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All iPads iPad with full OS

C

cnixon

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 17, 2010
52
0
Since it's release, I have been intrigued by Microsofts Surface Pro, and have even considered selling my MacBook Air to fund the purchase. However, I have withheld because, while the Surface Pro does seem like a glimpse into the future, I feel like the Surface (and similar products) need time to mature.

That being said, how do you feel about a future iPad running a full OS experience. Do you think it is a possibility? Is it the future of computing? As for myself, my mouth is watering for such a product.
 
Don't bother waiting, apple most likely wont put anything more than what you currently see on iOS on the iPad.
 
It would suffer from the same usage problems the Surface currently does, specifically using it on your lap to do work. Unlike a laptop, the Surface wobbles and falls over when sitting on anything other than a desk.

And if you're not going to use it to do work, just have an iPad.

If you're trying to simplify to one device, you're going to end up with something compromized by design.

Honestly, your best bet is to eitehr wait for a ModeBook to appear on eBay or hack something together; there are instructions floating around for installing OSX on a Samsung Slate.
 
Please don't misunderstand. I fully admit that products like the Surface have numerous faults. This is the main reason I haven't purchased one. But I truly believe that in the near future, tablet live devices will run much more powerful OS's instead of beefed up Mobile Software.

I am looking forward to that time.
 
cnixon said:
Please don't misunderstand. I fully admit that products like the Surface have numerous faults. This is the main reason I haven't purchased one. But I truly believe that in the near future, tablet live devices will run much more powerful OS's instead of beefed up Mobile Software.

I am looking forward to that time.
Click to expand...

This has nothing to do with the future, the Surface already does run a more powerful OS.

The point of a mobile device is not neing shackled to a desk, but you can't do that without turning the Surface into a laptop. If you have to carry around a keyboard case or something that steadies it on your lap, you might as well carry around your Air, and if you hardly ever have to carry aorund that keyboard case, well the iPad works fine. If you want the Surface so you only have to carry one device, that's a different matter, but you are still losing the portability advantage of a tablet. You're def losing the great battery.
 
how is a "much more powerful OS" incompatible with "beefed-up mobile software"?
 
cnixon said:
Please don't misunderstand. I fully admit that products like the Surface have numerous faults. This is the main reason I haven't purchased one. But I truly believe that in the near future, tablet live devices will run much more powerful OS's instead of beefed up Mobile Software.

I am looking forward to that time.
Click to expand...

Desktop apps are not designed for touch.

That's why all the Microsoft tablets in the past many years failed to gain traction. That's why current Windows tablet won't gain traction.

Tablet PC users usually play with the feature for few days, then they forget about the touchscreen.
 
They are making a huge push to get apps designed for their touch interface. Msft is even reaching out to developers on ios to build apps for win 8 touch.
 
if you want OS X on your iPad, just jailbreak it and run that OS X jailbreak app which when you open it up, gives you the entire OS X environment

sometimes though, to be honest, dealing with the limited environment of iOS can be refreshing when you're on a regular OS for work
 
I think it would be extremely difficult, from a practicality standpoint, to run a "full" OS on a tablet. You almost have to either compromise the functionality of the software to suit a touchscreen device, or sacrifice some of the very hardware conveniences of a tablet (like adding in a keyboard and a mouse) to make running the software more feasible. I operate my Windows 8 PC through my iPad at night, and while I find it highly convenient to do with my disability, I just could not replace the experience with being hands-on with my PC full time, even though Windows 8 is geared toward the touchscreen interface.
 
ritmomundo said:
Tablets from like 10 years ago had full Windows XP on them. I see no reason why OS X can't be installed on a future version of the iPad.
Click to expand...
Just making a point here but those tablets from then were....... Oh yeah like 2 inches thick they had passive screens and the best part. Intel processors.

I am not saying that it isn't possible I just don't think we will ever see anything like that from apple, as they already have the mobile power user with the MBA line
 
i like osx on my laptop and ios on my tablet, no need for osx on a tablet. the tablet experience is better with an os designed for touch, and osx simply isnt designed for that.
i honestly think an 11" air is better than a 10" surface
 
boneskid1 said:
Just making a point here but those tablets from then were....... Oh yeah like 2 inches thick they had passive screens and the best part. Intel processors.

I am not saying that it isn't possible I just don't think we will ever see anything like that from apple, as they already have the mobile power user with the MBA line
Click to expand...

I know, they were total crap. But it just proves that it can be done. Never say never.

iThinkergoiMac said:
Tablets from 10 years ago were also a complete failure. Why exactly do we want to follow that business model?
Click to expand...

Yet Apple went down that road and created the iPad.
 
People need to leave the desktop paradigm behind when embracing a tablet, and pretty soon you don't miss what you left behind.

I use my iPad for 80% of my serious computing - and never miss a file system.
 
I have an HP Slate 500 which is a two year old 9" tablet running Windows 7 Pro. In a way, it's cool that you can run any Windows software that you like on a small tablet. However it's really difficult to deal with traditional software on a tablet, you have tiny menus and need to use a stylus. Just yesterday I created a problem by dragging a system file to the trash when I meant to select something else from the list.

I guess Windows 8 addresses some of these problems, but I don't think it helps software that wasn't specifically written for a tablet. I keep wanting to like the iPad, but I just don't know why I would need one and haven't gotten one (although I gave one to my kids when it first came out). OTOH, I have a MacBook Air that I love. That makes all my "real" Mac software as portable as I need and I don't see where there would be any advantage to having a touchscreen interface for it.
 
ritmomundo said:
Tablet, nonetheless.
Click to expand...

Yes, but one of the biggest reasons tablets failed before was because they were running a desktop OS and that doesn't work well. You're advocating using a desktop OS when history shows that every time this is tried, it doesn't work well. Even the Surface is not doing very well.
 
I was excited about the Surface before it was released, but after I tried it I realized that it's better to have a tablet that does less than you want, but does it well, than to have a tablet that does everything so-so. I hope that some day someone figures out how to combine the two into a great product, but we're just not there yet. When we are, I'll be the first in line.
 
Medic311 said:
sometimes though, to be honest, dealing with the limited environment of iOS can be refreshing when you're on a regular OS for work
Click to expand...

I could not agree more. It's the very reason I own iPads.

A relaxing way to do a little of this and that, nothing serious.

I have absolutely no desire to use one as a "PC replacement".

The "Post PC" concept is for those who never needed a PC in the first place.





(for clarification I used "PC" as generic... for Mac, Win, or Linux boxes)
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
Yes, but one of the biggest reasons tablets failed before was because they were running a desktop OS and that doesn't work well. You're advocating using a desktop OS when history shows that every time this is tried, it doesn't work well. Even the Surface is not doing very well.
Click to expand...
I'm not advocating anything. I'm just saying it was done before, and it *could* be done again. Stop being so argumentative.
 
ritmomundo said:
I'm not advocating anything. I'm just saying it was done before, and it *could* be done again. Stop being so argumentative.
Click to expand...

I got the idea that you thought it was a good idea. If that's incorrect, I apologize. You never did answer my question, though: considering the abysmal history of running a desktop OS on a tablet, what would be the motivation for trying again?

There are lots of things that could be done. Simply stating that something is possible doesn't add much to the discussion without a a reason to do it.
 
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