this post was submitted on 13 May 2024
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The reason is software. Writing good quality software that works on both touch screen and mouse+keyboard is expensive, time-consuming, and tricky to get right. Not only do you need to write apps that work in both mediums, but then you have to write the bridge that transitions between the two modes. Do it wrong and you get Windows 8.
So why bother? Microsoft just kinda allowed touchscreens in laptops, but Windows is still very much a mouse+keyboard-first OS, and touch comes 2nd. For Apple so far, it’s been cheaper (and more profitable) to sell separate devices, write separate apps, and use Continuity/iCloud/Handoff/AirDrop to transfer between devices.
It doesn't have to have software that runs in both. All it needs is a toggle to switch between ipad os mode, and mac os mode. That's literally all it needs. In ipad mode it's just ipad os. In mac mode its just mac os. Mac mode would require a hardware keyboard and pointer device, not touch screen.