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Tim Cook Decides Not to Merge Mac and iPad, Thinks Microsoft Using Defensive Move

By | April 25, 2012 | 3 comments
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During yesterday’s second quarter earnings call, CEO Time Cook expressed his opinion of the hybrid tablet/laptop devices that are being talked about in PC circles. While the company doesn’t mind integrating operating system features amongst iOS and OS X, Cook believes that the hybrid is a bad idea.

When asked about they hybrids, Windows 8 tablet/laptops to be specific, Cook responded, “anything can be forced to converge, but the problem is that products are about tradeoffs and you begin to make tradeoffs to the point where what you have left doesn’t please anyone. You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user.”

Cook is calling the hybrid development a “defensive move” because other tech companies are still struggling to find a way to break into the tablet market. While a hybrid is a new idea, it is not necessarily one to win over consumers. “The compromise of convergence- we’re not going to that party,” said Cook.

The idea of a tablet/laptop hybrid seems shortsighted. Why would anyone want a device that functions as a laptop, but has a touch screen, when the point of the tablet is lightweight mobility and efficiency? I admit, I have a keyboard case that makes my iPad look like a laptop, but I only use it when I need the extra keyboard power. I wouldn’t want it to be permanent. The joy of the iPad is less about the touch screen and more about the ability to take something lightweight and slim with me where ever I go, although the touch screen is pretty awesome.

What would be the benefits of a hybrid over a tablet or laptop? A hybrid would be thicker and heavier than a tablet. The keyboard would get in the way of the touch screen. The imbalance of the keyboard versus the screen would cause it to tip over unless the keyboard side was at least slightly heavier than the screen side. The extra mechanics would be a battery drain.

The concept of a hybrid that has a detachable keyboard is really the only viable device that could see movement in the market. Since Windows 8 is set to be released later this year, companies can incorporate the desktop version with the tablet version to allow for better compatibility. However, calling something like that a hybrid is a bit of a cheat since it is really just a tablet with a keyboard case. While Apple doesn’t make a keyboard case, there are a lot of fantastic ones on the market that do the trick.

If the hybrid does take off and make a dent in the market, the only thing Apple would have to do to compete is offer a fairly low-cost keyboard case. Then, the iPad could function as a laptop, but consumers wouldn’t be forced to buy they keyboard if they didn’t want it.

If I wanted a laptop, I’d buy an actual laptop, not a tablet with a keyboard. Really, the hybrid is just a crippled laptop, isn’t it?

[via The Verge]

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About Lory: Writer of all things app related, traveler of the space-time continuum, baker of really great cookies. Follow me @appaholik

  • araczynski

    “a man falling off a cliff will grab for a blade of grass in desperation”, if you forget how to innovate, you regurgitate.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/B3R3QTMKDLEEJK6MYQKUIBBFOM Ron L

    Isn’t the iPhone a converged device? Phone + Computer? Do you think Apple will ditch it because the trade-offs do not make sense?

    I suspect Tim Cook will say whatever he has to say – but having to lug just one device for those of us that travel and do work – but also want the benefits of touch and easy to use media consumption are hard to ignore – and I would argue that Windows 8 goes further than just keyboard + touch (I own a keyboard with my iPad – and it is not all there is in there). It also offers support for multiple screens, multiple screen sizes, much faster processors and much more storage if you need it – and billions of legacy applications.

    In addition – there is the accuracy of pointer based interface (mouse/touchpad/trackpad) that Windows 8 supports – that is much more accurate than finger based touch devices when you need accuracy. Add the fact that iOS is starting to show it’s age – the interface was basically copied from the ancient Handspring Treo with a grid of static icons, multi-tasking gestures are a lot more reasonable in Windows 8 than on the iPad – as well as the way to close running applications – and finally, the brilliant concept of app contracts that allow apps to consume and create content for other apps without knowing anything about said apps – which is much nicer than the “any app is an island” approach that iOS supports – and one suspects that there is a lot more to Windows 8 than a convergence that Apple is so much against (unless it is an iPhone, where it makes sense, eh?)

  • http://zadl.org/ Captain ZADL

    MacBook Air with touchscreen. Boom. Oh wait, they’ve already put touch devices on the Air in the form of the multitouch trackpad. And OSX is already going more iOS like, so….