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12 macbook pro theory

F

Freyqq

macrumors 601
Original poster
Dec 13, 2004
4,038
181
A previous rumor on the site stated that a 12" retina MBP was in the works. Another rumor stated that a 12" tablet is also rumored to be in the works. I have a different theory based on that info..that the 12" macbook pro will instead be a convertible tablet. I haven't heard this theory anywhere else, but it could make a lot of sense.

1. there is a Y series processor that intel sells that is even lower power than the one used in the macbook air, but better than an atom processor. It would be perfect for a tablet. Apple currently doesn't use this in any of it's products.

2. The best tablet/laptop design, i think, is having a physical keyboard with a large battery as the laptop portion with a removable tablet serving as the screen. Apple loves magnets, so I'd expect them to use magnets to hold it in place. They could use similar tech from the magsafe charger, so that taking it off sideways is easy and it is firmly in place when pushed upwards.

3. Since it runs an intel processor, it can handle OSX. Have it run OSX when docked, and seamlessly switch to iOS when undocked. Due to the overlap in functionality of most programs between 10.9 and ios 7, as well as the ios-ification of OSX recently, it is certainly possible to allow both OS to share data. So, you could use pages in OSX, and then go straight into Pages in iOS, accessing the same document. I also assume that iOS can be, either virtualized or run natively on intel chips, like their strategy when they went from PowerPC to x86.

If done correctly, I think that this could be a great product.
 
horrid idea, if you want a hybrid that both fails at being a tablet and fails at being a laptop, buy a surface.
 
puma1552 said:
horrid idea, if you want a hybrid that both fails at being a tablet and fails at being a laptop, buy a surface.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Apple already has an iPad that runs iOS. One can connect a Bluetooth keyboard to it. OS X is not touch optimized. What would be the point of this?
 
Freyqq said:
It would have a retina screen, as rumored, and it would probably get it's own unique name anyway. Macbook touch?
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Ignoring the fact that what you described in the OP is something Microsoft would do and not Apple?
 
yinz said:
Convergence
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Convergence for the sake of convergence makes for a lousy product where each function is much worse than the products it replaces. Not everything is destined to be converged.

Maybe some day there will be some sort of Apple convertible but not next year. And IMO it won't look like anything the Windows OEM's have made.
 
I can't be the only one who was completely and irreversibly soured on the idea of a convertible tablet 10 years ago, by the early efforts from IBM, HP, and Toshiba.

I worked during those days for a company that was fond of those damnable things and I'm sad to say I've tried them all. Single dual-axis hinges, dual hinges to fold it inside out, detachable keyboards, you name it, but they all had the same problems: excess heat that made them uncomfortable to pick up, structural flaws that made them feel flimsy (except for the IBM/Lenovo models), horrible resistive touch screens, clunky styli, Pentium M CPUs and either Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Vista,

Now, you might say, that was years ago! Mobile architecture has improved tremendously, and Apple is known for taking unlikely ideas and making them 'just work'. But they DID make the tablet 'just work', and it's called the iPad.

Combining market segments to cannibalize their own product lines is something Apple has famously pulled off quite well. But they still have to have a reason to do so. I know plenty of people who carried both phones and iPods who were thrilled to be able to merge both. I don't know very many people who carry both MacBooks and iPads wherever they go. I do exactly that, however, and I can't once think of a time when I thought "I wish I could prop my MacBook Pro up on a treadmill and watch TV while I work out" or "I wish my iPad had a foldout keyboard and an ULV i5".

If anyone were to make a convertible tablet and do it well it would certainly be Apple. But as someone who might seem to be the ideal target audience for such a device, I would take a lot of convincing.
 
Well, it would fit my needs.. i carry both my laptop and iPad everywhere, having them as a single product could work for me, but i am not willing to ignore power, i still want a high-end macbook pro when it is docked, not some tablet CPU, i think when you dock it, it should work as a monitor only, and letting the hardware beneath the keyboard be a real i7 + a Nvidia GPU.

edit: Hardware, not hard-drive.
 
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Regardless of the compromises, I think computers will eventually become convertible. As long as the storage is all placed in the screen, it can be done well. The key is seamlessly switching between ios and osx. Imagine reading an article in osx, lifting off the screen of the laptop, and keep reading that article in an ios interface. As long as the tech can do that in form factor of an iPad as the screen and a macbook as the base, I don't see any downsides.
 
Freyqq said:
Regardless of the compromises, I think computers will eventually become convertible. As long as the storage is all placed in the screen, it can be done well. The key is seamlessly switching between ios and osx. Imagine reading an article in osx, lifting off the screen of the laptop, and keep reading that article in an ios interface. As long as the tech can do that in form factor of an iPad as the screen and a macbook as the base, I don't see any downsides.
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This is exactly what people don't want, though. Post on here and virtually everyone will say they don't want a touchscreen on the Mac. What you are proposing is pretty far away.
 
PDFierro said:
This is exactly what people don't want, though. Post on here and virtually everyone will say they don't want a touchscreen on the Mac. What you are proposing is pretty far away.
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I think it is an entire market segment that hasn't really been done well yet. There are good tablets that are tablets, good laptops that are laptops, but no good tablets that are also good laptops out there. I'm sure Apple has at least given this direction some thought.
 
Freyqq said:
I think it is an entire market segment that hasn't really been done well yet. There are good tablets that are tablets, good laptops that are laptops, but no good tablets that are also good laptops out there. I'm sure Apple has at least given this direction some thought.
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Even so, I can't see it being implemented for at least 3-5 years. And it's the last thing I would want.
 
Freyqq said:
I think it is an entire market segment that hasn't really been done well yet. There are good tablets that are tablets, good laptops that are laptops, but no good tablets that are also good laptops out there. I'm sure Apple has at least given this direction some thought.
Click to expand...

That's true. But things are supposed to change with Haswell, especially with the Bay Trail platform. As battery life improves, devices can be slimmer and this will allow for better hybrids. Next year, the release of Broadwell and (hopefully) the spread use of IGZO displays will make hybrids a viable choice. Apple won't be able to stay away of it for too long, unless it has something really neat on its sleeves.
 
puma1552 said:
horrid idea, if you want a hybrid that both fails at being a tablet and fails at being a laptop, buy a surface.
Click to expand...

Right! I tried playing with a Surface in the Microsoft store, and it was a pain. Terrible keyboard for one. The store is twice the size of the apple store at the same mall, and there were exactly 5 customers there (plus 8 store workers). Then walked down to Apple store and couldn't count the number of people in there...at least 20..
 
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