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I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. The rumors about an upcoming touchscree

I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. The rumors about an upcoming touchscreen Mac are interesting, perhaps Apple will deign to make their ridiculously overpowered SOCs usable for general purpose computing. A man can dream..

reaperducer 1y ago
I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. It's a nice problem to have, since for most of computing history it's been the other way around. (Meaning the hardware was the constraint, not the OS.)
- dijit 1y ago
  I suppose, that's an interesting way of framing it - yet in my gut I feel like I am paying for something that I am locked away from. Sometimes though Youtube will make the iPad uncomfortably hot and consume the battery at an insane pace. So, I guess there's someone using the performance.
- jchw 1y ago
  I disagree. For a lot of the personal computing era, the problems with OSes and hardware were mostly a matter of technical progress. The problem with iPadOS is totally different; it's a problem that was basically manufactured in and of itself, and completely artificial at that. I do not think this is a good problem to have at all.
  - dangus 1y ago
    I don’t think you’re representing the state of iPad accurately. In iPadOS 26, more extensive multi-window multitasking like Mac was added. The quantity of windows you can keep open at once depends on your iPad’s SoC. If you have a newer Pro iPad with more memory you can keep more of them open and slow down happens further down the rabbit hole. The hardware is being pushed and used. As another example, the iPad has pretty intensive legitimate professional content creation apps now (Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, and others). So there are people out there pushing the hardware, although I’ll join those who will say that it’s not for me specifically.
    - jchw 1y ago
      I don't suggest the problem is that the hardware can't be "pushed and used", the problem is that the hardware is being artificially limited by Apple for some unknowable reason. (Well, the reason is knowable, but I'm sure some would dispute it anyways. It's very clearly an extreme defense of their 30% cut on all software that runs on iOS devices.) This is not a question, it doesn't matter what people are doing with iPads, it really is happening. A good example, the first iPad with hardware virtualization support in its CPU could initially run VMs provided you had a jailbreak, but then Apple entirely removed the virtualization framework from the following iPadOS update. There is no particular reason a general purpose computer should be "not for me specifically" in terms of what you can do in software. In terms of design, sure. But not in terms of what you can do in software. (I have a suspicion the same reason is responsible for why you basically don't find open source software on iOS devices the way you would on even Android or Windows; it doesn't make any money to take a cut out of.)
      - deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
- bigyabai 1y ago
  I don't think hardware has been a real constraint since the Pentium era. We've been living in a world of CPU surplus for close to 2 and a half decades, now.
  - dylan604 1y ago
    I've been RAM limited more than CPU limited for some time. In my personal workflows, 32GB was not enough and I'd receive out of memory errors. I bumped that up to 64GB and the memory errors went away. This was in a Hackintosh so RAM upgrades were possible. I've never tried an M* series chip to see how it would behave with the same workflow with the lower RAM available in affordable machines.
- sib 1y ago
  >> I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. > It's a nice problem to have, since for most of computing history it's been the other way around. (Meaning the hardware was the constraint, not the OS.) For anyone who works with (full-size) image or video processing, the hardware is still the constraint... Things like high-ISO noise reduction are a 20-second process for a single image. I would be happy to have a laptop that was 10x as fast as my MacBook Pro.
doctoboggan 1y ago
> The rumors about an upcoming touchscreen Mac are interesting What rumors have you seen? Anytime I've seen speculation, Apple execs seem to shut that idea down. Is there more evidence this is happening? If anything, Apple's recent moves to "macify" iPadOS indicate their strategy is to tempt people over into the locked down ecosystem, rather than bring the (more) open macOS to the iPad.
- wlesieutre 1y ago
  https://x.com/mingchikuo/status/1968249865940709538 https://x.com/mingchikuo/status/1968249865940709538 > @mingchikuo > MacBook models will feature a touch panel for the first time, further blurring the line with the iPad. This shift appears to reflect Apple’s long-term observation of iPad user behavior, indicating that in certain scenarios, touch controls can enhance both productivity and the overall user experience. > 1. The OLED MacBook Pro, expected to enter mass production by late 2026, will incorporate a touch panel using on-cell touch technology. > 2. The more affordable MacBook model powered by an iPhone processor, slated for mass production in 4Q25, will not support a touch panel. Specifications for its second-generation version, anticipated in 2027, remain under discussion and could include touch support.
- cosmic_cheese 1y ago
