Squeezing Lemons By Hand.

the state of the iPad vs. Mac debate in 2024

Photo by Estúdio Bloom on Unsplash

Using an iPad in 2024 is like squeezing a lemon with your fingers.

No matter how much you try, you just can’t get everything out of it.

Where We’re At

Photo by Jordan Madrid on Unsplash

We thought Stage Manager would fix things. It didn’t.

We thought bringing Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro to the iPad would fix things. To be fair, it probably did for people who use those. However, I—like most of you—have never touched those apps.

We thought iPadOS 17 would fix things. It didn’t. Lock screen widgets are cool but not cool enough.

The iPad is in a weird state. The hardware is more than powerful enough. And now the software is slowly catching up. But it’s still just not there.

Note: this post is meant for pro iPad use cases. I’m talking about iPads competing with Macs.

The Delta

Photo by Miguel Ángel Sanz on Unsplash

Right now, there’s a gap between the hardware and the software.

This gap has existed for years ⬇️

The key to maximizing the iPad’s performance is cutting down this gap.

iPadOS 17 was brutal. I tried to visualize this by showing a plateauing slope.

iPadOS 18, though, does make some changes. I don’t think it’s enough.

What Will iPadOS 18 Change?

Photo by Gilles DETOT on Unsplash

iPadOS 18 is big on AI.

For iPads, I think that’s a good thing.

One of the big reasons why Macs are still ahead of iPads is because they get the small things right.

I don’t have empirical evidence to prove this, but doing things on Macs is just faster than doing things on iPads. I prioritize this efficiency, which is why I love my Mac.

iPadOS 18 is addressing this problem. It uses AI to automate many of the small tasks that clog up our schedules.

I think that’s a big deal. A ton of people hate iPadOS 18. Not me.

What About The Future

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

The hardware’s good enough. The software needs to catch up.

This has been echoed for years. Probably since the 2018 iPad Pro was released 6 years ago.

I think iPadOS 18 makes a good attempt to address the gap between iPads and Macs.

Is it good enough? Nah. But I’m excited for the future.

iPadOS 17 was not my favorite. Honestly, I thought it marked the end of the dream of iPads rivaling Macs.

But thankfully, it looks like we’re headed on a positive trajectory now with iPadOS 18. We might be able to get the powerful software we’ve been looking for pretty soon. I’m crossing my fingers🤞.

So… iPad vs Mac?

Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash

Tools like XCode, Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro are slowly shifting the balance into the iPad’s favor. iPadOS 18’s AI features are helping the cause as well.

I’m gonna be honest though—the Mac is still the best choice for a majority of people.

You should only use an iPad as your primary computer if:

1. You are only doing basic tasks

   or

2. You are comfortable taking detours to get the same stuff done and you really really like iPads (this was me)

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading. Love writing these articles.

—Adi

Concepts

Concepts is an "unlimited canvas" note-taking app I've used for years (if you don't believe me, check my post history). I use it to take notes, brainstorm article ideas, and come up with startup ideas.

It's one of the few apps I highly recommend for every iPad user out there. And I genuinely believe this (again, check my post history if you wanna verify this claim).

Concepts has been kind enough to offer a free 30-day trial. And no, you don't have to enter your credit card info.