Do we think Apple even wants people to just use an iPad?

[Unregistered 4U]

The Mac Market is not yet done being milked. In the first quarter this year, Apple had revenues of $19 billion for Macs and $8.1 billion for iPads, despite selling twice as many iPads as Macs.

Right, but as iPads are connected to Apple’s Services tighter than Macs, look at the Services revenue to get the big picture. iPads are a considerable amount of that.

And I wasn’t the one that coined the “milk the Mac for all it’s worth”, that was Steve Jobs. Going from device generation to device generation, Steve Jobs was ruthless in cutting off the old even though when it was still making money. The iPod was pulling a lot of money at the time they introduced the iPhone. As the goal was to connect people with the iPhone they did that successfully and don’t currently produce any iPods. I’ve always felt that as CEO, he would have quickened the pace on getting more focus on the iPad or whatever he considered the next big thing was.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

On the development front, Apple expressly denied any tool that could create binaries from the first App Store, and probably since. I don't know about now, but when the app store launched, they shut down Mac developers like SuperCard who wanted to make an on-device development environment, from even putting an app on the iPad.

That's why we didn't get anything like HyperCard for iPad, from Apple.

I don't know what their plans are going forward, but at least a few months ago, they were still mandating this design.

You’re currently able to release an app on the App Store using Swift Playgrounds on the iPad. Because it is Swift and only Swift, large projects that use non-Swift code won’t be released in this way. But, the fact that it’s there means it’s more of a when instead of an if.

And, as it’s the way Apple does things, it wouldn’t surprise me if the future IDE would similarly only support Swift. They’d still allow other things when coming from the Mac for years to come, but any dev working on the iPad would have to use Swift. And, if it runs on the iPad, it could also be made to run on Apple Vision Pro. So, for the dev that has one and is fine working just in Swift, they’d have access to TWO computers (whatever chip is in the iPad, plus whatever chip is in the Vision Pro) when developing. As opposed to now where the AVP in development is essentially just a screen for the Mac.

 

[DankeBrutus]

I think for the rest of us though (the majority), iPads can, now, do everything we need them to do in a way that makes sense - I think 'in a way that makes sense' has come with 26.

Just throwing my two cents in...

The iPad has been able to replace a traditional computer for years now, iPadOS 26 is just making it even easier by targeting some pain points some specific audiences may have with the iPad.

Having said that, and I may be proven wrong in the Fall, I think the iPad will still be a significantly better tablet than "laptop replacement." I remember I tried using an iPad for all my schoolwork during my third year of university, this was back in 2018/2019. When it came to note taking it was pretty good. I put on a matte screen protector for the extra friction while using the Pencil. It never quite hit the level of paper but it felt much better than using slippery plastic on glass. But once I sat down, even with a decent keyboard, to write an essay or work on an assignment the iPad software itself felt like I had some fingers tied together. I could still do what I needed to but I had to work at it a bit more. That experience is what made me decide I would always need at least a MacBook. Also my experience with the iPad + Magic Keyboard case was quite poor, which funnelled me to Logitech, which after about two years finally made me take the keyboard off the iPad and simply use the Smart Folio.

 

[CyberDavis]

The ModBook showed the world that the MacOS is perfectly capable of

To be fair from most reviews I read the Modbook was not perfect.🤷🏽

From the words of Phil Schiller…

Even his statements reflect reality.

• The Apple Watch should mean not using iPhone as often.
• iPhone striving to do as much as an iPad.
• iPad should be as powerful as MacBook.

His statements define the ambition and aspiration, which is great.
I just don’t think we are there yet.

But I accept it could be down to our inability to change.🤷🏽

 

[redpandadev]

Apple is a for profit company. They want people to buy many things, the most expensive (highest margin) things, and new ones of those things as frequently as possible. With that out of the way, given the choice, Apple would probably rather have you buy an iPad than a Mac if you could only buy one. It's more expensive (iPad Pro vs MacBook Air, assuming keyboard included in the purchase), more likely to break, and more likely to be replaced sooner than a Mac (iPadOS and its App Store apps are likely to be supported for a shorter time than macOS).

 

[JamesMay82]

I think it's likely a mistake to try to prognosticate out 50 years given how life and technology and society all are these days, and how they've changed so much in the last 50 and certainly the 50 before that.

Just running the tape forward is basically never how things go.

I interpreted his comment that folks who grew up in the 90’s and before with computers are set in our ways and that the future will ultimately be tablets.

I have a 10 year old and I’m amazed at how much she uses her iPad with school work and how she has no interest in using a Mac. I’ve probably not pushed her very hard on it though but I think i should as she’s getting older.

Myself and my wife have an iPad and it’s great for basics but garage band, word docs, excel are just very hard work on an iPad.

