Tim Cook says Apple has no plans to combine iPad, MacBook

[Shawn Knight]

Apple’s large-screen iPad Pro went on sale last week. The launch was arguably overshadowed by a statement CEO Tim Cook gave to The Telegraph in which he questioned why anybody would buy a PC these days. In a subsequent interview with the Irish Independent over the weekend, Cook looked to elaborate a bit more on the subject.

To clear up any misconceptions, Cook said Apple doesn’t regard Macs and PCs to be the same.

Apple’s iPad Pro has been billed by some as its answer to Microsoft’s Surface, a hybrid tablet that doubles as a stout workhorse when paired with a keyboard cover. Cook, however, doesn’t seem too keen on the comparison.

The executive told the Irish publication that they believe their customers aren’t really looking for a converged Mac and iPad. He conceded that the difference between x86 (PC) and the A-series (Apple’s own chips) is much less than it’s ever been but they’re cognizant of the fact that people use both iOS and Mac devices.

Combining the two products would wind up creating an experience that wouldn’t be as good as what the customer wants, Cook noted.

Instead, Cook said Apple wants to make the best tablet in the world and the best Mac in the world. Putting those two things together wouldn’t achieve either as you’d begin to compromise in different ways, he said.

Given Cook’s earlier comments and Apple’s history in general, it may be difficult for some to take his word at face value. After all, it was Apple that took one of its most successful products of all-time – the iPod – and rolled its feature set into the iPhone.

Image courtesy Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP Photo

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https://www.techspot.com/news/62807-tim-cook-apple-has-no-plans-combine-ipad.html

 

[CrisisDog]

And there's been rumor of an iMac running the ARM chip / iOS for some time too...

 

[Arris]

Sounds like they just want to continue to sell iSheep an iPad and iMac, rather than cut profit by "fleecing" (pun intended) their customers for only a single device.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I know Cook is talking crap because I see his lips move.

 

[kanehi]

Mr. Cook is talking for his flock of sheeps for he is their savior and leader. He knows exactly what iSheeps needs besides Apple will produce what others has produced already, a touch screen laptop/360 which isn't very INNOVATIVE! Apple should make a hybrid, look what happened when he super sized the iPhones copying the Android phones, the sales went up the roof but then again if he did then he'll be eating crow.

 

[Archean]

Contradictory, considering how they've rolled out iPad Pro, to compete with *drumroll* .............. Surface.

@Arris
I will give Apple credit in one area, I.e. they do support their devices for far longer compared to what Android OEMs does, barely 18-24 months (ie at best), and hardly any regular security updates to go with. So, perhaps that extra money does give some ROI in the longer run.

 

[Arris]

Contradictory, considering how they've rolled out iPad Pro, to compete with *drumroll* .............. Surface.

@Arris
I will give Apple credit in one area, I.e. they do support their devices for far longer compared to what Android OEMs does, barely 18-24 months (ie at best), and hardly any regular security updates to go with. So, perhaps that extra money does give some ROI in the longer run.

@Archean
I know several people that report that their older iDevices(including some power users/ICT professionals) now run poorly, and there is a general belief that Apple support their iOS products for such a length of time with updates to try and encourage users to buy new ones, as after newer software updates the older devices feel considerably slower in terms of general responsiveness.

And to be fair to Google they actually state minimum hardware requirements of Android phones to be able to run modern versions of it. They are providing an update to the latest version for their Nexus 4 released in 2012.... It's more the support of the non Google phones that is lacking. At least Sony are still providing updates for the Z1/Z2 even though they are now on the Z5, but since the game is to sell the hardware having short update support makes sense to the businesses.

 

[captaincranky]

He (Tim Cook) conceded that the difference between x86 (PC) and the A-series (Apple's own chips) is much less than it's ever been, but the're cognizant of the fact that people use both iOS and Mac devices.

If the reverse were true, and x86 parts were closer to Apple's chips than they ever were, wouldn't Apple be suing Intel's brains out?

 

[Archean]

I don't believe in the mantra that Apple's SoCs are nearer to x86 parts in performance, at best this may be the case for low powered CPUs Intel is putting out for mobile devices. Although comparing GPU is another story.

 

[tuanvn88]

I like this, thank u!!!