  Current rumors point to the M6 generation of MBPs being a significant redesign and featuring an OLED touch panel screen. I don't understand the appeal, even a little bit. Reaching up to touch the screen is awkward, and every large touchpanel I've used has had to trade off antiglare coating effectiveness to accomodate oleophobic coating. For me, this would be an objective downgrade — the touch capability would never get used, but poor antiglare would be a constant thorn in my side. I can only hope that it's an option and not mandatory, and I may upgrade once the M5 generation releases (which is supposedly just a spec bump) as insurance.
  - mc32 1y ago
    Smudges are off-putting... but, there are times when it would be very convenient to be able to scroll or click on a touchscreen. There are times when presenting when a touchscreen would be preferred over a mouse or touchpad. It's not often, but they are nice to have. And, in regards to smudges, I mean, just don't use the touchscreen unless you have to and problem avoided. Antiglare can be a thing but that can be avoided by avoiding string lighting behind you.
zaptrem 1y ago
> perhaps Apple will deign to make their ridiculously overpowered SOCs usable for general purpose computing They've been doing exactly this since the first M1 MacBooks came out in 2020.
ajross 1y ago
> can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower That's sort of the funny thing here. Apple's situation is almost the perfect inverse of Intel's. Intel fell completely off the wagon[1], but they did so at exactly the moment where the arc of innovation hit a wall and could do the least damage. They're merely bad, but are still selling plenty of chips and their devices work... just fine! Apple, on the other hand, launched a shocking, world-beating product line that destroys its competition in basically all measurable ways into a market that... just doesn't care that much anymore. All the stuff we want to spend transistors on moved into the cloud. Games live on GPUs and not unified SOCs. A handful of AI nerds does not much of a market make. And iOS... I mean, as mentioned what are you even going to do with all that? Even the comparatively-very-disappointing Pixel 10 (I haven't even upgrade my 9!) is still a totally great all-day phone with great features. [1] As of right now, unless 18A rides in to save them, Intel's best process is almost five YEARS behind the industry leader's.
- tyleo 1y ago
  It’s surprising to me MacBooks have such low market share. I got my first Mac after using Windows all my life and I’m stunned. The laptop: 1. Lasts all day on battery 2. Doesn’t get hot 3. Compiles code twice as fast as my new Windows desktop I really don’t like macOS but I’ve shifted to recommending Mac to all my friends and family given the battery, portability and, and speed.
  - ajross 1y ago
    I won't buy or recommend one just on principle. I've spent way too much of my life advocating for open firmware and user-customizable systems to throw it all in the trash for a few hours of battery. I absolutely tell everyone they're the best, and why, but my daily driver has been a Linux box of some form (OK fine I have a windows rig for gaming too) for decades, and that's not changing. Also, again, most folks just don't care. And of the remainder: > Compiles code twice as fast as my new Windows desktop That's because MS's filesystem layer has been garbage since NT was launched decades ago and they've never managed to catch up. Also if you're not apples/applesing and are measuring native C/C++ builds: VS is an OK optimizer but lags clang badly in build speed. The actual CPU is faster, but not by nearly 2x.
cromka 1y ago
Since Apple actually makes a significant amount of money selling hardware itself, I really wonder why they actually wouldn't allow people to install Linux on it, with a full support. After all, it's not like this would jeopardize macOS/iPadOS AppStore earnings — Linux users would simply buy into Apple Hardware they haven't even considered before, and only a fraction of macOS/iPadOS users would switch to using Linux.
- socalgal2 1y ago
  do they disallow it or just not provide active support? Active support requires paying for employees to keep it working. Ignoring it and having volunteers do it requires nothing.
  - cromka 1y ago
    You make it sound like these are the only two options, meanwhile what they _most importantly_ fail to deliver is documentation. And that's for macOS. For any other platgorm they actively prohibit any third party operating systems.
  - bee_rider 1y ago
    I think the comment up one was about Linux on the iPad, which is mostly impossible. Well, iirc there are some projects to get, like, Alpine Linux running inside iOS, but it is emulated or something, and pretty slow, no gui, quite limited, etc etc.
- dangus 1y ago
  Last I checked, Apple makes more revenue on services than on Mac and iPad combined. With higher profit margins.
runjake 1y ago
Questions for you: 1. If you don't know what to do with it, why did you buy it? 2. If you wanted a general purpose computer, why did you buy an iPad? 3. Which iPadOS limitations are particularly painful for you?
- Rohansi 1y ago
  There are other differences with the iPad Pro lineup unrelated to the SoC. It's just strange to think that a very capable laptop chip is being put into a device with far more limitations.
  - runjake 1y ago
    I'd rather that than an underpowered chip. It was mentioned, as almost a side comment somewhere, that the M chip is in there for multitasking and higher end image/video editing for "Pros". I could certainly use the M4 in an iPad Pro for iPadOS 26 and it's multitasking. I run into occasional slowness when multitasking on my M2 iPad Air.
