Apple/ARM/Laptops (Short Take)

In my entry yesterday I talked about the recent rumors that Apple is switching to ARM in their non mobile devices. In general I was dismissive, at least in the short term. The latest reports seem to focus in on laptops. Laptops are an interesting case but only if we're careful in our definition. Laptop can currently be applied to anything from a netbook weighing under a pound all the way up to a desktop replacement that weigh ten pounds or more. Performance characteristics vary almost as much.

Apple's laptop range isn't quite that broad but the difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line are substantial. Could Apple be considering a move to ARM for the Air? In short, I very much doubt it. Doing so would make the Air a slightly larger iPad with a keyboard and that falls far short of what you get with the current Air.

Of course a slightly larger iPad with a keyboard wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea. I'd think very seriously about buying one, particularly if the keyboard were detachable. The nice thing about such a device is it would be light, ultra portable and capable of doing 90% of the work I want/need to do. I'd still want a full featured laptop for the other 10% though.

Perhaps Apple is considering creating a new product line that sits between the iPad and the MacBook Air? Something along those lines might explain the origin of these rumors. Assuming they aren't completely made up.

Image via Wikipedia