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iPadOS 26 does not make an iPad into a Mac

A

Alien1969

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 13, 2017
4
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Hi, I can't believe all the Youtube iPad OS 26 beta videos claiming that now the iPad is like a Mac.....
- no Xcode
- no Terminal
- Pro Apps with less features (Logic Pro for example, no Plugins, etc.)
- or Apps not available at all ...
- even Office Apps (Microsoft) are not the same to use on MacOS and iPadOS
- and the list goes on ...

Am I the only one that is bothered by these claims?
 
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I agree with you. It would distort the device too much, and it would lose its meaning.
I find the multiple overlapping windows in Mac style very nice, that you can manage by moving them.
 
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While iPadOS does not support native terminal, I have been using a-Shell for the last 2-years for running run Unix commands.

Also, to remind everyone [everyone's personal experience is different. Will iPadOS 26 replace a Mac for some, yes. Will it for other, no and most likely never will]
 
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Alien1969 said:
Hi, I can't believe all the Youtube iPad OS 26 beta videos claiming that now the iPad is like a Mac.....
- no Xcode
- no Terminal
- Pro Apps with less features (Logic Pro for example, no Plugins, etc.)
- or Apps not available at all ...
- even Office Apps (Microsoft) are not the same to use on MacOS and iPadOS
- and the list goes on ...

Am I the only one that is bothered by these claims?
Click to expand...

I agree. Those claims are a bit silly but, you know, YouTubers in the business of farming clicks and views.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see macOS functionality on an iPad, but even if Apple made that happen, I doubt I’d use it much. Who really wants to code on an 11- or 13-inch touchscreen? Even professional apps like Logic or Office feel cramped on a MacBook, so I can’t imagine the iPad experience being better, even with all the supposed “Pro” features.

The real issue is Apple’s sort of painted themselves into a corner with the iPad. It’s its own thing, but deep down, I think what a lot of us want is just a touchscreen Mac, not an iPad pretending to be one. Unless Apple suddenly makes a giant iPad, all these Mac-like features feel like novelties rather than real productivity tools. Even if they gave us the full macOS, I just don’t see it ever replacing a Macbook for actual work.
 
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hovscorpion12 said:
While iPadOS does not support native terminal, I have been using a-Shell for the last 2-years for running run Unix commands.

Also, to remind everyone [everyone's personal experience is different. Will iPadOS 26 replace a Mac for some, yes. Will it for other, no and most likely never will]
Click to expand...
a-Shell is amazing. Highly recommended.
 
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When I can plug in my iphone to DFU it I will accept an ipad is as good as a Mac.
 
P_Watt said:
When I can plug in my iphone to DFU it I will accept an ipad is as good as a Mac.
Click to expand...

Beta 2 include "DFU mode" built in.

- Recovery Assistant can help you return an iPhone to a working state with help from another Apple device, such as an iPad. This process can be initiated through the menu in the top-right corner of the Recovery mode on the affected iPhone. On the other Apple device, you can follow the on-screen steps to download and install a newer iOS version on the iPhone that is in Recovery mode, to help revive it.

www.macrumors.com

iOS 26 Allows You to Restore Any iPhone Without a Mac or PC

iOS 26 adds a new Recovery Assistant feature to all compatible iPhones, and it can help return the device to a working state, with no Mac or PC...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
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hovscorpion12 said:
Beta 2 include "DFU mode" built in.

- Recovery Assistant can help you return an iPhone to a working state with help from another Apple device, such as an iPad. This process can be initiated through the menu in the top-right corner of the Recovery mode on the affected iPhone. On the other Apple device, you can follow the on-screen steps to download and install a newer iOS version on the iPhone that is in Recovery mode, to help revive it.

www.macrumors.com

iOS 26 Allows You to Restore Any iPhone Without a Mac or PC

iOS 26 adds a new Recovery Assistant feature to all compatible iPhones, and it can help return the device to a working state, with no Mac or PC...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
Click to expand...
That’s cool. Don’t think it will restore back to iOS18, just keep it in beta. Who knows.
Not sure it will store photos and music and sync to iphones, or remove Stolen Device Protection if faceID camera fails, but time will tell.
 
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TgeekB said:
If it was a replacement for a Mac that would be bad news for Apple sales. Can it replace a lot of things for more convenience on the go? Sure it can and that’s good for Apple sales.
Click to expand...
And the other way around: It would be bad for Apple if a Mac was a full replacement for an iPad. It would also be bad for the consumer since the Mac comes with several natural limitations which iPad's don't have.
 
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Alien1969 said:
Hi, I can't believe all the Youtube iPad OS 26 beta videos claiming that now the iPad is like a Mac.....
- no Xcode
- no Terminal
- Pro Apps with less features (Logic Pro for example, no Plugins, etc.)
- or Apps not available at all ...
- even Office Apps (Microsoft) are not the same to use on MacOS and iPadOS
- and the list goes on ...

Am I the only one that is bothered by these claims?
Click to expand...
Thankfully so, the iPad DOES NOT NEED TO BE A MAC.

People that love the iPad love the iPad, otherwise they’d buy a Mac.
iPad OS 26 vivesse users more complete windows management, while great it is not intender to replace the Mac or we would have had a Finder as well.

Let the iPad be an iPad and the mac be a mac.
Influencers should not be considered a source for information as many are biased, some are paid or instructed to advertise something in a way, and some are haters.

There are few exceptions here and there.

Am I bothered by those claims? No it0s just YouTubers being YouTubers, click chasing (baiting) money making

opinionists.

Can’t blame YouTubers alone as long as people prefere to click on a Smiley guy with thumbs up Thumbnal with a caption like “Oh my GAWWWD iPad OS 26 turns your iPad in a Mac” rather than a boring thumbnal with a normal caption like “iPad OS 26 improves the iPad experience”.
 
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As I would certainly hope. (In response to title). I have been using the iPad as my primary computer for about the past 4-5 years. For me, the iPad is superior to the Mac. Many of the apps I use on a regular basis either don’t exist at all on the Mac, or the Mac versions/alternatives aren’t nearly as efficient for my use-case. The iPad provides a more efficient, focused, and modern approach than macOS. For some, Macs are the better option. For others, the iPad is a better option. It really depends on what you need and what your preferences are. For me, I’ve found I prefer the iPad, and I have no reason to go back to a MacBook anytime soon. 👍🏻
 
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Alien1969 said:
Hi, I can't believe all the Youtube iPad OS 26 beta videos claiming that now the iPad is like a Mac.....
- no Xcode
- no Terminal
- Pro Apps with less features (Logic Pro for example, no Plugins, etc.)
- or Apps not available at all ...
- even Office Apps (Microsoft) are not the same to use on MacOS and iPadOS
- and the list goes on ...

Am I the only one that is bothered by these claims?
Click to expand...
Why would you want full blown Office. Can you print on corporate network printers?
 
sparksd said:
I would like a full MS Office - the apps are missing features which mean some docs can't be worked with on an iPad; e.g., citation support in Word, macros in Excel.
Click to expand...
Yeah, and it should be noted though that the MS Office apps missing features on the iPad has nothing to do with iPadOS. Microsoft could easily support all of the features if they wanted to. Microsoft doesn’t want to do it. That’s the problem. Likely for platform lock-in on Windows. That’s why the Mac versions of MS Office are also missing a ton of features, and why the web versions of the Office apps are so stripped down. Because Microsoft wants you to have to use Windows to get the full Office feature-set.
 
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