The New MacBook Air: “Flying off the Shelves”

A recent AppleInsider article has drawn the conclusion that Apple did significantly well during the Black Friday sales last week, with success being most prominent in the sales of the Apple iPad.  With recent speculation and forecasts predicting that tablet sales will grow at higher rates than PC sales in the coming year, this really shouldn’t come as a surprise.  However, the article goes on to state that another one of Apple’s products did very well during Black Friday – the 11″ MacBook Air.

The article documents a miniature study conducted by analysis Chris Whitmore, who communicated with more than 100 Apple retail locations and more than 50 other Apple carriers (AT&T stores, WalMart, BestBuy, etc.).  According to the people he talked to whilst conducting the survey, Whitmore soon discovered that Apple products were hot sale items during Black Friday.  More specifically, Whitmore reiterated that the 11″ MacBook Air was a “customer favorite” – even going as far as to say that it was “flying off shelves.”

Personally, this comes as a surprise to me.  I was very well expecting that the iPad would be a hot holiday gift – just like the iPod in previous years – however I wouldn’t have guessed that the MacBook Air would be a big seller this holiday season.

So why is the Air selling so well?  Personally, I feel that price is one of the biggest factors in making the new MacBook marketable to consumers.  Because the device starts at $999, it is in the same price range as the white MacBook.  However, for the same $999, users are able to purchase a device that is suited better for mobile users.  Having said that, despite the fact that the device is relatively low in processing power, it sports a solid state drive; a component that is known to have less faults and to be more resistant to shock than traditional hard disk drives.  Combine this with the fact that the device is light as a feather, and this rugged feature makes for a much more mobile-friendly device –  perfect for a user who is constantly on the go.

Additionally, the MacBook Air has an aluminum body which many find to be significantly more attractive than that of the white MacBook, and following in line with the durability aspect.

When looking at Apple products, the MacBook Air offers a high level of mobility for the end user.  While it’s not as mobile as the iPad, the fact still remains that because it uses an SSD, it’s able to boot rather quickly.  And because it’s more like a full-blown computer (in comparison to the iPad), it’s a much better solution for people who need more power and versatility whilst on the go.

When looking at the size of the device, it is slightly larger that what we would typically deem to be a “netbook” computer, meaning that an end-user would be able to use it with a greater level of comfort.

When it comes down to it, I think that many people see the MacBook Air as being a very mobile-focused device.  Because of this, it’s relatively easy to see why it would be seeing well in a market where mobility is of a new and redefined importances.  While this example shows that mobile devices are doing exceptionally well this holiday season, it also illustrates another fact; lower price-points on Apple products seem to lead to higher sales.