“Apple says it’s not going to happen, but I think we’ll see a tablet running Mac OS X within two years,” Dennis Sellers writes for Apple World Today. “Why? The decline in annual tablet shipments reached double digits for the first time on record in 2015, according to TrendForce. A Mac tablet (the MacPad?) could re-invigorate sales for Apple.”
“The problem isn’t the hardware. The iPad Pro’s A9X chip is beefy enough,” Sellers writes. “The problem is that iOS simply isn’t nearly as good at multitasking as OS X. For example, it doesn’t support overlapping, movable, resizable windows from multiple apps.”
“Why not simply release a tablet with OS X that’s been updated with touchscreen support?” Sellers writes. “This would offer the best of both worlds (OS X and a touch screen) on a Mac tablet that could easily double as a laptop by attaching a future generation version of the Smart Keyboard.”
MacDailyNews Take: Technically, iOS is “OS X that’s been updated with touchscreen support.” What Dennis Sellers really wants is that with which he’s become comfortable: a traditional file system; an iOS Finder. What you really have to see is anyone under the age of 12, largely untainted by previous computing paradigms, using an iPad. That is the future, not porting anachronisms to iPads.
That said, as we’ve asked many times over the past few years: Anyone in the market for a 12.9-inch device that’s an OS X-powered MacBook when docked with its keyboard base and an iOS-powered iPad when undocked?
Illustration from Apple’s hybrid Mac-iPad patent application
So what’s your point, Scott? Are you saying that Apple wastes a lot of money on useless patents?
As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing that iOS can do that Mac OS cannot. If people desire touchscreens, fine. But a product that looks, smells, and acts like a Microsoft Surface is going to perform like the kludged mess it is.
Apple needs to improve iOS and Mac OS, not follow Microsoft.
I would be happy if I could have the same apps I have on my iPad on my computer rather than having to think different when working on each a lot of the time. Evernote can do that as can some others but far too many don’t have their true equivalents.
Not having a finder is like going back to a Commodore 64. The files you created were only viewable from the original program used to create the file.
This means you have to either remember the correct keyword for spotlight or remember which app created the file you are looking for.
Don’t get me wrong I like my iPad Pro. By far the best device in its category. However, a finder could make life easier in many instances.
Or anyone who works on projects and likes to keep all the related material together. Or anyone running a business. Or anyone, really, doing any real work.
i’m really talking about pro apps for the graphic artist market. apple made this wonderful extension to the ipad pro with the apple pencil. however, there is no photoshop, illustrator, etc., to convince the graphic pros that this is a viable option and until the time comes when provided a platform on the ipad pro for those types of apps, i believe the ipad pro will be a secondary choice.
Not everything ‘old’ is bad. In making things more simple for non-computer type people, Apple has certainly raised the average, at the expense of the computer literate. Non-upgradability, for instance, but no accessible file system and limited multitasking as well. In these regards, the ‘future’ is stepping backwards.
That said, I like MDN’s MacBook Surface ‘toaster fridge’ idea.
Ah, but MDN’s idea is not a “toaster fridge.” It is very elegant and Apple would sell tons of them. Apple could sell iPads as iPads and the new Apple MacPad which comes with an iPad or without (for those who already have compatible iPads).
I could easily see OS X on an iPad for productivity reasons, but the touch interface is the downside when you are doing any kind of complex multilevel, multi-step computing operation, so……..whatever.
There is a lot more to the use of electronics than just entertainment consumption, and that really is 90% of the iPad/touch interface usefulness.
I’m on the edge between paradigms… …I still really prefer my Mac most of the time for most things that involve my doing something and my mobile for consuming experiences….
….however messaging falls somewhere between. I was using fb this morning to have a convo – sometimes from my MBA and sometimes from my phone…. …and at one point going to answer on the Mac found myself trying to use the physical keyboard to swype type, lol…..
First, the article says nothing about Finder at all, so when you say “what he really wants” you’re just making things up. No, what he really wants is what he says he wants: better multi-tasking.
And, no, iOS is not “OSX that’s been updated for touchscreen support.” iOS is OSX that was *stripped down* and then updated for touchscreen support.
As just one example, I would love to have native RAW support, and to be able to use real Lightroom, not LR Mobile, which is a paler, and much less capable, imitation of LR than iOS is of OSX.
It’s not a deal-breaker; I have an iPad and love it. But I could do so much more with it if it was better that things that OSX is already better at it. So, sure, they can continue to bring new capabilities to iOS, but at some point, isn’t it just easier to go the other way? I guarantee you Apple has it running somewhere.
And finally, yes, your idea is exactly what I’ve expected Cupertino to actually do, and am somewhat surprised they haven’t already. To me, the keyboard on the new MacBook was the final piece — it let the bottom portion be as thin as possible so that the screen could be a little bit thicker to accommodate the iPad and still have a very thin laptop.
