Apple to Release iPad Pro Smart Keyboard With Trackpad in 2020

[rp2011]

To kill off the MacBook completely

I love the trackpad rumors as I love the iPad Pro, but event though the iPad sells far more units, the Mac still generates more revenue as the margins are better. Apple would be crazy to kill the Mac for that reason alone, but for many many other reasons as well.

No need for anyone to feel insecure about the Mac because one platform is getting better text input support. These are two completely different demos that use either as their primary computer.

 

[iapplelove]

Yeah, because a laptop over an iPad is monstrous and so heavy.

lol I love how you didn’t quote my entire post. Either way don’t buy one.

Yeah how horrible more choices.

 

[cmaier]

What if the rumored ARM Mac and this rumored Smart KB w/Trackpad is really a reference to the same device and what Apple is really aiming for is to run macOS in a virtualized container on iPadOS via a "macOS app"?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1233138521973514240

Seems exceptionally unlikely. Not apple’s style.

 

[rp2011]

Apple needs to pause iPad hardware and focus more on making iPadOS less gimped.

Because nothing improves a device like pausing it’s development.

 

[realtuner]

Apple needs to pause iPad hardware and focus more on making iPadOS less gimped.

Gimped compared to what? That other tablet OS that’s completely useless? Or are you comparing the iPad to macOS or Windows?

 

[0924487]

Surface Pro: Hey brother?!

 

[lazyrighteye]

Bad idea. Let each paradigm be true to itself. Trying to be a jack of all trades will just lead to a mess.

"An iPod. A phone. An internet communicator."
That jack of all trades did ok.

 

[JayMysterio]

Yeah, because a laptop over an iPad is monstrous and so heavy.

Weight isn't the issue. One can detach a tablet from a keyboard, and use it as a art and/or note tablet. I still haven't seen the Mac laptop that does that.

 

[jpn]

I like to use one device in order to interact with data, communications and the internet. An iPad Pro with a keyboard and a trackpad would mean I have a iPad and an iPhone, instead of an iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro. I could attach the iPad to a monitor and if it shut off, use it as a laptop replacement and then use also as a mobile device when it was time to go to work again. No need for a laptop for me, I don’t do video editing or music editing. I would buy this with an upspecc’ed iPad in a heart beat, to fully realize a laptop replacement in a smaller form factor. Cool!!!

i think you are on to something with this.

if the rumor about iPad Pro getting a trackpad (finally!) is true, then the obvious next question is:
will the current iPad Pro USB-C port become Thuderbolt so that un-dongled display connections are easier?

your setup you prefer is actually ideal. you have one powerful computer (with an iPad Pro with a CPU that is yearly becoming more and more powerful with every new release) and one really mobile computer.
with a Thunderbolt port on your iPad Pro you just use your powerful computer to hook up to a desktop size display.

its a brilliant solution that billions of users could have.

 

[Hastings101]

Would be nice if they did this and made iOS 14 more mouse-friendly too. Even better, give us an iOS 14 with an Apple version of Dex/Continuum. The introduction of Catalyst apps gives me hope that something along those lines could come up in a few years. Yes it could kill the need for a Mac for most casual users, but considering Apple is still willing to spend the money to develop things like new Mac Pros the professional market must still bring in enough money to justify the cost.

 

[JayMysterio]

iSurface pro X?

I would really like apple to make a surface pro like device running macOS.

I would really like Apple to make a Surface studio running Mac OS, that would make sense and studios would love it.

 

[puggsly]

Why not kill the ipad? Since the mac is an better product..

Define "better"? The iPad is smaller, lighter, more battery efficient and runs about a billion more applications. Granted there are applications on the Mac that are more advanced/complex than on the iPad, but for many of the key things people do on a mac the iPad is just as good or better and giving pointer support would just make that even more true on more things.

 

[eatrains]

"An iPod. A phone. An internet communicator."
That jack of all trades did ok.

You're talking about functionality, I'm talking about interaction paradigms. The iPhone is designed for use with your fingers.

 

[KPOM]

To kill off the MacBook completely

Not necessarily. iPadOS will get better mouse/trackpad support, but the larger MacBook Pro is likely to be around for a while.

 

[puggsly]

Why not to put their hard work for an 12” macbook ? I mean think about all the money and time put in the last 10 years for ipad..and place those into mac team..i bet we could have a macbook with ipados and macos..no need for an clone mac ipad
Every cheers i heard from ipados is when they copy features from mac to ipad
Not vice versa when we hear we can have ios apps to mac..

Instead lets think about the income they made selling iPads and the developer support that came along with it. iPad has a 2-3 times larger installed base than the mac with solid margins. It has been so successful that Apple is trying to leverage it's success to make the mac better via catalyst.
I would say that for most users, purchasing a nice iMac and an iPad provides a much more robust total computing experience than spending the same amount of money on a nice MacBook pro. So as long as the two environments are complementary, why would you want to kill ether?

 

[realtuner]

Surface Pro: Hey brother?!

Surface Pro: "Hey, I wish I had Apps that were actually optimized for tablet use."

 

[Neepman]

All these instant obsolete add-ons and yet still no way to easily save a file....

 

[blackcrayon]

The rumor is apple will add an optional peripheral to the iPad that adds optional additional functionality. And 1/2 of the replies are "might as well get a laptop".
Yes, the new smart keyboard will be staple-gunned to your iPad, the touch screen will be permanently disabled, the pencil will stop working, and it will stop running iPad apps. So you might as well get a MacBook.

 

[citysnaps]

Sounds good to me. Nice having options.

 

[garylapointe]

Why not kill the ipad? Since the mac is an better product..

The fact that you're reading this thread means that you're NOT the target audience for this product.

There are lots of people who only use an iPad as their main computing device. Again, I mean civilians, not a large percentage of people hanging out at MacRumors...

 

[puggsly]

Might as well get a laptop instead of this.

This makes perfect sense if you have ever used an iPad without a keyboard. When you do, you can easily cursor around a document with the virtual keyboard being used as a trackpad, but attach a keyboard and you loose that functionality. Adding a trackpad just makes the keyboard cases better.

 

[blackcrayon]

All these instant obsolete add-ons and yet still no way to easily save a file....

You find saving files with iOS difficult? Lucky for you iPads have decent battery life!

 

[puggsly]

All these instant obsolete add-ons and yet still no way to easily save a file....

What the? I don't even know how to respond. You have always been able to save files. The files app allows you to save files to more places more like you do with a mac but huh?

 

[blackcrayon]

i think you are on to something with this.

if the rumor about iPad Pro getting a trackpad (finally!) is true, then the obvious next question is:
will the current iPad Pro USB-C port become Thuderbolt so that un-dongled display connections are easier?

your setup you prefer is actually ideal. you have one powerful computer (with an iPad Pro with a CPU that is yearly becoming more and more powerful with every new release) and one really mobile computer.
with a Thunderbolt port on your iPad Pro you just use your powerful computer to hook up to a desktop size display.

its a brilliant solution that billions of users could have.

I doubt the iPad will be getting Thunderbolt (due to it being ARM based), but I'd really like a second USB C port on the long side of the iPad Pro. For 3rd party keyboard docks, the keyboard could contain the hub for additional ports/functionality, or simply docking more neatly in landscape in general.

 

[smulji]

I doubt the iPad will be getting Thunderbolt (due to it being ARM based), but I'd really like a second USB C port on the long side of the iPad Pro. For 3rd party keyboard docks, the keyboard could contain the hub for additional ports/functionality, or simply docking more neatly in landscape in general.

I can definitely see the iPad getting USB 4