Do you think Apple will ever come out with a touchscreen MBP?

Do you think Apple will ever embrace the tablet-laptop hybrid idea? I know that it works with Windows 8 because Windows 8 is optimized for touch but also for use in non-touch devices, whereas Apple has kept their touch OS and their desktop OS separate.

But I've been wondering if they'd ever create something with the power of a MBP with the touch capabilities of the iPad. A lot of people say "laptops are dying", but it's hard to think that when the power of a tablet is so much less than that of a laptop. If there were some combination of the two...

Do you think that will ever happen? Would you ever want to buy such a thing?

 

I think so, but not so soon.

 

If/when touch displays reach that caliber of being "apple worth" than sure! However, as noted above, not anytime soon will that happen. I'm sure that one day Apple will make a touch screen, but touch screens are going to have to have a retina display or be an improvement over regular displays aside from being "touchy."

 

Apple might in the future when they move out of OS X but, right now, OS X is still a keyboard and mouse driven setup whereas Windows is is pretty much built for touch and sucks with a keyboard and mouse (how am I supposed to remember that I need to hold down control and right-click on the upper left corner to make something happen?). OS X is clearly designed with the traditional setup in mind. The dock, small menu items, etc. are all easily accessible with a mouse and touch input for using those would be rather hard to initiate. Apple would have to implement icons in a more grid-like fashion (similar to the current launcher) while making menu options larger and more touch friendly.

I don't see this happening for a while though as Apple has clearly drawn a line between their computer OS and iOS. They share some of the same functionality but iOS is their baby for touch input. As it stands, I prefer this approach simply because it keeps things separate and allows for a better desktop environment on non-touch devices. That is why I simply won't use Windows 8. I tried it for a while on my nettop (with a standard keyboard and two button mouse) and ended up downgrading to Widows 7.

 

I think you should just pull the trigger on the Duo 11 you've been thinking about getting

Apple will probably eventually add touch to OSX--the Launchpad is the clearest indication of that in my opinion (basically filling the same role as Win 8's start screen)--but Apple has been so vocal in mocking the consolidated approach of Win 8 (comparing a touchscreen laptop to a toaster bolted to a refrigerator) that they can't just go ahead and do it themselves in 2013. Not without eating some crow.

 

It would defeat the purpose of the iPad/iPad mini completely

 

it would unify things, which Im currently thinking is where we are heading. and also it would give wings to the crazy rumors that have been flooding cupertino of a mbp with a ARM cpu

given the way that intel is moving towards extreme low tdp to penetrate the market with x86 cpus I still have my doubts.

 

o__O apple is moving to ARM?

 

Start reading about 8 words before the part you bolded.

 

Even with rumors, I don't think an ARM is a logical choice for any laptop...

 

I'm thinking about it

I just can't close the book on the iPad idea just yet...

 

It really all depends on whether you want two highly-focused single-purpose devices or a dual-purpose device. Personally, once I had a device that played the role of laptop AND the role of tablet well, I didn't want to go back to shuffling my files between two machines. The convenience of having everything on one machine was just too great to ignore. But obviously there are compromises involved on the weight and battery life fronts when compared to the iPad. For me, the convenience outweighed those form factor compromises.

 

It's not a matter of if Apple wants to, it's if LG wants to make them Apple doesn't make their own parts guys.

 

I seriously doubt that LG is involved with product design for Apple just because they manufacture screens used in Apple laptops.

 

If lg doesn't make the screen, apple can't use it

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There's a variety of high-quality high-res IPS touchscreens on the market right now, including the 1080p 11.6" used in the Vaio Duo 11 and the 1080p 12.5" used in the XPS 12. It's not like Apple couldn't find one if it wanted.

And before anyone says "Apple uses 16:9, not 16:10," let me direct you to the current MBA 11 with its 1366x768 screen.

 

Sony is manufacturing direct competition to the macbook series with their VAIO z?( not familiar with Sony laptops) line. I doubt theyd like to help them out. The other manufacturer of the high resolution screens is...Samsung. I guess its karma for suing their competition when in reality they need them

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Got that backwards there, chief.

 

Many Sony laptop screens are manufactured by third parties instead of by Sony itself, such as the 15.5" IPS display in the Vaio S15 which is made by LG. I don't know for sure who makes the IPS touchscreen in the Duo 11, but there's a good chance it's not an in-house job. Same with the 12.5" 1080p IPS touchscreen in the Dell XPS 12.

Just because two companies compete doesn't mean that one wouldn't sell parts to the other. You point out Samsung...but so what? Samsung makes the processors for the iPhone and the iPad and is continuing to do so despite all the Apple-Samsung litigation. If Apple wanted to buy Sony screens, I'm sure Sony would sell them to Apple. With Sony's current financial crisis they'd never turn away that big of a paying customer.

Yeah. Oops. I'm a bit loopy from donating blood earlier.

 

Some people like to credit the photocopier with actually creating the papers that it copies