[AlphaAndOmega0]

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..

[Fwirt]

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.

[bigyabai]

> There's also CAD software, many DAWs.

Assertions like this are what kill the iPad. Yes, DAWs "exist" but can only load the shitty AUs that Apple supports on the App Store. Professional plugins like Spectrasonics or U-He won't run on the iPad, only the Mac. CAD software "runs" but only supports the most basic parametric modeling. You're going to get your Macbook or Wintel machine to run your engineering workloads if that's your profession. Not because the iPad can't do these things, but because Apple recognizes that they can double their sales gimping good hardware. No such limitations exist on, say, the Surface lineup. It's wholly artificial.

I'm reminded of Damon Albarn's album The Fall - which he allegedly recorded on an iPad. It's far-and-away his least professional release, and there's no indication he ever returned to iOS for another album. Much like the iPad itself, The Fall is an enshrined gimmick fighting for recognition in a bibliography of genuinely important releases. Apple engineers aren't designing the next unibody Mac chassis on an iPad. They're not mixing, mastering and color-grading their advertisements on an iPad. God help them if they're shooting any footage with the dogshit 12MP camera they put on those things. iPads do nothing particularly well, which is acceptable for moseying around the web and playing Angry Birds but literally untenable in any industry with cutting-edge, creative or competitive software demands. Ask the pros.

[mort96]

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.

[CompoundEyes]

I work with Logic Pro X often. I bought an iPad Pro M4 and the Logic version for it is really compelling. Touch faders and the UI are well thought out. The problem is they want me to subscribe to use it. I wish I could just outright purchase it for $300.

[serbuvlad]

Yes but there is simply no reason to have two devices. There are a large number of Windows tablet-laptop combo machines that work perfectly well and prove touch apps work perfectly well on a desktop OS.

Yeah, that took a long time for MS to get to not suck after Windows 8, but touch and tablet interactions on Windows 10 and Windows 11 work perfectly well.

[zaptrem]

> 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.

[lanza]

> 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]

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%?

[monkmartinez]

"Literally everything" doesn't amount to much if I can't actually control the stupid thing.

[cromka]

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]

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.

[dangus]

Last I checked, Apple makes more revenue on services than on Mac and iPad combined. With higher profit margins.

[runjake]

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?

[wintermutestwin]

>Which iPadOS limitations are particularly painful for you?

Browser engine lock-in - no Firefox+uBlock Origin = me no buy. And yes, there is Orion, which can run uBlock, but it and Safari have horrible UI/UX.

[Rohansi]

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.

[AlphaAndOmega0]

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.

[doctoboggan]

> 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.

[cosmic_cheese]

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.

[wlesieutre]

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.

[latexr]

> Anytime I've seen speculation, Apple execs seem to shut that idea down.

They also said they weren’t merging iOS and macOS, and with every release that becomes more of a lie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOYikXbC6Fs

[justinator]

Chances that there are both a folding iPhone and a Touchscreen Mac somewhere in the skunk works of Cupertino are 100%.

The Apple Vision Pro was a far more extreme product and was kept pretty well under wraps. (tho a market failure).

[jsheard]

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]

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]

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.

[layer8]

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.

[cainxinth]

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]

Same here. My launch-day M1 MBP is starting to show its age finally, M5 with twice the perf will be a nice upgrade.

[reaperducer]

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.)

[jchw]

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.

[dijit]

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.

[sib]

>> 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.

[bigyabai]

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.

[Aurornis]

> 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

[ajross]

> 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]

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.

[bapak]

> 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.

[socalgal2]

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]

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/id64...)

[adrr]

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