Apple doesn’t have to justify anything. Prices are set and people are buying. macOS is never coming to iPad…IMO. And iPadOS runs in 3-4 Gb memory.
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Apps Reportedly Limited to Maximum of 5GB RAM in iPadOS, Even With 16GB M1 iPad Pro
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Technically, 2GB is the lowest still supported. More prone to crashes though.
Are they really tho? I have a hard time believing they are selling a ton of the 1TB and 2TB models. The iPad is more expensive toy than workhorse machine with iPadOS dragging it down. Bring macOS to the table and suddenly the rest of the world can justify it in terms of their work productivity.
IMO the addition of the M1 to the iPad and not an A series chip, the concomitant massive increase in RAM that just seems oddly unnecessary, and the explicit marketing of RAM amounts this year are all strong signals that macOS could be coming to iPad. We've never seen moves like this regarding the iPad ever.
An even more interesting sign is that the price points for the iPad Pro's have been raised above their notebook counterparts ... meaning they've created the marketing space for a profitable upsell from regular Macbook's.
As for those that argue iPadOS is all the iPad should have ... stockholm syndrome. Anyone that wants to run iPadOS loses nothing if those iPad's can now run macOS. Just ignore it and go about your normal routine.
Pricing's been like that since 2018. There was just a relatively minor $100 bump for Mini-LED.
Wow, very interesting, I do wonder if iPad OS 15 will change this, my thoughts have always been that one would make the final decision on M1 iPad Pro once we get the iPad OS 15 update, I’m probably going to hang in to my A12Z iPad Pro until next years range arrives, let the M1 be the guinea pig for the new iPad OS and hardware, Apple have already done a fabulous job with the M1 iPad Pro, IMO, things can only get better.
It is good to know that Apple support their devices well and we can only hope 15 does bring something interesting for M1 hardware.
We are tech enthusiasts after all, so we do tend to partially buy something with some hope of improvements, it is our Achilles heel and many of us have been burnt yet we comeback for more 😂
Very true, you buy it for what it is when you fork the cash over, anything else is a bonus.
It is good to know that Apple support their devices well and we can only hope 15 does bring something interesting for M1 hardware.
We are tech enthusiasts after all, so we do tend to partially buy something with some hope of improvements, it is our Achilles heel and many of us have been burnt yet we comeback for more 😂
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I really wonder what's the purpose of making the iPad Pro compete in terms of performance with the MacBook. They say the Mac will not disappear, but..., with the time, they are making iPadOS ready to run high-end applications, and if the future development continues the same direction, we won't be far from seeing a news release about an AAA game or movie being completely done with an iPad Pro from start to finish. And, once this happens, will their commitment to the Mac be the same as they say now?
My belief is that they improve iPadOS so much because Apple is now basing their business in subscriptions and services rather than products (even Macs and iPads are sold these days like if they were a "subscription", because they assume you'll get a new model in two years --unlike in traditional Mac years, when the computer lasted for a decade, and Apple based the business in product purchase, not subscriptions).
My belief is that they improve iPadOS so much because Apple is now basing their business in subscriptions and services rather than products (even Macs and iPads are sold these days like if they were a "subscription", because they assume you'll get a new model in two years --unlike in traditional Mac years, when the computer lasted for a decade, and Apple based the business in product purchase, not subscriptions).
But that could be one reason why the battery sizes on some of the ipad m1s are slightly bigger than some of the Macbooks.
One thing I believe, people are or will buy the higher price models for their reasons. I didn't mean to imply these high-end models are flying off the shelf. But whether these ipads ever run macos is up for speculation. I could see Apple bringing updates to ipados first, since Apple has publicly stated they do not want to turn the ipad into a macbook.
The iPad is more valuable to them than a macOS device. macOS is a thousand miles more open than iOS / iPadOS.
A theoretical future where iPadOS matches the vast majority of macOS workflows (e.g. full app development) is a future where Apple gets a way better stranglehold over customers than they could ever get on macOS.
The Epic trial has said as much: macOS is a failed platform for Apple (no one bothers about the App Store there, they can‘t get proper commission from macOS software cause the vast majority of developers don‘t have to use Apples in-app payment system).
That alone should give people a hint that they will NEVER ship macOS on an iPad but instead try to slowly shrink the feature gap between iPadOS and macOS.
Anyone who still holds out for macOS finding its way to the iPad is in for a disappointment.
Is there anything about Apple that you don’t like? You constantly defend their every move. I’m just curious.
exactly. It’s probably easier/more stable having ipadOS 15 support this then adjust iPadOS 14.
Apple isn’t the type to put extra hardware out there. If a device only needed 3.5GB, Apple would put 4GB max.
A bit off-topic, but I do like the company. In this case, though it seems to make sense why macos will not come to ipados, but rather apple will increase the capabilities of ipados. Maybe that will quell the "ecosystem lock-in" criticisms.