- AlphaAndOmega0 1y ago
  1. I do know what to do with it. I take notes, a lot, in my work as a doctor. That's been the case since I owned an iPad Air from 2020, which I replaced with an 11 inch M1 iPad Pro (which broke), and I finally caved and bought a 13" iPad Pro to replace it. I ended up getting the M4 model because there just didn't seem to be older ones reasonably available. Even the M1 was more than fast enough for the overwhelming majority of iPadOS applicantions. Why an iPad? Android tablets have been... not great for a long time. The pencil is very handy, and the ecosystem has the best apps. Also, I know a few rather handy tricks Safari can do, such as exporting entire webpages as PDF after a full-screen screenshot, that are very useful to my workflow. 2. I already own multiple general purpose computers. They're not as convenient as an iPad. My ridiculously powerful PC or even my decent laptop doesn't allow the same workflow. However, that's not an intentional software limitation, it's a consequence of their form factor, so I can't hold Microsoft to blame. On the other hand,Apple could easily make an iPad equivalent to a MacBook by getting out of the way. 3. The inability/difficulty of side-loading apps, the restriction to a locked down store. Refusing to make an interface that would allow for laptop-equivalent usage with an external/Bluetooth m+k. You can use an external monitor, but a 13" screen should already be perfectly good if window management and M+K usage wasn't subpar. Macs and iPads have near identical chips (the differences between an M chip for either are minor), and just being able to run MacOs apps on device would be very handy. Apple has allowed for developer opt-out emulation of iOS and iPadOS apps on Mac for a while now, why not the other way around? If not obvious from the fact that I'm commenting on HN, I would gain utility from terminal access, the ability to compile and run apps on device, a better filesystem etc. Apple doesn't allow x86 emulators, nor can I just install Proton or Wine. If I can't side-load on a whim, it's not a general purpose computer. I can't use a browser that isn't just reskinned Safari, which rules out a great deal of obvious utility. There are a whole host of possible classes of apps, such as a torrent manager, which are allowed on other platforms but not on iPadOS. It's bullshit. My pc and laptop simply aren't as convenient for the things I need an iPad for, and they can't be. On the other hand, my iPad could easily do many things I rely on a PC for, if Apple would get out of the way. iPadOS 26 is a step in the right direction, but there's dozens left to go.
lanza 1y ago
> I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. Literally everything you do gets the full power of the chips. They finish tasks faster using less power than previous chips. They can then use smaller batteries and thinner devices. A higher ceiling on performance is only one aspect of an upgraded CPU. A lower floor on energy consumed per task is typically much more important for mobile devices.
- mort96 1y ago
  Right but what if I don't notice the difference between rendering a web page taking 100ms and it taking 50ms? What if I don't notice the difference between video playback consuming 20% of the chip's available compute and it consuming 10%?
  - GeekyBear 1y ago
    I'm pretty sure that users of the announced Blender for iPad port will notice any additional horsepower.
    - beeflet 1y ago
      what users?
  - simonh 1y ago
    Faster can also mean more efficient for a lot of tasks, because the cpu can idle sooner so your battery can last longer, or be smaller and lighter.
  - Aurornis 1y ago
    > but what if I don't notice the difference between rendering a web page taking 100ms and it taking 50ms? You probably won’t notice this when using the new machine. For me, it only becomes noticeable when I go back to something slower. It’s easy to take the new speed as a given. > What if I don't notice the difference between video playback consuming 20% of the chip's available compute and it consuming 10%? You would notice it in increased battery life. A CPU that finishes the task faster and more efficiently will get back into low power mode quicker.
jsheard 1y ago
It'll get even weirder if the rumoured MacBook Lite with an iPhone processor ends up happening. Incredibly powerful tablets constrained by a dumbed down operating system, sold right next to much weaker laptops running a full fat desktop environment.
- gloxkiqcza 1y ago
  Well A19 Pro beats M1 in benchmarks so while the rumored MacBook might be weaker than mid to high-end iPads, it won’t be a slow machine in general.
- dangus 1y ago
  Is that really rumored? Sounds like kind of a weak rumor to me. The MacBook Air already exists. Apple already makes low cost versions of those, which are the previous models that they continue to manufacture.
  - jsheard 1y ago
    https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/30/new-macbook-with-a18-chip-spotted/ https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/30/new-macbook-with-a18-ch... Apparently there are references to it in macOS already.
    - dangus 1y ago
      Interesting, seems like an odd choice but maybe the smaller SoC package brings costs down. I wonder if Apple will finally be making the $500 laptop they always claimed they couldn’t make.
socalgal2 1y ago
