What is Dan Riccio’s new job at Apple? I’m betting on a touch-monitor Mac
Whilst not just about as earth-shattering as Jony Ive’s departure in 2019, Apple on Monday introduced a little bit of a shakeup to its management group. No 1 is leaving the organization, but a person of the most important gamers on the hardware group, senior vice president Dan Riccio, is shifting to a secret undertaking.
Riccio, who has been with Apple considering that 1998, isn’t as very well-recognised as Tim Cook dinner or Phil Schiller, but he’s been an integral aspect of just about each individual significant Apple merchandise this century. Riccio took on the position of senior vice president of Hardware Engineering when Bob Mansfield retired in 2012. At the time, Riccio was vice president of iPad Hardware Engineering, a position he took on in 2010, right as the initial iPad released.
Though he only held the position for two yrs, they were being particularly formative ones for the iPad. The second-era was appreciably thinner and lighter than the initial iPad without having sacrificing battery everyday living, when the 3rd technology released the Retina display screen and 4G LTE networking. As SVP, he was instrumental in offering various goods, together with previous year’s 5G Iphone lineup, M1-primarily based Macs, and AirPods Max.
AppleYou may not know who Dan Riccio is, but you absolutely know the solutions he’s aided produce.
Now, Riccio is transitioning to a considerably secretive position in the corporation. In a press release, Apple merely mentioned Riccio “will transition to a new function focusing on a new job and reporting to CEO Tim Prepare dinner,” with his preceding slot staying loaded by John Ternus, who has been with the company because 2001 and most not long ago appeared in the start movie for the M1 Mac.
Although it’s normal to feel that Riccio will be functioning on the Apple Car or truck or Apple Glass, it is very likely that those people teams are now nicely on their way and equally probable that Riccio has had a hand in constructing them. Fairly, I consider Riccio’s new challenge is a large amount closer to the form of operate he excels at generating: screens.
In addition to the iPad, Riccio also performed a significant part in the evolution of the Mac’s exhibit. In one of his few appearances on a public phase, Riccio had this to say when the 27-inch 5K iMac debuted in 2014: “The Mac permits men and women to do astounding issues and for numerous folks, it is the most crucial innovative resource that they use. And what we seriously enjoy accomplishing is earning it far better.”
And I consider that is just what he’s heading to be doing in his new function at Apple. Now that the Mac changeover is in whole swing and will likely be all but accomplished by the conclude of 2021, Apple can flip its attention to the upcoming massive detail: a touchscreen Mac. A MacBook that’s as slender as an iPad but as effective as an M1 MacBook Air would be an fast gamechanger for both of those solution strains and would pave the way for another 10 several years of relevancy. It would not just be a MacBook that you can touch, but a little something solely new.
MicrosoftWe could possibly shortly be equipped to contact our Mac’s monitor just like the Microsoft Surface area.
Apple has prolonged thrown chilly water on the idea of a touchscreen Mac, but the M1 processor modifications issues. Apple’s silicon opens up the Mac to a complete new operate of development that just was not doable with Intel chips. Including a multitouch screen to the Mac is not the endgame for Apple, it’s building an totally new unit that transforms how we use computer systems and modifications the landscape in an indelible way.
That’s exactly where Riccio’s prowess will come in. Like Microsoft’s Floor, a contact-screen Mac would be section pill and element laptop computer, two goods that Riccio is familiar with extremely well. But most importantly, it would be all about the display, an location Riccio has tremendous experience in. If Apple is major about developing a Mac with multi-touch, Cook dinner would want Riccio to commit all of his time to it.
And it seems like that is exactly what he will be doing. While other SVPs who have transitioned from their senior roles have issued obscure statements about their upcoming actions, Riccio’s is extremely centered: “Next up, I’m seeking ahead to carrying out what I adore most—focusing all my time and vitality at Apple on building some thing new and amazing that I couldn’t be far more enthusiastic about.”
It may take quite a few yrs, but there are more than enough clues and rumors to advise that Apple is at last looking at the up coming evolution of the Mac that last but not least brings together the electrical power of a Computer system with the flexibility of an iPad. And with Riccio at the helm, it could be even more remarkable than an Apple Motor vehicle.
