An analyst who met with Apple recently believes the company has "ideas" about producing a Mac netbook, an ultra portable laptop computer.
Analyst Toni Sacconaghi of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co met with Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, covering for CEO Steve Jobs during a leave of absence, Apple's Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer and Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller.
According to Sacconaghi, Apple's Cook hinted at "ideas" for a netbook as well iPhone price changes, and new smartphone handsets.
"Tim Cook stated that since Steve Jobs announced his leave of absence, he was spending more time on new products, how Apple could take the iPhone into new markets and examining iPhone's business model," said Sacconaghi, who is ranked the top computer analyst by Institutional Investor magazine.
The MacBook Air is Apple's smallest, lightest laptop.
Sanford C. Bernstein & Co manages portfolios for private and institutional investors currently valued at $85 billion.
"Several interesting tidbits point to new iPhones, potentially with different pricing/price points this year," Sacconaghi added.
A Mac netbook has long been rumoured since the success of smaller lighter laptops, typically with a 10" screen, from companies such as Asus, Acer, Dell, HP and MSI Wind.
Last week Asus said they had sold 4.9 million Eee PC netbooks last year despite the economic downturn.
Netbooks are traditionally competitively priced due to their relative lack of power and limited upgradability.
Apple's smallest, lightest laptop the MacBook Air starts at £1,271, which is a long way from what Apple would need to charge to make the Mac netbook a success.
Apple has also previously said that the iPhone was its netbook, offering email and web surfing on the move.
Analyst Sacconaghi added that he expects Apple's stock to outperform the S&P 500 in the next year.
Sacconaghi also said he expects new Apple iMacs as earlier as next month and an new Apple iPhone in the summer.
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Comments received
MaX said on Tue, 17 Feb 2009
Here it is:
Next Apple moves will be Books and Games…
spidouz.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/next-apple-moves-will-be-books-and-games
Ron said on Tue, 17 Feb 2009
It's fascinating watching "quote-creep" take place on Tim Cook's dismissal of the netbooks. He said the same thing that Jobs said: we don't know how to make a netbook that cheap and it not be junk. And then they say "but we've got ideas, should it prove to be the way to go." And everyone quotes just the latter, to make it sound like he actually said something entirely different. It's amazing how much you can change the gist of a quote if you're not honest with the rest of the man's words.
anon said on Wed, 18 Feb 2009
I agree with the above . . . Apple does not want to compromise the quality of products that they offer just to cave into an idea which will turn into essentially a slightly larger version of the iPhone in 2 years. They are not impressed with the netbook's chips available now and neither am I. Why hasn't the mac mini been updated in so long? Is it because this is type of machine that could (with a new processor and a penchant for DIY modifications) hurt the sale of apple macbooks? e.g. - you could make a very nice apple modded netbook with a 2.2 ghz or above core 2 duo intel chip mac mini minus the casing, minus the DVD drive, plus sheet plastic, plus a lithium battery and a 9" wide screen - the kicker - it would most likely weigh over a pound less than the air. It would not be hard to make it a touch screen either.
Greg from Nashville said on Wed, 18 Feb 2009
Would an iPod Touch-based device that had a keyboard, a larger screen, and more (cheaper) storage be able to be called a netbook? If a 32 gig Touch is $399, could a beefed-up item be successful at around $599 or $699?
You have a browser and email. Apple could easily port pieces of iWork and iLife. All the App Store apps. Would that be enough?!?!?!
Me said on Fri, 20 Feb 2009
Apple + cheap = joke.
HateFanboys said on Fri, 20 Feb 2009
I don't know why people don't get it... Just because it's a certain size/category doesn't automatically mean cheap. It's simple folks... think current unibody style but with a 10" display. Hackintosh netbooks perform well (and now there is an NVidia option)... 2.2 GHz Core 2 duo? Get real buddy... you think CPUs are powered by air?
So many fanboys dismiss the netbook because of Lord Steve's comments... of course when it comes out that will be forgotten and the "genius" of Apple - creator of the netbook - will shine.
I've loved Apple products since 1977, but have over the past few years really been annoyed by these newbie fanboys who don't know crap about EE, ME or CS.
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