Tim Cook Says Apple Won't Create 'Converged' Mac and iPad

[Lioneagle]

Good! Thanks Tim!

I know nobody wants to believe Tim Cook, but I don't think he's pulling wool over anyone's eyes. iOS is still a young Operating System. It's going to grow to become nearly as feature rich as OSX, and with the "pro" features restricted to iPads that are designed to handle them, like the iPad Pro. The app ecosystem will reflect the new capabilities of iPads and iOS.

There will be no hybrid. iOS will simply grow.

 

[munchello]

If Tim Cook is about giving loyal Mac users what they want, then for F*#$%k's sake, bring back the 17" MacBook Pro and get a friggin' 5K Cinema Display to market. Power users in photography, graphic design, Film, and Video have been left behind to satisfy the masses with iPhones and iWankerPads. Apple can afford to go back to haloing themselves by producing some Ferraris for little or no profit. Instead, they've moved towards the "it just works (sort of, except when it doesn't)" buggy bloatware model so familiar to those who are stuck in the Microsoft world.

 

[Dmunjal]

Convertibles are great devices, until you actually use them.

I had a MS Surface Pro. The pen stayed in the drawer at work until I gave it back. The type cover never came off of it, It was used exactly as a laptop, and a poor one at that. The Surface 3 is far better, but still not great.

I have a HP Envy Convertible now. I use the touch screen for exactly one purpose, hitting the answer button on my soft phone. And only because that's quicker than grabbing the mouse and clicking the button that way after I get my headset and put it on.

In the office all the IT guys, except myself, the sales team, and various other people have Surface Pro convertibles. They all get used exactly like laptops and generally get left of the desk at night.

I use both my Macbook Pro and my iPad for pretty much everything, and I use them for what they are best at. Convertible Hybrids don't end up being a best of all worlds, they end up being a compromise. For some that might be fine, but most people I know who are IT professionals... even the Microsoft Fan Boys... the convertible aspects simply don't get used. Options like hand off, and message forwarding between your phone, laptop and iPad are much more useful.

Th big issue is getting one UI that works across both a primarily touch based experience, and a primarily Keyboard / pointer based experience. Microsoft tried that with Windows 8 and failed dismally. They are getting better with Windows 10, but that it must more a keyboard / mouse OS than it is a touch based.

I for one will stick with two separate devices that are each really good at what they do, instead of one device that is OK at both.

Why do you compare what's possible with what Microsoft is doing? I believe Apple can do better.

 

[JosephAW]

First they have to roll out new iMacs and Minis using the A10X chip and the. They can merge the OSs until there is no root access and only approved store apps can be installed. No 3rd party apps.

 

[Mac 128]

Certainly, since it's a "full blown" MacBook and a "full blown" iPad in one, it would cost not less than $1.799 minimum. And it's really NOT two devices. Since they share a screen, you can only work with one OR the other, but not both together and both separately. The customer would be punished with the inconvenience of not having two devices, which could work together at the same time or separately in two different rooms. Having two screens is awesome, especially since you already paid for them.

Well for starters, I dot know where you get $1,799 minimum. That's the cost of a 13" MBA and 13" iPP. There would be savings over the cost of the second screen, which would amount to something. And don't forget the multiple adapters you won't need for both devices.

Second, not everybody uses two screens at the same time. If I had to guess, I'd say a minority of Apple users would use an iPad and Mac simultaneously, at least not with any regular frequency. And to the extent that someone needs two mobile screens, I'm not advocating Apple stop making separate iPads or MacBooks. Moreover, the solution for those who want a second screen is to plug the MacBook into a desktop monitor, TV; or low cost, third party portable LCD screens which act as the MacBook screen when the iPad is in use separately. And this goes in the same bag such a person would carry a separate MacBook & iPad in. Otherwise, they conveniently carry just the one device which splits apart into both, with the option to carry it in a bag or not.

If it's not for you, no worries. I would personally love it. Frankly there are compromises with all of Apple's products. While this solves many problems for me, certainly not being able to use both simultaneously will be an issue for some.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

And others like me, who are programmers and power users, do not want a dumbed down OS X.

Who said anything about dumbed down and who say Macs/Macbooks and OSX would cease to exist?

 

[npmacuser5]

Nope. Call me old fashion, but I don't mind having two different devices for this. I really don't want to haul around my work laptop, or parts of it, for the things I do with my iPad.

By having the devices separate too, I can upgrade what's most important to me at the time. My iPad is still an iPad2. Works great for what we use it for. My laptop is a fairly beefed up recent Macbook Pro. I like knowing I can choose which one I'll upgrade next.

Cannot resist, so you still carry a flashlight, calculator, note pad, GPS, calendar date book, when you leave the house?
The phone has replaced so many items I once traveled with. The same with what is being discussed here. Why have several devices when one can work. Yes, there will be trade offs and not every device will work in all situations, but like the phone, a unified system will go a long way to make it happen. A special note, if anyone can make it happen properly, Apple will have the best chance of success. Microsoft has made a good first attempt, now Apple needs to step up and really make it happen. Like many on this forum are asking for.

