Microsoft should be afraid of a 13" iPad

[chezm]

I can't see it in that price range, not if they intend it to be a PC replacement as you say. .

Agreed...especially if its running OSx. This would be the first touch screen type of its device, iPads didn't cost the same they do now...each iteration got slightly better at a similar price. I'm guessing a similar price point to SP or more...over $1000.

 

[nmercy]

It is something for Microsoft/Google to be aware of, but I don't think it will be something to be worried about as I think it's going in the wrong direction. With a 13" iPad, I agree that they'll be cannibalizing their Macbook Air market... however they may do something like drop the air and have the iPad run iOS/OSX or something like that. The only thing that will happen is the media will praise them for anything they copy and make their own saying what innovators.

The points need to be focused on:
1) In the near future, the convergence of WP8/W8 and iOS/OSX. Google is already converged but doesn't have the software that business wants. What I mean by convergence is that I should be able to buy an app and have it run on both the mobile os and the desktop os for one purchase, have it share the same data, etc...

2) In the not too distant future, think 3 year to 5 year plan, one device to rule them all. The smartphone or a similar device as the core. You carry it as a phone, the interface is geared towards a phone. You want a tablet, you plug it into a tablet case and now you have all the features of a tablet with a tablet interface. You want a laptop, you plug it into a laptop case and now you have the features of a laptop. You want a desktop, you plug it into a desktop case you gain those features.

They could even do something cool, like when you plug it into the desktop case, it will use the graphics card in that case if you have one installed, or a supplemental CPU, or supplemental RAM...

Or we could just have all separate devices that sync over the cloud... as long as I can use an app on my phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop with the same data source I'd be fine.

 

[Daylife]

So, the latest rumor suggests that Apple has a 13" iPad in the works, complete with a keyboard cover not unlike Touch Cover. Supposedly this would be a PC replacement.

Now, let's put aside the subtle irony of this after Tim Cook's comments last year. That doesn't matter right now.

Let's assume that this rumor is true, and I'm inclined to believe it is anyway. What does this mean? Well first off, 13" is awfully big for a tablet, though coming from Apple we can be assured it will be thin and no heavier than Surface Pro 2. But 10.6 inches is also awfully small for a PC replacement. For any convertible PC to succeed, it's got to be comfortable to use as both a PC and a tablet, and for most people 13" is right about where that sweet spot is.

Now I'm not sure what impact this product would have. You might point out that it's really hitting the same kind of market the Macbook Air is, and I suppose that would be fair. But it will be cheaper than that product. And it will run iOS, which for many is a more familiar OS (if less powerful). It's not going to matter if this thing can do everything Surface can or not. It will do enough. And more than that, it will generate buzz.

I have no doubt that Microsoft intends to expand the Surface line into this territory, but now they won't be the first to do it. And if Apple really does manage to hit all the right notes with a large-screened iPad, we may once again be faced with a situation where Microsoft is an also ran in a device category they pioneered but failed to perfect before the competition.

I don't mean to say that this is absolutely what will happen, I just wanted to present the argument for the sake of debate. So what do you think?

I don't want a 13" iPod Touch...No thanks LOL.

 

[coolqf]

Its not a rumor. A Barron's writer merely provided conjecture that it makes sense for apple to blur the lines even further between their iPad product line and their macbook air in the future. Their aggressive push to make a very powerful and 64 bit arm CPU reinforces the conjecture.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[MDboyz]

The question is if it can run Crysis or any other real games (not angry birds)?

 

[Christian Kallevig]

I can't see it in that price range, not if they intend it to be a PC replacement as you say. I consider the Surface Pro a suitable PC replacement but not the RT. I don't think it's possible to fit Pro like specs & horse power into a 13" Retina equipped tablet, have all day battery, keep the weight under 2lbs, AND price it $600-800. The only way for a 13" tablet to provide a comfortable UX is to keep it light. As a PC replacement it really won't matter how comfortable or big the tablet is since it'll be docked and the user will be seated in front of a keyboard, monitor, and mouse.

