Ok, can we finally get dual boot macOS/iPadOS on every M1 iPad now please?
It'll immediately make the iPad one of the best laptops out there.
Merging 2 usages into a single experience = you flop like Win8/Win11/Gnome/Unity8
On other hand Android/ChromeOS and macOS/iOS/iPadOS is a big winner
I wouldn't expect to see this on the Air or even Pro models as standard; it makes sense as an expensive upgrade akin to the M1 Max.
They did it with the iPod to iPhone, for a famous example.
Jobs wanted the iPad to represent a unique interface and experience that was distinct from a laptop. They failed to do that and the touchscreen is the only difference that remains. Merging these products is only likely if they doesn't reduce overall expenditure on Apple products in the long-term.
Who said that? In my experience they succeeded. That's also why it's the main tablet that ever sold shitloads and still does after a decade...
If you look at the development of the iPad UI over the past 2-3 years it's clearly converging more and more with laptops, rather than trying to differentiate itself. The differences between a 12.9 inch iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and a MacBook Air are getting fewer and fewer with each OS update.
Not only would porting macOS to iPad disturb Apple's business proposition of "why not buy both?" but it would let up on the pressure that makes iPadOS itself evolve and solve problems in its own way.
I'd say just be patient and tablets will become what you want. The road to get there is a bit longer than "just port over the old stuff!" but that long road will probably keep surfacing exciting new innovations and paradigm-changes along the way.
If dual boot ever becomes a thing, all momentum on improving iPadOS would probably just stop as "if you need PC-level features just use macOS".
"The iPad is a computer!"
Okay, what's the development experience like on it?
"Well, for $19.99 you can buy a license for this app that lets you SSH into another box to do your work!"
That's okay, I'm fine sticking with my laptop. How's the software situation?
"It's great! You can only download the stuff Apple lets you get, or you can pay $99 a year for the privilege of loading arbitrary software."
I think that's another win for the PC... at least I can do my web browsing on it, right?
"Of course! Safari is a first-class experience on iPad, which is why it's the exclusive supported browser on iPadOS."
Any platform with this many "gotchas" probably doesn't qualify as a computer any more than a LeapPad or a feature phone does.
Even if it's bad, development is like 1% of what computers are used for. More PC/laptop users never program anything or even know how to are care to learn.
They advertise a lot of real, specific use cases. And lots of people do actually use these devices to do work.
> Okay, what's the development experience like on it?
Oh you meant your use case.
> Any platform with this many "gotchas" probably doesn't qualify as a computer any more than a LeapPad or a feature phone does.
It’s 2022, literally toasters are internet connected. “Computer” is a pretty vague term already. Plenty of people can actually do their work on an iPad. I’d call it a computer, but I’m not tied to it. Who cares if it’s a “computer”? It does what most people need and I’m guessing you were never going to consider an apple product anyways.