I think Mac and iPad will merge. Does the MacBook Neo prove my point or make it irrelevant?

I’ve been struggling with something for a long time. You there, come sit and listen to my story. Please tell me I’m making sense. It’s about my dreams for a Mac and iPad. Wait, don’t walk away.

For a very long time, Apple has made iPads and also made MacBooks. Once upon a time, they were completely different. But even in the early days, I was dreaming about it iPads work like Macs. apple It has become closerIn degrees. Granted, iPadOS isn’t MacOS, but it is Share more ideas And software ever. Keyboards and trackpads can turn iPads into laptop-like work devices with multiple windows on the screen. Macs and iPads even share the same M-series chips.

And now there The new MacBook is called Neowhich runs on an iPhone-level chip and costs the same New iPad Air. Meanwhile, reliable reports say The first MacBook with a touch screen It will come by the end of this year.

I feel innocent of this news. This is what it’s all about, I say to my wife as I wander into the house for my morning coffee, reveling in the news of the MacBook Neo. They are practically the same thing. Why can’t one become the other? Why can’t I really turn my iPad into a Mac?

I brought this up About once a year For, uh, The past decade and a half. It’s my mantra. I believe it in my soul. When I asked my wife if this made sense, since it clearly had to happen, she said: I think you’re getting a little excited about this.

I asked her: Don’t you want the iPad you bought to turn into a Mac if you need it? She said no. She doesn’t care. She loves her iPad.

I took my emotions upstairs. I thought about more. Fast paced. I pull out my MacBook Air to start typing, although half the time I also go to the iPad next door that has a keyboard to type. And I thought, damn, I’m right about this.

But maybe, just maybe, no one cares. No one needs to care.

Tell me: what is it? Take it easy on me.

Is this like a cognitive illusion of technology? Is the dress gold or blue? Do you see a rabbit or a duck? Are you someone who thinks it’s ridiculous that the Mac and iPad continue to be intentionally different at this point, or is this a logical design choice, and you think I’m an idiot for wanting it any other way?

My argument for the imminent iPad-Mac convergence

There is a reason for my passion. It makes sense! Although it will take some time for Macs to develop true touchscreen compatibility for applications, a touchscreen MacBook Pro expected later this year could start to play with some of the concepts. Obviously it will be a “touch light”, perhaps more like a screen-based evolution of Touch bar. Apple has wanted us to use Macs for years, see? I’m not crazy.

Once that’s done, the rest will probably happen. A true Mac touch device that can work with the iPad Pencil as well.

Meanwhile, on the iPad side, there’s much less reason not to flip the switch to Mac mode. iPads already work with the Mac-like keyboards and trackpads that Apple so willingly sells to us. It runs on chipsets similar to those found in Macs. You can clearly – clearly! – Find a way to run MacOS on these devices.

But will the mode switch be something you can toggle, like Stage Manager mode? Mac pro mode? Or applications that can run smoothly? The browser differences between Mac and iPad are the main sticking point for me. iPadOS browsers are better now but they’re not the same. So you can improve the browser or allow a new improved optional mode. After that, I wouldn’t need to buy a Mac if I had an iPad. Maybe it can do both and save a lot of people a little money.

Why does Apple do this? It sells appliances. But it also sells services. Keeping yourself up to date with all things across all operating system models is the perfect way to do this.

Finally, let’s talk about glasses, Augmented reality glassesor something like that in the future Vision Pro. How to extend screens anywhere. The unified Mac-iPad can work with glasses more smoothly. Incorporate the laptop look and then extend to glasses and other peripherals. Yes?

Counterpoint (aka Scott, you’re wrong)

The $599 MacBook Neo, based on what I’ve seen online (I haven’t tried it in person yet), looks very attractive. It’s very affordable for Apple. It occurred to me that the entry-level MacBook Neo and Enter iPad Together they will cost the same as a MacBook Air. Apple lets you get two for the price of one.

Is this the idea? Buy multiple devices, don’t worry, appreciate each device for what it is, and don’t try to merge? I’ve heard a lot of people argue that iPads are better just because they’re iPads and that they don’t actually like the window-filled modes in iPadOS 26 that feel more Mac-like. You can switch between styles, but maybe simpler is better? After all, the iPad does a good job of organizing a lot of things in macOS. It feels simplistic.

As for my MacBook, I use it almost exclusively for browser-based work. Creative professionals may rely on advanced graphics M Pro and Max chipsets On MacBook Pros that aren’t available on iPads, not even iPad Pro models.

Maybe the division makes sense. Maybe people just want what they want. They may be fine with a device or devices that work for them. Maybe they don’t want a Swiss Army Knife.

Why do I still think I’m right?

I like modular. I like the flexibility. look at me Nintendo Switch: It is a handheld console and a TV. And why couldn’t the iPad be the same, a true floppy device that, at least in some Pro configurations, could double as a Mac?

I think I would like it very much. I think I’ll be taking my iPad Pro-slash-MacBook with me on every trip and every tech event. I will record every story of it. I used to watch every movie on it. This will be my little computer that does it all.

How many of you share that dream, that vision of the magic spot in the middle? Maybe it’s not enough yet. Probably no one, ever. I still think it’s enough to do. I still think Apple is selling us two devices, when, at least for some of us, it could be selling us one.

I see you’re getting agitated now. She wants to leave this old man alone to talk about these things. He’s clearly getting very excited about this iPad and Mac thing. You want to get on with your life. Maybe you’re back to browsing on your iPad. Or Mac. Or phone. Or something else.

I’ll see you again in a year – and we’ll see if I’m right. Or maybe, as you’ve accepted, it doesn’t even matter if you are.