We're talking something more akin to the RT than the Pro here. See, for a lot of people (and probably not the kind of people who post to tech forums) PCs are becoming something that hardly gets used except for things like writing emails, and other things of that nature. Other devices are replacing PCs almost entirely in many households, as they are far more convenient and inviting to use. Tablets are simple and just about anyone can understand how to use one. But the PC still hangs around for these people not because they love having it, but because it is still is the best place for doing large amounts of typing and managing files.

A large screened iPad would offer the comfort and familiarity of either iOS, or a very touch-friendly OSX which will likely closely mirror iOS in design while doing just enough for people who already have stopped using a PC as their main computer to drop it entirely. It would probably run on ARM, but I suspect that Apple will allow desktop apps to be ported to it and available via the app store. As far as weight goes, it is pure speculation on my part, but considering the weight of the Macbook Air it doesn't seem unlikely for such a device to be of a similar weight to the Surface Pro.

And I'm not sure about docking, I don't know if Apple would even include the proper ports for that. But I'm not suggesting that this would be a desktop replacement. It would be a replacement for a Macbook Air or an ultrabook.

The question is if it can run Crysis or any other real games (not angry birds)?

It probably would do nothing of the sort. But you must understand in the larger scheme of things, PC gaming is somewhat of a niche compared to the size of the PC market as a whole.

 

[_Emi_]

Based on what I've seen, Lion was supposed to be the last version of OSX. The follow on OS11 was to support iOS apps and OSX apps. Providing a converged platform. But Android adoption took Apple by surprise and they had to regroup. I don't know how far out on their roadmap this convergence now is, but if Apple announces a 13" iPad, I would not be surprised that it runs both OSX and iOS apps.

You heard it here first.

it can run OSX but how are they going to make Intel based App run on ARM, emulated? they already run like crap in OSX to run fine on ARM... or you want it to have both processors? because that wont happen... so you can have a dream about osx on arm, but then... what apps will it run?
so yeah... it wont happen... and even if they did, there wont be anything special about it, you know, osx its not like osx has any touch UI anyway.

 

[hcrick]

We're talking something more akin to the RT than the Pro here. See, for a lot of people (and probably not the kind of people who post to tech forums) PCs are becoming something that hardly gets used except for things like writing emails, and other things of that nature. Other devices are replacing PCs almost entirely in many households, as they are far more convenient and inviting to use. Tablets are simple and just about anyone can understand how to use one. But the PC still hangs around for these people not because they love having it, but because it is still is the best place for doing large amounts of typing and managing files.

A large screened iPad would offer the comfort and familiarity of either iOS, or a very touch-friendly OSX which will likely closely mirror iOS in design while doing just enough for people who already have stopped using a PC as their main computer to drop it entirely. It would probably run on ARM, but I suspect that Apple will allow desktop apps to be ported to it and available via the app store. As far as weight goes, it is pure speculation on my part, but considering the weight of the Macbook Air it doesn't seem unlikely for such a device to be of a similar weight to the Surface Pro.

And I'm not sure about docking, I don't know if Apple would even include the proper ports for that. But I'm not suggesting that this would be a desktop replacement. It would be a replacement for a Macbook Air or an ultrabook.

It probably would do nothing of the sort. But you must understand in the larger scheme of things, PC gaming is somewhat of a niche compared to the size of the PC market as a whole.

More of a replacement for MacBook air or ultrabook I can see, especially as the chip manufacturers improve the performance of their products. They would still need to figure out a way to make it light though. The 13" Air is 3lbs and that weight would not be comfortable as a tablet. A 13" tablet weighing 2lbs or less would be impressive. I say go Apple because if they figure it out then it will ultimately result in big, lightweight tablets for every platform.