AFAICT, lots of "AI" related stuff runs slow on M1,M2,M3,M4 I don't know if this already exists but it would be nice to see these added to benchmarks. Maybe it's possible to get Apple devices to do stable diffusion and related tech faster and just needs some incentives (winning benchmarks) for people to spend some effort. Otherwise though, my Apple Silicon is way slower than my consumer level NVidia Silicon
- liuliu 1y ago
  No, iPad Pro won't be faster than 4090s or 4070s (or even 5% of the speed of 4090). But newer chips might contain Neural Accelerator to close the gap a little bit (i.e. 10%??). (I maintain https://apps.apple.com/us/app/draw-things-ai-generation/id6444050820 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/draw-things-ai-generation/id64...)
  - sroussey 1y ago
    What improvements did the A19 Pro provide for Draw Things?
    - liuliu 1y ago
      https://releases.drawthings.ai/p/iphone-17-pro-doubles-ai-performance https://releases.drawthings.ai/p/iphone-17-pro-doubles-ai-pe...
      - sroussey 1y ago
        That's amazing! Curious how this will translate to the M5 Pro/Max Macs...
Fwirt 1y ago
There are a number of interesting creative apps for iPad that can make full use of its capabilities. A good example is Nomad Sculpt. There's also CAD software, many DAWs. I haven't tested Numbers yet but I would assume its fairly well optimized. This really reminds me of the 80/20 articles that made the frontpage yesterday. Just because a lot of HN users lament the fact that their 20% needs (can't run an LLM or compile large projects on an iPad) aren't met by an iPad doesn't mean that most people's needs can't be satisfied in a walled garden. The tablet form factor really is superior for a number of creative tasks where you can be both "hands on" with your work and "untethered". Nomad Sculpt in particular just feels like magic to me, with an Apple Pencil it's almost like being back in my high school pottery class without getting my hands dirty. And a lot of the time when you're doing creative work you're not necessarily doing a lot of tabbing back and forth, being able to float reference material over the top of your workspace is enough. At this point Apple still recognizes that there is a large enough audience to keep selling MacBooks that are still general purpose computing devices to people who need them. Given their recent missteps in software, time will tell if they continue to recognize that need.
- mort96 1y ago
  I would not want to use CAD software or a DAW without a proper mouse and keyboard, and maybe a 3D mouse too. An interface made for touch really isn't suitable. Even connecting a mouse to an iPad is a pretty shitty experience, since all the UI elements are too big and you have to wait around for animations to finish all the time.
  - scarface_74 1y ago
    How is connecting a blue tooth mouse to an iPad any different than connecting to a computer? Especially with iPad OS 26?
    - monkmartinez 1y ago
      That is just one very simple part, connecting the mouse. Literally everything else sucks on iOS. File management, hidden menus, running multiple apps, system management... and the list goes on. Need to convert a STEP file to something else on the iPad? Download 15 apps to see which one works, then try to find the converted file in the abomination of a file system? iOS is hot garbage.
cainxinth 1y ago
I buy the higher end Apple products not because I plan to use all their power immediately, but because I keep my devices a very long time and want them to retain usability right to the end.
- nerdsniper 1y ago
  Same here. My launch-day M1 MBP is starting to show its age finally, M5 with twice the perf will be a nice upgrade.
  - addandsubtract 1y ago
    Is it, tough? I feel like everything on my M1 is still as snappy as it was on day 1. My previous MacBook definitely showed it's game after 4 years, but I'm happy to use this one for at least another 2-4.
    - Marsymars 1y ago
      For me it was the memory limits more than CPU speed. Discord, Slack, Teams and a browser, and 16gb on my M1 was basically used up.
      - pylotlight 1y ago
        And here I am struggling with the 32gb version, always need more :P
    - prawn 1y ago
      Mine is an M1 Max and gives me no gripes after four years. Like you, I also felt as though past laptops felt their age sooner. I'm typically using Photoshop, Lightroom, Resolve, Docker and other usual stuff at any given time.
      - rkomorn 1y ago
        I wasn't super informed on the Apple silicon laptops, so I was kind of disappointed when my last job gave me a 2-3 year old M1 Max laptop. It blew the doors off every other laptop and desktop I've had (before or since). When I think back to how quickly obsolete things became when I was younger (ie 90s and 00s), today's devices seem to last forever.
bapak 1y ago
> I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower Look at glassy UIs. Worth it.
layer8 1y ago
The iPadOS limitations are largely orthogonal to being able to make use of the available performance, IMO. For example, search in large PDFs could certainly still be faster, and I don’t think it particularly suffers from iPadOS limitations.
adrr 1y ago
Emulators because IpadOs doesn’t allow dynamic dispatch so you need as much CPU as possible.
Aurornis 1y ago
> Apple will deign to make their ridiculously overpowered SOCs usable for general purpose computing Did everyone forget that these chips started in general purpose MacBooks and were later put in the iPad? If general purpose computing is the goal you can get a cheap Mac Mini

