Apple -- The Revolution -- The Fifth-Generation MacBook Pro -- October 19, 2021

Apple 101

Unified memory: link here. 

Updates

October 19, 2021: look at all the ports. 

• MagSafe 3; Thunderbolt 4 (3); headphone jack (much expanded capability); SDXC (the camera SanDisk slot); HDMI.

Later, 3:00 a.m. CT:

• MacBook Pro line-up, the big picture:
• two choices: 14" or 16"
• two choices: M1 Pro or M1 Max
• starting at: $2,000 or $3,500
  
• MacBook Pro line-up: link here;
• six basic models, prices will vary from those shown based on unified memory specs:
• 14" with M1 Pro chip; 512 GB SSD storage; $1,999.00
  
• 14" with M1 Pro chip; 1 TB SSD storage; $2,499; $40 extra per month for twelve months
• 14" with M1 Max chip; 1 TB SSD storage; $3,299;
  
• 16" with M1 Pro chip; 512 GB SSD storage; $2,499 -- perhaps best buy
  
• 16" with M1 Pro chip; 1 TB SSD storage; $2,699
  
• 16" with M1 Max chip; 1 TB SSD storage; $3,499
  
• Joanna Stern at The Wall Street Journal
• first review, October 18, 2021, 5:42 p.m. ET;
  
• MacRumors
• first review, October 18, 2021, 6:27 p.m. PDT
  
• AAPL shares:
• up 1.18% on the day of the announcement, October 18, 2021
  
• opened at $143.60; dropped to $143.24 just after the opening
• just prior to the event: $144.98
• spiked to 145.83 eighteen minutes after the presentation began
• near the close, hit $146.73
• pre-market trading trading, 4:06 a.m. EDT, October 19, 2021: up another 0.3%
• Unified memory: what is it and how does it work? Link here. 
  
• most frustrating: over at MacRumors "all" the comments pertain to design, superficial appearances; not much mention made of all the ports, new headphone jack; and absolutely nothing about the chip and unified memory revolution;
• I don't think folks get it -- how huge this revolution was; it's amazing on what folks focus
  

Original Post

Apple: everyone suggests each MacBook iteration is simply evolution. Not this time: truly epic revolution. First definition of revolution: a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system. "New" does not necessarily mean "something not seen before. A revolution could take us back to something we've experienced before. And that's exactly what Apple did with regard to the new MacBook Pro, either two models or four new models depending on perspective. But there was another Apple revolution: the chips. 

Normally, shares of AAPL fall during / immediately after the presentation. Not this time. AAPL shares gained significantly, perhaps not in absolute dollar value / percent but in trending / direction. 

Less than six hours after the event, delivery times for these new, expensive computers targeted for "pro" users, extended from one week to two to four weeks. And there is talk that folks who delay even a week or so will not be able to get a new MacBook Pro before Christmas. 

Supply problem or demand problem? 

I've only had one MacBook Pro over the years. They were introduced in 2006. I probably had mine for less than two years before I switched to the MacBook Air. I have absolutely no need for the MacBook Pro simply because I'm not a gamer. They are way too expensive, trending toward $2500 when a sub-$1000-MacBook Air more than meets my needs.

Supply problem or demand problem? A demand problem. I'm seriously thinking of getting a MacBook Pro. Seriously. That's how epic the revolution is. Tim Cook wasn't targeting the new MacBook Pro to the Apple masses. The target: the Apple "pro." If you don't believe me, check out their marketing tagline. 

But something happened on the way to the forum. All those folks like me who didn't want the "Pro" are taking a second look now that Tim has literally fixed everything Apple users complained about when the fourth-generation MacBook Pro was introduced in October, 2016.

The prices for the new MacBook Pro are in line with previous model-years.

Hey, by the way, what's different this time, 2021 vs 2016? People are really, really flush with cash. My favorite graph; I'm still waiting for the September, 2021, data to be released.