Apple files patent for a convertible MacBook laptop/tablet design

By Mariella Moon April 4, 2013

macbook-convertible — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Thanks to the plethora of Windows 8 laptop-tablet hybrids that’ve come out recently, you’ve probably already seen a bunch of laptops that can transform into tablets, and vice versa. So, you probably won’t be surprise with one of Apple’s most recent patent applications, a design for a MacBook that can be converted into a tablet.

The convertible MacBook design (which you can see in the image above) has a swiveling, detachable screen that communicates with the base wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other wireless technologies. The base isn’t just a keyboard dock, though; it contains the laptop’s CPU, GPU, and other components. So while the display does have a touchscreen panel, it doesn’t exactly transform into a standalone tablet, and you can’t carry it around without the base. In addition to these features, the display, which seems to have a battery of its own, can be charged either via reattaching it to the base or via wireless induction technology, wherein it can draw power from the base even if it’s not attached.

The device clearly isn’t for on-the-go people who want a tablet to carry around that they can plug into a keyboard dock when needed (there are plenty of devices like this, such as the Surface Pro, or you can just buy an iPad keyboard dock). But even if this convertible MacBook is exactly what you’re looking for, know that Apple has filed tons of patents in the past, and there’s no guarantee that this design will ever be manufactured for commercial release.

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Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…

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