Walmart begins selling the Mac for the first time: M1 MacBook Air for $699

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Price, positioning, and retail strategy

  • $699 for an M1 MacBook Air is widely seen as a strong deal; some call it a “steal,” others say it’s still not cheap compared to past discounts.
  • Several think Apple uses Walmart (and similar channels) to hit a sub‑$999 price point without lowering prices on its own site.
  • Debate on whether this is a one‑off liquidation of aging M1 stock vs. a durable “entry tier” strategy to bring lower‑income or first‑time buyers into the Apple ecosystem.
  • Some speculate Walmart may have a specific configuration or negotiated pricing leverage, but details are unclear.

Value versus Windows and other laptops

  • Comparisons to similarly priced Lenovo ThinkPad P14s and ASUS VivoBook: those often have more RAM and storage but worse battery life, plastic chassis, and weaker displays.
  • Many argue that for non‑gaming use, overall experience (screen, keyboard, trackpad, battery, build quality) matters more than raw specs.
  • Others counter that if you can get double the RAM and more SSD for the same price, that’s compelling for many users.

Hardware specs: RAM, storage, and performance

  • 8GB RAM is heavily debated:
    • Some say it’s already insufficient, especially for heavy browser + creative workflows.
    • Others report 8GB M1 machines feeling fast with minimal swap for typical office/browsing work.
  • Apple’s RAM/SSD upgrade pricing is widely criticized as excessive.

Longevity, OS support, and repairability

  • M1 support is expected into the late 2020s; some are satisfied with ~6–8 years of updates, others want 10–15+ years and dislike forced obsolescence.
  • Apple’s refusal to allow official installation of newer macOS on older hardware is a sticking point.
  • Soldered storage is criticized for limiting repairability; batteries are seen as easier and cheaper to replace.

Battery life, build quality, and UX

  • M1 Air’s fanless design, long battery life, and aluminum unibody are repeatedly praised.
  • Several report poor durability and battery life on recent ThinkPads and other Windows laptops.
  • Apple’s trackpad and overall polish are often cited as major advantages; ThinkPad keyboards are defended as superior by some.

Ecosystem and alternative OSes

  • Integration with iPhone/App Store and Airdrop is seen as a plus for many buyers.
  • Others plan to avoid Apple due to OS support policies and favor Framework, Tuxedo, Linux, or BSD.
  • Asahi Linux and OpenBSD support on M1 are mentioned as future paths for extending device life.

Availability and regional pricing

  • Costco has offered similar M1 Air deals (sometimes lower), though stock and pricing are inconsistent.
  • European commenters note significantly higher prices due to VAT and regional pricing, making the Walmart deal look especially attractive from abroad.