iPad Pro Why would you ever want/need to run Mac OS on an iPad Pro ?

[TheRealAlex]

As this whole ARM Apple Silicon settles I love my iPad Pro 11” its does 80% of what I need, with that said. Would anyone want or need fully featured Mac OS on the iPad Pro ? Please share what activities or software you would have to run MacOS natively on an iPad Pro ?

 

[Arctic Moose]

• Audio control! My pulse rises every time my music or podcast stops because I take a quick glance at a security camera app or a YouTube video. What’s worse, it doesn’t even start again automatically when I’m done.
• Audio output choice (connect an HDMI adapter and your sound is forced through that and only that)
• Xcode
• Virtual machines
• Emulators
• Torrent apps
• Command line access
• Ability to mount disk image files
• Much better file manager
• Ability to arrange windows as I see fit on a large external monitor

 

[AutomaticApple]

Virtual machines

Take a look at this video.

 

[sparksd]

For me, no.

 

[Shirasaki]

macOS is far more versatile in multitasking than iOS. That’s pretty much my main reason to use macOS on iPad.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Take a look at this video.

Very impractical results, not to mention a big waste of time.

 

[stlredbird]

Well until i can get the full true adobe CC on iOS I’m going to need something with a desktop OS.

 

[thelookingglass]

This discussion will soon be a moot point when ARM MacBooks can run iPad apps. Then you can get the best of both worlds, sans Pencil support.

The reason I want Mac OS in an iPad format is because the iPad is such a joy to use. It’s partly the size and portability, partly the fan-less nature, partly the performance. Apple Silicon should address all of these things so for a lot of people those will suffice unless you just have to have the Pencil or just really like the tablet form factor.

 

[KittyKatta]

I think its more about wanting MacOS programs than actually wanting MacOS on a tablet.

Lets face it, the hardware is here but the apps arent. And that is 100% on Apple. So if Apple refuses to develop for iPadOS then MacOS would be the alternate solution for getting actual Pro programs on an iPad Pro.

 

[Ungibbed]

I use an app on my Mac that plays emulated chip tunes (various game consoles etc.) and I can’t find anything like that on iPad.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

• Audio control! My pulse rises every time my music or podcast stops because I take a quick glance at a security camera app or a YouTube video. What’s worse, it doesn’t even start again automatically when I’m done.
• Audio output choice (connect an HDMI adapter and your sound is forced through that and only that)
• Xcode
• Virtual machines
• Emulators
• Torrent apps
• Command line access
• Ability to mount disk image files
• Much better file manager
• Ability to arrange windows as I see fit on a large external monitor

All of these things. Although, I have gotten Airpods to override HDMI audio, but it is buggy, takes a few tries, and sometimes switches back.

Listen, if you look at my post history, you will see I am one of the staunchest supporters of iPad. I have used my 11” Pro exclusively in a professional finance executive workflow for over a year now.

Recently I have initiated and gotten involved in an internal project to develop API’s for bringing together the databases in our finance and accounting, project management, and customer management systems. I suddenly needed access to almost everything in this list above to create dev environments to contribute to the project. With the exception of emulators and torrenting apps, everything in this list was not possible to do with my iPad. I could have done it via remote sessions, which works great if you need a quick task done, but not so great if you need to be in the environment day in day out consistently all day. Even if you are using awesome software like Jump Desktop.

So I dug out a 2016 13” NT MBP and slapped the latest Big Sur beta one it, installed all of the above and got to work. Gotta say I am really, really liking the Big Sur look and feel. Put that on Apple Silicon, giving it the instant on and fluid responsiveness of the iPad Pro, and I might just go back - the rumored next generation redesigned 8.9” mini LED iPad mini with a 14” ASi MBP is looking pretty darn tempting right now...

Take a look at this video.

You must not have actually watched the video if you are putting this up as a viable way to use virtual machines on the iPad. None of his attempts with any OS were even useable.

This discussion will soon be a moot point when ARM MacBooks can run iPad apps. Then you can get the best of both worlds, sans Pencil support.

The reason I want Mac OS in an iPad format is because the iPad is such a joy to use. It’s partly the size and portability, partly the fan-less nature, partly the performance. Apple Silicon should address all of these things so for a lot of people those will suffice unless you just have to have the Pencil or just really like the tablet form factor.

Couldn’t agree more with the second paragraph. The iPad form factor is just amazing. I wouldn’t even mind if they just gave iPadOS some kind of DEX-like functionality for external monitor use only. But it also has to be able to do everything in @Arctic Moose ’s list above.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Although, I have gotten Airpods to override HDMI audio, but it is buggy, takes a few tries, and sometimes switches back.

