iPad Pro Will Apple release a “MacBook Surface” capable of running iPadOS and macOS?

[KPOM]

Will Apple release a touch screen-enabled device that runs both iPadOS/iOS apps and macOS apps natively now that they will share a development platform?

While we know that macOS will be able to run iPadOS/iOS apps natively on Macs with Apple Silicon, the experience would be suboptimal for many apps that aren’t properly ported using Catalyst since Macs don’t have touchscreen support. That said, theoretically, a 12.9” or 14” iPad Pro-sized device with Apple Mac silicon could run macOS while docked to a Magic Keyboard, and switch to iPadOS when running native iPadOS/iOS apps (or run iPadOS in a VM to support side-by-side macOS and iPadOS/iOS apps).

I know Apple has said they won’t produce a touch screen Mac, but then they said the same thing about styluses. This is a way to keep macOS per se non-touch while supporting iPadOS/iOS.

 

[Shirasaki]

I doubt it. iPad Pro works just like surface device without a keyboard base to provide more power.
What I believe is Apple will phase out MacBook lineup entirely as well as macOS when iPadOS is good enough.
Granted, not all macOS apps are suitable for iPadOS and vice versa, but those will become less and less of an issue, given iPadOS has enabled semi-preliminary mouse support. This support shows that an environment “optimised For touch” can be perfectly useable with mouse and keyboard only. I don’t see why the other way around is not a thing, except for app support.

 

[azentropy]

Not anytime soon (say the next 2 years)

 

[Digitalguy]

Apple will try to keep Macs an ipads separate for as long as possible... but integrate them as much as possible... At some point in a distant future we could imagine a "desktop" mode for ipad, that is actually macos... but at that point it will not be as relevant as today, as by then IpadOS will have caught up with most of the desktop features it's now missing (external monitor support, better file system, proper desktop apps like Office, Final Cut, Photoshop, Première etc.). At that point having macos will make much less of a difference...

 

[KPOM]

Not anytime soon (say the next 2 years)

I agree the focus will be on the existing Mac lineup, but I think they will eventually release something like it. The signs are there. Menus are getting larger in macOS. The overall UI is converging. IPadOS has trackpad support. Macs with Apple Silicon will run iPadOS and iOS apps. Macs already support limited use of the Apple Pencil through SideCar. It isn’t a stretch to envision a 13” iPad Pro-like device capable of running macOS and iPadOS, or more likely, a customized macOS with a touch-enabled iPadOS VM.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Will Apple release a touch screen-enabled device that runs both iPadOS/iOS apps and macOS apps natively now that they will share a development platform?

While we know that macOS will be able to run iPadOS/iOS apps natively on Macs with Apple Silicon, the experience would be suboptimal for many apps that aren’t properly ported using Catalyst since Macs don’t have touchscreen support. That said, theoretically, a 12.9” or 14” iPad Pro-sized device with Apple Mac silicon could run macOS while docked to a Magic Keyboard, and switch to iPadOS when running native iPadOS/iOS apps (or run iPadOS in a VM to support side-by-side macOS and iPadOS/iOS apps).

I know Apple has said they won’t produce a touch screen Mac, but then they said the same thing about styluses. This is a way to keep macOS per se non-touch while supporting iPadOS/iOS.

The iPad and the Surface are vastly different in their own ways.

 

[UltimateSyn]

"A MacBook. An iPad. Are you getting it?!"

 

[BATman.Berlin]

Had a couple of surface's and never understood the hype. Not a good tablet (it is very bad as a tablet actually) and not good as a laptop either (kickstand is a terrible solution). The 12.9" iPP with magic keyboard is actually what the surface want to be.

 

[tranceking26]

I said no, but if it were to happen, would likely be years away.

 

[Shirasaki]

"A MacBook. An iPad. Are you getting it?!"

Yeah, do the Steve Jobs first iPhone release all over again, but instead we merge iPad and Mac together.

 

[cheese01]

Most of Apple's income is still from hardware - unless there's huge pressure from consumers who REALLY want 2-in-1 devices, I don't think they'd make any move that allows their users to get the best of both worlds without buying both an iPad and a Mac. Even more so now that the Mac will use an in-house processor and give the same fat profit margins as iOS devices.

 

[jinnyman]

By looking at MacOS's new control panel and new finder UI, I think Apple is aiming for touch equipped mac.
Perhpas Macbook Pad? Mac Pad? Something more robust and higher performing surface like Mac running Mac OS.

 

[Hessel89]

With apps being able to run interchangeably iPadOS and MacOS will be closer than ever. iPadOS, while being more compact, is actually the better version of the two since it supports any kind of user input. So why would you even want an iPad to run MacOS? iPadOS is the future.