On the Call: Apple CEO Tim Cook on tablet-PC combo

NEW YORK (AP) -- Computer makers have largely failed to jump on the tablet bandwagon that Apple started with the iPad, but they're hoping for a second chance when Microsoft comes out with the touch-oriented Windows 8 operating system this fall.

Many hope to compete with the iPad by marrying its benefits to a device with traditional PC features, like a keyboard.

On a conference call with analysts Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook talked about the prospects for such devices.

QUESTION: Can you comment about why you don't believe the PC and tablet markets or your MacBook Air and tablet markets won't converge? Isn't it realistic to think that in a couple of years we're going to have a device that's under two pounds, with great battery life, that we can all carry around and open as a notebook or close up in a clever way and use as tablet?

COOK: I think anything can be forced to converge. The problem is that products are about tradeoffs, and you begin to make tradeoffs to the point where what you have left at the end of the day doesn't please anyone.

You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user.

So our view is that the tablet market is huge. And, you know, we've said that since day one. We didn't wait until we had a lot of results. We were using them here, and it was already clear to us that there was so much you could do and that the reasons that people would use them would be so broad.