reaperducer 1y ago

I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. It's a nice problem to have, since for most of computing history it's been the other way around. (Meaning the hardware was the constraint, not the OS.)

dijit 1y ago
I suppose, that's an interesting way of framing it - yet in my gut I feel like I am paying for something that I am locked away from. Sometimes though Youtube will make the iPad uncomfortably hot and consume the battery at an insane pace. So, I guess there's someone using the performance.
jchw 1y ago
I disagree. For a lot of the personal computing era, the problems with OSes and hardware were mostly a matter of technical progress. The problem with iPadOS is totally different; it's a problem that was basically manufactured in and of itself, and completely artificial at that. I do not think this is a good problem to have at all.
- dangus 1y ago
  I don’t think you’re representing the state of iPad accurately. In iPadOS 26, more extensive multi-window multitasking like Mac was added. The quantity of windows you can keep open at once depends on your iPad’s SoC. If you have a newer Pro iPad with more memory you can keep more of them open and slow down happens further down the rabbit hole. The hardware is being pushed and used. As another example, the iPad has pretty intensive legitimate professional content creation apps now (Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, and others). So there are people out there pushing the hardware, although I’ll join those who will say that it’s not for me specifically.
  - jchw 1y ago
    I don't suggest the problem is that the hardware can't be "pushed and used", the problem is that the hardware is being artificially limited by Apple for some unknowable reason. (Well, the reason is knowable, but I'm sure some would dispute it anyways. It's very clearly an extreme defense of their 30% cut on all software that runs on iOS devices.) This is not a question, it doesn't matter what people are doing with iPads, it really is happening. A good example, the first iPad with hardware virtualization support in its CPU could initially run VMs provided you had a jailbreak, but then Apple entirely removed the virtualization framework from the following iPadOS update. There is no particular reason a general purpose computer should be "not for me specifically" in terms of what you can do in software. In terms of design, sure. But not in terms of what you can do in software. (I have a suspicion the same reason is responsible for why you basically don't find open source software on iOS devices the way you would on even Android or Windows; it doesn't make any money to take a cut out of.)
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
bigyabai 1y ago
I don't think hardware has been a real constraint since the Pentium era. We've been living in a world of CPU surplus for close to 2 and a half decades, now.
- dylan604 1y ago
  I've been RAM limited more than CPU limited for some time. In my personal workflows, 32GB was not enough and I'd receive out of memory errors. I bumped that up to 64GB and the memory errors went away. This was in a Hackintosh so RAM upgrades were possible. I've never tried an M* series chip to see how it would behave with the same workflow with the lower RAM available in affordable machines.
sib 1y ago
>> I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. > It's a nice problem to have, since for most of computing history it's been the other way around. (Meaning the hardware was the constraint, not the OS.) For anyone who works with (full-size) image or video processing, the hardware is still the constraint... Things like high-ISO noise reduction are a 20-second process for a single image. I would be happy to have a laptop that was 10x as fast as my MacBook Pro.

doctoboggan 1y ago

> The rumors about an upcoming touchscreen Mac are interesting What rumors have you seen? Anytime I've seen speculation, Apple execs seem to shut that idea down. Is there more evidence this is happening? If anything, Apple's recent moves to "macify" iPadOS indicate their strategy is to tempt people over into the locked down ecosystem, rather than bring the (more) open macOS to the iPad.

wlesieutre 1y ago
https://x.com/mingchikuo/status/1968249865940709538 https://x.com/mingchikuo/status/1968249865940709538 > @mingchikuo > MacBook models will feature a touch panel for the first time, further blurring the line with the iPad. This shift appears to reflect Apple’s long-term observation of iPad user behavior, indicating that in certain scenarios, touch controls can enhance both productivity and the overall user experience. > 1. The OLED MacBook Pro, expected to enter mass production by late 2026, will incorporate a touch panel using on-cell touch technology. > 2. The more affordable MacBook model powered by an iPhone processor, slated for mass production in 4Q25, will not support a touch panel. Specifications for its second-generation version, anticipated in 2027, remain under discussion and could include touch support.
cosmic_cheese 1y ago
Current rumors point to the M6 generation of MBPs being a significant redesign and featuring an OLED touch panel screen. I don't understand the appeal, even a little bit. Reaching up to touch the screen is awkward, and every large touchpanel I've used has had to trade off antiglare coating effectiveness to accomodate oleophobic coating. For me, this would be an objective downgrade — the touch capability would never get used, but poor antiglare would be a constant thorn in my side. I can only hope that it's an option and not mandatory, and I may upgrade once the M5 generation releases (which is supposedly just a spec bump) as insurance.
- mc32 1y ago
  Smudges are off-putting... but, there are times when it would be very convenient to be able to scroll or click on a touchscreen. There are times when presenting when a touchscreen would be preferred over a mouse or touchpad. It's not often, but they are nice to have. And, in regards to smudges, I mean, just don't use the touchscreen unless you have to and problem avoided. Antiglare can be a thing but that can be avoided by avoiding string lighting behind you.

