iPad Pro Apple Silicon on the Mac unintentionally killed the iPad Pro

[Tagbert]

One of the issues with the iPad is the filing system. This may go back to the Newton, which used a "soup" to store files, whatever that meant. On the Mac, files can be in folders within folders. On the iPad (and iPhone) God only knows how the files are stored. I've never managed to download a file on the iPad and get it back, though I suppose that's possible. At least they put the Files app on the iPad so one can get files from Dropbox and iCloud, but if you want to open one of those files on an app, you have to go through all sorts of gymnastics. I don't like Android, but at least it has a much more rational filing system.

The iPad still uses the same APFS file system that the Mac does, but files are organized differently.

On iPad (and on iOS) the files for most apps are siloed to the data folders of those apps. This is a security measure to prevent apps from opening the wrong files. There are ways to share files from from app to another but they are not as easy as just opening a file in more than one app. In general apps are expected to open only their own files.

If you have downloaded files, you should open the Files app on the iPad and look in iCloud\downloads for those file. You can also see other files in the iCloud folders. There is a similar "on iPad" starting point for files that are only on that device.

 

[jimmy_uk]

I'd prefer a Macbook over an iPad for its flexibility to do everything well. Then I remember I'd need to manage a laptop far more than a tablet. Creating external backups, remembering to switch off in between sessions, managing temp files and apps/plugins, dealing with bugs and conflicts, virus software etc. The iPad is always on, always ready, can use it anywhere and requires very little management. And to its credit hardly ever freezes or crashes. It's just a big iPhone = easy to use and live with.

 

[boss.king]

I don't think the iPad Pro was ever close to being a competitor to the Mac. It doesn't matter how capable the hardware is, the software has always held it back.

With the exception of creating digital art (i.e.: using the pencil and touchscreen), there's nothing the iPad has ever done better than the Mac.

 

[Retskrad]

The Magic Keyboard is supposed to make iPad Pro’s more Mac-like but it’s a sad attempt by Apple. There is no function keys row and the trackpad is not MacBook class. It’s more in line with trackpads found on mid-range Windows laptops. You need to apply twice as much pressure to get a click compared to MacBooks and it‘s not solid state. Apple needs to do better.

 

[anshuvorty]

The iPad had better software? Are you kidding? The iPad still doesn't have decent software to this day. Not when you compare it to the Mac anyway but that's been done to death here already.

I was trending toward the iPad Pro when the MacBooks had the terrible butterfly keyboards and only 2 or 4 ports.

The only reason I didn't go towards the iPad Pro was:
- you can't use it like a power user or do real multi-tasking with multiple windows or use a file system to transfer files to and from the device, like a laptop
- no desktop environment

Then, when Apple announced the redesigned MacBook Pro with the additional ports and MagSafe 3, I purchased one day one and never looked back.

Now, until Apple drastically changes course with the iPad Pro and allows the following or some combination of the following, I am going to be sticking to the MacBook Pro for the foreseeable future for my needs:
- dual boot between iPadOS and macOS
- introduce multitasking to iPadOS that resembles macOS and allows the use of the file system
- true multi-window support, not the janky solution introduced with Stage Manager

 

[rkuo]

I think it’s the BIGGER question of “How would one provide a system that has the flexibility that Mac users would expect on the SAME platform as a locked down iPadOS?” It could be that THAT question’s market price is not worth Apple putting forth the effort. But, I always go back to… why does it have to dual boot? If the iPad form factor is that compelling and macOS is ALSO compelling, why not JUST macOS on an iPad form factor?

Because I don't want to carry a laptop and an iPad on trips. And it's two devices when one would do. It's as simple as that.

 

[exoticSpice]

Oh my god. This is so simple, all Apple needs do is allow dual booting...

Then iPadOS can stay as iPadOS and macOS can exist without annoying ipad users.

It's not hard. Apple doesn't do it cause they lack courage.

 

[rkuo]

I personally am one of the people who want the iPad more opened up, but I do not want Mac OS on it, it isn't designed for touch operation and I think it would just cause more headaches and software problems. I think that is the main confusion with those who want the iPad more Mac like and those who don't.

I want a more options to make the iPad a more viable device like a more robust file management and maybe a program similar to how you can run iPhone/iPad apps on the Mac but reversed if the dev chooses to make a "simplified" iPad version from their Mac one especially with the Macs and iPads having the "M" series

If you don't personally want macOS on your own iPad, that's fine. If you are extending that to say macOS just shouldn't be on iPad's, then eh, not OK. I have perfectly legitimate reasons for wanting macOS on my iPad's. It just needs to dual boot them ... or better yet, hypervisor both operating systems so that I can switch between them on the fly.

 

[sparksd]

Oh my god. This is so simple, all Apple needs do is allow dual booting...

Then iPadOS can stay as iPadOS and macOS can exist without annoying ipad users.

It's not hard. Apple doesn't do it cause they lack courage.

Lack courage? Doubtful. Most likely a business-side decision.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

there's nothing the iPad has ever done better than the Mac.

