iPad Pro Looking to buy a mac mini, would iPad be able to virtualize the desktop to become a mac?

[FrozenDarkness]

I kind of gave up on making my iPad a computer. Safari is just not great and google docs is absolute trash on iPads. The photo app is also just really hard to use.

However, I did spend like $1500 on my iPad and I dont' want to turn it into a netflix machine. I'm tempted to buy a $500 mac mini m4 that's on sale at costco because I already have a monitor and essentially turn my iPad into a virtualization machine.

I've read a lot about Jump but it's always glowing. I want to know like if I want mac level functionality, if i'm just lying to myself (getting Jump and a mac mini) because it won't be a great experience and maybe just spring for a macbook air or something.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

It's.... fine. I tried to turn my M1 iPad Pro into a computer too, used it for a year and a half remoting into the Mac mini when required. I used Splashtop instead of Jump, but basically the same thing.

Remote access worked, but wasn't great. I ended up selling the iPad and got a MacBook instead, was a lot happier with it.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

It's.... fine. I tried to turn my M1 iPad Pro into a computer too, used it for a year and a half remoting into the Mac mini when required. I used Splashtop instead of Jump, but basically the same thing.

Remote access worked, but wasn't great. I ended up selling the iPad and got a MacBook instead, was a lot happier with it.

you have like walked the path before me and apparently it ends with a macbook

 

[Digitalguy]

you have like walked the path before me and apparently it ends with a macbook

Remote desktop is not virtualization, it depends on the internet. I used it a lot in the past with a cellular iPad (and sometimes still do), but ended up buying a cellular laptop (thinkpad) because the times when internet was bad or absent made it impossible to work, while with a laptop I could still work even without internet. It's not often, but when it happens it's so frustrating that as some point you end up giving up.

PS having said that I do have a virtualized Windows 11 on one of my iPads, but that's a very specific configuration, that only works with non updated M1 and M2, before Apple removed the hypervisor from iPadOS.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

Remote desktop is not virtualization, it depends on the internet. I used it a lot in the past with a cellular iPad (and sometimes still do), but ended up buying a cellular laptop (thinkpad) because the times when internet was bad or absent made it impossible to work, while with a laptop I could still work even without internet. It's not often, but when it happens it's so frustrating that as some point you end up giving up.

PS having said that I do have a virtualized Windows 11 on one of my iPads, but that's a very specific configuration, that only works with non updated M1 and M2, before Apple removed the hypervisor from iPadOS.

when internet is good, is remote desktop like useable? Like is it the same as a laptop experience?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

when internet is good, is remote desktop like useable? Like is it the same as a laptop experience?

Usable - sure.
Laptop experience - eh 😬 not really.

 

[Digitalguy]

when internet is good, is remote desktop like useable? Like is it the same as a laptop experience?

It is, but it depends what you mean by laptop experience.
It's smaller.
With Windows I can easily adapt the aspect ratio to fill the iPad display. With MacOS it tends to revert to the original aspect ratio, so there are black bars. So essentially with an 11" iPad you have a 10" display (unusable for me). With a 13" iPad you have more or less a 12" display, same size as the retina Macbook, which for me is usable, but not as comfortable as a 13,6" Macbook air for instance.
Assuming you use the Magic keyboard it's perfectly fine on a desk, it's usable on your lap but a bit top heavy, so no as nice as a clamshell. The M4 keyboard is worse than the previous generation keyboards on your lap (more top heavy, steeper angle). But still usable. Much more usable than something like the Logitech Keyboard or as Surface pro.
Honestly if you have a 13" and your internet is always good wherever you are, it's a pretty good solution (and you have your tablet too).

 

[Ctrlos]

Samuel Nam might have the answer:

 

[Digitalguy]

Samuel Nam might have the answer:

not ideal, he used Screens, which is worse than Jump Desktop, I suggested he tried Jump and he told me that he just bought it and he is trying it, so maybe he will come with a new video

 

[FrozenDarkness]

it looks like the "not full screen" issue is a problem no remote desktop has fixed?

 

[Digitalguy]

it looks like the "not full screen" issue is a problem no remote desktop has fixed?

if you mean for MacOS yes, Jump is the best at it and even it struggles with that. Windows is much more flexible on this and it's non issue if you remote into Windows...