zaptrem 1y ago

> perhaps Apple will deign to make their ridiculously overpowered SOCs usable for general purpose computing They've been doing exactly this since the first M1 MacBooks came out in 2020.

ajross 1y ago

> can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower That's sort of the funny thing here. Apple's situation is almost the perfect inverse of Intel's. Intel fell completely off the wagon[1], but they did so at exactly the moment where the arc of innovation hit a wall and could do the least damage. They're merely bad, but are still selling plenty of chips and their devices work... just fine! Apple, on the other hand, launched a shocking, world-beating product line that destroys its competition in basically all measurable ways into a market that... just doesn't care that much anymore. All the stuff we want to spend transistors on moved into the cloud. Games live on GPUs and not unified SOCs. A handful of AI nerds does not much of a market make. And iOS... I mean, as mentioned what are you even going to do with all that? Even the comparatively-very-disappointing Pixel 10 (I haven't even upgrade my 9!) is still a totally great all-day phone with great features. [1] As of right now, unless 18A rides in to save them, Intel's best process is almost five YEARS behind the industry leader's.

tyleo 1y ago
It’s surprising to me MacBooks have such low market share. I got my first Mac after using Windows all my life and I’m stunned. The laptop: 1. Lasts all day on battery 2. Doesn’t get hot 3. Compiles code twice as fast as my new Windows desktop I really don’t like macOS but I’ve shifted to recommending Mac to all my friends and family given the battery, portability and, and speed.
- ajross 1y ago
  I won't buy or recommend one just on principle. I've spent way too much of my life advocating for open firmware and user-customizable systems to throw it all in the trash for a few hours of battery. I absolutely tell everyone they're the best, and why, but my daily driver has been a Linux box of some form (OK fine I have a windows rig for gaming too) for decades, and that's not changing. Also, again, most folks just don't care. And of the remainder: > Compiles code twice as fast as my new Windows desktop That's because MS's filesystem layer has been garbage since NT was launched decades ago and they've never managed to catch up. Also if you're not apples/applesing and are measuring native C/C++ builds: VS is an OK optimizer but lags clang badly in build speed. The actual CPU is faster, but not by nearly 2x.

cromka 1y ago

Since Apple actually makes a significant amount of money selling hardware itself, I really wonder why they actually wouldn't allow people to install Linux on it, with a full support. After all, it's not like this would jeopardize macOS/iPadOS AppStore earnings — Linux users would simply buy into Apple Hardware they haven't even considered before, and only a fraction of macOS/iPadOS users would switch to using Linux.

socalgal2 1y ago
do they disallow it or just not provide active support? Active support requires paying for employees to keep it working. Ignoring it and having volunteers do it requires nothing.
- cromka 1y ago
  You make it sound like these are the only two options, meanwhile what they _most importantly_ fail to deliver is documentation. And that's for macOS. For any other platgorm they actively prohibit any third party operating systems.
- bee_rider 1y ago
  I think the comment up one was about Linux on the iPad, which is mostly impossible. Well, iirc there are some projects to get, like, Alpine Linux running inside iOS, but it is emulated or something, and pretty slow, no gui, quite limited, etc etc.
dangus 1y ago
Last I checked, Apple makes more revenue on services than on Mac and iPad combined. With higher profit margins.

runjake 1y ago

Questions for you: 1. If you don't know what to do with it, why did you buy it? 2. If you wanted a general purpose computer, why did you buy an iPad? 3. Which iPadOS limitations are particularly painful for you?

