Do you use a Mac or an iPad? Huge numbers of people use both, yet there are growing calls for Apple to merge the two devices into some kind of all-in-one super product. I’m not one of those people — in fact I think it would be a terrible idea — and I’m determined to steer clear of any hypothetical iPad that runs macOS.
Over the past few years, Apple’s best iPads have grown closer to the Mac. We’ve seen the devices get outfitted with Mac-grade chips like the M4, gain macOS-like software features such as Stage Manager, and gain increased compatibility with mice and keyboards.
This has led a lot of people to wonder whether Apple plans to one day merge iPadOS and macOS, taking parts from each operating system and building something that can work on any Apple tablet or computer.
That’s not happening yet, but according to his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman believes that iPadOS 19 will be a major overhaul that will “make the tablet’s software more like macOS.”
While this should bring a whole host of benefits, I think we should be careful not to go further and demand that Apple brings the full-fat version of macOS to the iPad. Ultimately, there are a few reasons why this could be a bad idea.
Key areas for improvement
Gurman’s report claims that Apple plans to improve iPadOS in three main areas: “productivity, multitasking and app window management.” Gurman provides few details on how this will actually play out, but the idea that Apple is concentrating on these areas will be welcome news to iPad power users who have been crying out for more capable tools.
Apple is right to be focusing its efforts here. Currently, more advanced iPad features like Stage Manager are half-hearted and frustrating. They were introduced with much fanfare but have received few upgrades and improvements over the years, leaving them feeling stunted and half-forgotten.
Really, I can’t help but think that the state of Stage Manager is emblematic of the iPad as a whole. In some ways, the iPad — particularly high-end variants like the iPad Pro — currently sits somewhere between a computer and tablet. There’s not really enough for either iPad power users or Mac users who are thinking of ditching their laptops, leaving both groups unsatisfied.
So for Apple to be pouring attention on the areas that will give these users what they want is encouraging. While I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself here — there are precious few details in Gurman’s report, after all — it’s still good to hear.
The right call
Reports like this will probably also give succor to those people who have long called for Apple to merge iPadOS and macOS into a single operating system. After all, if the two systems keep getting closer, will it one day be simpler for Apple to just blend them into one?
This is an area where I have to disagree, and I strongly feel that Apple must keep the iPad and the Mac distinct. Combining them together will only create more problems than it will solve.
One reason is that iPadOS and macOS are designed for two different ways of working: the iPad focuses on touch while the Mac is mainly operated through a keyboard and mouse or trackpad. Sure, increasing numbers of people are using an iPad with the same peripherals as a Mac, but I strongly suspect that they are the minority of Apple tablet users.
That means that although there is some overlap between iPadOS and macOS, there are enough differences to warrant having two separate operating systems.
As well as that, the risks of merging the two systems are too great. Apple would have to make too many compromises and would end up with none of the distinct strengths of either system — a concern that Apple itself has voiced on multiple occasions. In this particular case, one size fits all doesn’t work for anyone.
Like my colleague Nadeem Sarwar, I’m looking forward to seeing what these upgrades to iPadOS 19 will entail. Many of the iPad features intended for power users have a long way to go before reaching their potential, and I’m hoping that Apple’s upcoming tweaks will help them get there.
But let’s not get too carried away — Gurman says that Apple isn’t merging iPadOS and macOS right now, and I can’t see it happening any time in the near future either. At the end of the day, that really feels like it’s the right call.