So, the Magic Keyboard for my iPad Pro just arrived. First thought: this combo feels like my much-loved 12” Powerbook from 2006. Second thought: the OS hasn’t caught up, but if this is a sign of where iPadOS 14 is going, it means it’s now a first-class platform … /1

… As-in: with rumours of XCode coming to iPadOS 14, this is an environment that can “eat it’s own dog food”—not be reliant on any other OS to host development tools or “pro” apps.

I expect rules on compiler/code execution on iOS to be relaxed next.

/2

Apple kind of did this before with MacOS, a very long time ago. (You used to have to use a Lisa to develop software for it. And they left arrow keys off the keyboard to prevent crappy ports of text-mode apps and force mouse uptake.)

/3

The drive to merge macOS and iPadOS app development to use a common code base is probably a sign that they’re clearing the ground to sunset macOS … probably in 5-10 years. (macOS has roots in NeXTStep, going back to 1989. Older than Windows NT, ie. 32-bit Windows!)

/4

The inevitable corollary of sunsetting macOS is that iPadOS must—by the beginning of the process—clearly become the superior platform. And that means better for developers AND users in every respect. So, lifting restrictions is kind of inevitable.

/5

PS: the Apple Magic Keyboard kicks the stuffing out of the Brydge keyboard. The Apple Smart Cover (with the fabric-ish keyboard) remains an option, though: it's significantly lighter (so more portable) although the keyboard feel is poor.