 

[Precision Gem]

Wouldn't the windows OS ever come in handy on the road? Just curious as I could never see losing the functionality of a full OS unless you gained something in terms of battery life, weight, etc. I'm still taking a wait and see approach, but currently the ipad pro is just a huge iPhone, although the pencil elevates it above that IF the consumer utilizes it.

I'm also curious why a SP4 couldn't replace the 27" imac? I have a SP3 as my office computer, it powers 2 4k screens and chews up anything I throw at it, which is a lot. Popping off my SP3 at the end of the day and having all my stuff with me is amazing, although in all honesty I don't use it like this due to HIPAA, I have a SP4 that goes along with me. I always found it extremely difficult to get real work done on an ipad, but keep in mind my "real" work may differ from yours respectfully.

Having something which is powerful enough to replace every single computer in your life is pretty amazing. Honestly I'm more excited about the long term evolution of Continuum as that takes it to another level, having a smartphone replace every computer in your life, amazing stuff. I'd much rather simplify than add more devices to my responsibility. It's ironic, but I see Microsoft doing MUCH more to usher in the post-PC era than Apple. Although that entire post PC terminology is nonsense, it's more of a shifted PC era.

On the road, like I said, I read and reply to email, and use web applications for travel type things. For this, actually I find IOS better than OS X and certainly better than MS Windows.

As far as replacing my 27" Retina display with a SP3..... really? Have you ever looked at the 5K 27" Screen? The experience is quite different than the small screen on the SP3, not to mention the operating system.

As far as my engineering software that I need the Windows machine, I doubt the SP4 would keep up with the Dell M6700. There is a CAD workstation video card in the Dell. The Dell machine is horrid to travel with, it must weigh with the charger around 8 lbs or more, but it can run the software. When working in a hotel room, I hook up the iPad as a second screen to the Dell, which really increased productivity, so I actually want 2 devices not one.

At home the large 27" super high resolution screen is fantastic to work with, I would never want to work on a lap top. I find laptop keyboards and small screen difficult. But I can see that if you are a Windows person, and only wanted one device a SP3 or 4 could be the way to go.

 

[johnnyturbouk]

People who think that should remember the same was said about Microsoft in the 90s (re: already won). The tech industry is way too fluid for this kind of thinking. All it takes is one misstep (see Ballmer and iPhone), and yesterday's darling is today's laughingstock.

Personally, I'm not convinced Apple can do much more than ride the iPhone momentum out to its end like Microsoft did with Windows and Office. Their latest products do little to convince me that this isn't true.

Hit the nail on the head there.

Although I do not personally have found 'touchscreen' that useful on PCs and laptops, I am not however vehemently against out of blind devotion for apple stance on the matter. Personally, i think touchscreen on my MacBook and iMac may be useful in certain instances, for example turning pages in kindle, minimising a screen, very basic gestures, however, as others have already stated, a trackpad +/- keyboard is far more complicit and reliable for more complex tasks.

 

[Endymion42]

Tim famously made fun of the surface, its keyboard, and stylus, only to rip it off two years later in a 'magical' iPad Pro experience

And minus a trackpad so you need "gorilla" arms to use in pseudo laptop mode...

 

[brianvictor7]

So instead we get two useless devices.

(one thin under-powered over-priced laptop with no ports, and one giant tablet that only gives os icons further apart on the home screen - both for almost the same price)

Sounds like you need to buy a Surface. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[niun]

Interesting.
For those saying they want to keep iOS and OS X separate as a convergence of the two would dumb them down....
This has been happening since iOS emerged on the scene!!
It is only going one way. OS X will continue to be dumbed down as will the Pro apps.

 

[dk001]

No other major product line is replacing laptops with tablets. The Surface Pro is a tablet-y laptop, but it's a laptop all the same and that's how most people use it most of the time. It's telling that the evolution of the Surface Pro product line, the Surface Book, is an actual laptop. I mean it's almost comical how badly MS has failed for four years at making an actual tablet, that both the hardware and software are still better together as a laptop. With Surface Book they basically gave up. With that product they are saying we know our OS is so poorly functional in a tablet form factor we've limited that aspect even more.

That's where you miss it. Most folks with a Surface Pro or other Windows running hybrid primarily use it as a laptop as MS have a very poor tablet app selection. Still you can use it as one. What you miss is people can use it as a laptop or a tablet and almost all owners of these devices do. The person who buys one is looking for a tablet that can run as a laptop when needed or a laptop that can be a tablet when needed. If MS had an app store like either Android or iOS the usage base would be very very different.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

Converging Ipad and Mac = less sales potentially. And they are in the business to make money.