I have put myself in the situation where I only brought an iPad for a training presentation, intending to use my phone as a remote and scribble input, only to find that the onsite infrastructure required connection to the projector through HDMI but the sound system through a mini jack. I had all the cables and adapters I needed (except of course an HDMI splitter box) in my dongle bag but I couldn't route the audio from the iPad through the headphone jack with the projector connected. I am still amazed that the audio output isn't at least available on both interfaces automatically.

I ended up exporting my Keynote to PowerPoint and running it on a Windows laptop someone let me borrow. (I briefly considered trying to run the presentation from my iPad and audio from my iPhone, but quickly came to the conclusion it would not be possible to keep them in sync.) That was the last time I ever went anywhere without a MacBook.

 

[fokmik]

After trying the samsung tab s7 in Dex mode with keyboard and trackpad....macOS will be a far better UI experience in dock mode with the magic keyboard and trackpad...that macOS UI is made for keyboard and trackpad or mouse
But , like i said in other place...Apple need or it is a must to place 8gb Ram into ipads pro to be able to run macOS
Remember, mac mini has the same cpu/iGpu as the ipad pro but with 16 gb RAM instead of 6

 

[ofarlig]

I want one mobile device not multiple. Meaning the 11" tablet format with a magic keyboard is both a really good tablet and a laptop replacement. What is holding it back right now is the software even though most things can be done on iPad OS.

I am not saying I need the full blown Mac OS experience with completely non sandboxed apps and full settings of everything from network cards to drives. But I would like to have external screen support and make it possible to run apps in windows when using an external screen or the magic keyboard. I would also like support for Mac OS apps (even using Rosetta 2) at least while in "docked" or "laptop" mode.

 

[muzzy996]

This discussion will soon be a moot point when ARM MacBooks can run iPad apps. Then you can get the best of both worlds, sans Pencil support.

The reason I want Mac OS in an iPad format is because the iPad is such a joy to use. It’s partly the size and portability, partly the fan-less nature, partly the performance. Apple Silicon should address all of these things so for a lot of people those will suffice unless you just have to have the Pencil or just really like the tablet form factor.

Agree with your points on what makes the iPad great to use. For me there is one big part of what makes an iPad a joy to use that’s missing from your lists and that is that it isn’t running a complicated OS at least as far as the UI goes. There’s limitations with the simple UI, but benefits too, not the least of which is cleanliness and responsiveness that results from having less overhead. That said I would love to have certain MacOS apps on iPad too, just not sure if it will be necessary in the future to have MacOS itself on the iPads to get that functionality . Time will tell.

 

[fokmik]

When macs will run macOS/ipad/linux apps....the ipads sales will come down a little

 

[Digitalguy]

When macs will run macOS/ipad/linux apps....the ipads sales will come down a little

While I agree with your privious post, I don’t agree with this one.... Without touchscreens, macs will not eat into ipad territory and touchscreens are not coming.... A recent prolific leaker said they were scrapped in favor of an improvement of handoff and sidecar... because this will sell more Apple devices, while touchscreen on macs will sell less ipads...

 

[Arctic Moose]

macOS is far more versatile in multitasking than iOS. That’s pretty much my main reason to use macOS on iPad.

I fully agree with this.

Doing anything at all with iPadOS/iOS beyond reading or writing short text messages leaves me feeling like I'm working with one hand handcuffed to my chair and a thick glove on the other one. My mental model, my established workflows and my muscle memory are all based on using macOS for three decades. (I still instinctively ⌘-S during every pause in typing, even in apps that autosave and where that shortcut does nothing.)

The 11" iPad is the perfect mobile device form factor for me, to complement a 5K iMac or Mac Pro, but I cannot use it exclusively without macOS. If I need to carry a MacBook anyhow, the iPad is just doubling the weight I need to carry.

I absolutely loved my 12" PowerBook at the time, and got lots of use out an 11" MacBook Air as well. If macOS on an iPad-like form factor is out of the question, I sure hope the rumors regarding the imminent release of a 12" MacBook ARM reincarnation are true.

It's great that people like Federico Viticci can do amazing things in new ways on iPadOS that are simply not possible with macOS, but I don't have the time or the patience for that.

