These threads are hilarious. MacOS is NEVER coming to iPad. Never. I promise you that.
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iPad Pro future of iPad Pro
- Thread starter Scott Sherman
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The current design is still permeating to the mid and lower-end iPads. I think it'll be here to stay for a while. Otherwise, the future of the iPad Pro is likely faster processors and gradual tweaks/additions to iPadOS that fall short of iPadOS's true potential as a macOS substitute. I do believe that we are going to get some of Apple's other macOS-only Pro apps ported over to iPadOS. Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Xcode, MainStage, Compressor, Apple Remote Desktop...I think all of those are fair game for iPadOS in the future and will run wonderfully on iPad Pros and modern iPad Airs.
The software is still not where you want it to be. However, as far as hardware, iPads have been more than fast enough to last several years with good performance.
Mind, iPads used to be more restrictive: no sharing between apps at all, can't attach files to email, web browser incompatible with most websites, no website caching and you just go to the top of the page when tabs reload, no Files or iCloud Drive, max of like 10-20 Safari tabs, no ad blocker, no multitasking at all, much fewer iPad apps available and no MS Office at all, etc.
I've been using iPads since the iPad 2. I've gone from using the iPad solely for reading comics and ebooks (because it was too slow and restricted for most anything else) to doing almost all my personal computing on the iPad. At least for me, the iPad's come a long way. Sure, the iPhone may have been in lock step on most features but I reckon the biggest benefit of the iPad for most is the larger display, anyway.
On average, they're probably around the same. Maybe a greater percentage of iPad Pro users even upgrade sooner since those are the ones who are most likely to be tech enthusiasts. Most people I know don't replace their iPhones and iPads unless there's something wrong with it.
Meanwhile, there are a lot of 2018 and 2020 iPP users in this forum complaining about how the 2021 iPP are restricted which means they were already considering upgrading from their fast and perfectly working iPads.
Apple makes more money from services than from iPads. What's the incentive in allowing MacOS (ergo any app that can be installed on MacOS free of the 30% cut) on the iPad?
Really, I think the biggest problem developers have with iPads is most users aren't willing to pay $100+ for iPad apps.
Mind, I think the Mac App Store has a good chance of making its way to the iPad in some form eventually. I just don't think we'll ever see unfettered access to non-App Store software.
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Not sure if it’s going to change but there are lots of IPad apps that can’t be downloaded on a Mac yet.
I don’t know, these big pro apps tend to work best with a lot of screen space even on a normal Mac, I’m not sure how well they would port without being severely limited by the UI constraints on an iPad.
Photoshop is kind of the test case for a real pro app on iPad, and it will be interesting to see if it can command the kind of premiums that are needed to justify the engineering effort.
And let’s face it, Adobe hasn’t been particularly forthcoming with news of other apps on iPadOS. I haven’t heard anything about Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere. If photoshop on iPadOS fails to be profitable as a product they might never arrive.
!RemindMe in 10 years. Never underestimate the possibility of events that are not directly under your control.
10 years is a long time In tech.
But we can safely assume it‘s definitely not coming in the next few years.
But we can safely assume it‘s definitely not coming in the next few years.
iMovie already being on there (and current era Final Cut Pro being a souped up iMovie) makes me think it's going to happen. Similarly, we've had the ability to run Xcode on 11" MacBook Airs and 13" MacBook Pros for a good while. I wouldn't, for example, recommend one start coding on an iPad mini, but I think it's possible that we'll get those apps before too long.
Adobe is another story, altogether. You're right about that. I think the problem that exists with Photoshop isn't whether or not it's viable, but rather whether or not it can compete with other apps that now have a greater foothold in the iPadOS platform.
I do wonder if, with the introduction of the iPad Pros, there’s a generational move at play here by Apple.
The base iPad is aimed at the education market. My impression is that fewer households will require, or have access to, a traditional computer in the future. If you’ve gone through school using an iPad, what do you buy when you’re about to go to college? An iPad Pro is probably going to be more appealing than a MacBook.
If you’ve never used a device with macOS or Windows, then you might not be bothered by the constraints of iPadOS - and I do think those constraints will lessen over time. You’re also far more likely to have adapted to using an iPad for productivity purposes.
That’s not the only market I see the iPad Pros being aimed at, but it is one that I haven’t seen mentioned before. So, I do actually see the iPad Pros as competing against Macs for some people, and the iPads may well be the future for a lot of them.
The base iPad is aimed at the education market. My impression is that fewer households will require, or have access to, a traditional computer in the future. If you’ve gone through school using an iPad, what do you buy when you’re about to go to college? An iPad Pro is probably going to be more appealing than a MacBook.
If you’ve never used a device with macOS or Windows, then you might not be bothered by the constraints of iPadOS - and I do think those constraints will lessen over time. You’re also far more likely to have adapted to using an iPad for productivity purposes.
That’s not the only market I see the iPad Pros being aimed at, but it is one that I haven’t seen mentioned before. So, I do actually see the iPad Pros as competing against Macs for some people, and the iPads may well be the future for a lot of them.
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I just rewatched Steve Jobs’ presentation of the first iPad. It is remarkable for, among other things, how close the current generation of iPads remains to the vision he articulated then. For those who keep hankering for the iPad “to do more”, its worth watching his presentation again.
The iPad Pro is in a different class (or it should be) than the regular iPads. What Steve Jobs described fits the iPad and iPad Air a lot better than the iPad Pro. People asked for an iPad that could do more than consume media, browse the web, and do simple office tasks. That's one of the reasons the original iPad Pro had a larger screen.