 

[dk001]

Tim has mastered the art of saying a lot of words and saying nothing. I don't bother reading his statements anymore.

The fact that Wall Street doesn't either is telling.

No, not even close. Keep in mind that even in an overall market of declining tablet sales, Apple sells more iPads in a single quarter than the total number of Surface Pros sold by Microsoft since launch a few years ago. In addition, sales of Apple laptops have been doing relatively well compared to the overall market.

Narrow focused. When it comes to MS and hybrids, look at all OEMs, not just MS. The Surface Pro is just the one that is held as the top design.

 

[dk001]

Deleted

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Who said anything about dumbed down and who say Macs/Macbooks and OSX would cease to exist?

Because while many say convergence....its not being defined. They are thinking more along the line of a more full featured iOS. It could go the other way and OS X gets gimped in the process as 2 become 1.

One of Mac OS' most enduring features to me is the Darwin core rooted in BSD/*nix (not going to play OS historian or nit pick this area...we either get geek trivia ego wars or arguments turn pedantic, obviously a whole post/idea is now wrong if if I say SOC instead of SCO if referencing unix kind of thing).

More than 25% of my go to apps are CLI based. Either native mac os ports, kind people in brew projects have done the leg work already, or ye old build off source and pray it goes (and so far that has worked out well). iOS....has that gone. Locked file system, no granular access. Best you get is a terminal emulator to ssh into something else....But you can't CLI yourself. So worst case if mac os becomes more like iOS this could go on the chopping block.

As seen in the other iPad pro threads people like more streamlined approach of iOS. Why some have ditched even their MBP's or other edit:laptop before the iPad pro ...it suited their needs. Which is cool, got what you wanted by all means enjoy it. My concern in convergence is if the hybrid takes form there will be give and take. This my reason for the lack of optimism about what this could be. I want nothing taken from mac os. Which I tbh don't see happening.

Another case in point. We all know how well flash (doesn't) run on iOS. It does on mac os. What would apple do in this hybrid. Reverse its no flash policy on iOS (it be part of the hybrid)? Not a betting man usually...but I'd put a dollar to a donut to flash support getting a bullet to the head in this case. It would be missed imo. Not even a flash lover per se....its a necessary evil in this world as it were until html 5 is adopted more across the internet. How long will that be? No clue really.

 

[npmacuser5]

That's where you miss it. Most folks with a Surface Pro or other Windows running hybrid primarily use it as a laptop as MS have a very poor tablet app selection. Still you can use it as one. What you miss is people can use it as a laptop or a tablet and almost all owners of these devices do. The person who buys one is looking for a tablet that can run as a laptop when needed or a laptop that can be a tablet when needed. If MS had an app store like either Android or iOS the usage base would be very very different.

Hello, MS has an app store for Surface and others. I have downloaded Netflix, Sonos, and Amazon Music to name a few.
Not nearly as extensive as Apple but none the less a very good Store.

 

[Renzatic]

Not nearly as extensive as Apple but none the less a very good Store.

Yeah, it's decent, and has gotten a little better over the last couple of months, but it does still have a WAYS to go before it can go toe to toe with Google's app store, let alone Apple's.

 

[npmacuser5]

Yeah, it's decent, and has gotten a little better over the last couple of months, but it does still have a WAYS to go before it can go toe to toe with Google's app store, let alone Apple's.

I forgot to say, unlike Apple you can download apps etc. from sites, with some risks. Not unlike Apple folks who jailbreak their devices. I will always download from MS App Store if available but trusted sites like Amazon no issues.

 

[Harvtron]

Just stop saying things like "can't" "won't" "don't" and "never". Just STOP. You have NO IDEA what you might do in the future, what the future might hold, how products might change, and how we all might want or use things down the road. It's absolutely insane to say that you "won't" do something because you "don't" think people want it. I DO! I want an iPad Pro running OS X right damn now! I understand you don't want to market to just one guy, but don't completely nix a perfectly good and valid idea or plan simply because you don't want to make it right now. It's a very bad habit that's been proven wrong time and time again.

 

[uid15]

We've told people this over and over and OVER again, who call Apple "stupid" for not merging platforms. No, doing so would be stupid!

 

[Virinprew]

They will make it when they do. Like what they did to one-handed iPhone.

 

[uid15]

Complete BS. Plenty of us want that.

That's a count of 56 people; I hardly think Apple will U-turn based on that number.

 

[freepomme]

They will be absolutely not planning it, no interest, customers don't want it, until one day they release it all of a sudden and then it will be a magical experience, absolutely best in the market, revolutionary, life-changing, nobody has ever done this before, etc.

Lmao this is what they said with the Apple Watch.

"Are you thinking about making a watch?"

Tim Cook: Pulls out phone "This is their watch.

Then Apple Watch comes out.

Thing is it doesn't really sell and Tim Cook was rightS