 

[fokmik]

While I agree with your privious post, I don’t agree with this one.... Without touchscreens, macs will not eat into ipad territory and touchscreens are not coming.... A recent prolific leaker said they were scrapped in favor of an improvement of handoff and sidecar... because this will sell more Apple devices, while touchscreen on macs will sell less ipads...

that profilic leaker who said 14" MBP and iphones 12 are coming next week? Lets wait first...until we make an judgement based on that leaker...
I make my judgements that i still thinks, based on my dev mac mini kit, with big sur and its new UI...that macs will have touchscreen or something to do with that...maybe not all the macs...i dont see imacs, but if the imacs start to look like the surface studio..then even the imacs..
so again..with this kind of excitement for the new macs...lets say even without touch...to have the ability to run almost every app that exist...to have 15-20 hours battery life...instead of having just iOS apps and 10 hours....some people will choose macs over the ipads pro (of course if the macbook will not start from over 1200$)
But if the 12" Macbook and the smaller macbook pro will start from 999$ and 1199$ respectively , ipads sales will go down a little and the revenue of the macs will grow over the ipads

 

[fokmik]

Apple still works hard to make the ipad more multitasking device....when they already have the mac with macOS that like our Shirasaki said....it is far better at it

Again..on one side...Apple is pushing the ipad to the mac with new ipadOS and the new keyboard and trackpad
On the other side...Apple is pushing the mac to be also an ipad device...with the compatibility of the ipad apps...and an UI closed to the ipadOS....if macs gets touchscreens...i dont see any user why he should buy an limited app and UI with the ipad pro instead of an 12" Macbook that will have maybe touch, already an build-in kebyoard and trackpad, that can use ipad apps, windows 10 ARM apps, macos apps and linux apps and probably will have even an better battery life

Please, i let this for you to complete
Pro Reasons for Macbook 1000$
-ipadOS apps
-windows 10 ARM apps
-macOS apps
-linux apps
-proper multitasking
-better battery life
-more storage


Pro Reasons for ipad pro for people who buy also the magic keyboard 300$+800$
-touchscreen (IF the macs still will be "touch-less" )
- and yes, it is more portable for people who doesnt need or want any accessory for the ipad..

PS: Again, the ipadOS is not, at this stage improving for a better UI for keyboard and trackpad/mouse , while macOS BIg Sur is begining to be better UI for both combo...touch and a keyboard and trackpad/mouse

 

[marty1980]

I'm not sure I want macOS on iPad the way some others might want, but I do want a lot of the apps and features of macOS to come to iPad.

I would prefer not to buy a MacBook because it's redundant for me.

The biggest things I want to come to iPad Pro are developer tools like Xcode and VSCode and IntelliJ and the like. That would enable me to do actual work on my iPad.

If Apple would allow me to deploy apps to the App Store without requiring Xcode then that would help. But if they brought XCode to iPad, I could just use that for deployments.

I’m sure there are tons of other little things I would want to come to iPad, but I do think it makes sense to continue incremeting the iPadOS design language instead of shoving the macOS interface onto the iPad.

 

[ericwn]

Well until i can get the full true adobe CC on iOS I’m going to need something with a desktop OS.

I am still going to do my Adobe stuff on a colour corrected monitor or a set of those and not on something less than 13 inches diameter to be honest.
On top of that, external monitors are only mirroring the internal display hence equally useless for palettes and second screen applications.

 

[ericwn]

When macs will run macOS/ipad/linux apps....the ipads sales will come down a little

Very very unlikely. The iPad is much more successful than the Mac is my guess, and for a reason. It’s good to keep the Mac along for more complex work scenarios but I don’t see that platform getting much growth anymore. It’s matured for a while.

I also expect a lot of iPads are sold in the more affordable price regions where there simply is no Mac to compete with.

 

[Mainsail]

When it comes to working with multiple documents in various productivity apps (i.e. Pages, Numbers, and keynote), MacOS is just better than iPadOS. The floating windows are just easier to navigate and rapidly move between documents and apps. Also, the file system is better for organizing projects and content.

Via Catalyst, iPad Apps are coming to MacOS. I don't see a a lot of benefit to this when using a traditional MacBook. But, maybe an iPad running MacOS would benefit from iPadOS Apps. Perhaps, the future is an iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard running MacOS. You can mouse/trackpad around your documents efficiently with the MK and MacOS. Then, when you want a touch and pencil experience, you would open an iPad OS App, detach the iPad from the MK, and go to town taking notes or marking up documents....whatever.

Just a thought.

 

[unchecked]

Personally I'm hoping to run OBS on an iPad so it can be used like a Yolobox. But I also accept that even if it does, the iPad won't grow enough ports to make it do what I want it to do. Hardware will be the difference between the iPad and the Mac.