Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Great news! Apple already makes a portable computer that runs macOS. It’s called a MacBook! (Clever how the name makes so much sense.)
Better news! I own a Mac, as well as the 2021 iPad Pro. It's not the same device. Would be nice to have macOS features on the iPad now that it uses the same chip as the Mac, no? What's with the snark? 😂
 
No touch gestures, no pencil and no detachable keyboard on those. 🤷‍♂️
Which is why the iPad is a different computer for different usage scenarios.
You pays your money and you makes your choice (or buy both).
If you desperately need a hybrid device , Microsoft makes a Surface Pro.

Geeks need to remember they are only a tiny part of the market, and that for normal users (and this includes other types of ”Pros” like lawyers, doctors, pilots, etc.) iPad, with its simplified interface, is a dream come true.
 
Great news! Apple already makes a portable computer that runs macOS. It’s called a MacBook! (Clever how the name makes so much sense.)
I'm glad you pointed that out. I need your help though. The past five minutes I've been trying to touch the MacBook Pro screen and use the pencil on it. It doesn't work... maybe I got a lemon? How are touch gestures and pencil working out for you on a MacBook?
 
Which is why the iPad is a different computer for different usage scenarios.
You pays your money and you makes your choice (or buy both).
If you desperately need a hybrid device , Microsoft makes a Surface Pro.
Apple is claiming it's a replacement. So I'd only like to have what they promise. Don't worry, I own multiple iPads in different sizes, multiple MacBook Pros in different sizes also a Mac Pro. I also own a Windows/Linux desktop and a fully specced Razer Blade 15 Studio edition. I've seriously thought about the Surface Pro, but I'm waiting for the next generation to evaluate it again. Would like to run Linux on it and if not, at least do more research on VBS before jumping on it.
 
Better news! I own a Mac, as well as the 2021 iPad Pro. It's not the same device. Would be nice to have macOS features on the iPad now that it uses the same chip as the Mac, no? What's with the snark? 😂
OK, maybe the snark was a little unnecessary. But we only have to look at Microsoft’s Surface Pro to get a sense of what a Frankenstein nightmare macOS on an iPad would be. Apple knows what they're doing, they prioritize user experience above everything else, unlike some other manufacturers.

As posted elsewhere on this thread, Mac and iPad are different devices for different scenarios for different customers.
We techies need to remember that we constitute a mere fraction of the entire market for iPad. The huge majority of regular iPad users (and, yes, there are “professionals“ in this group — medical, legal, etc.) do not want the complication of macOS or any desktop OS. That’s why they bought an iPad in the first place!
 
I'm glad you pointed that out. I need your help though. The past five minutes I've been trying to touch the MacBook Pro screen and use the pencil on it. It doesn't work... maybe I got a lemon? How are touch gestures and pencil working out for you on a MacBook?
So rather than trying to turn the iPad into something it was never meant to be, and would greatly diminish its core strengths for *most* iPad owners, why not try to persuade Apple to add pencil and touch to the Mac?

You'll probably be wasting your breath on touch, but pencil support on macOS is something Apple could do with minimal disruption if they felt the market was there for it.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Babygotfont
Anyway, I’m glad apps have more RAM available now. I wasn’t aware they couldn’t use all available RAM before like they can on macOS.
iOS and iPadOS lack a virtual memory/swap file system like traditional desktop operating systems, likely due to the slow and limited storage space on early and base level iDevices. Without OS-imposed memory limits an app with a memory leak or high RAM usage could theoretically fill up all available memory and crash the system.

EDIT: Android also lacks virtual memory/swap.

Thus 8 or 16 GB on an iPad Pro is still less usable memory than a comparable Mac since apps can’t tap into virtual memory.
 
Rather than increase the amount of RAM available to apps, I'd like to see structural changes made to force apps to use memory more efficiently. There are many reports here on MR of users noting that simple use cases result in app or browser tab reloads. Are these incidents due to bugs in iOS/iPadOS, limitations in the APIs, sloppy coding by developers, or some/all of the above?
 
