iPad The iPad is not for traditional Mac users

[iPadified]

It’s a decision from Apple to make it possible. Right now the iPad’s M1 has virtualization support disabled on startup. Apple also has written the libraries that allow MacOS virtualization on MacOS and would need to provide them on iPadOS.

Thank you. As long as it is an option it’s fine. Sometimes these threads get complicated because there is a mix of OS complaints and app complaints and often the OS gets blamed for the lack of apps.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

Mostly I get your argument but I can't see why the iPad can't be both. Apple went through this whole 'your next computer might not be a computer' marketing campaign, I know a few of people who bought iPad Pros on the strength of that campaign then became frustrated that they couldn't do the same kind of things on it they would have been able to do on a Windows laptop because of constraints imposed by the OS and primitive apps which didn't live-up to their desktop equivalents.

YES. Developers need to start treating iPad as a capable machine, not a toy.
This needs to be more widely understood.

And this time I don't mean niche-interest apps like Cubase,

Do you know there is Cubasis for iPad? I don’t use Cubase on Mac, but I use Cubasis on iPad and it seems pretty powerful to me. I am not an audio engineer mind you, but as a novice, it seems pretty great.
Am I wrong? Have you tried Cubasis?

but mainstream apps like Word (can you even add new fonts to an iPad? How would you even begin?).

yes you can. Its very easy. You either use a usbc thumb drive with fonts you want, or put them onto cloud, or downlaod them. Than you get an app called Fontcase, open fonts that you want to import, and press install. Its very easy and straightforward. Might be easier than on Windows, I forgot how you do it on windows.

Consequently their expensive computer-priced iPad Pros became relegated to bedside content-consumption devices, which by and large you don't need to have invested in an iPad Pro for (large screen aside).

For me my iPad is content creation device.

I have paid more than $20 for some specialist iPad apps, but you're right most people expect iPad apps to be either cheap or free, yet on a PC/Mac they're happy to pay (ok, begrudgingly accepting of the concept of paying) full price for the full-fat product. Why is that? Again, it's down to how most people see an iPad: simple content-consumption device they don't expect to compete on equal terms with their PC and Mac. Consequently, such apps don't get developed, despite the hardware being eminently capable.

I also payed quite a lot for some specialist apps, and I see no problem with it.

 

[Charlie Carcinogen]

Thank you. As long as it is an option it’s fine. Sometimes these threads get complicated because there is a mix of OS complaints and app complaints and often the OS gets blamed for the lack of apps.

Ultimately isn’t it the fault of the iPadOS and the way they limit file access when a file in one app can’t be opened in another?

 

[darngooddesign]

No. Again, that is not a logical nor a reasonable conclusion. That is just something that you continue to repeat for some strange reason. Absolutely no one would be happier with a slower processor.

Well people don't seem to be happy with the faster hardware either.

As I’ve said multiple times, just because someone wants the software to keep up with the hardware, it doesn’t mean they would be happy to slow down the hardware to match the software. That makes perfect sense, but you’re unwilling to accept it because it goes against your argument.

The software keeps up with the hardware, just not in the way you want.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

Fine for doing work on 8GB is debatable

Oh, so me doing work such as 3d modeling and rendering on my 8Gb Macbook Pro is debatable than..

so unless you are proposing that dual OS is only available for people who do light work, there wont be dual OS unless there is an M1 with 32GB RAM and that currently doesn't exist. Not to mention, Mac OS currently uses as much RAM as available at a minimum MacOS would have to be rewritten to have a hard limit of only 50% of the available RAM; otherwise there wouldn't be enough RAM to switch between OSes without reloading everything each time you switch OSes. Unless you think that MacOS runs fine on 4GB RAM, everyone with an iPad with 8GB RAM wouldn't be able to use the dual-OS feature. Now also imagine how annoying that limit would be on Mac computers; you would have to buy double the RAM you normally would.

I don't know why people think that universal apps would work with two OSes that have different file systems; this difference affects something as simple as the Open/Save mechanism.

I don’t really want to have to use MacOS in order to get the apps I need. Thats a rubbish concept. I want these apps to work on iPadOS, natively.


Aside form that Virtualization Apps are a welcome addition, why not.

 

[Charlie Carcinogen]

Well people don't seem to be happy with the faster hardware either.

The software keeps up with the hardware, just not in the way you want.

Once again I disagree. People are perfectly happy with the faster hardware, they just want the software to keep up with it.