Either way I don't see it as a threat to Microsoft. In terms of the possibility of a 13" tablet becoming the one and only computing device I'd put my money on Microsoft before Apple. In the desktop world Apple would be battling the same obstacles (massive install base, established ecosystem) currently in front of WP8. Right now MS owns 90% of the desktop market, and despite how great and amazing Apple products have been they still only have 6-7%. So even if Apple is able to produce a 13" tablet comfortable and powerful enough to replace a PC the shift will only occur amongst the current OSX users first. It will take long enough for them to convert their own customer base, let alone convince 90% of the market to jump to an entirely different platform. The only way this would've been a threat to MS would've been if MS did not offer something similar, which is obviously not the case. Right now MS is actually closer than anyone else when it comes to the one device to rule them all scenario.

 

[fatclue_98]

I wouldn't expect Apple to release a 13" iPad in a 16:7 form factor. That would look and feel ridiculous, not to mention it would be useless in portrait mode. Personally, I think 4:3 is the better screen aspect ratio for tablets and/or laptops but that's another subject for another day. If this rumored device runs iOS, only the RT needs to be concerned because, let's face it, the apps just aren't there on RT. I can't see it on OSX unless Apple is ready to stick a fork in the Macbook Air, but who knows. Even if it is on OSX, it's not like the marketshare will rise exponentially. OSX has been around for more than a decade and hasn't really made a dent in the Windows x86 slice of the pie. iSheep are a funny bunch and Apple has proven time and again that they're the masters of marketing. Talk about selling sand to the Arabs.

 

[ohgood]

13? is to big, for a touchscreen.

7"looks like the sweet spot.

I don't care who makes it, a 13" touch screen is just pointless.

Apple will make this pointless thing, people will but it, and Microsoft will wonder why their version of the same thing isn't selling.

Whatever, is not fitting in a pocket. It will hurt PC sales both for Apple and ms.

 

[chezm]

A very good point people keep bringing up is a Macbook Air and replacing it with this rumor. I really don't expect them to kill Air, so maybe it will just be a massive iPad.

 

[anon(5335899)]

Apple is sure to optimize iOS for this form factor just as they have with the iPad. They will also include plenty of high-quality software for productivity and creativity just as they do with Macs. I'm not so sure full OSX is going to matter that much to the average person looking to pick up a low cost mobile PC. We're not talking about professionals or gamers here.

iOS is an applauncher, not an OS. It does not allow for using the hardware for anything remotely productive. It is also a non windowed and has limited, if any multitasking abilities.

iOS devices are all basically the same thing with one or two changes, iPhone is an iPod with the ability to make calls and iPad is an iPod with a bigger screen. In order for iOS to go anywhere else it will basically have to merge with OSX and while MSFT is making great strides in getting to a uniform binary model across any formfactor or device, Apple seems to not go there at all. OSX is at best a niche player and iOS will not be able to go near being a 'regular' OS without a major ground up rewrite.

 

[cckgz4]

A 13" tablet is ridiculous

 

[chezm]

A 13" tablet is ridiculous

and Apple can prove a point by making it, it selling out and laughing at us Windows users lol. Seriously though,they can

 

[csiguy1]

As long as MS keeps improving the Surface and software, I think that will do fine. They need to Market the heck out of Surface with good ad's not Dancing Ad's and really show the Surface in real life uses, it will sell more and more. They have to up date the Surface and keep it fresh and they will have one machine to do it all.

 

[psudotechzealot]

A 13 inch iPad? Nope

A 13 inch touch enabled MacBook Air tablet running OSX? Yes.

 

[montsa007]

A car (no matter how big) cannot do the job what a truck can.
If you get my point.

 

[bilzkh]

A 13 inch iPad? Nope

A 13 inch touch enabled MacBook Air tablet running OSX? Yes.

Wouldn't surprise me if Apple goes that route. Heck, it'll manage to run iOS apps too. They'll even add the Newton II pen, watch them.

 

[ohgood]

and Apple can prove a point by making it, it selling out and laughing at us Windows users lol. Seriously though,they can

Agreed, both you and the quote

 

[SkyPath]

did Apple said they arn't a fan of the keyboard on the surface? why now? copycat?