True but A12X/Z storage is plenty for MacOS, it's PCIe speed, and faster than a lot of Intel Macbooks SSDs that are stil up to date. It could use swap easily. RAM is the real issue. The doesn't deal with virtual memory is just a choice by Apple (or speculation by some people on the internet)
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Deals: Apple's M1 iPad Pro Sees New Best-Ever Prices Arrive at Up to $300 Off
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Apple won't make an iPad that can boot MacOS, because they want to to sell 2 devices, but I can see them making a Mac Keyboard (with trackpad), price it like a Mac Mini or even a little bit more, on which an iPad pro can be docked via a new smart connector and that can turn the iPad into a Mac display via an automatic Sidecar activation.
It would overcome all the obstacles, Apple could sell 2 devices (it would cost $2000 for the ensemble), they could work independently and they wouldn't need to have touch enabled, just pencil and basic scrolling like sidecar.
It's not just what speed the SSD clocks on a chart. It's whether there is support on the chipset for virtual memory. Apple Silicon SoCs are not just a CPU, GPU, RAM and an SSD.
If I remember correctly, Apple had to put some kind of hack in place for virtual memory to function in the A12z powered Mac dev kit, and while it worked, it definitely did not perform anything like it would have with native virtual memory support. Remember, the A series chips were built for iPhones and iPads, devices that until the iPadOS16 beta, did not utilise virtual memory.
A post from @tobybrut explains:
"A-series has no virtualization built in because it was never needed in iOS/iPadOS until Stage Manager. They cobbled together a development kit using the A12Z because the M1 didn't exist yet. They had to use all sorts of kluges and co-processors to manage virtual memory, and even with 16GB, ran atrociously bad. It's a system that would never have been shipped, so you can't use a crap developer system as a model for A12Z virtualization. Anything the M1 could do that the A12Z couldn't had to be offloaded to other processors in that dev kit.
People make the bad assumption that a computer is nothing more than a CPU, RAM, and a graphics card. Apple essentially had to emulate the presence of a chipset (e.g. Northbridge and Southbridge) that would normally accompany an Intel/AMD processor on that dev kit. All that chipset logic was built directly into the M1 and later SoC's and is absent from the A-series chips.
How Apple kluged virtual memory, we don't know, but it certainly runs worse than dedicated hardware, which is why SM is limited to only half of what the M1's can do."
I've been toying around with the idea of getting an Ipad to use on planes to watch videos but struggling to find a more productive use for it to rationalize why I need it when I already have a new MacBook Air. What will I be able to do with an Ipad that I can't do on my MBA?
Good discounts. Better not to buy one immediately as new iPad Pros might be coming soon.
You'll end up like me 😅
I toyed around with that idea for ages. Got the base model iPad. Loved it, upgraded to the Air 4th gen and gave the base model to my mother. Loved it, upgraded to the M1 11" Pro and gave the Air to my partner...
I must admit though that my iPad usage has fallen off since I got an Apple Silicon Mac (14" Pro). Three of the main reasons I preferred the iPad over the MacBook I had are gone, which was the iPad had a 120hz screen, the magic keyboard (as opposed to the crappy butterfly keyboard), and the fact it was actually fast and not loud and hot. The 14" MacBook Pro has a better screen, better keyboard, and is just as fast and essentially silent.
So now the iPad is used as just a tablet instead of my go to device for most things. For me it's still worth it, because while I use the MacBook most of the time, there are still times where it's nice to lie in bed with a tablet, or be able to really relax and sit back on the couch with a tablet.
It also gets a bit of use with universal control, side by side with the MacBook as a kind of secondary display. Where I'm working away from my desk (happens a fair bit with my job), being able to have all my ongoing communications on the iPad screen, Slack, SMS, and other chats, while I focus on the main complicated work on the MacBook Pro screen is surprisingly useful.
The time it truly shines is when I am travelling very light, and the largest device I want to bring with me is an 11" iPad. Then the magic keyboard turns it into the best little travel device ever.
It is a bit of a luxury to have both an iPad Pro and a MacBook Pro, but it is worth it to me because I do use these devices to make money, and I really value having the best setup possible, and using the best tool for the job rather than trying to make one tool do everything.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
Snapped up the 12” 256Gb WiFi model for my mum, who was looking to upgrade from her 10.2”.
A STEAL at $899.
Personally, the M1 is more than powerful enough and the iPad already exceeds ALL my needs, so I don’t need new gen problems that will inevitably show up with a new design (if it comes at all).
I’ve been Mac-less for a year and frankly, I don’t miss it at all. I feel sorry for you folks that want the iPad to become a Mac (Stage Manager will disappoint you).
It’s NEVER going to happen. Mac and iPad are and always will be distinct devices. I find this to be a good thing.
A STEAL at $899.
Personally, the M1 is more than powerful enough and the iPad already exceeds ALL my needs, so I don’t need new gen problems that will inevitably show up with a new design (if it comes at all).
I’ve been Mac-less for a year and frankly, I don’t miss it at all. I feel sorry for you folks that want the iPad to become a Mac (Stage Manager will disappoint you).
It’s NEVER going to happen. Mac and iPad are and always will be distinct devices. I find this to be a good thing.
I use my 2018 iPad Pro for Safari browsing, iBooks, Music, Photos, and Email, not for any processing as such. I don't see how the M1/M2 versions noticeably improve on any of these experiences. At some point I will upgrade when the latest version of iPadOS will no longer be supported. Maybe that day is sooner than I think (a year or two away).
They must have had an allocated inventory for that price and it was sold almost immediately.