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Believed by whom? If Apple is starting manufacturing of the iPad in H225 with M5 then the M5 itself has to enter production before that and N2 isn't going to be available until late 2025. No one else is rumored to release products on N2 that early or even in early 2026. Given Apple's penchant for using TSMC's latest and greatest (and paying a lot for the privilege to be first), it's more likely that the node simply isn't ready for high volume manufacturing for a late 2025 product.
Precisely - and given that their next gen chips will include an A19 chip, which will need to be ready for high volume shipments of the iPhone 17 series by September, N2 just isn't a viable option for A19 & M5 chips for fall 2025 release.
 
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I think it’s well past time to allow a tablet version of MacOS on the iPad. IpadOS is a joke on such a powerful piece of equipment.
You are right, Mac OS should be on the M powered iPads for sure, but to say iPad OS is a joke is harsh. It is more polished than Mac OS and they have slowly added features/software to make use of the power like Final Cut Pro / Logic Pro, Stage Manager with extended display etc. I used to laugh at the Apple ads calling a iPad a 'laptop' etc, but the reality is they are slowly taking this role and you can get a lot of work done, mac style if you open your mind a bit.
 
Picking this of similar posts to ask: why? Not criticizing, genuinely curious what about the iPad appeals to you so much more than the Mac.

I suppose it depends on the kind of work / leisure you do on it, but for me the Mac is better in every sense except extreme portability. As you say, the software hinders so much, and at this point there seems so little reason for it.

So is it touch that is the appeal, or what is it that makes you want to replace a presumably stationary Mac setup with an iPad?
I own a 4th gen iPad Air and an M1 MacBook Air. I use the iPad first for everything. On very rare occasions I might use the MacBook for iMovie projects. But I prefer the iPad for everything, including creating Keynote presentations. It’s so much easier to move and arrange things in slides with my fingers than with a trackpad (or mouse). And I don’t use an external keyboard — all onscreen typing — and no Pencil either (tried it for a few months but never got into it).
Of course, YMMV.
 
I suspect that if Apple allowed the use of MacOS in addition to iPadOS, sales of the MBA and base MBP would nosedive.
Do you really think that? All existing evidence of tablets using desktop OS suggests that it would be iPad sales what would nosedive. Desktop OS on tablets simply don’t provide a good user experience, and no one would stop buying dedicated laptops.
 
I will upgrade when Apple stop the bs with giving 16gb ram to only 1tb iPads. It’s one thing to overprice the upgrades, but a complete ******** move to force your customers paying lots $$ for stuff they don’t need just to get some more rams.

My 2nd gen iPad Pro works just fine and it’s barely filled 150 gb, half of it are old Netflix downloads for plane I can easily delete. I would gotten the m4 iPad if they have 16gb (or 8gb) across all the storage sizes instead of trying to play mind games with us
 
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Indeed, given iPad OS is still iPad OS I'd wonder why even bother upgrading from a M1 to an M4? For the thinness? Of course if one is well off enough that the cost is the same on what one spends for wine with an average dinner then heck why not 🔥💰

Only reason I'm upgrading is because my M1's battery is beginning to fade, and the OLED screen.
 
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Looking forward to all this processing power rendered made useless by software decisions because Cook doesn't want to cannibalise Mac sales.

This argument reeks of ignorance. Sorry, but you will never see the full power of the M4 on a device like the iPad even if macOS could be installed on it. The device's thermal ceiling is the limiting factor of how "powerful" it is / can be , not the software.

Furthermore, the iPad Pro with the M4 costs $999, $400 more than a much more capable M4 Mac mini.

Lastly, the margins on all Apple's devices are kept at or near the same levels. They don't care which product you buy.
 
lol I'll be grabbing an M4 Pro to upgrade my M1 in March or maybe February. And for my use I really don't care if an M5 comes out. Not sure what they can do to it? Give it WiFi 7, faster chip, and.....??? And iPad OS will still be iPad OS.
If anything, they might bring back the second camera that they removed for the M4 and call it innovation. Maybe making lidar the size as the iPhones or something.

What they should really be focusing is improving battery life with a more compact battery
 
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Honestly, all I would upgrade my M2 iPad Pro for is OLED. I’m debating taking advantage of sales now, but if the M5 is coming next year, I may wait to get the M4 at a discount when the M5 drops. Upgrades are so marginal at best now.
Even if you do opt to get it now, the sales are not going to do much vs getting it with Apple Education pricing.

After taxes and AppleCare, the price will be the same. You’re better off getting any accessories now while they’re still on sale
 
I think it was a huge mistake to launch the M4 chip in an iPad before the Mac. I still can't believe they did this.

The iPad, with current software state, does not need a better chip unless you're doing some extremely rare work on it (i.e. FCP).

Many more workflows on the Mac will benefit from a new chip. So don't repeat that, please.
 
I own a 4th gen iPad Air and an M1 MacBook Air. I use the iPad first for everything. On very rare occasions I might use the MacBook for iMovie projects. But I prefer the iPad for everything, including creating Keynote presentations. It’s so much easier to move and arrange things in slides with my fingers than with a trackpad (or mouse). And I don’t use an external keyboard — all onscreen typing — and no Pencil either (tried it for a few months but never got into it).
Of course, YMMV.

