Apple’s iPad Pro Still Struggles To Beat The MacBook Pro

Update: May 19: article originally posted May 18.

With the new iPad Pro launch, Apple has pulled the focus from the Mac platform onto its tablet range. With an expansive screen, thin construction, and portable keyboards, the iPad’s marketing promise that “your next computer is not a computer” feels tantalizingly close.

Update: Sunday May 19: The challenge facing Apple as it tries to keep the iPad and the Mac platform apart has been highlighted by Mark Gurman. Writing for the Power On newsletter, he argues that the two device families would be better served by expanding the differences and allowing the Mac and the iPad to excel at what they individually do best:

“The Mac will always have more powerful chip options, larger displays, a built-in keyboard and trackpad, fans for heavy workloads, more ports, and better battery life. The iPad will always be far more portable, better for gaming, superior for watching video, and a device that can capture photos and video. It’s time for Apple to make the iPad and Mac both as capable as possible.”

Apple continues to try to bring the two systems closer together, allowing iPadOS apps to run on MacOS. Developers also have the option to create universal apps which will run on either platform. Of course, the hardware may not be as expected by an app; the Mac platform lacks a touchscreen, while the iPad family lacks a touchpad or physical keyboard unless you are willing to add to the iPad’s cost of ownership and buy new peripherals that offer these services.

At this stage, after years of trying, the potential for a unified platform still feels a long way off. If Gurma is right, it’s time for Apple to focus on the individual merits of each device.

But Apple’s dogma around the iPad will hold back the tablet platform, even when the Mac platform can easily navigate the same issue… the flexibility of third-party applications.

Apple may have packed the iPad Pro with the new desktop-class M4 chipset months before it is expected to ship in Mac hardware, but unlocking the potential of this chipset is a huge challenge. Those reviewing the latest iPad Pro note the M4 and that iPadOS is not the best environment. Forbes’ David Phelan:

“Powerful though it is, in some ways it feels it’s held back by the software. Although iPadOS had changed massively, with the introduction of Stage Manager to make using multiple apps slicker, nothing compares to macOS in this regard. The new Magic Keyboard is light and comfortable, making text input a dream. But it still doesn’t compete with a Mac laptop.”

However, the biggest consideration is iPadOS’s closed nature. Everything you want to do must be cleared by Apple before it can run on a device. Distribution will only be through the App Store, and any income generated will be subject to Apple’s thirty percent rake.

(There is a caveat for Europe, given that iPadOS is classed as a “gatekeeper” service and must take steps to comply with the Digital Markets Act and open up the platform. However, the process for an individual developer to do so is long and complex).

Compare that to MacOS. While the Mac platform does have an App Store, it is not the exclusive route to the platform. While Apple has a payment system that can be used, no developer is forced to use this system. And there are no limitations to what you can code and distribute to the Mac platform. To take a recent example, retro emulation apps have long been a staple of the Mac platform, but until recently, Apple had a blanket ban on these types of apps on iPhones and iPads. No matter how well-coded they were, Apple did not deem them suitable.

While arguments rage over elements such as the interface, touchscreens, trackpads, on-screen keyboards, and cellular connectivity, the key advantage every Mac has over every iPad is the system’s open nature. If you want to do something on MacOS to use the full power of the chipset, there are no limits… unlike the iPad, where Apple watches over every move you make.

Now read the latest iPad, Mac, and iPhone headlines in Forbes’ weekly Apple news digest…