At least for now, Apple Inc.'s MacBook Air may remain out of reach of the masses as Apple is not keen on using lower-cost ARM processors for it, an enthusiast site said.
Citi analysts who met with Apple CEO Tim Cook noted a strong iPad outlook leaving little likelihood of an ARM-based MacBook Air, AppleInsider said.
"While Apple could deliver ARM based Macs, it appears the company is more focused on increasing the desirability of its existing iPad and leaving Macs as a higher end alternative rather than bringing them into directly overlapping use scenarios," AppleInsider said.
It quoted Citi analyst Richard Gardner as saying Cook reiterating his comment, originally made during the quarterly earnings conference call, that the market for tablets would eventually grow larger than the conventional PC market.
Gardner added the meeting dispelled the notion that Apple might introduce ARM-based Macs, amid rumors that a new ARM-based MacBook Air may appear soon.
He said Cook alluded to "rapid innovation on the iOS platform" that will "significantly broaden the use case for tablets."
Earlier speculation of an ARM-based MacBook Air stemmed from advances in ARM's chip designs as well as Microsoft's Windows 8 strategy that embraces ARM chips rather than Intel x86-compatible processors.
At China's doorstep
Gardner said that Citi's checks "suggest that iPhone 5 will support [China's unique] TD-SCDMA [mobile networking protocol] in addition to LTE, opening the door for a distribution agreement with China Mobile this year."
AppleInsider also said Apple’s new retail head has been tasked with "expanding the company’s store presence in mainland China more aggressively."
Apple TV
AppleInsider also noted that at the metting, Cook "reiterated the view that costly cable bundles will unravel eventually as one or two key content providers decide to make their content available à la carte" rather than largely being tied up in exclusive agreements with cable operators.
Gardner said Cook's comments suggested AppleTV "would not graduate from 'hobby' to 'focus' unless it could scale across multiple cable operators and multiple geographic regions."
Jobs' 10-year-old strategy
AppleInsider said Apple is remaining focused on creating "great products" in the belief that customers will pay a premium for them.
Cook also emphasized the role of iCloud, comparing it in importance to the "digital hub" strategy Jobs unveiled in 2001, and which influenced much of what Apple did over the last decade. — TJD, GMA News
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