- Apple researching how to split up MacBook Pro components
- Design could allow you to mix and match components
- Modules may include keyboard, trackpad, display and more
- Apple’s idea is to provide a versatile user experience
Apple is researching how to split up the components of a MacBook Pro so that you can mix and match whatever components you need, whenever you need it. The idea is for users to be able to tailor their device in order to meet their varied needs. A newly-granted patent shows that Apple is looking to go so far as to allow modules such as the keyboard, trackpad, display, hinges and a stand.
The patent outlines that the components would be able to be snapped together and then pulled apart again later. Apple also discusses how a projector could be used to display an image onto an input surface.
Apple’s idea is to provide a more versatile user experience. The patent states that traditionally, users need to rely on multiple distinct computing devices to sufficiently meet their needs. Apple’s approach is to let users configure their device to work effectively in various environments. The patent mentions how some devices double up as laptops and tablets, and discusses how a PowerBook Duo from the 1990s could be inserted into a desktop Mac.
The patent is credited to five inventors, including the prolific Paul X. Wang. His many patents for Apple include one about making modular options for what we now know as Apple Vision Pro. Apple Historian & Senior Editor, William Gallagher, has discussed Apple technology for 30 years between the BBC and AppleInsider.
