One of the “Sharks” on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank,” Kevin O’Leary, was recently talking on one of the episodes of “Tetr College of Business and Masters’ Union,” discussing various topics regarding entrepreneurship, Steve Jobs, and more. What’s interesting about the near-2-hour podcast is that one of the companies he mentioned was Apple, and that its brand compels buyers to spend five times the amount of money on its laptops compared to a Windows alternative that costs $350.
As you can imagine, the majority of people on X aren’t thrilled with this take, with a lot of replies firing back at remarks made by someone who’s supposed to have adequate knowledge about the computing industry. We also have some thoughts, with one of them being that Kevin O’Leary has immediately forgotten the MacBook Neo, Apple’s $599 notebook that has taken the industry by storm and is expected to make the competition sweat profusely.
Kevin O’Leary says that customers spend $1,800 on a Mac, forgetting that one of Apple’s most capable portable computers can be had for less than $1,000
Speaking with host Pratham Mittal, Kevin O’Leary appears to be out of touch with what’s cooking in the computing world. For instance, he’s comparing an $1,800 MacBook with a $350 Windows laptop, saying that both machines offer the same functionality. What he seems to forget is that even though both products may share the same footprint, there’s a day-and-night difference in build quality, specifications, battery life, display, trackpad, hinge sturdiness, and more.
Most importantly, not only is he forgetting about the MacBook Neo, which can actually be had on online retailers on Amazon for as low as $589, but one of the best ‘price to performance’ portable Macs, the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air with its 16GB unified memory and a 512GB SSD, can be purchased for just $899.99 if you stumble upon an excellent deal.
The 5x multiple in price difference is nowhere to be found in our counterargument, and assuming Kevin O’Leary remains steadfast in his claims, there’s no way an $1,800 computer and a $350 one offer the same functionality. YouTuber MKBHD has also said that thanks to Apple’s integration of its own operating system, silicon, and other components, it can afford to price computers like the MacBook Neo at that $600 price bracket.
Unfortunately, Windows laptop manufacturers won’t have the same freedom, as the OS and chipset are taken from third-party firms, making profit generation a more arduous task. As you can tell from just a handful of posts on X, people don’t have the slightest appreciation for Kevin O’Leary’s comments. Sure, he’s amassed a massive fortune over the years, but that doesn’t make him correct about what he’s saying.
If anything, we’d say that he’s out of touch with Apple and its product lineup, so perhaps he should commit to 15-20 minutes of research and see what the Cupertino giant has unveiled these past 12 months and then pass judgment.
News Source: Tetr College of Business and Masters' Union
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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