Selecting a link on a page… iPad does that better.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Oh my god. This is so simple, all Apple needs do is allow dual booting...

Then iPadOS can stay as iPadOS and macOS can exist without annoying ipad users.

You want a macOS locked to the App Store? Because, that’s how you get macOS locked to the App Store. I’m sure that might be fine for a few as a curiosity, but I don’t think most Mac folks, who already don’t like the locked down nature of the iPad, would accept a locked down macOS even if it WAS on a dual booting device.

 

[Digitalguy]

But, the way macOS works, for example, allowing users with admin priv’s to install apps from outside the Mac AppStore, can’t work on a system that’s locked down the way the iPad is. So, having an iPad form factor (sans touch), with macOS only (or macOS with a full screen iPad emulator) is far more likely than any iPadOS/macOS device.

iPad folks aren’t looking for macOS on an iPad. I mean, they bought a non-macOS device to start with. Some Mac folks may want macOS on an iPad, but you can bet that those same folks won’t accept a locked down version of macOS. I guess, I don’t understand why macOS on an iPad like device MUST include iPadOS. Will it not sell if it’s macOS only?

Of course it could work if Apple allows it to work. No need to lock it to the store. It's up to them, there is no technical limitation.
Will they do it? Unlikely (again, for financial reasons)

 

[exoticSpice]

Lack courage? Doubtful. Most likely a business-side decision.

Steve released the iPhone knowing it would kill the iPod. If the iPad Pro ran macOS via dual boot it would kill the MBA but not the 14" and 16" MBPs.

We can also get the third-party keyboards if we have a cheaper magic keybaord alternative.


Did Apple innvoate with new form factors after Steve on the Mac? Nope.

Where is the touch screen 27"/30" iMac? Like the Surface Studio.

They have been coasting. Where is Final Cut for iPad Pro? BlackMagic released Reslove so don't say it's not possible on a tablet and Apple is promoting that.

 

[exoticSpice]

You want a macOS locked to the App Store? Because, that’s how you get macOS locked to the App Store. I’m sure that might be fine for a few as a curiosity, but I don’t think most Mac folks, who already don’t like the locked down nature of the iPad, would accept a locked down macOS even if it WAS on a dual booting device.

Yeah expect the EU Digital Services Act in 2024 will not allow them to do that anymore.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Yeah expect the EU Digital Services Act in 2024 will not allow them to do that anymore.

There’s not anything in there saying that Apple has to make macOS so that it runs on iPads, though, right? And, I think the act DOES allow them to do it, they just have to pay a fine for it if they do, right?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Of course it could work if Apple allows it to work. No need to lock it to the store. It's up to them, there is no technical limitation.
Will they do it? Unlikely (again, for financial reasons)

Not being in a position inside Apple to know, I can’t say if there’s no technical limitation. I do know that, as an OS that people actively seek out and purchase, you’re right. If they did something like a dual boot, it would make more financial sense for the iPad to dual boot into Windows as there’s more people that would be interested in that.

 

[exoticSpice]

And, I think the act DOES allow them to do it, they just have to pay a fine for it if they do, right?

They have to pay 10% of their global revenue and if it repeat offender then 20% every time till they comply.

There’s not anything in there saying that Apple has to make macOS so that it runs on iPads, though, right?

Of course but iOS and iPadOS will have be opened up and if macOS has to stay open.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

They have to pay 10% of their global revenue and if it repeat offender then 20% every time till they comply.

Ah, so if Apple does nothing, the EU completely removes the value of doing business in those countries. And, I guess Apple would actually be paying out, in fines, more than the revenue they’d ever take in.

 

[Greenmeenie]

IPad Pro overpriced? Naaah. My iPad Pro cost me less than my old macbook pro and does sooo much more. As an artist, the iPad Pro blows the macbook away as a digital sketchbook. It’s not even close. But my iPad Pro does everything better than my old macbook pro. I enjoy editing photos & video on it more. It’s better for media consumption. I can type on it with a virtual or a physical keyboard. It’s lighter for traveling. On & on. I do everything on my iPad Pro & sold my macbook pro years ago. Haven’t looked back. Everyone is different, but most of my artist friends have done the same. And to say that the iPad Pro is just like an iPhone is so misleading. My iPhone can’t use the Apple pencil for starters. My iPad Pro is so much more enjoyable to type on, to do any serious work on and to consume media on. Can the iPad Pro be improved upon? Of course. Apple could release Final Cut Pro on it. I currently use LumaFusion instead of iMovie on it. Will Apple someday enable the iPad Pro to run iOs as well as Mac OS? Perhaps. And when/if that happens, I am sure more people will replace their laptop with an iPad Pro. But right now, the iPad Pro is not a niche product. Many many people feel the same way that I do about the iPad Pro. Not just artists like me.

