Is the ultimate iPad a Mac?

Where is the future computer of Apple? Many of us must have asked that question at least once. Maybe you write or do everyday tasks on a MacBook. But you prefer to use iPad because it’s convenient, with a series of modern applications, flexible, and has come very close to the time can replace the MacBook. But after years of speculation, maybe the future of the iPad we’re still waiting for will come in a different shape, with a different name.

The latest iPad Pro is just a minor update, including the Lidar depth sensor on the rear camera assembly to better support advanced AR applications, and a more convenient keyboard integrated trackpad. But other than that, it’s similar to the previous-generation iPad Pro, which debuted a year and a half ago. The iPad Pro has only a few small changes that make us feel like nothing has changed at all. Perhaps new software will help this iPad evolve? WWDC can bring about those changes.

Indeed, during this year’s WWDC presentation, Apple announced many new features for the iPad on iPadOS 14. And there are some really useful features. Integrating handwriting recognition into the Apple Pencil means the pen has finally become a real writing tool, not just a painting tool. New style icons like widgets that float above the iPad’s homescreen make it feel more like a computer. Last year, Apple showed widgets in an iPad screen corner. This recent change is a small step, but it is welcome.

What about better multitasking? Many iPad applications will have sidebars similar to Macs, promising the ability to access files in a drag-and-drop way. Siri will respond better to context. Calls no longer cover the entire iPad screen. These can’t be called enhancements, but they are starting to make the iPad more Mac-like.

Meanwhile, on the Mac side, Apple also announced some intriguing information. Switching to new Apple-built processors – like the chips it has equipped with iPhones, iPads, and everything else – will set the stage for the Mac to crack new territory. Tim Cook sees this as an important moment – which is true.

The Monument Valley 2 game of iOS runs on macOS 11.0 Big Sur

Apple’s next Mac product line, and everything they promised, will run on chips not too different from the most advanced iPad processors. Apple has even tested macOS on the latest iPad Pro A12Z chip. And ARM-based Macs will run both iOS and iPadOS applications.

Meanwhile, the latest macOS version will be equipped with more features like iOS even more. From the Control Center to the design philosophy, when you look at the apps, you’ll probably forget they are running on Mac or iPad.

There have been many rumors that iPad and Mac will eventually combine into one. Everything at WWDC this year shows that Mac and iPad are coming together. The only question is how long it will take, and what the final product will look like.

Maybe it’s an iPad with multiple application windows, more flexible compatibility with Mac applications. An iPad hardware running macOS. An iPad in the form of a laptop. Or simply the current iPad Pro with a keyboard, but over the generations has become more flawless. One that better meets everyone’s work needs and is able to connect with more accessories. Something that manages files better.

At the moment, the iPad is probably the computer of the future, and the Mac is an old device. Each year, the iPad comes close to replacing computers. Will Apple revive the idea of ​​a Mac, with the iPad’s ARM chipset? Maybe such a device will be able to do everything that the iPad has not yet done, and integrate the typical iPad features. A touch-screen Mac, Pencil support, compact, and can be used as a tablet?

No one knows what will happen. But it’s not crazy if you think the future Mac will be one with the iPad. And that device will be the true successor to the iPad Pro – something that should be here right now, but still being developed somewhere, waiting for the first release.

Reference: CNET