CNBC: Apple Likely to Hit Goldilocks Price With New MacBook

by John Martellaro , 12:55 PM EDT, October 13th, 2008

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Pointing to Apple's own boilerplate text that the company "ignited" the personal computer revolution, Jim Goldman at CNBC said on Monday that Apple will now exercise the "nuclear option." An $899 Macbook would hit just the right price point to create a sales explosion.

The goal for Apple is to lower the price of an attractive notebook well below the magic US$1,000 figure without going so low as to damage Apple's brand. Notebooks that sell in the $500 range feel cheap and don't have the features Apple customers crave.

Mr. Goldman said that the magic number, according to his sources, is US$899.

Apple is poised now to make that move. While an $899 MacBook would lower the average selling price (ASP) of the Apple notebook line, something that might drive some analysts crazy, Apple believes that making up for that with mind share and market share, especially in the current economy, would be a smart move.

All will be revealed Tuesday, and then the world will know if Apple has hit the "Goldilocks" price point for the new MacBooks.

Some analysts, such as Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray, also expect the price points of the new MacBook Pros to be very aggressive as well.

Note: the Mac Observer's own Bryan Chaffin will be in Cupertino to provide live coverage the event on Tuesday.