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Fuse the ipad and MacBook Pro into one? | MacRumors Forums

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Fuse the ipad and MacBook Pro into one?

Rradcircless

macrumors newbie

Original poster

Jun 9, 2022
I own a M1 MacBook Pro and 12.9“ iPad Pro. Being a digital illustrator, I primarily use the iPad for Procreate and handwriting notes. In my opinion, however, iPadOS is a feeble alternative to MacOS for everything else. Professional work, document editing and even navigation. Apps threaten to reboot or refresh when you leave them on iPad.

Thinking about how iPads and MacBooks share chips now, I had an ambitious fantasy wherein Apple fused the two devices into one. The iPad IS the MacBook, detachable from its keyboard like a Surface 2-in-1 but actually powerful. This could give someone like me everything they need. A smooth operating system (MacOS) and the touch/Apple Pencil compatibility of iPad.

I first had this idea early this year and what I’ve read on MacRumors implies Apple won’t soon go this direction but I will certainly be there when they do.

PS.
I’m aware there are all sorts of logistics to figure out such as weight balancing and keeping the MacPadiBook light when the screen has all the power.

Warped9

macrumors 6502a
Oct 27, 2018 Brockville, Ontario.
I think what you’re really asking for is an iPad Pro that can run Mac OS. The keyboard would be optional.

What could be interesting is if Apple could offer the option of running Mac OS on an iPad Pro.
Reactions: arkitect

russell_314

macrumors 601
Feb 10, 2019 4,493 6,084 USA
People have talked about this for a long time but I don’t see Apple releasing it anytime soon. The problem is in its current state. macOS is not touchscreen friendly. I’m not saying they couldn’t work on that but it would take a lot of work. Apple doesn’t want the Windows 8 debacle happening to them.

slplss

macrumors 6502a
Nov 2, 2011
People have talked about this for a long time but I don’t see Apple releasing it anytime soon. The problem is in its current state. macOS is not touchscreen friendly. I’m not saying they couldn’t work on that but it would take a lot of work. Apple doesn’t want the Windows 8 debacle happening to them.
The idea to sell touchscreen Mac or to switch between two operating systems each with their own libraries is crazy (good) on its own, but I don’t think that‘s the main problem. It’s they want to sell you two devices instead of one. Let us hope Apple is secretly working on their Pro apps for iPadOS, at least.
Last edited: Yesterday at 9:06 AM

threesixty360

macrumors 6502a
May 2, 2007 1,045
What I find interesting is that ipadOS is actually used by far more people and in far more use cases than their traditional macOS. Yet, if you just read the computer forums you'd think they were failures. I think Apple in trying to sell more expensive iPad's has confused buyers. The original point of the iPad was that Steve Jobs said they couldn't make a MacBook as cheap as a netbook. So they made the iPad to compete with netbooks. Now they are selling iPad Pro's for the same price as MacBooks and people want the same utility. Apple needs to fix the messaging here.

I personally dont want macOS and iPadOS being the same. I already see the problem when running iOS apps on the m1 Mac. Its weird. They should lower the price of the iPads and make them what they were meant to be, low cost computing devices for the masses. Let the MacBook be the niche thing, the "pick up truck" as Steve would say.

I even think using the M1/M2 processors (or the marketing of them) in iPads is causing them all sorts of problems. They are implying there machines can do the same thing as their mac's as they have the same guts. But its a completely different OS/Workflow and market place for iPads vs Macs.

For example, Apple cant sell you Final Cut Pro X thats the same as the Mac version for $250. Who would buy it on the iPad when there is lumafusion for $25? The iPad market won't handle that pricing. Which is why there aren't as many professional grade apps on the iPad. Its nothing to do with iPadOS or the hardware. Its mostly market forces that are limiting what the iPad can do. I just dont think the public understands that well enough.

PeteBurgh

macrumors regular
Jun 25, 2014
There have been dozens if not hundreds of threads discussing this topic over the last 6-7 years - at least since the original iPad Pro in 2015, when it became clear that iPads could have near-laptop performance. In hardware terms, what OP is asking for basically exists already - there are plenty of cases that turn iPads into convertibles. So really it's about the software.

