, I suppose that might imply this particular Starbucks' clientele (students to suits) needs are more geared towards writing than heavy-duty graphic manipulation, and they appreciate price and portability over gimmicks, but it does make one wonder why Apple seems so determined to kill off a clearly successful real computer...

[vpblaze]

It’s a shame they are going to kill it off.
I enjoy my Air! Hopefully going to get a few years use out of it.
Glad to see they are still going strong out there. The Air was really the first example of what a true laptop should be. Size wise.

On a side note, the Air still runs supreme when it comes to ports and compatibility. While I am all for USB C, I a, not ready to go all in on it. Probably how a lot of other students feel too. They still want to be able to throw in a Flash drive or SD card and such.

[doogald]

Apple will not kill off the MBA until they can make a MacBook for $999. The MBA exists because they would lose too many sales without that price point.

[Bazza1]

Apple will not kill off the MBA until they can make a MacBook for $999. The MBA exists because they would lose too many sales without that price point.

doogald - I don't think there's any interest at Apple in producing an inexpensive MacBook. Even those are heading upwards - not downwards - in price, despite their arguably less power and lack of direct connectivity to peripherals.

Apple wants users determined to go with a 'cheap' computer to, instead, go to an iPad (see their current TV ad campaign, "What's a computer?"), without any thought to practical usage or functionality. Given the 'One More Thing' splash Airs made at their launch, Apple has shown almost no love for them, and has routinely dissed users who want an inexpensive, functional, real notebook. And then they wonder why they lose student / SOHO marketshare to the competition....