How Apple’s MacBook M1 changed my mind about the next iPad

It’s been almost five years since I wrote a passionate story about how Macs and iPads need to merge. I’ve been thinking about it since … well, since the iPad came out in 2010. It’s 2021 now, and iPads and Macs are still two entirely different Apple product lines. But the merger is well underway. It is just a series of very slow steps.

I always thought of the iPad as the most likely path to the computer that I would prefer in an ideal future universe. But I have used the most recent M1 MacBook Air and it changed my mind. The laptop, while uninteresting in design, is completely smooth and functional. It looks almost perfect. And even the basic 8 GB RAM model I tried seems more than enough to handle almost everything I need.

The M1 Macsusing Apple’s own chips, point to a future where the line between Macs and iPads will be very blurred. Apple is likely to announce new versions of its iPad Pro sometime this spring, a year after the relatively small changes in version 2020. What should I expect? What I want? In a post-MacBook-M1 world, I I started thinking about the iPad very different.

As we move on to a new iPad, here’s how the MacBook M1 has changed my perspective. To distort a famous quote attributed to William Gibson, I see the same for future Apple computers.

What is an iPad now that the Mac is also instant?

I use MacBook more now, first of all. It’s quick to start, doesn’t push or detonate a fan and the battery life wins out. IPads had that advantage over Macs before, but now I’m starting to think … What else could an iPad do for me?

The MacBook is easier for meetings with zoom. I can support it without a case and the camera is in the correct orientation. In addition, I can perform anything from theater performances with zoom to writing classes more easily. The iPad needs to recognize our new life in Zoom and deal with camera placement and the ease with which browsers and programs can run side by side and not appear isolated. On iPads, experiences still seem to be a unique task for my needs. On a MacBook, I can connect a monitor and duplicate my screens.

The iPad gains in portability … just barely. With a keyboard case, the iPad Pro is not as light or thin as you think. The 12.9-inch iPad ends up feeling like a MacBook Air, but even more dense.

The iPad’s natural strengths on the screen and touchscreen … how much further could they go?

The iPad has a better screen, a better camera and speakers with better sound. It has Face ID, which I like more on a home tablet than on a phone. I prefer to watch movies on it, even with its more square aspect ratio. I also prefer games on the iPad. And, of course, the touch and pencil support on iPads is excellent. There are many apps, documents I need to sign and photo editing projects that I prefer to do on an iPad. MacBooks, with no touchscreen or pencil input, sometimes make me feel detached from the experiences on my screen. Using a mouse or touchpad is not always enough.

New iPad models are expected to use Mini LED technology for a possibly improved display. The iPad Pro’s screen already looks great, but the OLED screens on iPhones still look better (if smaller).

iPadOS needs to turn into something similar to MacOS

Last year, the iPad added touchpad and mouse support, which ended up making a big difference in the way I use the iPad with a keyboard cover. Common Magic Keyboard attached (or a Logitech Case), everything finally starts to look more like a laptop – if I want to.

IPadOS may never look like the Mac, but it should continue to evolve to serve Macs halfway. I want (and hope) better ways to flex apps for multitasking and, eventually, true monitor support for second screens (iPads mostly mirror now, unless a specific app takes advantage of that).

IPads present apps more instantly and easily than Macs, which means my kids can use them quickly. But iPads don’t have multiple modes or accounts yet so kids can start their own space … or, so I can customize my own workspace when accessing the same iPad.

But above all, I want better ways to access saved files. The Archives app is a start, but I still feel overwhelmed by the ease of downloading and organizing documents, videos and photos, grouping and sharing them with others as needed.

If the next iPad Pro receives an M1 chip, why can’t these things happen?

It seems likely that the next iPad Pro will have a processor equal to the recent MacBooks … or will receive a new A-series chip that is so spiritually close that it will feel the same. The iPad’s processor has been extremely powerful for years. Now that the new Macs have shown what M1 chips are really capable of, why not let the iPad do more – and also handle more multitasking?

There is no reason why an iPad cannot be my daily computer. Apple just needs to remove the rest of the support wheels.