Skip to main content

Tim Cook says Apple will not build a converged Mac and iPad

Apple iPad Pro
Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends
Apple has no plans to create a “converged Mac and iPad,” said the firm’s chief executive, Tim Cook, in a recent interview with the Irish Independent. Cook said customers were not looking for this type of device, and that the company would have to make too many compromises.

Instead, Cook wants to build the best iPad and MacBook possible. He says that while the gap between the iPad and MacBook has shrunk, this gives customers the best possible productivity experience on both platforms.

The comments come a few days after Cook said nobody should buy a PC anymore, because the iPad offers enough performance to become a daily driver. He is still confident that the iPad will bounce back into form, after eight straight quarters of decline.

At least Cook is consistent in his views, recently saying that Microsoft’s latest hybrid, the Surface Book, isn’t impressive.

The iPad Pro is as close as we’re going to get to a hybrid from Apple, at least in the short-term. The 12.9-inch tablet comes with a stylus and keyboard, and apparently has the CPU performance of the MacBook Air and the GPU performance of a MacBook Pro. The only major difference is it runs iOS rather than OS X.

In our own review, we came to the conclusion that the iPad Pro is one of the best tablets on the market, but that it is expensive even for a PC alternative. The 12-inch MacBook is similar, a super-slim laptop thinner than some tablets, but expensive considering the performance downgrade.

Apple is clearly still trying to reach the perfect balance between performance, size, and price for the iPad and MacBook, so it is probably not the right time for a hybrid. And even if that day came, we suspect Apple would rather sell you an iPad and a Mac, rather than a hybrid.

Editors' Recommendations

David Curry
Former Digital Trends Contributor
David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…
Apple’s new iPad Pro keyboard is a bigger deal than you think
iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.

A fresh crop of iPads is here, and this time around, Apple pulled out all the stops. The new models feature an OLED display, new Pro apps, the thinnest chassis ever, and a next-gen M-processor that has yet to appear elsewhere save for the new iPad Pros. Starting at $999, Apple is charging quite some premium for its new slates. But what truly stood out to me was the new Magic Keyboard — and for multiple reasons.

This one has a full row of function keys and a dedicated escape button. For a device that wants to compete with a laptop, the lack of an escape key was quite a bummer, as was the lack of quick-control function keys. Heck, the Magic Keyboard for the base iPad got that perk, so it was an overdue tweak for the flagship iPadss.

Read more
Does the iPad Air (2024) have a 120Hz display?
An official photo of the 2024 iPad Air.

During its “Let Loose” event, Apple announced two new iPad Air models, with one featuring an 11-inch screen and the other boasting a 13-inch screen. But those weren’t the only upgrades. The slates also come with a new placement for the 12MP front-facing camera, beefed-up Spatial Audio thanks to landscape speakers, and double the bass for the larger model, among other additions.

But one of the biggest requests Apple fans have been making for years now is a 120Hz screen. With premium Android tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, and Tab S9 Ultra boasting a rich, high-refresh OLED display at 120Hz, the iPad Air series has long felt like it's a few hardware steps back compared to the top-tier Android tablets. So, does this new iPad Air for 2024 have a 120Hz display?
Does the iPad Air (2024) have a 120Hz display?

Read more
Which iPads does the Apple Pencil Pro work with? Here’s the full list
A photo of someone drawing with the Apple Pencil Pro.

With four new iPad models announced during Apple’s “Let Loose” event, there was plenty for Apple fans to like. A new iPad Pro and iPad Air were announced, with 11-inch and 13-inch models for each. Apple also lowered the price of its 10th-generation iPad, giving it a very welcome $100 price cut.

With all the excitement over the new slates and the OLED iPad Pro, it was probably easy to overlook that accessories weren’t neglected during “Let Loose." There’s a new Apple Pencil Pro that works with several of the tablets that were newly announced, along with a new Magic Keyboard. But which iPads does the new Apple Pencil Pro work with? That's what we're here to clear up.
Which iPads does the Apple Pencil Pro work with?

Read more