The iPad Is a Full-On Computer Now

But Apple has been heading successful this guidance for a while. In 2020, nan Magic Keyboard brought an other larboard and a afloat trackpad to nan iPad. Then successful 2022, nan institution introduced outer show support, and finally, successful nan 2024 update to iPad Pros, nan webcam was moved successful image mode. But this year's update really feels for illustration it reached nan tipping point. And Apple sold nan premise successful 2 really smart ways too.

Firstly, astir iPad users whitethorn ne'er moreover recognize nan windowing characteristic is there. Like galore deeper iPad features, windowing is purely optional and hidden by default. Open an app connected your iPad, and it still defaults to full-screen. It look apt that nan mean personification would ne'er announcement nan mini resizing icon successful nan bottommost correct area of apps. That's an important creation decision, arsenic it keeps intact nan superior personality of nan iPad arsenic a simpler interface.

Second, Apple coyly ne'er referred to these caller elements arsenic Mac-like during nan keynote, alternatively simply calling them "familiar." It moreover spaced iPadOS and macOS isolated from each different wrong nan presentation, observant to not telephone attraction to conscionable really akin these 2 products person become. Apple would ne'er want to pit 2 of its products against each other, and has ever implied that there's logic for personification to ain some an iPad and a Mac. But pinch iPadOS 26, let's beryllium real: That requires immoderate superior cognitive dissonance to judge now.

I'm not suggesting iPads will ever switch nan MacBook Pro. The group who really request that other capacity will ever flock to those much powerful Macs. But what astir Apple's acold much celebrated laptop, nan MacBook Air?

The iPad Pro and MacBook Air person ever been confusingly adjacent successful value and specs—surely, there's threat of Apple cannibalizing its ain products. I don't uncertainty Apple will support some astir arsenic agelong arsenic possible, but I consciousness much inclined than ever to comparison nan 2 directly. That's moreover much existent since nan iPadOS update will moreover beryllium disposable connected nan base iPad and iPad mini erstwhile it officially rolls retired later this Fall.

So, does each this mean that a due national betwixt iPadOS and macOS is successful nan works? Or really astir a touchscreen MacBook? In nan past, Apple has stated definitively that it has nary plans to merge its operating systems. That was a declaration that earned cheers from nan assemblage backmost astatine WWDC successful 2018. And yet, contempt really acold fetched those concepts sounded 7 years ago, conscionable astir thing seems imaginable astatine this point.