Apple MacBook Air
New Apple MacBook Air - a more powerful iPad with keyboard?
Apple MacBook Air
New Apple MacBook Air - a more powerful iPad with keyboard?

It looks like Apple is keeping it all in the family. Slim is in, and the new Macbook Airs indicate the future of the Cupertino company’s slick design direction. Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal said it “has the feel of an iPad in a laptop.”

Expect that to be even more so come 2011 when the Mac App Store launches.

“Overall, Apple has done a nice job in making these new MacBook Airs feel more like iPads and iPhones without sacrificing their ability to work like regular computers. But, as always with Apple, you’ll pay more than you will with Windows PCs.” concluded Mossberg in his review of the two new Air models.

It’s not too wild an idea to suggest that Apple even add touch capability to the screen. Could it be that future models will all be iPads (with processor specs to match the Air) and you can merely choose to buy with or without a keyboard? Better yet, maybe the keyboard will detach, providing the ideal mobile content consumption and creation device.

Over the long term it doesn’t make sense to have separate Mac and iPad lines.

Now, yes — there is a lot that is different.

But over time computing will become increasingly touch based. So why not combine the best of the Mac with the best of the iPad? That it will reduce manufacturing costs and allow the company to offer a broad offering of price points will be icing on the cake.