14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi said in a recent interview that the Cupertino-based tech giant still isn’t interested in bringing touchscreens to its PCs, explaining that the company has a different approach for this category of products.
Devices like Microsoft’s Surface, regardless of whether we’re discussing about the 2-in-1 Surface Pro, the Surface Laptop – which comes with a more conventional laptop form factor but with a touchscreen – and the Surface Studio – an all-in-one PC with touch capabilities – have been largely successful since their launch.
Similar form factors have been then embraced by other OEMs worldwide, eventually helping these new product categories grow substantially. For instance, 2-in-1 hybrids are now said to be the main growing engine of new PC sales across the world, mostly after Microsoft pioneered their debut.
“Not into touchscreens”
But Apple wants to stick with its existing approach that does not include a touchscreen, explaining that the aforementioned devices are nothing more than what it calls experiments.
“We really feel that the ergonomics of using a Mac are that your hands are rested on a surface, and that lifting your arm up to poke a screen is a pretty fatiguing thing to do. I don’t think we’ve looked at any of the other guys to date and said, how fast can we get there?” Federighi told Wired.
The Apple executive went on to explain that “he’s not into touchscreens,” according to the cited source, emphasizing that there’s a chance he will never be.
In the meantime, however, Apple is still working on adjusting its laptop lineup. The company is believed to be working on a new more affordable model to replace the MacBook Air, and sources close to the matter said a debut could take place as soon as this year.
Apple, on the other hand, has remained completely tight-lipped on such plans, though at some level it makes sense for the company to launch a cheaper device that would be specifically aimed at the education market.