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I don't want an iPad Pro, I want an OS X tablet

​Reports are circulating that Apple is preparing to unveil a larger, enterprise and power-user focused (and undoubtedly more expensive) iPad called the iPad Pro.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer

Reports are circulating that Apple is preparing to unveil a larger, enterprise and power-user focused (and undoubtedly more expensive) iPad called the iPad Pro.

Rumors of an iPad Pro have been circulating for a couple of years now, but given that sales of the regular iPad have taken a substantial nose-dive in recent quarters, a new product -- as opposed to an upgrade to an existing product -- could help reinvigorate sales, at least in the short term.

But I'm done with the iPad. I went through a few incarnations, but as soon as I upgraded to the iPhone 6 Plus, my iPad became a paperweight on my desk (literally, I used it to keep papers down, and then it spent a while underneath a keyboard until it was rescued by a family member and adopted). The couple of times that I wished I'd had it with me for the larger screen real-estate didn't justify carrying the thing around with me. In fact, it got to the point where I didn't bother charging the device.

So I don't see the need for an iPad any more -- regular, mini, or pro -- but what I do carry around with me is my MacBook Pro, so if Apple were to come out with an OS X tablet, I'd be all over it.

In fact, Apple has all the pieces in place to come out with an OS X tablet. Take one new MacBook, pry out the keyboard and duct tape the display to the body and there you have it, an OS X-powered MacBook tablet.

OK, I'm sure Apple would do things a little more elegantly than that, but the innovation crammed inside Apple's current MacBook looks eerily similar to that of a tablet.

Look at what Apple's MacBook brings to the table. A super-thin 12-inch retina-display panel, a tiny logic board featuring a fanless Intel Core M "Broadwell" processor drawing only 5 watts, terraced batteries that allows every nook and cranny to be filled with power, and a single USB-C port that handles power and connectivity.

Even the 29W USB-C power adapter is not much bigger than the one for the iPad. And it even features a detachable cord.

Just remove the physical keyboard and add a touchscreen display and "BOOM!" you have a tablet. Given that there would be no need for a trackpad on the tablet, there's even more room inside for batteries, or just leave it filled with air to keep the weight down.

Some back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that this tablet would be about 9mm at its thickest point and weigh in at around 700g (Apple would save on the weight of the keyboard, hinges, trackpad, screws and a fair bit of aluminum).

"What about the keyboard?" I hear you ask. No problems. OS X has a built-in on-screen keyboard ready to use. Want to add more ports? There's a dongle for that!

Sure, OS X would need some work to make it touch-ready, but Apple has been working towards making OS X look and feel -- and work -- more like iOS during recent years.

The power and the battery life it would offer would make it a killer device for BYOD and enterprise.

So, who's with me in wanting an OS X tablet?

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