So rather than trying to turn the iPad into something it was never meant to be, and would greatly diminish its core strengths for *most* iPad owners, why not try to persuade Apple to add pencil and touch to the Mac?
Sure, why not. If they can build a 2-1 device or detachable screen, why not.
You'll probably be wasting your breath on touch, but pencil support on macOS is something Apple could do with minimal disruption if they felt the market was there for it.
Apple could do the same thing the other way around. This has been discussed in several threads before, so let me quickly summarize it.

1) No one wants a 1:1 port of macOS on the iPad.
2) Underlying mechanisms are hidden from the user for both iPadOS and macOS, what matters is UI. You can already run iOS apps in macOS.
3) Keyboard/Mouse already work for iPad apps.
4) Let's call it appleOS for iPad, when docked (to monitor, docking station with Keyboard/mouse attached or a magic keyboard) it runs in "computer mode". When undocked it runs in "tablet mode".

The underlying OS would not have to be different at all. All that is needed is a detection of the mode and switch the UI accordingly. If macOS and iPadOS would be open source, this is something that could be done by a group of enthusiasts. Apple can do this, no doubt. This is all in marketing and sales and the reason it's not happening.

A more flexible monitor configuration could be done in a similar fashion. There's absolutely no technical reason iPadOS could not fully support external monitors.
 
Apple is claiming it's a replacement. So I'd only like to have what they promise. Don't worry, I own multiple iPads in different sizes, multiple MacBook Pros in different sizes also a Mac Pro. I also own a Windows/Linux desktop and a fully specced Razer Blade 15 Studio edition. I've seriously thought about the Surface Pro, but I'm waiting for the next generation to evaluate it again. Would like to run Linux on it and if not, at least do more research on VBS before jumping on it.
“Apple is claiming it's a replacement.” Really? I’ve yet to see any marketing material or presentation where Apple states “iPad can replace your Mac.“
Source?
 
Last edited:
There is an iMovie app...

For FCP, they really lack a paying market on iOS. Most companies will invest in the Mac version anyway.
iMovie on iOS is merely a “scratchpad“ for you to rough-out your ideas on until you can get to your Mac and complete the job with the fuller version of iMovie (or for professionals, Final Cut Pro).
LumaFusion is THE serious app for iOS video editing.
 
“Apple is claiming it's a replacement.” Really? I’ve yet to see any marketing material or presentation where Apple states “iPad can replace your Mac.“
Source?
Tim Cook in an interview in The Telegraph back in 2015 when asked about the iPad Pro which just came out back then:
"I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore?" [...] "No really, why would you buy one?" [...] "the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people"
He further stated you won't need anything else:
"start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phone."

Sounds to me they're seeing it as a replacement. Unless of course Tim Cook doesn't speak for Apple. 🤷‍♂️
 
Rather than ungimping iPadOS little by little then updating every app it's better just to dump it for MacOS with touch and pen input support.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Razorpit
Great news! Apple already makes a portable computer that runs macOS. It’s called a MacBook! (Clever how the name makes so much sense.)
Actually it’s kind of confusing once you remove the snark. Is it a Mac that has pages like a book, or is it a book of Macs? Or a book that teaches you how to use a Mac?
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Babygotfont
iMovie on iOS is merely a “scratchpad“ for you to rough-out your ideas on until you can get to your Mac and complete the job with the fuller version of iMovie (or for professionals, Final Cut Pro).
LumaFusion is THE serious app for iOS video editing.
Are you trying to complement your mac or to replace it?
 
Actually it’s kind of confusing once you remove the snark. Is it a Mac that has pages like a book, or is it a book of Macs? Or a book that teaches you how to use a Mac?
I think you're confusing the MacBook with the Mac Book, and MacBook Book.

Then there's the MacBook Book Air, which is a YouTube challenge throwing MacBook Books from tall buildings.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: amartinez1660
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.