Rohansi 1y ago
There are other differences with the iPad Pro lineup unrelated to the SoC. It's just strange to think that a very capable laptop chip is being put into a device with far more limitations.
- runjake 1y ago
  I'd rather that than an underpowered chip. It was mentioned, as almost a side comment somewhere, that the M chip is in there for multitasking and higher end image/video editing for "Pros". I could certainly use the M4 in an iPad Pro for iPadOS 26 and it's multitasking. I run into occasional slowness when multitasking on my M2 iPad Air.
AlphaAndOmega0 1y ago
1. I do know what to do with it. I take notes, a lot, in my work as a doctor. That's been the case since I owned an iPad Air from 2020, which I replaced with an 11 inch M1 iPad Pro (which broke), and I finally caved and bought a 13" iPad Pro to replace it. I ended up getting the M4 model because there just didn't seem to be older ones reasonably available. Even the M1 was more than fast enough for the overwhelming majority of iPadOS applicantions. Why an iPad? Android tablets have been... not great for a long time. The pencil is very handy, and the ecosystem has the best apps. Also, I know a few rather handy tricks Safari can do, such as exporting entire webpages as PDF after a full-screen screenshot, that are very useful to my workflow. 2. I already own multiple general purpose computers. They're not as convenient as an iPad. My ridiculously powerful PC or even my decent laptop doesn't allow the same workflow. However, that's not an intentional software limitation, it's a consequence of their form factor, so I can't hold Microsoft to blame. On the other hand,Apple could easily make an iPad equivalent to a MacBook by getting out of the way. 3. The inability/difficulty of side-loading apps, the restriction to a locked down store. Refusing to make an interface that would allow for laptop-equivalent usage with an external/Bluetooth m+k. You can use an external monitor, but a 13" screen should already be perfectly good if window management and M+K usage wasn't subpar. Macs and iPads have near identical chips (the differences between an M chip for either are minor), and just being able to run MacOs apps on device would be very handy. Apple has allowed for developer opt-out emulation of iOS and iPadOS apps on Mac for a while now, why not the other way around? If not obvious from the fact that I'm commenting on HN, I would gain utility from terminal access, the ability to compile and run apps on device, a better filesystem etc. Apple doesn't allow x86 emulators, nor can I just install Proton or Wine. If I can't side-load on a whim, it's not a general purpose computer. I can't use a browser that isn't just reskinned Safari, which rules out a great deal of obvious utility. There are a whole host of possible classes of apps, such as a torrent manager, which are allowed on other platforms but not on iPadOS. It's bullshit. My pc and laptop simply aren't as convenient for the things I need an iPad for, and they can't be. On the other hand, my iPad could easily do many things I rely on a PC for, if Apple would get out of the way. iPadOS 26 is a step in the right direction, but there's dozens left to go.

lanza 1y ago

> I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower, given iPadOS's limitations. Literally everything you do gets the full power of the chips. They finish tasks faster using less power than previous chips. They can then use smaller batteries and thinner devices. A higher ceiling on performance is only one aspect of an upgraded CPU. A lower floor on energy consumed per task is typically much more important for mobile devices.

mort96 1y ago
Right but what if I don't notice the difference between rendering a web page taking 100ms and it taking 50ms? What if I don't notice the difference between video playback consuming 20% of the chip's available compute and it consuming 10%?
- GeekyBear 1y ago
  I'm pretty sure that users of the announced Blender for iPad port will notice any additional horsepower.
  - beeflet 1y ago
    what users?
- simonh 1y ago
  Faster can also mean more efficient for a lot of tasks, because the cpu can idle sooner so your battery can last longer, or be smaller and lighter.
- Aurornis 1y ago
  > but what if I don't notice the difference between rendering a web page taking 100ms and it taking 50ms? You probably won’t notice this when using the new machine. For me, it only becomes noticeable when I go back to something slower. It’s easy to take the new speed as a given. > What if I don't notice the difference between video playback consuming 20% of the chip's available compute and it consuming 10%? You would notice it in increased battery life. A CPU that finishes the task faster and more efficiently will get back into low power mode quicker.

jsheard 1y ago

It'll get even weirder if the rumoured MacBook Lite with an iPhone processor ends up happening. Incredibly powerful tablets constrained by a dumbed down operating system, sold right next to much weaker laptops running a full fat desktop environment.

gloxkiqcza 1y ago
Well A19 Pro beats M1 in benchmarks so while the rumored MacBook might be weaker than mid to high-end iPads, it won’t be a slow machine in general.
dangus 1y ago
Is that really rumored? Sounds like kind of a weak rumor to me. The MacBook Air already exists. Apple already makes low cost versions of those, which are the previous models that they continue to manufacture.
- jsheard 1y ago
  https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/30/new-macbook-with-a18-chip-spotted/ https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/30/new-macbook-with-a18-ch... Apparently there are references to it in macOS already.
  - dangus 1y ago
    Interesting, seems like an odd choice but maybe the smaller SoC package brings costs down. I wonder if Apple will finally be making the $500 laptop they always claimed they couldn’t make.

