Way back before Apple unveiled the original iPad, your only choice for getting an Apple tablet was to buy a ModBook: converted MacBooks with built-in Wacom digitizers that operated like the tablet PCs of old.
Of course, once the iPad debuted, a lot of the market for the ModBook dried up, but now they’re back with the ModBook Pro, which takes the 13-inch MacBook Pro and turns it into an OS X-running tablet.
Specs-wise, the ModBook Pro is identical to the 13-inch MacBook Pro: Intel’s Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor clocked at 2.5Ghz, integrated HD 4000 GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of hard drive space (plus a 960GB SSD option), SuperDrive, and WiFi b/g/n plus Bluetooth. The real secret sauce is the Wacom digitizer that adds 512 levels of pressure sensitivity to the 1280×800 display.
Otherwise, this is similar to a MacBook Pro turned folded back so it’s screen faces outwards. The chassis design features an attractive sloped edge, and grippy feet make sure that the ModBook Pro can be propped up at a 50 degree angle on a desk without slipping for easier, more ergonomic artistry.
On the one hand, I’m sure there are a number of design professionals who would absolutely love to have a tablet that runs OS X and their favorite software and also boasts a number of useful ports like Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, SDXC and so on. On the other hand, ModBooks have never been cheap, and the ModBook Pro — price still unannounced — looks like it might just end up being the most expensive one yet.
