Suppose Tim Cook came out and said, "Here at Apple, we realize that tablets are the future of computing. After all, nobody likes carrying around a five-pound computer. So today I am happy to announce that we are replacing our line of MacBooks with a line of fifth-generation iPads. The processor on these new iPads will be fast enough for most MacBook powerusers, and the graphics will be good enough for most intense gamers. Now, you may be thinking, "What about the CD/DVD drive." We've got you covered there, too. For $50 you can buy a drive that allows the iPad to watch and create CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs. Another question you might be asking is, 'What if I want to plug in my other Apple-created mobile devices.' You don't need to. That's what iCloud is for." How would you react?
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Suppose Apple dropped the MacBook line in favor of the iPad.
- Thread starter moonman239
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I would think that he is lying. Suddenly, ARM catches up with Intel and can still fit in an iPad. Suddenly, the graphics card is as powerful as a laptop standalone graphics card. Suddenly, Apple uses Blu-Ray.
I wouldn't know what to do with myself. There is no way I could ever possible trade such a high power and productive mobile computing platform, for a tablet. Yes, the iPad is a very good device for many things, but multitasking is no-go for a power user like me, consuming a lot of my 16GB of ram at one time, with 10+ programs running my daily schedule.
Also, I'm not really a fan of iCloud, I like to keep all of my stuff local, especially when travelling, is when I can appreciate having 2x 512GB SSD's in a little MBP. No. iPad. For. Me.
I would go out to the nearest John Lewis, buy the latest MacBook Pro with all the extras, take it home and cuddle up in a corner while wearing a tin foil hat, gently rocking myself back and forth while repeating 'it can't be'. 
In all seriousness, I'd be majorly upset, but I'd use my Mac for the next 5 years before buying a laptop and installing Ubuntu on it.
In all seriousness, I'd be majorly upset, but I'd use my Mac for the next 5 years before buying a laptop and installing Ubuntu on it.
If there isn't a version of Xcode (or a successor to Xcode) that allows developing new apps directly on this magical new iPad, I suspect a whole lot of developers would be really angry.
There's already plenty of developers annoyed at the glacial update rate of the Mac Pro. Killing the MacBook Pro line with no replacement would be a great way to chase off the very people you need to write software for all the iOS devices.
There's already plenty of developers annoyed at the glacial update rate of the Mac Pro. Killing the MacBook Pro line with no replacement would be a great way to chase off the very people you need to write software for all the iOS devices.
The MacBook Pro sells too well to drop. They would probably kill off the low-end of the Air first.
Try doing work on an iPad 8 hours a day. Yeah... no way a sensible business worker gonna give up a laptop for a tablet for work. For flashy presentation, a tablet has the cool factor, but for tedious data entry/spreadsheet/typing a laptop is superior in every way.
I personally have to wonder what the world would be like if the entire computer industry kicked the desktop computers and laptop computers out the door and making the tablet a viable alternative.
Just FYI, you can get a Bluetooth keyboard for your iPad. And who needs a mouse when you have a touch screen? Besides, the iPad is lightweight.
Just FYI, you can get a Bluetooth keyboard for your iPad. And who needs a mouse when you have a touch screen? Besides, the iPad is lightweight.
People who need precision. Touching the screen is nice for navigating the UI and all, but when you need pixel perfect control, it falls far short.
Want an example? Have you tried placing the cursor in Pages in one specific spot? You know, like before the e, but after the i? It usually takes you 3-4 jabs just to get to the thing near enough to where you want it. You'll rarely ever be able to land it exactly where you need it to go. With a mouse, it's just a wrist snap and a click away.
A stylus would be the next best thing to a mouse, but only those with a fine tipped end. Capacitive stylii (styluses? whatever...) are too big for exacting selections. You have to be able to nail an exact point without even thinking about it, not a general area.
This is an area where the iPad falls far short. That's not to say it'll always suck, but it's certainly not a perfectly functional alternative in its current state.
This is what the Microsoft Surface is trying to do in some ways. Successful or not remains to be seen.
The iPad maybe a fun device, but it has nowhere near the power of a serious computer like a MacBook Pro. Plus, most of us like real keyboards, larger screens, and REAL multitasking
