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I think the reverse offering on the Apple device roadmap would be interesting. A MacPad and a MacPhone. Given its eventually going to be completely the same s

I think the reverse offering on the Apple device roadmap would be interesting. A MacPad and a MacPhone. Given its eventually going to be completely the same silicon this would enable them to offer a non App Store experience for people who want to experiment with alternative app stores like Epic. In that way they could keep the average Apple target iPhone/iPad customer within the walled garden of iOS while being able to point specifically to EU regulators that they are allowing alternative app stores on the MacPhone/MacPad platform.

etchalon 11mo ago
The "MacPad" already exists. It's called the iPad Pro. It uses the M5 chip.
- leptons 11mo ago
  Except it doesn't run MacOS, and it doesn't allow you to install any application you want to - only those that Apple allows you to. And you're still forced to use Safari in every browser you install.
  - highwaylights 11mo ago
    Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either. If you want macOS, you buy a Mac. You want iPadOS, you buy an iPad. And if you want an iPad Pro that can double up as a Mac in a pinch, you feel awkward while Tim Cook death stares at you until you empty your pockets. In all seriousness though, I have an iPad Pro and a MacBook (as a lot of people here do I'm sure) and it would make a poor laptop. And how do you switch between macOS and iPadOS? I don't see a way to have that not be clunky because of all the different metaphors. I'd rather just have both (actually I'd rather just have the MacBook as the iPad sits largely idle, as I'm also sure a lot of people's do).
    - leptons 11mo ago
      >Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either. Are you lost? Did you reply to the wrong comment? My comment says nothing about CPU or anything about hardware, at all. The thread above my comment is talking about a "MacPad" which means running MacOS on Apple tablets and phones. Of course Apple prevents this even though it's entirely possible to do it, because Apple is going to do Apple things. >In all seriousness though, I have an iPad Pro and a MacBook (as a lot of people here do I'm sure) Reality distortion field in effect? > and it would make a poor laptop. Uh... all you would need to do is add a keyboard and mouse and it's a laptop, and all of that is already possible to do and has been possible for a very long time. >(actually I'd rather just have the MacBook as the iPad sits largely idle, as I'm also sure a lot of people's do). You seem to be sure about a lot of things.
      - highwaylights 11mo ago
        Daddy chill. I was continuing the thread. If you have a look around on the interwebs there are longstanding criticisms of how overpowered the iPad is relative to what you're actually empowered to do with it, and by extension the question of who is it supposed to be for. Like you said, Apple doing Apple. I'm sure a lot of them sit idle because a constant complaint people have (again all over the interwebs) with them is that they aren't good at much besides media consumption, and are rarely people's first choice for that due to convenience. Whatever though? It hardly matters. Enjoy your iPad I guess(?)
    - seec 11mo ago
      You lack perspective and have a poor imagination. They can absolutely make the iPad Pro run macOS just fine and figure out the software solution quite easily. They just need to make it run macOS by default but with an UI layer that could transform it in an iOS like UI in a pinch (while shutting down most of the daemons and stuff iPad OS doesn't use currently). You can already run iPad apps on Apple Silicon macs just fine. It's purely and simply a commercial decision, to force people to buy multiple devices. If the iPad could run as a Mac they would lose a large amount of MacBook Air and low-end MacBook Pros, this is a simple as that.
  - GeekyBear 11mo ago
    MacOS runs iOS/iPad apps today, and Apple is said to be offering touch screen OLED laptops in the M6 generation.
    - bigyabai 11mo ago
      You're basically proving their point. One will replace the other, sooner or later. The iPad doesn't necessitate it's own existence, unless you make it the new Mac.
freedomben 11mo ago
Offering something like that would be tantamount to admitting that they were wrong (or lying) about their motivation for locking the system down with no user choice, that it's for the protection of the user. I don't see that happening.
- somethoughts 11mo ago
  Interestingly it's popularity or unpopularity would prove out two things - both of which are somewhat of a win win for Apple: 1.) If MacPhone/MacPad is popular then it would prove that there does exist a currently untapped, unaddressed market who wants Apple HW and are willing to pay a premium but do not want the locked down iOS garden which means more money for minimal effort. 2.) If MacPhone/MacPad is unpopular then it would prove that their motivation and hypothesis was correct - people do indeed come to Apple and pay the premium precisely for the walled garden and the convenience it affords. If its indeed unpopular you could keep it around for a couple of years as an EU regulatory compliance device. Then you can say to any future regulator who wants to tear down the iOS walled garden - we tried that back in 2026 and nobody wanted it.

