I’m sure some use the touch screens, but anecdotally it seems to me most only use it occasionally and only because it’s there, but it’s not really missed when it’s gone, at least when using a MacBook which has a great trackpad.
I think some of iPad apps not being as functional as their Mac app counterparts is due to developers just not putting in the effort, and some due to limitations of the OS (I gave my reasons why I think the OS is limited, though some limitations can probably be mitigated), and some due to limitations of touch. I can’t remember if it was in this thread, but I gave reasons why I think touch is a limiting factor in feature-rich productivity apps and workflows.
I don’t know what the numbers are as far as people missing touch screens on their laptops and that being the main reason they stay with PC rather than Mac—I’d love to see those numbers—but anecdotally the people I know who use touch PCs don’t care about touch much at all. They use PCs for other reasons. Some care about pen input though. Touch is just a side benefit to them that they sometimes use. And as I alluded to in my previous post, the satisfaction rates of Macs/iPads suggest to me that is probably the case for most.
The convertible form factor of laptops such as the HP X360 Elitebook do offer touch and a comparable weight to an iPad + MK with better battery life (and of course full OS), but it sacrifices the portability of a thin light slate, which I think is something a lot of iPad users don’t want to give up for a device that they want to relax with. So I’m not sure it’s a great comparison.
If Apple made a convertible MacBook, I think it would be because they want to bring a pen to the Mac, in which case they might implement a limited version of touch, maybe just gestures. I doubt they would allow full touch with macOS unless they change the OS and apps to touch UI, but I don’t see that happening. And I don’t think Apple sees dual OS as a great UX for most of their customers.
Apple isn’t forcing anyone to do anything. They try to entice people with really good range of products that cover most people’s situations. They’re not going to appeal to everyone, but they appeal to a lot, enough to make Apple very successful and most of their customers very happy. But there will always be some who aren’t. I‘m surely not happy with all their products. But this idea that Apple is artificially holding back the iPad only to get more Mac sales has major holes in it, which I’ve pointed out in this thread and others. It may be partially that, but there are enough logical reasons to believe there’s probably much more to it.