The problem is that Apple stalled on the OS for the iPad Pro. I've bought every generation of iPad Pro until the M1. I can see no reason to update my 2020 iPad Pro and unless Apple does something to make iPadOS a more productive environment, I can't see ever updating. The Pros are expensive and ultimately don't provide a different environment than the $329 version.
I was all in on the iPad Pro since it was released in 2015. I was willing to accept the slow progress on iOS (for the iPad) and then got excited 2 years ago when Apple announced iPadOS was separating from iOS. The problem has always been that Apple can't provide all the software that people need for a productive environment. There are just too many different requirements for a general purpose computer for one company to do everything. A Mac can have software written that Apple hasn't anticipated that meets someones needs. An iPad Pro can only run software that Apple has prepared the way for with APIs and frameworks. If you need to do a task that Apple hasn't anticipated or has explicitly prevented, in many cases it is impossible to write software to work around that blockage.
I love the iPad Pro hardware. I think that iPadOS is very good but limited. I can see an easy way that Apple can leverage their software assets to solve the limitations of iPadOS but I doubt that Apple will ever agree to implement it. Apple could open the gate by allowing macOS to run in a VM running as an app from the App Store. It would probably be necessary to also reenable swap memory and allow the VM unrestricted background tasks. Other than that, it is a simple project to get macOS Big Sur running in a VM. The new M1 iPad Pros have hardware support for running a VM and on intel, there has never been a problem getting macOS to run in Parallels or VMWare Fusion so there is no reason to expect any problem with iPadOS.
Until Apple does something to enable developers to actually write whatever software is needed without restrictions, I don't think iPadOS is ever going to be a real replacement for a general purpose computer. I don't see any reason why Apple wants to keep the iPad Pro locked down. It doesn't serve their customers who are frustrated with lack of progress on iPadOS. I'm all for keeping the iPad and iPad Air simple but the iPad Pro is a different category and I'm done buying expensive iPad Pros and waiting for Apple to allow more flexibility in iPadOS.
I don’t think Apple has ever been in the business of being led by consumer preferences. Contrarily, it appears to me they have actively sought and continue to seek to shape consumer preferences and usage patterns.
Right up until a product doesn't sell.
Right now I have no intention of ever buying another iPad Pro. I have no idea how representative I am but I notice that I can get most flavors of the M1 iPad Pro delivered next day for $9. Seems quick to have store stock already but I'll admit that I don't remember checking last year.
Interestingly, this is where Apple seems to excel. Contrary to their competitors, they have actively managed to influence users and have been successful both in setting trends and commercially. This evidence is there for all to see.
See HomePod, WiFi-HiFi etc. Apple doesn't always get it right. I suspect that replacing the butterfly keyboards was made necessary by a noticeable drop in new MacBook sales.
This is exactly the problem I see with the iPad Pro line from here on out.
Honestly, what can they add to the line up next year year or on the next release that would justify an upgrade? The current hardware is so far ahead of the limitations that iPadOS imposes that you can't see anything that could possibly pull someone off the fence for the price point here.
A faster CPU? M1 is already insanely overpowered and underutilized.
More RAM? M1 already has more RAM than iPadOS will ever be able to fully utilize.
A better screen? The Mini-LED is already amazing. OLED would be nicer for the "blooming" complaint, but not enough to justify swapping just for OLED.
Better I/O? M1 already supports Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 with 40Gbps I/O that iPadOS can't fully utilize.
Better cameras? Who would spend iPad Pro money just for the camera?
That's the conundrum they've entered here without delivering anything to utilize the power. They could cut iPadOS support for the M1 iPad Pro at some point to try and juice upgrades on that alone, but that would upset people greatly if it isn't matched with some power hungry features that justify it...
Meaning the M1 iPad Pro could be solid iPad for years? But then it would effectively strangle iPad Pro and iPad sales. As buying an M1 iPad in the future when they are used and cheap would be better than buying comparable new iPads on a price/performance basis...
There just has to be something on Apple's roadmap here, but until they deliver it we have to assume there is nothing...
I have no idea as to the iPad Pro’s future, but I decided that for me the best use of my funds is to order an Apple-refurbished 2018 12.9 and save $500 off a comparable 256GB M1. That will easily satisfy my iPad needs for three or four years and see what future hardware and software iterations bring.
The 2018 12.9 will serve you well - I had one before the 2021 12.9. Functionally, it's a strong device and should be good for years.
I think it's fairly obvious the ipad Pro should work like a NIntendo Switch.
You come home and want that big screen experience then you drop it in the dock and use a "Pro controller" ie m/k.
And the dock gives you some extra power/capabilities just by virtue of being hooked up to electricity. The extra capabilities include more windows able to stay open at the same time. More MacOS-like features.
You come home and want that big screen experience then you drop it in the dock and use a "Pro controller" ie m/k.
And the dock gives you some extra power/capabilities just by virtue of being hooked up to electricity. The extra capabilities include more windows able to stay open at the same time. More MacOS-like features.
Sure. Apple does not have to get it right each and every time. The key point is that somehow Apple has managed to capture the cognitive mind space of its market and thus are able to - to a great extent - influence not simply buying decisions but also lifestyle decision. No wonder Apple is considered to be one of the best marketeers in the business.
Apple is going to let iPad apps use more than 5gb of ram in the next version of iPadOS.