And I would also disagree with your second paragraph as well. The hardware in today’s iPads are very similar, in some cases far exceed laptop computers. But the software does not. It is clearly lagging behind in functionality.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

I don't know why people think that universal apps would work with two OSes that have different file systems; this difference affects something as simple as the Open/Save mechanism.

Can you please explain how ipad has a different filesystem than a Mac? And how does Open/Save mechanism work differently?

 

[Fravin]

With the mouse and keyboard support so advanced I have been working with my 11” IpadPro to Graphic Design more often than my MacMini.

Believe me. Using DropBox as Cloud Service. Using Affinity’s Software that I use in MacMini as well. I use the same fonts in MacOS and iPad.

The M1 iPadPro is faster than my MacMini for these tasks. I don’t know if I would by a new MacBook. Probably will upgrade to an 12.9” iPadPro.

 

[darngooddesign]

Once again I disagree. People are perfectly happy with the faster hardware, they just want the software to keep up with it.

All the "the M1 is wasted on the iPad" continents disagree with this. Those people are not satisfied with the faster hardware.

And I would also disagree with your second paragraph as well. The hardware in today’s iPads are very similar, in some cases far exceed laptop computers. But the software does not. It is clearly lagging behind in functionality.

It's not lagging, it just has different functionality.

 

[Fravin]

But give me MacOS apps on iPad and I will be happy.

I’m using the same Apps that I use in MacOS on my iPad, working with graphic design. I love the Affinity’s App. I‘ve been using them on my Mac for the last years since I abandoned Adobe’s software.

The iPad versions of Affinity’s Designer and Photo are pretty close with the desktop ones. I can open files from the iPad on Mac and vice-versa. I use the same fonts, the same links…

I’m pretty happy with iPad as a working machine. I would love it more if my keyboard had an escape key.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

Thank you. As long as it is an option it’s fine. Sometimes these threads get complicated because there is a mix of OS complaints and app complaints and often the OS gets blamed for the lack of apps.

Yes, I keep repeating this too.
iPadOS is mostly really just fine.
It’s an amazing touch first OS, with very very sophisticated architecture. I love it.
It also has a great UI, amazing animations and so on.

iPadOS is really really just fine as it is. Its great.
Pro apps, on the other hand. Well there are some and they work like magic. But we need more of those, and some of ’Pro‘ apps, to actually be - Pro.

 

[iPadified]

Mostly I get your argument but I can't see why the iPad can't be both. Apple went through this whole 'your next computer might not be a computer' marketing campaign, I know a few of people who bought iPad Pros on the strength of that campaign then became frustrated that they couldn't do the same kind of things on it they would have been able to do on a same-price-or-cheaper Windows laptop because of constraints imposed by the OS and primitive apps which didn't live-up to the capabilities of their desktop equivalents. And this time I don't mean niche-interest apps like Cubase, but mainstream apps like Word (can you even add new fonts to an iPad? How would you even begin?). Consequently their expensive computer-priced iPad Pros became relegated to bedside content-consumption devices, which by and large you don't need to have invested in an iPad Pro for (large screen aside).

Yes, why do we not have full desktop MS office apps is strange but you cannot blame iPadOS for that. I was positively surprised that Word for iPad supported add-ins or whatever it is called so I can use Mendeley as a reference manager on iPad.

Other fonts can apparently be downloaded an managed under settings/general/fonts.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

I’m using the same Apps that I use in MacOS on my iPad, working with graphic design. I love the Affinity’s App. I‘ve been using them on my Mac for the last years since I abandoned Adobe’s software.

The iPad versions of Affinity’s Designer and Photo are pretty close with the desktop ones. I can open files from the iPad on Mac and vice-versa. I use the same fonts, the same links…

Yes I also use Affinity both Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. I love them. Affinity Rocks ❤️
I have also found that Affinity Photo / Designer are both more powerful than Illustrator / Photoshop in some cases.

I’m pretty happy with iPad as a working machine. I would love it more if my keyboard had an escape key.

Pro tip - set your Caps Lock key to be your Escape key.

 

[darngooddesign]

Oh, so me doing work such as 3d modeling and rendering on my 8Gb Macbook Pro is debatable than..

Unlike your Mac, not only does iPadOS limit how much RAM apps can use, but it also does not use the SSD for swap. I use LR and PS a lot and they really need at least 16GB, especially when used together, so yes fine is debatable. Apple isn't going to implement this feature unless it provides a smooth experience for everyone and that means needing a 32GB M1 which doesn't exist, I'll give you that maybe 16GB would be enough.

