Following up the last Modbook Pro tablet the company is currently selling made from a converted mid-2012 MacBook Pro, today Modbook is back with the announcement of a 15-inch ModBook tablet that uses the new Retina MacBooks Apple just refreshed this week as its guts. For those of you unfamiliar with the company, it first started making OS X based tablets by converting Apple laptops and adding pen input capabilities as far back as 2007.
For the new model, Modbook is turning to Kickstarter to raise funds and take preorders with the base 2.2GHz model coming in at $4000. Apart from the pen-input and some design tweaks during the conversion, the specs remain the same as Apple’s MacBooks and the company can also mod your MacBook for a cool $1999 (also an option for backers on Kickstarter). If successful raising $150k through its funding campaign, it plans to start shipping the Modbook Pro X to backers that provided their own Mac in early 2015.
Another addition in this year’s model is an option for “rear-mounted Keybars” that provide quick keys for shortcuts. There is also detachable Keyboard Stand that is available for the tablet. The Keybars are programmable and the company imagines them being used for quick commands (think command + S for saving) with one hand while the other is occupied with the tablet’s stylus. Both of these optional features are pictured above and will add to the base prices mentioned above, as will opting for models of the Macbook Pro other than the base 2.2GHz option.
In case you’re wondering, the conversion process does void your warranty with Apple, but Modbook provides its own that covers all the hardware. You can learn more and preorder by backing the Kickstarter campaign here.
