It's not really the same hardware. It's similar hardware but with significant variations in power budget, RAM and disk size, connectivity, and so on.
This matters because the iPad electronics have to fit behind the screen, while the MacBook electronics live under the keyboard.
To make a PadMac the entire Mac electronics would have to fit behind a thicker unclippable screen, and the keyboard would have to be slimmed down to compensate.
Or perhaps the screen would be accessible over WiFi or even Bluetooth - but that would also affect the power budget and would have other issues. (Is a removable screen as useful as an iPad? Mostly, no.)
Building reliable clip/unclip connections would be an interesting problem.
It could probably be done, and I would be surprised if it hasn't already been tried.
But it's certainly not a trivial engineering challenge, especially given power and cost constraints.
The hardware already exists - it's the iPad Pro 12.9 inch with a Magic Keyboard.
There is very little difference in hardware:
* RAM - 6GB (iPad) vs 8GB base (MacBook Air), although memory chips are tiny and Android phones have 12gb, so I do not see there being a significant limit here.
* Processor - Approximately the same (M1 is basically the A14).
* Connectivity - Both have WiFi only as base, iPad offers 4G.
* Disk size - 128 GB base with options up to 1TB (iPad) vs 256 gb Base with options up to 1 TB (MacBook Air)
* Battery - 10,000 mAh (iPad Pro), and I cannot find the battery of the latest Mac Air but previous models have had 5,500 mah.
So we aren't talking huge differences in spec. In fact it seems that the iPad can fit more in - probably because it doesn't need to include a keyboard which undoubtedly is responsible for a lot of the thickness.
> Building reliable clip/unclip connections would be an interesting problem.
Apple has already solved this for iPad - the Magic Keyboard is brilliant (although not cheap!). Additionally an iPad + Magic Keyboard is actually somewhat thicker than a Macbook pro, which highlights why the Macbook Air is probably thicker than the base iPad (rather than spec).
>Apple has already solved this for iPad - the Magic Keyboard is brilliant (although not cheap!).
It really doesn't work for my use case; admittedly my model is probably older. But when I use a laptop, especially when traveling, I grab it and move it around the room, work on my lap, etc. Unless a removable keyboard and screen are attached in a way that is virtually indistinguishable from a laptop, I'm not really interested.
> It really doesn't work for my use case; admittedly my model is probably older.
That might be one of the older 'smart keyboards' which didn't really work unless you were on a flat table, and the keys weren't brilliant
The new magic keyboard is much more self-supporting like a laptop - the only thing that makes it unsuitable sometimes is that it's quite top heavy, despite the base itself being pretty heavy to act as a counterweight.
The design of the new iPad has a "floating" arm just to try and move the centre of gravity forward from the base, as a traditional laptop hinge won't really work with the weight on top.
It sounds like it's better but I probably still wouldn't like it. I definitely know people who are more tolerant than I am about not just being able to grab a laptop and immediately use it in just about any position. In most circumstances, I'm happy enough to carry both when traveling.
Fair enough, the one thing it requires is that the base is kept on a reasonably flat incline (ie it’s fine on your lap if you are sitting, but not if you are reclining on a sofa with your knees up).
Each to their own. It works better for me personally, because usually if I’m in a position where the keyboard isn’t suitable, it’s better to rip the iPad out of the keyboard and use it as a tablet. It’s held on with magnets so it’s pretty satisfying to rip it off anyway
This matters because the iPad electronics have to fit behind the screen, while the MacBook electronics live under the keyboard.
To make a PadMac the entire Mac electronics would have to fit behind a thicker unclippable screen, and the keyboard would have to be slimmed down to compensate.
Or perhaps the screen would be accessible over WiFi or even Bluetooth - but that would also affect the power budget and would have other issues. (Is a removable screen as useful as an iPad? Mostly, no.)
Building reliable clip/unclip connections would be an interesting problem.
It could probably be done, and I would be surprised if it hasn't already been tried.
But it's certainly not a trivial engineering challenge, especially given power and cost constraints.