It's not just Apple, tablets and laptops have been on a collision course for years. The use cases have started to blur for all manufacturers and software remains the dividing wall. For the iPad to contend with a laptop it has to run macOS and have it's software available. For the macbook to replace a tablet it should have a touch friendly interface and run all apps from the app store.
The truth is that this is the big headscratcher for all product managers at all big tech manufacturers. It is also the factor that keeps all existing ecosystems fractured. Including Apple's, though it is perhaps the most well integrated one. The second dividing wall to tore is screen size and input periferals, of course. None of these are easy or trivial problems to solve.
One of the main “brag points” in Apple’s internal “what makes Apple Apple” training was about how Steve swooped in and vastly simplified a very overfull and muddied line of Apple products when he returned.
It was a big talking point about how Steve greatly reduced the number of products to make it simpler to build, stock and sell.
This would tend to indicate that Apple is moving further away from Job’s simplicity.