etchalon 11mo ago

The "MacPad" already exists. It's called the iPad Pro. It uses the M5 chip.

leptons 11mo ago
Except it doesn't run MacOS, and it doesn't allow you to install any application you want to - only those that Apple allows you to. And you're still forced to use Safari in every browser you install.
- highwaylights 11mo ago
  Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either. If you want macOS, you buy a Mac. You want iPadOS, you buy an iPad. And if you want an iPad Pro that can double up as a Mac in a pinch, you feel awkward while Tim Cook death stares at you until you empty your pockets. In all seriousness though, I have an iPad Pro and a MacBook (as a lot of people here do I'm sure) and it would make a poor laptop. And how do you switch between macOS and iPadOS? I don't see a way to have that not be clunky because of all the different metaphors. I'd rather just have both (actually I'd rather just have the MacBook as the iPad sits largely idle, as I'm also sure a lot of people's do).
  - leptons 11mo ago
    >Fairly confident the CPU has never been the reason you can't install whatever you want on an iOS/iPadOS device. Also not the reason you can't install macOS on it either. Are you lost? Did you reply to the wrong comment? My comment says nothing about CPU or anything about hardware, at all. The thread above my comment is talking about a "MacPad" which means running MacOS on Apple tablets and phones. Of course Apple prevents this even though it's entirely possible to do it, because Apple is going to do Apple things. >In all seriousness though, I have an iPad Pro and a MacBook (as a lot of people here do I'm sure) Reality distortion field in effect? > and it would make a poor laptop. Uh... all you would need to do is add a keyboard and mouse and it's a laptop, and all of that is already possible to do and has been possible for a very long time. >(actually I'd rather just have the MacBook as the iPad sits largely idle, as I'm also sure a lot of people's do). You seem to be sure about a lot of things.
    - highwaylights 11mo ago
      Daddy chill. I was continuing the thread. If you have a look around on the interwebs there are longstanding criticisms of how overpowered the iPad is relative to what you're actually empowered to do with it, and by extension the question of who is it supposed to be for. Like you said, Apple doing Apple. I'm sure a lot of them sit idle because a constant complaint people have (again all over the interwebs) with them is that they aren't good at much besides media consumption, and are rarely people's first choice for that due to convenience. Whatever though? It hardly matters. Enjoy your iPad I guess(?)
  - seec 11mo ago
    You lack perspective and have a poor imagination. They can absolutely make the iPad Pro run macOS just fine and figure out the software solution quite easily. They just need to make it run macOS by default but with an UI layer that could transform it in an iOS like UI in a pinch (while shutting down most of the daemons and stuff iPad OS doesn't use currently). You can already run iPad apps on Apple Silicon macs just fine. It's purely and simply a commercial decision, to force people to buy multiple devices. If the iPad could run as a Mac they would lose a large amount of MacBook Air and low-end MacBook Pros, this is a simple as that.
- GeekyBear 11mo ago
  MacOS runs iOS/iPad apps today, and Apple is said to be offering touch screen OLED laptops in the M6 generation.
  - bigyabai 11mo ago
    You're basically proving their point. One will replace the other, sooner or later. The iPad doesn't necessitate it's own existence, unless you make it the new Mac.

freedomben 11mo ago

Offering something like that would be tantamount to admitting that they were wrong (or lying) about their motivation for locking the system down with no user choice, that it's for the protection of the user. I don't see that happening.

somethoughts 11mo ago
Interestingly it's popularity or unpopularity would prove out two things - both of which are somewhat of a win win for Apple: 1.) If MacPhone/MacPad is popular then it would prove that there does exist a currently untapped, unaddressed market who wants Apple HW and are willing to pay a premium but do not want the locked down iOS garden which means more money for minimal effort. 2.) If MacPhone/MacPad is unpopular then it would prove that their motivation and hypothesis was correct - people do indeed come to Apple and pay the premium precisely for the walled garden and the convenience it affords. If its indeed unpopular you could keep it around for a couple of years as an EU regulatory compliance device. Then you can say to any future regulator who wants to tear down the iOS walled garden - we tried that back in 2026 and nobody wanted it.