I don’t really want to have to use MacOS in order to get the apps I need. Thats a rubbish concept. I want these apps to work on iPadOS, natively.


Aside form that Virtualization Apps are a welcome addition, why not.

Because the file systems are different, and I'm sure there are other OS differences which would cause trouble, so they can't simply be ported over.

 

[PandaPunch]

Well since a faster processor makes the dual OS proponents unhappy, they obviously need a slower one with less RAM.

But that's irrelevant since there is no M1 with more than 16GB, and you would need 32GB to have a good dual OS experience. So if such an iPad existed, the minimum you would spend is $2700 for a 32GB/1TB 13" iPad (imagine the outrage over a single port 13" MacBook), a pencil, and a magic keyboard.

Wait, what's stopping Apple from just having an option you click when you order an M1 iPad at their website to dual boot? Then someone like me who doesn't want that can just go get the base model at say, Walmart?

 

[PandaPunch]

I’m using the same Apps that I use in MacOS on my iPad, working with graphic design. I love the Affinity’s App. I‘ve been using them on my Mac for the last years since I abandoned Adobe’s software.

The iPad versions of Affinity’s Designer and Photo are pretty close with the desktop ones. I can open files from the iPad on Mac and vice-versa. I use the same fonts, the same links…

I’m pretty happy with iPad as a working machine. I would love it more if my keyboard had an escape key.

Since you have experience with Affinity Apps, would you recommend the software to more casual photo editors?

 

[Fravin]

I have also found that Affinity Photo / Designer are both more powerful than Illustrator / Photoshop in some cases.


Pro tip - set your Caps Lock key to be your Escape key.

Setting it up right now!

Actually I‘ve abandoned Adobe’s suite. In Desktop it uses too many resources doing nothing. Affinity stuff runs pretty snappy and gives me what I need. Waiting for the Publisher on iPad. Did you know that it was leaked in Air’s website? lol

 

[spiderman0616]

Since you have experience with Affinity Apps, would you recommend the software to more casual photo editors?

I know you didn't really ask me, but I would tell more casual editors to use Pixelmator Pro. The Affinity apps should be approached more as Adobe alternatives. That being said, I was a complete novice at photo editing when I first got Affinity Photo, and I just took an online course on how to use all the features. It's really quite easy once you learn what all the tools do. And their design language is very consistent across all their apps.

 

[Fravin]

Since you have experience with Affinity Apps, would you recommend the software to more casual photo editors?

Yes, absolutely, even on iPad or Mac. It’s powerful enough to handle any photographer’s tasks. I believe that it RAW engine is even better than Adobe one. And the support for PSD files build into it turns Affinity Photo a must.

And you will pay once. No signatures, no future chargings.

Let me tell you that Affinity’s support is better than Adobe‘s services. They are very fast and very user friendly. Never had an experience so good while learning a new software.

 

[jdb8167]

I would love it more if my keyboard had an escape key.

I just map esc to my caps lock key. Caps lock is useless anyway.

 

[darngooddesign]

Wait, what's stopping Apple from just having an option you click when you order an M1 iPad at their website to dual boot? Then someone like me who doesn't want that can just go get the base model at say, Walmart?

Probably because unless the feature is usable by the majority of M1 iPads, I doubt Apple would invest the resources to develop it. But I think Apple prefers dual-OS to dual-boot and that requires a 1TB SSD and maybe 16GB, but more likely 32GB RAM.

 

[PandaPunch]

I know you didn't really ask me, but I would tell more casual editors to use Pixelmator Pro. The Affinity apps should be approached more as Adobe alternatives. That being said, I was a complete novice at photo editing when I first got Affinity Photo, and I just took an online course on how to use all the features. It's really quite easy once you learn what all the tools do. And their design language is very consistent across all their apps.

Cool, I think I have Pixelmator on my iPad when they offered it for free. But that's nice that the apps are at least consistent.

 

[darngooddesign]

FYI, Capture One is also coming out with an iPad app.

 

[XIO[-]OIX]

Ultimately isn’t it the fault of the iPadOS and the way they limit file access when a file in one app can’t be opened in another?

What are you even talking about… ?

 

[Fravin]

It's really quite easy once you learn what all the tools do. And their design language is very consistent across all their apps.

I think Affinity Photo is so easy to use…
It can do a complex work while it’s UI keeps friendly as you told.

For everyone asking me, I‘m telling to buy Affinity’s Photo for photo edition. Being photographers or simple users.