Did the iPad help accelerate the demise of the Macbook?

I was quite sad when I heard the news that the Apple Macbook series was no more. The Macbook represented a great machine at a great price point. It had enough hard drive space to be used as a primary machine. The display size was decent and usable... much better then an 11" screen and it was generally a workhorse. You could upgrade the RAM and HD quite easily, so it was a great starting point for someone on a budget just trying to get into an Apple computer.

Apparently, Apple disagreed. You now have 2 choices at that price point. Buy a Macbook Air and sacrifice screen size and hard drive space for faster processor, lighter weight and sleeker design. Or, you can make do with a Tablet, the iPad. I'm not a big fan of typing on the Apple iPad (or any tablet or small device for that matter) so I don't see college kids running out to buy an iPad instead of a Laptop computer. Nor do I see a college kid ponying up $1300 for a well equipped Macbook Air that would compete with the Macbook in value.

Unfortunately, it's not up to me  We must all give a moment of silence for our fallen friend that's been so valuable to us over the years and probably made die-hard Apple fans who eventually upgraded to other products. We salute you Apple Macbook and we hope to see you return again someday down the road.