Will Apple develop Tablet Mac? iPad+MBA

so,
MS Surface Pro will be released early next year.
It appears MS starting off for next generation laptop. Touch Screen Laptop with portability. Although I doubt the Surface Pro's i5 and power can handle serious desktop applications..
a physical keyboard cover is very attractive.

Apple can make the thinnest, most attractive design with good performances. MBA, new iMac, iPad...
So, will Apple develop a new hybrid (iPad + Macbook Air) product line, even cannibalize own macbook and iPad lines?
It seems predictable on winning MS Surface Pro in the market if its performance is good as MBA.

roxxette said:

If a i5 cant do much for you then i dont know what are you doing.

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well lets see what Surface pro can do next year.

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EthanNixon said:

Uhh... The Microsoft Surface Pro is just as powerful as the mid-range MacBook Air. I'm slightly confused at what you're saying, and I think you are quite confused yourself.

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yes I feel positive to ditch iPad away when Surface Pro comes out, even mac book pro I have since I use iMac at the office. I have been mac user for 10yrs. and comes to this moment to change it.
yes I am confused as a mac user. I really hope Apple makes a tablet mac.

EthanNixon said:

You are definitely confused.

The Surface Pro will do the same things at the MacBook Air will do next year too... They both use basically the same chipset, if not the exact same chipset. The ONLY advantage the MacBook Air will have is the configuration option of more than 4GB of RAM, and that will not help at all in benchmarks for the most part. Most applications that would be sensible to use will not use more than 4GB of RAM.

The Surface Pro is capable of doing and running the same things as any MacBook Air...



I usually don't knock people for their English skills, but I sure hope English is not your first language. I can barely understand any of the statements you are trying to say. Trying to argue the MacBook Air can do more than the Surface Pro is pretty inaccurate.

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okay. the memory part I did not aware of. I am not ready to argue this stuff. thanks for your understanding anyway, don't need to be offensive though.

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roxxette said:

Btw better chances of apple releasing touchscreen laptops than a hybrid, who will want to hold a hot aluminum chasis ?

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yes, with a tablet size, Surface has a low power capacity since there's no cooler.

roxxette said:

No mate, surface pro does have a fan/cooling system.

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okay. good to know. I need to search more about Surface Pro.
Surface Pro is more attractive than iPad or MBA to me even change to Windows os. I think Apple is not going to cannibalize their existing product lines for releasing a tablet mac.

apple portable devices use iOS, not OSX. can't use mac applications other than from App store. Surface Pro has a desktop view with windows 8 which is a major difference with apple.

jmgregory1 said:

MS's idea of converging tablet and laptop is, IMHO, a dumb move. They think they're bringing something new to the dance, but they're not thinking real world use. A tablet is a tablet. Sure, it can do all sorts of things similar to a laptop, but it's not a laptop.

If you want a lightweight screen with a keyboard and decent ssd space, isn't that what the mba is or the knock-off ultra books? How is touching a screen on a laptop something that even makes sense? Just start doing it on your laptop now to get a feel for how it would work and you'll see why combining the two makes little to no sense.

One thing that has kept me from getting an iPad is size - if I were to replace my mba for traveling with an iPad, I'd want the screen to be bigger, more like my mba's 13" screen. So why not just bring my lightweight mba?

I call fail on MS's idea with a tablet that is supposed to be a full featured OS laptop replacement. It's just bad thinking.

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I do understand what you feel about the different use between tablet and laptop. I have been used macbook pro 10 years for professional graphic work. I say professional, but it is just adobe graphic/editing software. If I need to do some serious computer work such as 3D rendering or HD movie editing, I would definitely use macbook pro over 15" screen or mac pro. so it's a story from years ago. I still need a mac pro or macbook pro at least iMac in good performance for more serious graphic work. But do I need a portable laptop for that? No. and I don't want to buy second high-end computer additionally. But, a very portable laptop such as MBA is in need for small computer works which can cooperate with the main work computer, such as for small graphic works and internet browsing with user assistance.

From Apple's line up, I have to have another laptop besides main work computer, since iPad cannot operate mac applications on iOS except ones from Appstore. If I have an iPhone, there no need for iPad, it is just a bigger screen. iPad can't receive calls. iPad is useless for me.

back to the topic,
Life will be much easier if I can buy a tablet which can do same with MBA, since there's no phone call receiving tablet. then I do not necessarily in need of iPhone. Why Apple doesn't consider semi-work portability with third party applications, iWork and iLife for iPad is not enough for some people. or iPad Mini with phone call/receive capability? Of course there must be some technical and marketing reasons for that. To me, Apple became Bestbuy with good bundle apps. I really do not want to dissing Apple since I've been using its product for a decade.

The industry at this time is in the middle of converging all tech devices. I think MS does a smart move with Surface by countering Apple's categorization. Don't you think people will only carry a small headset for phone call and gps which is connected to a small tablet which can fully replace laptop sometime in the future? Apple is almost there with their slim design and quality, but the categorization and the closed applications losing their game. iPod and iPod touch is just a holiday gift, you know...
just sad.

roxxette said:

Check these out, prices of surface pro in germany that might give idea of pricing in other countrys: http://www.redmondpie.com/surface-pro-gets-a-price-in-germany-and-its-not-cheap/

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As long as the price is not beyond $1000, my chips are in.