As noted by AppleInsider in 2023, leaker Majin Bu claimed in October 2022 that Apple is working on a version of macOS exclusively for the M2 iPad Pro. I’m skeptical, but I’d love to see this happen.
Bu said it will be a “smaller” version of the operating system and arrive in2023. He added that testing is being done with a 25% larger macOS user interface so it would still be suitable for touch. However, apps running on the product would purportedly still be iPad-optimized versions, not macOS ones.
However, as AppleInsider pointed out, “it isn’t clear why Apple would move the iPad to a macOS interface in a half-step like this.” If the tech giant is planning on bringing macOS to the iPad Pro, let’s have the real deal. Go big or go home.
There’s another issue, however: writing for iMore, Lloyd Coombes said an iPad running macOS would be very confusing.
He wrote: “For one, the aforementioned confusion about the iPad lineup is difficult enough when it comes to peripherals and features, but can you imagine trying to work out which iPad to buy if you want a macOS experience?”
The most obvious solution would not be to call an Apple tablet running macOS an iPad, but a Mac Pad. As I’ve said before, I’d love to see such a device. Here’s what I envision as my ultimate Apple device:
Imagine an iPad Pro form factor (a Mac Pad) that works with a detachable keyboard, as well as a mouse and trackpad. Imagine such a device plugging into a 21-inch or 27-inch Apple display when you need a bigger screen. You could also plug in an external GPU for even better performance and connect external drives for more storage.
Apple actually was granted a patent in 2006 for such a system. Apple has filed a patent for an Integrated monitor and docking station for a laptop its been unearthed. The docking station would allow a laptop (or, in my scenario, a Mac Pad) to be slid into the design from the side and then acting as a desktop computer.
The Apple Pad would pack an Apple-developed processor and could be offered in various sizes: 11 inches, 13 inches, 15 inches, perhaps even 16 inches.
Under this scenario, when you want a big screen, keyboard, lots of processing power, etc., you would use the Apple Pad/Apple Display/eGPU combo. When you’re on the go, detach the Apple Pad and take it with you.
Apple made a similar product many years ago. It used a laptop-sized version of the current then-current Mac. The downsized unit could be placed into a home station for connection to a monitor, external drives, etc. The home station had a mechanism for insertion and connection similar to a VCR that would grab the computer and gently move it into place, or slowly release it safely. You could connect it by serial cable to other equipment. I never bought the home station, but I used the laptop computer extensively for taking notes at meetings of professional societies, and other off-site activities. It was a good solution at the time, and I enjoyed it.