socalgal2 1y ago

AFAICT, lots of "AI" related stuff runs slow on M1,M2,M3,M4 I don't know if this already exists but it would be nice to see these added to benchmarks. Maybe it's possible to get Apple devices to do stable diffusion and related tech faster and just needs some incentives (winning benchmarks) for people to spend some effort. Otherwise though, my Apple Silicon is way slower than my consumer level NVidia Silicon

liuliu 1y ago
No, iPad Pro won't be faster than 4090s or 4070s (or even 5% of the speed of 4090). But newer chips might contain Neural Accelerator to close the gap a little bit (i.e. 10%??). (I maintain https://apps.apple.com/us/app/draw-things-ai-generation/id6444050820 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/draw-things-ai-generation/id64...)
- sroussey 1y ago
  What improvements did the A19 Pro provide for Draw Things?
  - liuliu 1y ago
    https://releases.drawthings.ai/p/iphone-17-pro-doubles-ai-performance https://releases.drawthings.ai/p/iphone-17-pro-doubles-ai-pe...
    - sroussey 1y ago
      That's amazing! Curious how this will translate to the M5 Pro/Max Macs...

Fwirt 1y ago

There are a number of interesting creative apps for iPad that can make full use of its capabilities. A good example is Nomad Sculpt. There's also CAD software, many DAWs. I haven't tested Numbers yet but I would assume its fairly well optimized. This really reminds me of the 80/20 articles that made the frontpage yesterday. Just because a lot of HN users lament the fact that their 20% needs (can't run an LLM or compile large projects on an iPad) aren't met by an iPad doesn't mean that most people's needs can't be satisfied in a walled garden. The tablet form factor really is superior for a number of creative tasks where you can be both "hands on" with your work and "untethered". Nomad Sculpt in particular just feels like magic to me, with an Apple Pencil it's almost like being back in my high school pottery class without getting my hands dirty. And a lot of the time when you're doing creative work you're not necessarily doing a lot of tabbing back and forth, being able to float reference material over the top of your workspace is enough. At this point Apple still recognizes that there is a large enough audience to keep selling MacBooks that are still general purpose computing devices to people who need them. Given their recent missteps in software, time will tell if they continue to recognize that need.

mort96 1y ago
I would not want to use CAD software or a DAW without a proper mouse and keyboard, and maybe a 3D mouse too. An interface made for touch really isn't suitable. Even connecting a mouse to an iPad is a pretty shitty experience, since all the UI elements are too big and you have to wait around for animations to finish all the time.
- scarface_74 1y ago
  How is connecting a blue tooth mouse to an iPad any different than connecting to a computer? Especially with iPad OS 26?
  - monkmartinez 1y ago
    That is just one very simple part, connecting the mouse. Literally everything else sucks on iOS. File management, hidden menus, running multiple apps, system management... and the list goes on. Need to convert a STEP file to something else on the iPad? Download 15 apps to see which one works, then try to find the converted file in the abomination of a file system? iOS is hot garbage.

cainxinth 1y ago

I buy the higher end Apple products not because I plan to use all their power immediately, but because I keep my devices a very long time and want them to retain usability right to the end.

nerdsniper 1y ago
Same here. My launch-day M1 MBP is starting to show its age finally, M5 with twice the perf will be a nice upgrade.
- addandsubtract 1y ago
  Is it, tough? I feel like everything on my M1 is still as snappy as it was on day 1. My previous MacBook definitely showed it's game after 4 years, but I'm happy to use this one for at least another 2-4.
  - Marsymars 1y ago
    For me it was the memory limits more than CPU speed. Discord, Slack, Teams and a browser, and 16gb on my M1 was basically used up.
    - pylotlight 1y ago
      And here I am struggling with the 32gb version, always need more :P
  - prawn 1y ago
    Mine is an M1 Max and gives me no gripes after four years. Like you, I also felt as though past laptops felt their age sooner. I'm typically using Photoshop, Lightroom, Resolve, Docker and other usual stuff at any given time.
    - rkomorn 1y ago
      I wasn't super informed on the Apple silicon laptops, so I was kind of disappointed when my last job gave me a 2-3 year old M1 Max laptop. It blew the doors off every other laptop and desktop I've had (before or since). When I think back to how quickly obsolete things became when I was younger (ie 90s and 00s), today's devices seem to last forever.

bapak 1y ago

> I own an M4 iPad Pro and can't figure out what to do with even a fraction of the horsepower Look at glassy UIs. Worth it.

layer8 1y ago

The iPadOS limitations are largely orthogonal to being able to make use of the available performance, IMO. For example, search in large PDFs could certainly still be faster, and I don’t think it particularly suffers from iPadOS limitations.

adrr 1y ago

Emulators because IpadOs doesn’t allow dynamic dispatch so you need as much CPU as possible.

Aurornis 1y ago

> Apple will deign to make their ridiculously overpowered SOCs usable for general purpose computing Did everyone forget that these chips started in general purpose MacBooks and were later put in the iPad? If general purpose computing is the goal you can get a cheap Mac Mini