Since post-Jobs Apple is dependent on competition to be the first mover, the last major improvement of iPad Pro UX took place after the launch of Microsoft Surface. The next major improvement of iPad Pro UX could take place after 2026 Google unification of ChromeOS and Android for Qualcomm (former Apple team) Armv9 hardware, including Debian VMs with root and standard repos.
As US and EU courts and regulators have found, the Apple ecosystem has suffered from lack of competition and interoperability. This has lead to small cracks in the walled garden, for the benefit of Apple hardware owners. Some iPad Pro limitations can be worked around by sideloading apps that Apple won't distribute, e.g. UTM with JIT for running VMs.
More broadly, the era of paid software and 30% commissions may be replaced by an era of custom LLM-generated software that has only one user or a small circle of human users, e.g. family or closed group. Apple itself is launching a 2026 touchscreen device for home control, that only has Apple software, no third party apps. If "AI" voice interfaces gain traction, then "apps" may no longer reside on endpoint devices.
When Apple appoints new leadership who once more prioritize Jobs' fusion of hardware power with human empowerment, we will find out what iPad Pro can do. Until then, either sideload (EU or StikDebug) or pay $99/year for a dev account.
> why does Apple insist on undermining its own capabilities with the iPad Pro?
As noted in the article:
1. To make money selling iPad games and other apps through the App Store.
2. To reduce Mac cannibalization (note the iPad already outsells the Mac.)
And there are a few other reasons:
3. To provide a smooth onramp for iPhone users who want a larger or device (not Mac users who want a smaller/cheaper M5 laptop), or gamers who benefit from an uncomplicated, console-like user experience.
4. To provide a more locked-down experience for schools and managed environments.
5. To reduce service costs due to users messing up their systems and bringing them to Apple to be fixed under warranty or AppleCare.
6. To maintain continuity between the iPad and iPad Pro lines.
1. Good for whom? Apple (who like money)? Schools and companies (who like locked-down, easy-to-manage systems)? Many (if not most) users (who like simplicity and reliability)?
2. When the Mac first came out, some PC users labeled it a "toy computer" and complained that it didn't offer access to the command line. It was a successful machine in spite of that (indeed probably because of that - Apple used the GUI for everything.)
3. For simplicity, reliability, and (perhaps) Apple revenue, Steve Jobs famously didn't want the Mac to have slots or even support memory upgrades (hmm, kind of like the M5.) Apple even made it hard to open without special tools (hmm, kind of like the iPhone and iPad.)
I think a worthwhile question to consider is: why does the iPad outsell the Mac?
Since post-Jobs Apple is dependent on competition to be the first mover, the last major improvement of iPad Pro UX took place after the launch of Microsoft Surface. The next major improvement of iPad Pro UX could take place after 2026 Google unification of ChromeOS and Android for Qualcomm (former Apple team) Armv9 hardware, including Debian VMs with root and standard repos.
As US and EU courts and regulators have found, the Apple ecosystem has suffered from lack of competition and interoperability. This has lead to small cracks in the walled garden, for the benefit of Apple hardware owners. Some iPad Pro limitations can be worked around by sideloading apps that Apple won't distribute, e.g. UTM with JIT for running VMs.
More broadly, the era of paid software and 30% commissions may be replaced by an era of custom LLM-generated software that has only one user or a small circle of human users, e.g. family or closed group. Apple itself is launching a 2026 touchscreen device for home control, that only has Apple software, no third party apps. If "AI" voice interfaces gain traction, then "apps" may no longer reside on endpoint devices.
When Apple appoints new leadership who once more prioritize Jobs' fusion of hardware power with human empowerment, we will find out what iPad Pro can do. Until then, either sideload (EU or StikDebug) or pay $99/year for a dev account.
> Given that ... user demand is so strong,
Citation needed.
> why does Apple insist on undermining its own capabilities with the iPad Pro?
As noted in the article:
1. To make money selling iPad games and other apps through the App Store.
2. To reduce Mac cannibalization (note the iPad already outsells the Mac.)
And there are a few other reasons:
3. To provide a smooth onramp for iPhone users who want a larger or device (not Mac users who want a smaller/cheaper M5 laptop), or gamers who benefit from an uncomplicated, console-like user experience.
4. To provide a more locked-down experience for schools and managed environments.
5. To reduce service costs due to users messing up their systems and bringing them to Apple to be fixed under warranty or AppleCare.
6. To maintain continuity between the iPad and iPad Pro lines.
Everything you just cited made me agree with the OP more. None of those are technical, let alone good reasons to gimp the iPad.
1. Good for whom? Apple (who like money)? Schools and companies (who like locked-down, easy-to-manage systems)? Many (if not most) users (who like simplicity and reliability)?
2. When the Mac first came out, some PC users labeled it a "toy computer" and complained that it didn't offer access to the command line. It was a successful machine in spite of that (indeed probably because of that - Apple used the GUI for everything.)
3. For simplicity, reliability, and (perhaps) Apple revenue, Steve Jobs famously didn't want the Mac to have slots or even support memory upgrades (hmm, kind of like the M5.) Apple even made it hard to open without special tools (hmm, kind of like the iPhone and iPad.)
I think a worthwhile question to consider is: why does the iPad outsell the Mac?
There is no conflict between iPad simplicity/revenue and power user workflows.
If necessary, advanced workflows can be gated via "accessibility" settings or even dongle hardware ("buy $500 Magic Wizard Keyboard to unlock VMs").