No, the iPad Pro doesnt need to be more like a MacBook
This isnt meant to be a hate post, but it’s tiring to see how many people keep trying to push for the iPad to be more like a MacBook, or have a MacOS running on it. I think the old iPadOS was genuinely great, but the newer updates, especially the new windowing system just worsens the entire experience.
- The Multiple Windows made it so hard for touch multitasking:
It takes multiple swipes and gestures to set up old split screen, change apps, and get slide over back.
The window tiling system is nice, here is no easy way to quickly change split screen like before. Before you could do a drag-drop to change which app was on the side very fluidly. Same with how fast and easy the slide over was, where you could swip on the bottom and rotate between quick apps you needed. With iPadOS26 it was super finicky, to drag and move windows when trying to set up multitasking flow. There is so much added layered of friction, especially when needing to quickly change which apps are open, and how the workflow looks.
- A lot of people who benefit from the iPad tend to be students, creatives, and people who do some form of reading and writing.
The way I look at, if you need an iPad you should ask yourself:
- Do I tend to read books, articles, and pdf? And do I tend to hand write notes or mark up/annotate documents?
- Do I tend to draw and sketch?
- Do I have a notebook or journal where I take notes for lectures, meetings, or daily journaling?
- Do I take handwritten notes about my ideas, project planning, or timelines
If yes, then you should get an iPad.
If not, just get a MacBook. The only other edge case is, if you like having a portable media consumption device that you can hold with your hand but want it to be bigger than an iPhone.
Other than that, there is really no other case for getting one, and trying to make it a MacBook just ruins the intuitive interface that people who use touch and handwriting devices like/need, and its tiring to see people who dont know why they got an iPad or didnt really get a benefit from it in the first place, try to change it into something else entirely.