Personally, I've always felt it would be a mistake to merge the two operating systems. The two platforms have such different strengths - a simple, intuitive touch-first interface of iPad vs ultimate flexibility to do whatever you want on the Mac. I don't see how you can have both platforms overlaid with one another without compromising the strengths of one or both.

I realise that developments on the iPad - new ways of multitasking, keyboards with trackpad support, etc - have muddied the waters somewhat. But I still think that touch-first and keyboard-and-pointer-first interfaces are different in a pretty fundamental way.

I understand why convertibles are intriguing, and some of the devices I've seen around my office - Surfaces, Lenovos, etc - look cool. Ultimately though, I think tablets and desktop computers work best as separate devices that play to their strengths.
Reactions: rui no onna

PeteBurgh

macrumors regular
Jun 25, 2014
What I find interesting is that ipadOS is actually used by far more people and in far more use cases than their traditional macOS. Yet, if you just read the computer forums you'd think they were failures. I think Apple in trying to sell more expensive iPad's has confused buyers. The original point of the iPad was that Steve Jobs said they couldn't make a MacBook as cheap as a netbook. So they made the iPad to compete with netbooks. Now they are selling iPad Pro's for the same price as MacBooks and people want the same utility. Apple needs to fix the messaging here.

I personally dont want macOS and iPadOS being the same. I already see the problem when running iOS apps on the m1 Mac. Its weird. They should lower the price of the iPads and make them what they were meant to be, low cost computing devices for the masses. Let the MacBook be the niche thing, the "pick up truck" as Steve would say.

I even think using the M1/M2 processors (or the marketing of them) in iPads is causing them all sorts of problems. They are implying there machines can do the same thing as their mac's as they have the same guts. But its a completely different OS/Workflow and market place for iPads vs Macs.

For example, Apple cant sell you Final Cut Pro X thats the same as the Mac version for $250. Who would buy it on the iPad when there is lumafusion for $25? The iPad market won't handle that pricing. Which is why there aren't as many professional grade apps on the iPad. Its nothing to do with iPadOS or the hardware. Its mostly market forces that are limiting what the iPad can do. I just dont think the public understands that well enough.
I agree with most of this. For some time now, there has been quite a bit of conceptual confusion in terms of what the iPad Pros are meant to be: simply a deluxe version of the regular iPad experience for those who want to spend more, or a something else, a much different computing experience. The marketing says one thing, but the lack of any first-party pro apps (7 years and counting into the iPad Pro era) says another.
Reactions: arkitect

Warped9

macrumors 6502a
Oct 27, 2018 Brockville, Ontario.
A couple of years ago there were lots of touchscreen laptops on the market in hand with a fair bit of consumer interest. But since then the number of touchscreen laptops appears to have gone down and that consumer interest isn’t what it once was. Now most people I encounter are largely indifferent to and very few appear to really want it.

Digitalguy

macrumors 68030
Apr 15, 2019 2,837 2,612
There are dozens of pages of discussion about this subject in the iPad as a laptop replacement pinned thread....
You will find many opposite views on this, and some are here too.
From people who say, it will come at some point (a minority), to others that say it won't happen, but these are mainly split in 2 opposite groups:
Group 1: Apple wants to sell 2 devices, not an hybrid that can do both, it's not in their (financial) interest
Group 2: MacOS on iPad makes no sense, not even in dual boot or virtualized, don't change the iPad, get a MacBook if you want that.

barkomatic

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2008 4,395 2,517 Manhattan
The only way I see Apple doing this is if when the iPad is attached to a keyboard it only runs MacOS and when its detached it only runs iOS. That way, you have a more flexible device but Apple preserves the integrity and use cases for both operating systems.

However, I think the in-between state can continue whereby if you attach a certain type of keyboard to the iPad it will function with iOS only--ala the Magic keyboard.
Reactions: NastyMatt

haydn!

macrumors 65816
Nov 10, 2008 1,142 1,273 UK
Essentially an iPad with a keyboard accessory is a notebook already. So I can’t see Apple releasing a product that develops this idea beyond what is already there anytime soon.

I also cannot see Apple enabling MacOS on iPads either. They’re different for a reason. But I think we’ll continue to see iPad OS to evolve to be more Mac like, but with the obvious touch first lens applied to UI and feature development. Basically a continuation of the last few major OS releases.

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