14 DAY TRIAL // Here we are, seeing practically everyone with a stake in the laptop and tablet markets lobbying for lower and lower prices, and Apple decides to do a complete one eighty.
It turns out that everyone who thought the iPad would continue in its position as sole Apple tablet was sorely mistaken.
Apple knows that it has fans, and that some of those fans would do a lot if it meant not having to swap Mac OS for Windows when getting a keyboard-less device better suited for work productivity than entertainment.
In other words, though Windows-powered models exist (and will rise in number once Windows 8 is released), they would buy an Apple tablet PC (not media tablet) if there was one available.
Pretty soon, there will be. Called ModBook Pro, it is actually quite similar, hardware-wise, to high-end notebooks.
A 2.5 GHz Core i5 or 2.9 GHz Core i7 CPU is paired with 4 GB or 8-16 GB of RAM (random access memory), while a Sanshara SSD brings 180 to 480 GB of storage space to the mix.
Keep in mind, though, that this isn't going to be an Apple tablet per se, but an Apple MacBook Pro taken by the folks at ModBook Inc. and converted into a slate.
A Wacom pen tablet digitizer with 512 pressure levels will add the touch support that the laptop lacks.
Theoretically, any 13.3-inch MacBook pro bought this year should be eligible for conversion, so current owners might be among those who can call on ModBook's services. Sure, the warranty will be voided, but a different one will be given in its place, with “equivalent” coverage.
Alas, there is a catch, as there always is, and it is a simple one: cost. Hardware configuration will affect the price but, for reference, letting ModBook acquire a compatible MacBook and modify it will warrant a payment of $3,499 / 2,705-3,499 Euro.