Apple letting the new iPad Pro run macOS would require major tradeoffs and touch on a Mac would lead to “a lot of flakey software that doesn't really work”

It is not unusual for customers to want the best of all worlds. It is why Detroit invented convertibles and el caminos. But the idea of a “dual boot” device is just nuts. It is guaranteed the only reality is it is running the wrong OS all the time for whatever you want to do....

@stevesi 2024-05-15 Steven Sinofsky

Context & Ripple Effects

The iPad Pro’s laptop-replacement ambitions have long run into interface limits: an earlier assessment found iOS on iPad Pro lacked precise pointer input, even as its multitasking improved. Later coverage of resizable app windows in iPadOS 16 showed Apple pursuing more desktop-like workflows within iPadOS rather than merging the platforms.

This analysis matters because it frames the boundary as a software-quality and interaction-model problem, not merely a matter of putting similar hardware on both product lines.

First-order effects

The argument pushes back on expectations that the new iPad Pro should dual-boot macOS, emphasizing that macOS touch support could compromise reliability and usability.
It reinforces Apple’s existing product distinction: iPad Pro remains centered on iPadOS, while Mac retains the desktop operating environment.

Second-order effects

Demand for advanced iPad workflows is more likely to focus on iPadOS multitasking, files, and input behavior than on a full macOS port; the prior call for a keyboard-and-trackpad “pro” mode illustrates that pressure.
Developers avoid an immediate requirement to adapt Mac software for touch-first interaction, but the split preserves separate expectations for iPad and Mac app design.

Third-order effects

If Apple continues narrowing workflow gaps through iPadOS rather than OS convergence, the industry’s 2-in-1 competition will remain centered on interface design and app ecosystems, not simply shared chips or form factors.
The durable tradeoff is segmentation versus convergence: a unified device can reduce platform boundaries, but may also weaken the clear interaction assumptions that make software dependable.

The trend: Tablet platforms are adding desktop-style productivity features while preserving distinct operating systems and interaction models.

Discussion

@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
“Come on, you can do this, Apple.” - @mgsiegler https://spyglass.org/... [image]
@joeg_lte @joeg_lte on x
@JoannaStern @mgsiegler Tech Enthusiasts: The iPad lineup is too confusing! No more Apple Pencil diagrams! The same tech enthusiasts after an iPad announcement: Half of the lineup should run a different operating system!
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
@MaxRovensky @JoannaStern And yet here I am replying to you on an iPad (where it's much better to run Xitter — and a number of other native apps), and later I'll switch to my MacBook to do “real work”. We can have this all in one device. We have the technology!
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
@stevesi Yeah yeah yeah, but they've had more than enough time with iPadOS — 14 years! — and it's just not anywhere near where it needs to be, which every review (of course) now focuses on. So either need to completely rethink OR... all I'm suggesting is a stop gap solution...
@jetscott Scott Stein on x
It can be done. Is this like Peter Pan where we all have to clap to make it happen
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
@stevesi I don't expect them to do this, of course. To your point, they sell a lot of Macs, they sell a lot of iPads. It's literally the “why not both?” meme. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be the best thing for (some) users. Regardless, need to fix iPadOS one way or another..…
@stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x
In other news: Exclusive: Google is experimenting with running Chrome OS on Android https://www.androidauthority.com/ ...
@titanas Stefanos on x
Some thoughts on the excellent analysis from Steven. 1. People supposedly wanted small iPhones, the reviewers certainly were vocal about it, but the reality was and is different. 2. As much as tech savvy people want to have a device on steroids they are a minority compared to...
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
@stevesi Let the people buying a $300 keyboard, who clearly are the pro market, boot macOS if they choose. Not like a standard feature, a power feature. THE power feature. Eventually, macOS is an app (!) on the iPad. Again, a pro environment.

Chronicles