Why Apple just killed the Macbook Air

This week, Apple introduced a new Macbook – and they called it… just the new Macbook. By looks alone, one would think that it’s a new Macbook Air. Why wouldn’t it – it’s very thin, very light, lacks the standard ports, and runs on a low-power processor. Most of all, it looks like the Macbook Air.

However, Apple claims it’s not and simply calls it the Macbook and puts it in a totally new category, along with the original Macbook Air and the Macbook Pro.

Apple had a Macbook for the longest time until they discontinued producing it in 2011, making way for the Macbook Air as the new standard and entry-level laptop while the Macbook Pro took the high-end category. So in the last three and a half years, there have only been two choices to make – the Air or the Pro.

By calling the new model just a Macbook, it’s reviving the old model which used to be the entry level one. This makes the whole naming convention very confusing. The Macbook Pro represents large powerful laptops while the Macbook Air represents thin and light Apple laptops.

So where does Apple position the new Macbook – thinner and lighter? We’re actually as confused as everyone. From a marketing and sales standpoint, the new Macbook is in a position to replace the Macbook Air.

Just look at the specs and hardware design of the new Macbook:

2015 Apple Macbook specs

12-inch IPS LCD display @ 2304x1440 pixels, 226ppi

Intel Core M 1.1GHz dual-core

Turbo Boost 2.4GHz

Intel HD Graphics 5300

8GB DDR3 RAM

256GB SSD storage

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac

Bluetooth 4.0

480p Facetime camera

Mac OSX

280mm x 191 mm x 13mm (dimensions)

2.03lbs (weight)

There are a couple of differences between the new Macbook and the Macbook Air.

• At 12 inches, Apple placed the display size of the Air between 11.6 and 13.3 inches.

• Apple included a Retina Display, something a lot of Mac Air users have been wanting for so long.

• Apple used an Intel Core M processor which is low-energy, low-power and does not need a cooling fan.

• Apple introduced the USB Type-C, a singular port that acts as a power, data and video port.

• Apple also introduced color varieties – gold, silver and space grey.

These are really good improvements but improvements that old Macbook Air users would have wanted to be included in a new model.

At the end of the day, regardless of the name Apple has decided to call the new Macbook, consumers will still look at it and call it the new Macbook Air.

The P65,000 starting price is perhaps the only biggest reason for people to think twice before deciding to get this or the Macbook Air.

In the long run,  we think the new Macbook will supersede the Macbook Air due to the lack of differentiation and we won’t even notice it when that happens.