Will The Large Screen iPad Pro Be Apple's First In A Line Of Desktop Touch Devices?

[PillowSmoke]

This week’s report that Apple AAPL -0.68% may already be in production on a 12.9″ iPad, dubbed the “Pro,” has been the source of much speculation. In a well researched and reasoned post in ComputerWorld, Mike Elgan comes to the conclusion that it will be an “iPad optimized as a desktop touch computer for education,” specifically as reported in DigiTimes, for the U.S. education market. This, he claims, will solve two of Apple’s most pressing goals, “First: How can Apple make iOS the default platform for schools transitioning from paper textbooks and educational materials to electronic ones? Second: How can Apple gently transition the world from desktop PCs to the desktop post-PC world?”

The main rival here is not Microsoft MSFT -0.4% butGoogle GOOG +0.05%, whose Chromebooks and Chrome OS devices are similarly angling for the same prized perch. In many ways Chrome is better positioned than iOS because of its primary relationship to the open web. But Google’s track record with hardware has not been stellar, thoughChromebooks are starting to come into their ownand Amazon reported this week that “two out of its three best-selling laptops during the holiday season were Chromebooks.”

Rather than thinking of the iPad Pro (probably a misnomer) as a big tablet, Elgan suggests “it makes more sense to think of [it as]… next year’s first and smallest iOS desktop computer.” And I would look for a corresponding line of iPens as well. Apple hasquite a lineup of patents around this and it would be a very easy way for students to carry some measure of personalization around with them if the 4K tablets are actually bolted to the desks.

If this first larger iPad is designed for inroads into the U.S. education market in advance of larger “desktops” aimed at the consumer and business markets, the 4K thing starts to make more sense. 2K is probably quite sufficient for a 12.9″ tablet, but imagine the 20″ or 27″ touch screens that would replace Apple’s current all-in-one iMacs. 4K (or more) for these would make lots of sense, especially for professionals who need to work on high-resolution technical or creative imagery.

The truth is that if this is where things are going, towards touch desktops, likely on (or swiveling in) the surface of the desk instead of perpendicular to it, there is room for Google and Microsoft—and Samsung too. Assuming that people want to interact with computers in this way, this change of form factor could lead to the wholesale replacement of all the world’s PCs. What a nice forecast for the marginalized computer industry!

Microsoft has been working on very large touchscreen tabletops designed for collaboration and equally well suited to game play once the costs come down. It is clear that with a change of this magnitude there would be many winners, not just Apple. But it does seem that the popularity of the iPad could finally be paving the way for the redefinition of the desktop computer as a touch device.

source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2013/12/29/will-the-large-screen-ipad-pro-be-apples-first-in-a-line-of-desktop-touch-devices/

 

 

[nixproducer]

I do not understand why they would do this, i think they should just keep the iPad sizes the same

[Snickerzz]

Ide rather it run osx if i was going to buy one, or even dual boot osx and ios

[nixproducer]

Ide rather it run osx if i was going to buy one, or even dual boot osx and ios

i dont think apple would ever let you dual boot osx and ios, defiantly not if it was stock 

[Bloodyvalley]

Windows > Linux > OSX

[mr moose]

Well they do need something to compete with the ever increasing number of tablets running full versions of windows.  I can see these being used primarily in schools as replacements for class room computer sets.  With schools going back to having a dedicated computer lab.  If apple get their foot in the door with education the way they did with the ipad they'll be on a winner.

[naca1227]

Windows > Linux > OSX

Windows > OSX > Linux for sure

[zamaz]

This is a very niche market...

[Kamina]

This is what happens when you have no more ideas left to steal from.

[LaoJr]

lol i wonder who will buy onje of these when Ipads will just sell better because if this were to be an actual project apple is working on the will probably make it over priced just like adding additional ram to a IMac which costs you 800$ for 1600mhz

[rashdanml]

[R4STABAN]

I was expecting this to be a 2 in 1

[qwertywarrior]

they should wait for intel to release Airmont and integrate that into a  full fledged OSX tablet 

[Mooshi]

That picture legit hurts my eyes...

[ShiverMePenguins]

Windows > OSX > Linux for sure

Debian>red hat>osx> windows.

Try learning your operating system yo. Going by design and code and efficiency windows will always be last, and if you think that windows is the best for gaming then you're wrong, apple would be. Companies just don't support it because of a smaller customer base.

[naca1227]

Debian>red hat>osx> windows.

Try learning your operating system yo. Going by design and code and efficiency windows will always be last, and if you think that windows is the best for gaming then you're wrong, apple would be. Companies just don't support it because of a smaller customer base.

Personal opinion, I'm no coder. yo..

[Blue fellow]

Debian>red hat>osx> windows.

Try learning your operating system yo. Going by design and code and efficiency windows will always be last, and if you think that windows is the best for gaming then you're wrong, apple would be. Companies just don't support it because of a smaller customer base.

 

And that is why it would not be the best for gaming...because companies don't support it.

[rashdanml]

And that is why it would not be the best for gaming...because companies don't support it.

He's saying OSX is the best option for companies to support. The only reason it doesn't make sense to support it is due to lower market share. If companies supported both equally, OSX would be better (by extension, Linux isn't far off).

[Bloodyvalley]

If you look closely, you can see that this is fake.

[fitchfapper]

This bigger ipad isn't gonna happen, you can kick me in the nuts if it does

[Guerrero]

That would hurt my neck so much since it already hurts when I look down to use an iPad for my English class, nothing else I have to say about this concept

[Mbarton]

they should wait for intel to release Airmont and integrate that into a  full fledged OSX tablet 

There trying to move away from intel and make all there processor themselves.

[qwertywarrior]

There trying to move away from intel and make all there processor themselves.

they are trying to move ? never seen them hating on intel

anyways

if they will use arm then its gonna be a bigger ipad (iOS)

thats just a bad move by them

[afa7336]

There trying to move away from intel and make all there processor themselves.

 

I'm curious enough, you have a link for this? I'd actually be interested in reading up on this.

[mr moose]

He's saying OSX is the best option for companies to support. The only reason it doesn't make sense to support it is due to lower market share. If companies supported both equally, OSX would be better (by extension, Linux isn't far off).

 

I don't understand the actual implementation side of this (read: will a game code be better on osx than windows?),  however market share and trends is one thing I do know a little about. It's not just the incredibly small market share they would be adapting games for but the apple ecosystem and sales strategy is not overly compatibly with the current gamers mentality. What this means is that even if apples market share were to start growing (it's actually shrinking for them ATM) then it would more often than not that the sales would be in non game related areas.