I hope it improves though as I love the form factor. I won’t personally get another iPad anytime soon and most likely won’t replace my wife’s iPad when it breaks.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I interpreted his comment that folks who grew up in the 90’s and before with computers are set in our ways and that the future will ultimately be tablets.

I have a 10 year old and I’m amazed at how much she uses her iPad with school work and how she has no interest in using a Mac. I’ve probably not pushed her very hard on it though but I think i should as she’s getting older.

Myself and my wife have an iPad and it’s great for basics but garage band, word docs, excel are just very hard work on an iPad.

I hope it improves though as I love the form factor. I won’t personally get another iPad anytime soon and most likely won’t replace my wife’s iPad when it breaks.

Generally speaking, everyone is set in their ways. There were folks that didn’t buy another computer after the AppleII because it did what they needed and it’s possible they never “got” the mouse. Some folks jumped to the Mac as quickly as they could afford one and dealt with its limitations because they connected with it more.

Your 10 year old will likely always see devices where you interact with OTHER things attached to the screen instead of just the screen as “old-timey” computers, much like people today would say the same about the Apple II. If she’s ever limited in any way, she’ll likely go towards the Mac without prompting, but it’s more likely that some new tech yet to be released will grab her attention!

 

[Slartibart]

Rain is wet.

actually it is not. what rain touches becomes wet. 🤓

 

[Happy_John]

actually it is not. what rain touches becomes wet. 🤓

And a banana is a berry, Planetary Designer Fast.

 

[chiltonwebb3]

You’re currently able to release an app on the App Store using Swift Playgrounds on the iPad. Because it is Swift and only Swift, large projects that use non-Swift code won’t be released in this way. But, the fact that it’s there means it’s more of a when instead of an if.

And, as it’s the way Apple does things, it wouldn’t surprise me if the future IDE would similarly only support Swift. They’d still allow other things when coming from the Mac for years to come, but any dev working on the iPad would have to use Swift. And, if it runs on the iPad, it could also be made to run on Apple Vision Pro. So, for the dev that has one and is fine working just in Swift, they’d have access to TWO computers (whatever chip is in the iPad, plus whatever chip is in the Vision Pro) when developing. As opposed to now where the AVP in development is essentially just a screen for the Mac.

Wait, really? That's awesome! Just so I'm clear, you can now write all of the code in Swift, import your own graphics, build a standalone app, and then deploy straight to the App Store, all on the iPad? I have not looked into this in awhile, I just assumed they still made you buy a Mac to do the build through Xcode.

-Chilton

 

[TechnoMonk]

Wait, really? That's awesome! Just so I'm clear, you can now write all of the code in Swift, import your own graphics, build a standalone app, and then deploy straight to the App Store, all on the iPad? I have not looked into this in awhile, I just assumed they still made you buy a Mac to do the build through Xcode.

-Chilton

Nope. I use my iPad as test bed, and very rarely need mac for iPad Os test apps. It’s not single IDE like Xcode from start to finish, but a collection of tools in workflow. iPad Pro is lot more fun than mac. I could have gotten an MBA to go along with my MBP, but I chose iPP with MKB.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Generally speaking, everyone is set in their ways. There were folks that didn’t buy another computer after the AppleII because it did what they needed and it’s possible they never “got” the mouse. Some folks jumped to the Mac as quickly as they could afford one and dealt with its limitations because they connected with it more.

Your 10 year old will likely always see devices where you interact with OTHER things attached to the screen instead of just the screen as “old-timey” computers, much like people today would say the same about the Apple II. If she’s ever limited in any way, she’ll likely go towards the Mac without prompting, but it’s more likely that some new tech yet to be released will grab her attention!

My kids hate their school issued laptops and use mostly iPad with MKB.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Wait, really? That's awesome! Just so I'm clear, you can now write all of the code in Swift, import your own graphics, build a standalone app, and then deploy straight to the App Store, all on the iPad? I have not looked into this in awhile, I just assumed they still made you buy a Mac to do the build through Xcode.

-Chilton

Yes, at least since 2022.

https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2022/110348/

There was a story a few years back of a kid that wrote his first app on the iPad and put it on the store. Perhaps Apple’s just waiting for Swift to be a better replacement for C++ before they release iCode.

 

[Xand&Roby]

What's the point?

You had iPads as a tablet for 12 years, and you complained that they should have been Mac.

You've had iPads oriented like Macs, and since next October iPads oriented like Macs that simulate a Mac, and you complain that the company doesn't let you use the iPads as you want.

The point is that you don't know what you want, or rather you would like a Mac that is cheap and does everything, but this is not the company's job, certainly not with Cook, which is exactly the opposite, by professional history, of this construct.

So, what do you want?

You don't know.

But quite the opposite of what you have.

An iPad is not a Mac, and never will be, unless Apple decides to dislose the Mac line.

Until then, make peace with us, use an iPad as a tablet, and a Mac as a computer.