In the technological world, few companies have as much impact as Apple, and their decisions regarding products and services are always of great interest and generate debate. In line with this, in an episode of The Vergecast podcast, journalist Walt Mossberg revealed some quite surprising information: Jony Ive, former head of design at Apple, had the intention of completely eliminating the MacBook Air line. According to Mossberg, who cites a high-level source within Apple, Ive sought to simplify the company’s range of laptops, focusing solely on the MacBook Pro.
What would have happened to Apple laptops?
Ive’s proposal was bold: to create a MacBook Pro as light and thin, or even more, than the MacBook Air. This move, according to him, would benefit Apple’s product line, making it simpler, not to mention that it would generate revenue with a higher-priced MacBook Pro. However, the idea went against Steve Jobs’ philosophy, who always advocated for maintaining two distinct product lines: one for the general consumer and another for professionals.
The tension between the design team led by Ive and the engineering and product management side of Apple was palpable. The latter group defended the importance of the MacBook Air, arguing its sales success and relevance in the market. Finally, this vision prevailed and an update of the MacBook Air was launched in 2018.
Although this story comes from a single source — as Mossberg comments — and may lack the usual journalistic rigor, it raises an interesting “what if” in Apple’s history. Ive left the company the following year, and while it is not claimed that this decision was directly related to the outcome of this dispute, it does mark a turning point in Apple’s product strategy. While we wait for a new MacBook Air soon, would we have accepted a single MacBook model?
