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In his interview with the Irish Independent, three years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook, is asked if he could see the merger of the ranges. computers for iPad and MacBook.
No, he told us: this would lead to a compromised experience in both ranges.
This week, Cook took the stage in New York to launch several new
computers.
The two most important, however, are those that may be in direct competition with the attention of the amateur or semi-professional user: a new MacBook Air and a new iPad Pro.
Among these, the demand accumulated for the MacBook is the strongest. Owners of loyal Apple laptops have long been waiting for a new MacBook Air – at least three years. Since Apple's most popular computer has been upgraded significantly, competitors such as Microsoft, Dell, HP, and Huawei have grown with compelling new laptops and hybrid devices.
As elegant and powerful as these machines are, none of them have what MacBook Air users like: the Apple Mac OS. This has kept the MacBook Air relatively slow and old-fashioned in the game until now. What Apple had announced on Tuesday was more like a thinner and lighter version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The main difference between the design of the new laptop is that the "housings" are much thinner, which means that the new MacBook Air is 17% smaller, although it has a screen of the same size. It is also slightly lighter than the previous model.
The next most important upgrade is the display itself, which has been updated to become a high-resolution "retina" screen, similar to that of MacBook Pro notebooks.
The new laptop also features a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and Apple's "Butterfly" keyboard.
This last feature has not always been appreciated by Mac owners: there are many problems with the MacBook Pro's butterfly keyboard. It remains to be seen if Apple has solved these problems with the new machine.
There are only two connection ports, both USB-C (or 'Thunderbolt' as Apple calls it).
Two or three years ago it could have been a cause for concern. However, most people admit that the physical connection ports of computers are no longer as critical as before, unless they are extremely heavy productivity devices.
Nevertheless, it seems that the old USB connection format, used among other things to load cables, is not long for this world.
The new MacBook Air offers a tremendous amount of power, with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1.5 terabytes of storage.
However, the entry-level price of the MacBook Air's 8GB (128GB storage) version is $ 1,329, a higher price in some respects.
Apple claims that the Touch ID sensor and the Retina display, combined with the new design, make it possible to create a new notebook just slightly less powerful and as desirable as a MacBook Pro.
In the run-up to the event, some felt it was an "affordable" laptop, probably around 1,000 euros.
But several external factors contributed to Apple's easy decision not to price at this level.
In addition to its own new features, Apple may have considered the wide gap that would have been created between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro – about 500 € – if the price was 1,000 €.
Then comes the strategy of promoting the other main product launched Tuesday by the company, the iPad Pro.
Apple is considering a big future for the iPad Pro as a "main" long-term computer for consumers and professionals alike.
But it may take a boost.
The new 11-inch iPad Pro model costs € 909 (and € 1,109 with a smart keyboard).
According to one theory, to encourage adoption, it should be significantly cheaper than the MacBook Air.
The latter has an established and dedicated user base, some of which could migrate on time to the iPad Pro if they wanted to.
This is not Apple's position, either explicitly or implicitly; but it is curious that the MacBook Air is sold at a higher price than expected, while the new iPad Pro costs what people expect and expect from him. be.
On the iPad Pro upgrade itself, its main attraction lies in the extra power under the hood (via Apple's A12X chip, faster than 92 pc laptops) and larger screens in the same (or smaller sizes).
Due to the thinned frames, the base model now comes with an 11-inch screen rather than the 10.5-inch screen used by the existing model. The shrinkage of the hulls means that the largest iPad Pro 12.9 inches is now 17 pc more compact than the old model, although its screen is the same size as the current model.
He has two other important changes.
The first is that there is no button facing the front. Instead, Touch ID is replaced by Face ID, the face recognition technology used on Apple's iPhone X and Xs smartphones. Unlike iPhones, the implementation of Face ID on the iPad Pro works when the tablet is held in any position or sitting, using the new Smart Keyboard Folio.
And the new device uses USB-C instead of Apple's traditional "Lightning" connection cable format.
One of the advantages of this software is that the iPad Pro can be used to charge other devices, such as the iPhone. It can also be directly connected to equipment such as cameras.
(Apple says that this could lead to more categories of devices using the iPad Pro for transferring content and data, including audio files.) It explicitly positions the iPad Pro as a Natural tool for designers, photographers and other creative professionals, with better features. in applications such as Adobe Photoshop.
To this end, the company has also launched an updated Apple pencil that magnetically attaches itself to the iPad Pro and starts charging immediately.
A new built-in pen touch sensor detects faucets, which Apple says is a new way to interact within apps.
There is also a new smart keyboard for iPad Pro for 199 €.
Both new iPads have a width of 5.9 mm, which makes them slightly thinner than existing models.
Apple is very serious about the iPad Pro as a long-term computer that appeals to professionals and productivity.
It is a safe bet that younger generations have become accustomed to mobile operating systems as the main everyday computer interface and that this will naturally translate over time into productivity and work goals.
It is crucial in this regard that professional software vendors such as Adobe partner with applications such as Photoshop.
So it may be impossible for the company to make its newest laptops seem too expensive compared to the device, which in its view is the key to its long-term dominance of a large niche in the world. laptop productivity computing.
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