Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

nj-morris

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 30, 2014
1,890
788
UK
Ok this might seem like a completely ridiculous idea, and I fully don't expect Apple to try it anytime soon, but hear me out. I've been going down the rabbit hole of speculation over the last few days and I get the idea that there's a strong possibility of a slightly bigger (I'd imagine around 15 inch) iPad Pro within the next few years. I'd definitely see the demand for it, judging by the increased popularity of 15+ inch MacBooks in recent years. But I was thinking, what if they went beyond that? I'm talking like 20+ inch devices running iPadOS, likely running on a plug outlet instead of a battery, and aiming to be a desktop replacement the same way the iPad Pro models aim to be laptop replacements.

Needless to say, they'll need to put some thought into some of the details. Like making specialised stands and other accessories to make it comfortable for people to use (probably at extortionate prices no doubt). Or considering a wider screen than the iPad standard of 4:3. And then of course there's the question of optimising iPadOS over the next few years to make it more competitive with MacOS (which I'd hope they want to do anyway), and help it to make use of the bigger screen with respect to things like stage manager and optimised apps.

To be clear, if they put something like this on the market tomorrow, I wouldn't buy it. I love the iPad experience, but I'm very happy with my iMac. In my opinion it's one of Apple's best devices in terms of value for money, and owning it means I never have to buy a MacBook again. But a few years out, I think a device like this could be very popular, or it could flop, could go either way. Curious to hear what y'all think.
 

Sheepish-Lord

macrumors 68020
Oct 13, 2021
2,268
4,648
Regardless of capabilities you’ll run into a pricing issue before anything else. Very few with that kind of money would buy a product with massively obvious limitations.
 

nj-morris

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 30, 2014
1,890
788
UK
Regardless of capabilities you’ll run into a pricing issue before anything else. Very few with that kind of money would buy a product with massively obvious limitations.
The iMac is priced between the Air and the Pro, what's stopping a device like this from having a similar pricing scheme?
 

T'hain Esh Kelch

macrumors 603
Aug 5, 2001
6,344
7,210
Denmark
I can't see how you would work with it, without having a special declining table to put it on, and if you are there, you might as well have a full computer setup and gain a lot more productivity.
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,536
4,554
Texas
What you describing here is already on the market, but unfortunately Microsoft created it.


IMG_6265.jpeg


And I think it would be dope if Apple created this, but I believe the price will be exorbitant! Probably, Vision Pro price territory… but then again that price isn’t preventing Apple folks from purchasing it.
 

Digitalguy

macrumors 601
Apr 15, 2019
4,361
4,115
The iMac is priced between the Air and the Pro, what's stopping a device like this from having a similar pricing scheme?
The iMac doesn't have a touch screen or a special hinge like MS Surface Studio. Those alone would more than double the price. And then you would have a huge iPad that is not portable at all and cannot be moved around and would make sense only for artists, especially if it cannot run desktop software. And an iMac with that hinge and touchpad would make no sense since MacOS is not and will probably never be optimized for touch.
No chance.
 

ipaqrat

macrumors 6502
Mar 28, 2017
302
325
The MS Surface Studio Starts at $4500 US, prolly closer to $6000 to get it right. Apple could make one hell of an iPad for $6000. That would be something to see. Alas, that niche use case probably will get little to no consideration while Apple is distracted with the Vision Pro.

AVP will need SO much R&D to get going. Heck, it took the iPad quite a few cycles to mature to the point where we like it so much. I read that many app makers are setting their iOS/iPadOS apps NOT to be available on AVP. They're right to be concerned - there are serious risks to the reputation of a good iPad app that gets butchered on AVP; without differentiation, the ratings/reviews would go into the same queue in the app store.

There's nothing about the AVP that suggests it's capable of a long brute-force work session, much as the iPad is merely a drop in a Mac Studio's bucket. In the demos I saw, the AVPs input system appeared demanding and error prone. I'm sure it works in Apple's lab with their perfectly proportioned, manicured, magic-mouse-toned, choreographed and practiced West Coast paws.

But assuming the AVP works to its potential, the world is your desktop.
 

nj-morris

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 30, 2014
1,890
788
UK
The MS Surface Studio Starts at $4500 US, prolly closer to $6000 to get it right. Apple could make one hell of an iPad for $6000. That would be something to see. Alas, that niche use case probably will get little to no consideration while Apple is distracted with the Vision Pro.

AVP will need SO much R&D to get going. Heck, it took the iPad quite a few cycles to mature to the point where we like it so much. I read that many app makers are setting their iOS/iPadOS apps NOT to be available on AVP. They're right to be concerned - there are serious risks to the reputation of a good iPad app that gets butchered on AVP; without differentiation, the ratings/reviews would go into the same queue in the app store.

There's nothing about the AVP that suggests it's capable of a long brute-force work session, much as the iPad is merely a drop in a Mac Studio's bucket. In the demos I saw, the AVPs input system appeared demanding and error prone. I'm sure it works in Apple's lab with their perfectly proportioned, manicured, magic-mouse-toned, choreographed and practiced West Coast paws.

But assuming the AVP works to its potential, the world is your desktop.
Jfc, the Surface Studio is $4,500? Genuinely had no idea it was that expensive, what are they charging so much for?
 
  • Angry
Reactions: AlexMac89

Abazigal

Contributor
Jul 18, 2011
19,689
22,247
Singapore
What you describing here is already on the market, but unfortunately Microsoft created it.


View attachment 2340976

And I think it would be dope if Apple created this, but I believe the price will be exorbitant! Probably, Vision Pro price territory… but then again that price isn’t preventing Apple folks from purchasing it.
It also didn't sell very well, if memory serves correct.
 

Digitalguy

macrumors 601
Apr 15, 2019
4,361
4,115
Jfc, the Surface Studio is $4,500? Genuinely had no idea it was that expensive, what are they charging so much for?
the first Studio started at $3000, the second at $3500 and the 2+ from 2022 at $4500 simply because there are no tiers, this one has only the upper tier with 32GB RAM and a 3060.
But the screen is probably the bulk of the price, a giant touch and pen screen with a sophisticated hinge...
Some people say that if they sold just the monitor it would cost 2000 to 3000 alone.
The Apple pro display alone costs more than the full Studio, speaking of (even more) overpriced tech...
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.