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DBZmusicboy01

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Original poster
Sep 30, 2011
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As a side system ? It should be the selling point for the full sized ipad.
It would be awesome since it should already be powerful enough now with A7X
With its 64 bit
 
As a side system ? It should be the selling point for the full sized ipad.
It would be awesome since it should already be powerful enough now with A7X
With its 64 bit

Not possible, as its requirements are more than the iPad can handle.
 
Mavericks could be a little tuned down
Not a chance. You're comparing apples and oranges (no pun intended). iPhone/iPad/iPod and Macs are completely different platforms, so they require completely different operating systems. While the UI can be made to resemble each other somewhat, what's underneath is completely different.
 
Is it possible now? No.

Is it technically possible? Sure. Look at the variety of Windows 8 tablets like Surface Pro that run full desktop OS's. Some of them, running Intel Atom CPUs, even have incredibly long battery life (12-16 hours) while doing it (though they suffer from relatively poor performance -- it's all a trade-off.)

Will it ever be possible? (Is Apple interested?) Who knows. I think eventually it may happen. Tablet CPUs are getting more and more powerful (and soon to be 64 bit), and I've noticed that Apple has slowly been introducing features into OS X that make it more iOS-like, such as the full screen modes they keep touting, Launch Pad, the touch gestures for Mission Control, etc.

Windows already has it. Apple is either going to buck the trend and say its usual "We don't think this is what customers are really looking for", or it will only be a matter of time.
 
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No

No point either as they have iOS . If they didn't have that, they could pull a Windows 8 and screw up that way ( assuming you believe MS screwed up, which has yet to be seen ....maybe)

But never fear, as Splashtop will sort of do what you want.
 
Considering the Apple A7 IPC can match the Core Duo and Core 2 Duo that the first Intel Macs used back in 2006, then it is theoretically possible.
 
Not a chance. You're comparing apples and oranges (no pun intended). iPhone/iPad/iPod and Macs are completely different platforms, so they require completely different operating systems. While the UI can be made to resemble each other somewhat, what's underneath is completely different.

Actually, iOS and OS X are very similar under the surface, it's just that the UI has been optimized for each input method (touch vs keyboard/mouse). Technically, if Apple wanted to run OS X on an iPad, they could do it anytime they wanted. It's just that they've decided it is better to keep the two OSs separate.

I mean, in order to take full advantage of OS X, you'll want a keyboard and a mouse. If you are going to carry an iPad with a keyboard and mouse, you might as well carry a MacBook Air.
 
Actually, iOS and OS X are very similar under the surface, it's just that the UI has been optimized for each input method (touch vs keyboard/mouse). Technically, if Apple wanted to run OS X on an iPad, they could do it anytime they wanted. It's just that they've decided it is better to keep the two OSs separate.

I mean, in order to take full advantage of OS X, you'll want a keyboard and a mouse. If you are going to carry an iPad with a keyboard and mouse, you might as well carry a MacBook Air.
There's a lot more to it than just the UI or user input methods. For an iPad to run OS X, it would no longer be OS X, but something completely different. Could there be a time in the future when iPhones/iPads and Macs share the same operating system? That's possible, but the operating system wouldn't look like the current ones, except perhaps in some UI elements. So the answer to the original question remains the same: no, it is not possible for an iPad to run OS X.
 
There's a lot more to it than just the UI or user input methods. For an iPad to run OS X, it would no longer be OS X, but something completely different. Could there be a time in the future when iPhones/iPads and Macs share the same operating system? That's possible, but the operating system wouldn't look like the current ones, except perhaps in some UI elements. So the answer to the original question remains the same: no, it is not possible for an iPad to run OS X.

Well, of course OS X as it is won't run on an iPad. But it's not that technologically difficult for Apple to make a hybrid OS that would run on both tablet and desktop, like Microsoft did with Windows 8. I do think Apple would converge the operating systems at some point, but maybe not anytime soon. I'm thinking not in the next five years. For now, Apple seems satisfied with keeping the tablet and desktop OS distinct from each other, while adding more features each year so they work together more smoothly. Like you can share iCloud tabs between iOS and desktop Safari, you can use iMessage from Mac and iOS, iWorks documents work on both platforms, etc.
 
Well, of course OS X as it is won't run on an iPad. But it's not that technologically difficult for Apple to make a hybrid OS that would run on both tablet and desktop, like Microsoft did with Windows 8. I do think Apple would converge the operating systems at some point, but maybe not anytime soon. I'm thinking not in the next five years. For now, Apple seems satisfied with keeping the tablet and desktop OS distinct from each other, while adding more features each year so they work together more smoothly. Like you can share iCloud tabs between iOS and desktop Safari, you can use iMessage from Mac and iOS, iWorks documents work on both platforms, etc.

I'm convinced that it will happen. Maybe not immediately -- like you said, maybe five years out -- but I'm starting to see how those tweaks to OS X are like they are slowly preparing us for the merge.

For example: At several OS X keynotes, they have spent a lot of time talking about the new full-screen modes built into apps like iPhoto, and how great it is to finally be able to work using the whole screen. Used to be that Mac users laughed at PC users and their affinity for full-screen work. I remember many forum threads complaining that the little green "maximize" dot on the window title bar didn't work right. How come it doesn't go full screen? And Mac users would patiently (or not-so-patiently) explain, that, no, the green button optimizes the window size, which is often NOT full screen. Then the Mac users would say "Why would you even want to? Look at all that wasted space! We're more productive because we DON'T use full screen!" and so on.
 
The iPad 5 could run a run down version of Mountain Lion. All apps open in full screen. The home screen is just like on mac, a dock ( but can hold more icons), and the possibility to have icons on the desktop. Notification center can be entered by sliding from the very right to the left like on mac. All apps ( in dock and out of dock) can be accessed from Launchpad (icon on dock or four fingers in gesture like on mac). Multitasking(four fingers up) will show all the full screen apps just like on Mountain Lion.

It would be possible for Apple just to tweak the GUI for iOS for iPad to make this happen but I dont see it as iOS7 seems to be getting away from OS X than going towards it.

Maybe iOS X (iOS 10) will have something cool :)
 
I doubt we will see a direct port. However, the hardware of the iPad might soon be powerful enough that it can run iOS ports of existing desktop productivity apps.

In 2 years' time, we would be seeing iPads with 4 gb of ram and A9 processors (possibly quad-core). Sufficient for stuff like Photoshop at least, and at least we can be sure they are optimized for a touch interface.
 
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