 

[exoticSpice]

IPad Pro overpriced? Naaah. My iPad Pro cost me less than my old macbook pro and does sooo much more. As an artist, the iPad Pro blows the macbook away as a digital sketchbook. It’s not even close. But my iPad Pro does everything better than my old macbook pro. I enjoy editing photos & video on it more. It’s better for media consumption. I can type on it with a virtual or a physical keyboard. It’s lighter for traveling. On & on. I do everything on my iPad Pro & sold my macbook pro years ago. Haven’t looked back. Everyone is different, but most of my artist friends have done the same. And to say that the iPad Pro is just like an iPhone is so misleading. My iPhone can’t use the Apple pencil for starters. My iPad Pro is so much more enjoyable to type on, to do any serious work on and to consume media on. Can the iPad Pro be improved upon? Of course. Apple could release Final Cut Pro on it. I currently use LumaFusion instead of iMovie on it. Will Apple someday enable the iPad Pro to run iOs as well as Mac OS? Perhaps. And when/if that happens, I am sure more people will replace their laptop with an iPad Pro. But right now, the iPad Pro is not a niche product. Many many people feel the same way that I do about the iPad Pro. Not just artists like me.

The thing is the iPad Pro can never replace the Mac fully. It CAN replace the MacBook Air when the ipad pro gets MacOS.
Plus the new MacBooks have more ports. Would I love the iPad Pro to have macOS? yep

Because for some they need macOS or more powrful CPU/GPUs for coding, 3D workflows and the use of more than 1 monitor or they just prefer a desktop OS.

But the 14" and 16" MacBook Pro have more powerful CPUs and RAM and just bigger storage due to having having more space. The iPad Pros with the Magic Keyboard is more expensive than the M2 13" MBP.

I love my 16" MBP to consume movies and music on. The new 2021 MBPs are just that good. The 14" MBP costs the same as the iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard. 16GB and 512GB SSD. They cost the same but of course they have their own benefits. The 14" has a more powerful CPU and can connect to more monitors. The 12.9" iPad as touch/Pencil support and can be 2in1.

Right now both the iPad and Macbook can coexist. Later if the iPad does get macOS there will be still be reason to get MacBook for CPUs like M1 Pro and M1 Max.

 

[himynameisryan]

Before Apple Silicon on Mac, around the 2015-2019 time, iPad Pro had better software and hardware than the Mac and the Mac was seen as a legacy product, both by Apple themselves internally and the userbase. Nowadays, the 14" and 16" MacBook Pro's have the edge in both software and hardware. Taking a look at Apple's quarterly earning we see that Mac revenue are way ahead of iPad. It used to be around 1:1 but the Mac now brings home 11.5B vs 7.2B of iPad.

What can put iPad Pro ahead of the Mac again? The usual suspects are pro level apps like Final Cut Pro and Premiere, putting MacOS on the iPad and making a product that combines both Mac/iPad. I personally don't think any of these ideas will put the iPad ahead of the Mac. Most people have an iPhone. Purchasing the expensive iPad Pro's don't make sense for most people because the iPad and iPhone fundamentally do a lot of the same things. The 14" and 16" MacBooks are also very expensive but they offer something that iPhone does not. I think it's going to be difficult for Apple to bring the iPad Pro to a state where it's ahead of the Mac again. What do you guys think?

I mean, I wouldn't have worded it that way, but yeah
I actually like the fact the Mac is ahead, as a mainly Mac user

 

[Marsikus]

Once Microsoft presented the full desktop Windows XP tablet. That didn’t take off.

 

[ian87w]

I'd prefer a Macbook over an iPad for its flexibility to do everything well. Then I remember I'd need to manage a laptop far more than a tablet. Creating external backups, remembering to switch off in between sessions, managing temp files and apps/plugins, dealing with bugs and conflicts, virus software etc. The iPad is always on, always ready, can use it anywhere and requires very little management. And to its credit hardly ever freezes or crashes. It's just a big iPhone = easy to use and live with.

Although some people would argue that some of those management is not needed for a Mac, I do agree that many lay user are adopting iPads because they don't want to deal with the complexities of a traditional computer, especially if they are coming from Windows. The iPad is more familiar to their iPhone, and they know how to do things already (install apps, use apps, etc). And I'm seeing more and more people going to the iPad route (especially iPhone users).

Apple is betting a long game, and you can bet kids today who are exposed to phones/tablets first before PCs, would be more likely to just get an iPad as their computer first than a Mac/PC once they grow up. There will be more and more demand of iOS support for many services/apps. Living iPad only today is easier than 5 years ago, and it will be more and more easier to do so as the demand is for everything to work on mobile first (and thus iPad support is easier).

 

[jimmy_uk]

Once Microsoft presented the full desktop Windows XP tablet. That didn’t take off.
View attachment 2110938

It was too early and too fiddly. Surface Pro is doing OK now.

 

[Odessa]

I never cared about iPads, always thought there where nothing more than oversized phones for mums. But since I found out you can have da vinci resolve, affinity suite and Procreate with the same power as a macbook I am actually really curious. If I had more money I would absolutely get it.