The WiFi 11 inch iPad Pro 1 TB has 16GB and is $1499 according to the Apple website.
Great idea especially as I hear they are changing the architecture of the M2 or whatever the next gen will be called.
The iPad is more expensive because it costs more to design and make. It gets the best screens, 5g, Face ID, pencil support and an OS that routinely gets more features, and which people can't screw up no matter how hard they try. There's no conspiracy here. As I type this, a radical new idea came into my mind.
Rather than argue that macOS should come to the iPad, perhaps we could be discussing what iOS features could and should be ported over to the Mac (and I can think of quite a few).
Currently, the Mac gets a stupidly fast processor, longer battery life, access to iOS apps, and instant wake from sleep thanks to the M1 (which is again thanks to the Ax-series iPad processors). Imagine if Apple had the ability and desire to move all their hardware to iOS and relate macOS to "legacy" status.
Relax, I am kidding. Or am I? 😆
The Mac is probably not going anywhere anytime soon, but I feel that people here by and large overestimate its importance in the bigger scheme of things. I think it's clearer than ever that the Mac does not represent the future for Apple. That will come in the form of wearables (running some modified version of iOS). iPadOS will continue to improve by adapting macOS features and optimising them for a touchscreen device, not by importing the OS wholesale.
Giving the iPad cursor support and a keyboard accessory doesn't suddenly make it a laptop.
Stop trying to make macOS on the iPad happen.
Considering the ship date quickly slipped for those models, either people are ordering them or they only had a few of them produced. I'm pretty sure the most expensive models usually sell quickly, and people (like me) wanted the 16 GB of RAM.
I can't see Apple making a combo device that switches between macOS and iOS, but as was said over and over, simply adding features and updating pro apps would cover the majority of the missing use cases.
I don’t get the “mac as a subscription” part. I have two macs, one bought in 2010, the other on 2013. Both work flawlessly, both are still getting security updates. What’s forcing me to get a new model?
I agree it’s getting to a point where the iPad could replace the entry level macs, should apple allow it. You can get a lot done on an iPad, but it’s not comparable to the mac because of the OS and dumbed down apps (office, for instance). Affinity photo works great, though, on an iPad.
So apple could release some sort of macOS for the iPad, that would be great for iPad Pros but make most of the iPad line sluggish, and that’s not a very good idea.
Maybe the point of having M1 processors is not bothering designing yet another processor, and as a bonus getting a device that will be smooth as butter for years.
Apple sure doesn't like utilizing more ram in their products even for when available for some reason
From your lips to Apple's beancounters' brains, man.
I'm not the only one worried about such "dumbing OS apps down to iOs level" drift though. Anyone who remembers what one could once upon a time do with the iTunes app may share my concerns.
Stuff like editing multiple playlists in separate windows at once... using a handy option-shuffle button at the bottom of playlists to reorder (and get a visual re-ordering) of a playlist... etc etc etc... all gone now, bit by bit over the years as the mobile gear drew us in, and rightfully acquired better software and more focus from Apple designers.
But on the bright side... we're arguing these days about whether apps will be able to use only part of up to 16GB in the latest iteration of an iPad Pro... and in my living memory there was a time when programmers had to write code in modules of max 32k... Yeah: 32 kilobytes. Remembering those days does temper my complaints about technology most of the time.
Heh. Give us an inch and we'll ask for the mile (and eventually get it). We've come a long way together, those of us who are consumers and those at Apple who sometimes lead and sometimes only follow us in the ideas department.
It’s a hella long way from “some features in iTunes, that are used less and less lately because of music streaming, have been taken away” to “macos is going to become ios.”
Isn't Apple going to have to justify the 16GB of RAM, and M1 chip? If in the end it just provides slightly "snappier" performance for the same old apps, people are going to be angry (me amongst them). Or, is Apple so Godlike there is no explanation required? Sorry, I've been on an SG-1 binge again 
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You've gotta read the article again. It's already using most of the full benefit of 16 GB of RAM. It just means a single app can't itself use that much. I'm typing this on a Mac and no app is using anywhere close to 16. Logic Pro is using 2.Isn't Apple going to have to justify the 16GB of RAM, and M1 chip? If in the end it just provides slightly "snappier" performance for the same old apps, people are going to be angry (me amongst them). Or, is Apple so Godlike there is no explanation required? Sorry, I've been on an SG-1 binge again
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Should Apple bump this number up? Of course! Absolutely! But does it mean the 16 GB isn't being utilized? Hell no...
Having the ability to run macOS would not impact you or your tablet experience. I’m not sure why people are so against having the option. You should be demanding it.
It's always "all the little things"... all different for each of us. Apple does a pretty good job of finding the mean and (for a price, hardware-wise anyway) also offering a decent range of options.