I don’t see this happening.
most likely not, but i wouldn’t mind if it did.
might as well have the flexibility.
So Timmy is going to release an Apple Surface?
I hope not.
Apple files lots of patents some of which never get used, Mikey.
So what’s your point, Scott? Are you saying that Apple wastes a lot of money on useless patents?
As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing that iOS can do that Mac OS cannot. If people desire touchscreens, fine. But a product that looks, smells, and acts like a Microsoft Surface is going to perform like the kludged mess it is.
Apple needs to improve iOS and Mac OS, not follow Microsoft.
I would be happy if I could have the same apps I have on my iPad on my computer rather than having to think different when working on each a lot of the time. Evernote can do that as can some others but far too many don’t have their true equivalents.
Not having a finder is like going back to a Commodore 64. The files you created were only viewable from the original program used to create the file.
This means you have to either remember the correct keyword for spotlight or remember which app created the file you are looking for.
Don’t get me wrong I like my iPad Pro. By far the best device in its category. However, a finder could make life easier in many instances.
Grumpy. As in: Grumpy Old Man.
The really proficient iPad users aren’t clamoring for an “iOS FInder.” Only those who cannot let go and embrace a new paradigm for personal computing.
Or anyone who works on projects and likes to keep all the related material together. Or anyone running a business. Or anyone, really, doing any real work.
+10000000 0 0.
IOS needs to be able to have two documents on the split screen in the same app i.e. Pages and Numbers.
Old people hate letting go.
Screw off sonny!
and someday you will be an old person
DS can only hope to get older and not fall prey to Darwinism.
I hate that Apple is following MS with bad ideas. God.
apple wants to tap into the pro market with the ipad pro? then it needs to run pro apps and that’s only going to happen with a full os.
Talk to IBM, they have developed many “pro” apps for the iPad. Remember Apple made $20 billion in services.
Pretty face with mainframe backend. .
i’m really talking about pro apps for the graphic artist market. apple made this wonderful extension to the ipad pro with the apple pencil. however, there is no photoshop, illustrator, etc., to convince the graphic pros that this is a viable option and until the time comes when provided a platform on the ipad pro for those types of apps, i believe the ipad pro will be a secondary choice.
Not everything ‘old’ is bad. In making things more simple for non-computer type people, Apple has certainly raised the average, at the expense of the computer literate. Non-upgradability, for instance, but no accessible file system and limited multitasking as well. In these regards, the ‘future’ is stepping backwards.
That said, I like MDN’s MacBook Surface ‘toaster fridge’ idea.
Ah, but MDN’s idea is not a “toaster fridge.” It is very elegant and Apple would sell tons of them. Apple could sell iPads as iPads and the new Apple MacPad which comes with an iPad or without (for those who already have compatible iPads).
+5
Without requiring the purchase of an new iPad? Never happen. Not this Apple. As it is you can’t expand memory when you fill it.
BTW, you forgot ‘magical’. 🙂
I could easily see OS X on an iPad for productivity reasons, but the touch interface is the downside when you are doing any kind of complex multilevel, multi-step computing operation, so……..whatever.
There is a lot more to the use of electronics than just entertainment consumption, and that really is 90% of the iPad/touch interface usefulness.
I’m on the edge between paradigms… …I still really prefer my Mac most of the time for most things that involve my doing something and my mobile for consuming experiences….
….however messaging falls somewhere between. I was using fb this morning to have a convo – sometimes from my MBA and sometimes from my phone…. …and at one point going to answer on the Mac found myself trying to use the physical keyboard to swype type, lol…..
First, the article says nothing about Finder at all, so when you say “what he really wants” you’re just making things up. No, what he really wants is what he says he wants: better multi-tasking.
And, no, iOS is not “OSX that’s been updated for touchscreen support.” iOS is OSX that was *stripped down* and then updated for touchscreen support.
As just one example, I would love to have native RAW support, and to be able to use real Lightroom, not LR Mobile, which is a paler, and much less capable, imitation of LR than iOS is of OSX.
It’s not a deal-breaker; I have an iPad and love it. But I could do so much more with it if it was better that things that OSX is already better at it. So, sure, they can continue to bring new capabilities to iOS, but at some point, isn’t it just easier to go the other way? I guarantee you Apple has it running somewhere.
And finally, yes, your idea is exactly what I’ve expected Cupertino to actually do, and am somewhat surprised they haven’t already. To me, the keyboard on the new MacBook was the final piece — it let the bottom portion be as thin as possible so that the screen could be a little bit thicker to accommodate the iPad and still have a very thin laptop.