Apple SVP Phil Schiller says a touchscreen Apple iMac Desktop is definitely NOT happening
If there is one thing Apple is not known for, is following the herd. In fact, it almost seems that Apple loves to defy virtually every trend set by its competitors, especially Microsoft, even in the wake of such an undisputably amazing product as the Surface Studio.
Speaking of which, Phil Schiller, the man in charge of Apple’s worldwide marketing operations, and the one who keeps a finger on the pulse of the tech giant, knows better than to give false hope to those who may believe in a Mac/iOS convergence, by which means anything remotely close to a touchscreen desktop would materialize. By such token, it would be easier for a singularity to spontaneously occur at the center of the Apple 2 Campus twice in one day, than for an Apple iMac Retina to get a touchscreen upgrade.
Over the course of a little talked about 2015 interview with Schiller and tech news site BackChannel’s Steven Levy, Tim Cook’s right hand made some brief but illuminating comments about Apple’s direction, past, present and future: “Can you imagine a 27-inch iMac where you have to reach over the air to try to touch and do things? That becomes absurd.”.
Schiller raises a good point: the iMac Retina would look downright ridiculous with a touchscreen, and the use cases would not justify a design change that would send a shock throughout the entire Mac lineup.
While it would be easy enough to say “let’s change the iMac and turn it into a drawing table like the Surface Studio”, the truth is that Microsoft is in an easier position to do what it does, now, as its hardware presence is still being groomed. In Apple’s case, there has to be one device for each type of user, and user scenario. The iMac will remain the ultimate desktop all-in-one, because that’s what desktop all-in-ones are. They are not tablets, and they are not laptops.
Transforming the iMac into a giant accessory to itself defeats the purpose of its own lineup. What good is it to have a Magic Trackpad, or a mouse, when there is a gigantic 27 inch multi-touch display available?
Another reason is that creating products that are too multifaceted makes them hards to replace or retire. While the concept of a PC that is so useful you’ll never need another again, may be appealing to some, the truth is that if all computers were built to last more than 10+ years, it would be the end of innovation, and a halt to the pursuit of performance and better design and user experience, like the Touch Bar and Touch-ID in the new MacBook Pro.
Going even further, while thinking of the differences between Apple and Microsoft in this regard, Surface is a popular lineup, but it still needs to reach its full potential and popularity with consumers.
One could be wrong in assuming this, but in all likelihood that Microsoft Surface becomes as popular as the Mac, Microsoft might want to take a page from Apple, and invest in consistent device lineups that won’t cannibalize each other’s market share.
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