Which Apple product should you buy??

After Apple’s keynote earlier this week, there is one question on the minds of the Mac/Apple fans- what product should one buy?? Between the new Macbook, the upgraded Macbook Air, the Macbook Pro and the Apple Watch, it is hard to decide. Is it worth being an early adopter and choosing the ultra-thin Macbook with one USB-C port, the all new keyboard and the retina display? Having studied the specs on the new Macbook, I have come to the conclusion that there is a specific type of customer for whom this would be well suited. This type of customer typically has a more beefier laptop or desktop computer at home for heavy lifting tasks like video editing and relies on a tablet (like an iPad) or a small laptop (like the 11 inch Macbook Air) while out and about. The new Macbook would be good for road warriors with ready access to Wi-Fi at hotels and airports. It would suit a student who relies on his or her laptop for taking notes in school or checking email etc, and reserves the multitasking for the second computer at home. With the slower processor it ships with, the new Macbook will struggle when multiple windows are open and one wants to surf, watch videos and monitor Twitter at the same time (yes, there are people I have seen do just this!). Also note that it has a 480p camera which is far inferior than even the 720p front facing camera in an iPad. It is a good travel computer as long as one remembers to take the adapters for peripherals and the ethernet adapter for use in the hotels where wireless internet is sold at a steep premium compared to the wired option. In all other cases, the choice to be made is between the longer battery life and lightweight form factor of the Macbook Air (which has the updated keyboard with Force Touch) and the more powerful Macbook Pro with retina display suited for any professional who wants to work with media-rich files on the road.

And what about the watch, you ask? Well, if you have disposable income lying around or an IRS refund that you want to spend, then I suggest choosing one of the lower end models (which cost between $350 and $1000. Remember that you will feel the need to upgrade to the next version in a year, so choose wisely. It is a fitness band built into a good looking watch. Is it overpriced for a first generation device? Absolutely! Just like the first iPhone, there will be a premium paid by early adopters and prices will fall with successive versions even as more features will be added. The higher models are being sold as fashion accessories for the ultra rich and will stay unchanged in price to mark their premium status. 

And you may well ask- which Apple product am I buying? Well, I am buying Apple stock for now, This is the only product that is actually going to rise in value in a year. Everything else will be upgraded and a better version will be released in a year after the early adopters have found the flaws in the first version. Plus, I have a Macbook Pro with Retina Display that works brilliantly  well and irrespective of what Apple wants me to believe, I think its keyboard is just fine! And my Fitbit Charge is as good a fitness tracker as I need. Perhaps I will change my mind when I hold the Apple Watch in my hand. But for now, I will stay away from the version 1 devices and wait for the believers to worship at the shrine of Apple and hope it drives the stock up!