I hope not either! I'm waiting for another compact Mac smaller than the Pro and larger than the Mini that is customizable, longer shelf life. As I've been holding off buying a new Mac and I DON'T want an iMac.

by Tivette, San Jose, on Jul 25, 2008 01:52 AM, Report abuse   Reply

Fanbois have been prognosticating this for years, hardly an original idea. Just because Apple could do this, doesn't mean they should. First, what would be the advantage? Ergonomically, a touch screen larger than the iTouch/iPhone becomes a pain, thumb typing becomes unfeasible and the touch keyboard cannibalizes a lot of screen real estate. The feedback from a real mechanical keyboard is still superior to a touchscreen, so getting real work done would be more difficult. Your hands would obscure part of the screen as you work, and sitting with a touchscreen on your lap is far less ergonomic than a small form-factor laptop where you can adjust the screen to a comfortable angle. The option of holding the screen and using it with one hand is fine for simple tasks, taking inventory or accessing medical records, which, incidentally, is what tablets are mostly used for. A very specific market segment. The second issue is that such a product would slot uncomfortably between the iphone and the macbook air, yet would be less useful than either: too big to put in your pocket, less powerful and versatile than a regular laptop. Also, the cost of making a large touchscreen device, with miniaturized components, would be prohibitive. Witness the high manufacturing cost of the iPhone, as well as the low cost-to-performance ratio of tablets currently on the market. The profit margins on such a device would be quite slim, and its appeal would be quite limited.

by flyedlice, shanghai, on Jul 25, 2008 12:48 AM, Report abuse   Reply