Just out of curiosity, are you under 30? I’m not, and that sounds like a nightmare for me. Having no trackpad / keyboard / mouse / menus etc feels like trying to use the computer with my nose with my hands tied behind my back.

But for younger people, it seems touch first is taking over.
 
I knew it was wise to skip the M4 models. I never ever buy the 1st generation of any redesigns from Apple. Fall of 2025 will be terrific for hardware upgrade. I use my current iPad Pro significantly more now. It has now become indispensable in my workflow.
 
The M4 iPad Pro’s sound quality is a downgrade from the M1 iPad Pro’s, probably due to it being thinner. (I returned the M4 and stayed with my M1 because of this.) This topic gets overlooked, and I suspect that the ship has sailed and that better sound isn’t coming back, which means I’ll wave the white flag and get the M5.
 
Barring significant improvements to iPadOS the m4 will probably be the last iPad I own. I only upgraded from my 2018 for Oled and because the battery was getting worn out, but fundamentally the experience has remained the same (frustratingly lacking). I often use my iPad and am constantly reminded that I could be doing the same exact thing on my MacBook, but better, and with better battery life. If I really want to experience iOS life in the future I can just use my iPhone.
 
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I suspect that if Apple allowed the use of MacOS in addition to iPadOS, sales of the MBA and base MBP would nosedive.
The ipad pro + keyboard is way more expensive than the base macbook air. And if you want to go up to 16gb of ram, it becomes more expensive than the m4 pro macbook pro. Or in a different perspective, adding the extra ram and the keyboard costs as much as the base macbook air. So why are they afraid?
 
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iPad Pro need macOS. Hardware wise it needs a Smart Keyboard Folio again. Keys are dust proof (outside usage), it's a lot lighter, palm rest is biggest ever (my table) instead of cold aluminium with sharp edges and it doesn't tip backwards so easily...
 
The ipad pro + keyboard is way more expensive than the base macbook air. And if you want to go up to 16gb of ram, it becomes more expensive than the m4 pro macbook pro. Or in a different perspective, adding the extra ram and the keyboard costs as much as the base macbook air. So why are they afraid?
Yeah I doubt Apple is worried about iPad sales cannibalizing Mac sales because iPad is a better funnel to the App Store and iCloud than Mac ever will be. I fully believe that they price iPad and keyboard higher than Mac to discourage people from buying the combo, but if they don’t offer the keyboard they are leaving money on the table for those of us foolish enough to buy both and if one decides to buy a cheaper Mac instead they are still selling a whole computer.

If I ever buy another iPad (which at present is highly unlikely), I’m getting an 11” with no accessories and won’t be trying to use it as a computer because clearly Apple does not want people using iPads as computers.
 
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Picking this of similar posts to ask: why? Not criticizing, genuinely curious what about the iPad appeals to you so much more than the Mac.

I suppose it depends on the kind of work / leisure you do on it, but for me the Mac is better in every sense except extreme portability. As you say, the software hinders so much, and at this point there seems so little reason for it.

So is it touch that is the appeal, or what is it that makes you want to replace a presumably stationary Mac setup with an iPad?

For me, it’s a combination of the tablet form factor plus touch-optimised apps simply being more fun and enjoyable to use.

I want to be clear that the ipad does not replace my Mac (or a conventional PC for that matter), but at the same time, the PC doesn’t replace my ipad either. Each has its place, but in terms of sheer number of hours of usage, the ipad trounces my MacBook Air.

Much criticism is levelled at iOS apps being “baby apps” compared to their full-fledged desktop equivalents, and sometimes, a simplified UI and functionality is just what I need, especially if it results in less bloat and complexity. When I am teaching in the classroom, all I need Notability to do is organise my pdf documents, and let me annotate on them. No muss, no fuss.

If I want to read, stream content or do light gaming on the sofa, the ipad is the ideal form factor. Twitch in the browser has more functionality, no doubt (including the ability to manage my prime sub), and the UI is also far busier. The mobile apps tend to strip out a lot of distraction and put the focus solely on viewing.

Right now, I am typing this response in Tapatalk on my ipad, with youtube open in split-screen mode.
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I get enough use out of my ipad that I upgraded to the M4 ipad this year, and there will always be a place for the best ipad that Apple has to offer when time comes to upgrade.
 
The ipad pro + keyboard is way more expensive than the base macbook air. And if you want to go up to 16gb of ram, it becomes more expensive than the m4 pro macbook pro. Or in a different perspective, adding the extra ram and the keyboard costs as much as the base macbook air. So why are they afraid?
The cost of an iPad Pro + magic keyboard is £1298. But for the extra £199 over the price of a MBA you get an OLED screen with promotion and upto 1600 nits HDR, quad speakers and the ability to use the iPad in "iPadOS mode". I think there are plenty of people that would pay up for the extra flexibility and display. If you didn't care about the display, you could go with the iPad Air - granted, you would likely be getting an older M-series chip but a 256 GB iPad Air + magic keyboard is £998: £101 cheaper than the base MBA.

People who are buying the MBA or base MBP aren't really that fussed about the RAM - look at the second hand market and see how many base RAM models there are compared to upgrade RAM models.
 
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