The IPad Has Never Looked so Much Like a Mac, but Can It Replace It?
With iPadOS 26, Apple finally offers iPad software worthy of its increasingly powerful hardware. But that’s just the beginning. In an effort to make the iPad more Mac-like, Apple has added long-awaited features like custom window multitasking, background app processes, improved file management, and much more. It’s amazing how much you can now do on an iPad that was simply impossible before. And for many users, especially students and some business users, these new changes could actually lead to a noticeable productivity boost. But for most, it’s probably still worth sticking with your Mac.
The iPad’s new windowing system is good, but a little confusing.
Apple now offers three different multitasking modes on the iPad . And it can be a bit confusing. There’s the default full-screen mode, the new windowed app mode, and the old-school Stage Manager mode.
But for most users, I think the best default option is windowed app mode. In this mode, you can use the pen icon in the lower-right corner of any window to resize it and move it anywhere. Need to open another app? Just repeat the process (though I find it rather annoying that each new app first opens in full-screen mode and then has to be minimized).
If you have a newer, more powerful iPad, windowed mode lets you comfortably use seven or ten apps simultaneously on a single desktop without missing a beat. With iPadOS 26, this isn’t the limit, but once you get past 10 apps, things start to lag a bit. On my older 2018 iPad Pro, I can open several apps at once, but that’s about it.
You can use the new traffic light buttons (originally from macOS) to close, minimize, or maximize app windows (something I still haven’t gotten used to). You can also swipe down from the top to reveal a menu bar, similar to the menu bar on a Mac. It displays app shortcuts and allows you to move or pin apps to the left or right.
Windowed app mode also includes a version of the classic Split View, if you simply want to pin two apps side by side. Select a window and swipe it left or right. If there are only two windows on the screen, a small handle will appear in the middle, allowing you to freely resize them.
With the iPadOS 26.1 update, Apple also brought back Slide Over, a fan-favorite feature that allows key apps to fade in and out of view as needed, but it now works a little differently. From the menu bar, you can pin any window to the top of the screen to become your Slide Over app. And since the window itself is freeform, you can now resize it to any size you want (something previously unavailable). This is still a downgrade, though, as you can only pin one window at a time (previously, you could pin multiple windows in Split View and switch between them, like on the iPhone).
I’ll admit, all of this can feel a bit overwhelming on such a small touchscreen, especially for iPad users accustomed to the traditional Split View and Slide Over approach. Apple, frankly, doesn’t help here by separating the different modes. Although, as with many other things, it requires a learning curve that can be overcome fairly quickly. I think the window resizing gesture will become second nature over time.
How the iPad is getting closer to the Mac
Beyond windowed mode, the iPadOS 26 update fixes a host of other issues, all of which adopt key features from the Mac, though there are still some caveats.
External monitor support is finally worthwhile, eliminating the need to use Stage Manager. The display now automatically adapts to the monitor’s 16:9 aspect ratio, eliminating black bars. However, you still can’t use an external monitor as your primary display, as you can on a Mac (the menu bar and Control Center still only work on iPad). This means the iPad display must always be on, and you won’t be able to connect to multiple external monitors.
The Files app has also been significantly improved: it combines a columnar layout with the ability to expand nested folders in the same window. You can also add icons in custom colors. Folders can now be added to the Dock for quick access. Finally, you can set a default app for file extensions right in the Files app. The new Preview app makes it easier to preview and annotate PDFs and images.
Background tasks are also supported in the Files app and some third-party apps. This means time-consuming actions like moving large folders or downloading large files can continue in the background (with monitoring via Live Activities). Switching to another app doesn’t interrupt large render exports. There’s even a new local audio capture feature that lets you record professional audio from any connected microphone, and also supports independent recording from multiple microphones simultaneously. A real lifesaver for podcasters and YouTubers.
Why the iPad Still Lagging Behind the Mac
The iPadOS 26 update includes many useful features typical of desktop computers. But at its core, it’s still iPadOS, built on top of iOS. It still runs in a sandboxed environment, and installing apps from outside the App Store isn’t supported, requiring lengthy workarounds. Many popular desktop apps also simply won’t work on iPad (for example, the full version of Adobe Premiere, the macOS version of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, a programming IDE, and others). Even Safari on iPad is limited and doesn’t support desktop features. Many heavy/dynamic websites refuse to work on iPad, but work fine in Safari on Mac.
There’s also no Terminal, so it’s impossible to run Homebrew projects , automation scripts, and much more. iPadOS 26 is still single-user oriented, so you can’t create multiple user accounts like on a Mac. As mentioned, Target Display Mode, while a nice addition, is still quite limited.
Can you replace a Mac with an iPad?
Can an iPad replace your MacBook? The answer to this question is more personal than ever. Subjectively, I can say that it hasn’t yet. While the new windowing system and background processes are a great start, it still lacks the core features that make a Mac so useful. For someone like me, who relies on desktop apps, dynamic websites, and loves the hundreds of small utilities available only on a Mac, the iPad truly can’t replace my MacBook.
But the iPad can be a great companion for me, and it has become one. I love using the iPad for research, reading, note-taking, and viewing media. Now, with the new features of the iPadOS 26 update, I can see podcasters and even content creators using the iPad as their primary computer. It really depends on your workflow. For simple tasks like editing documents, managing PDFs, taking notes, sending emails, and online meetings, the iPad is in many ways comparable to a Mac. And with cellular support, it can even be useful for those who are constantly on the go. If you like the idea of a lightweight, well-built tablet, or if you’re a creative person, the iPad could be a very useful purchase for you.
For everyone else, I would recommend getting at least the MacBook Air M4, which is regularly on sale and costs less than the iPad Pro.