Why iPadOS 26 can make the iPad a suitable MacBook replacement

Apple iPad

For years, the iPad has existed in an awkward space — blistering hardware paired with a software experience that never quite lived up to its potential. We all know that the iPad has been a tablet par excellence but Apple has — at least since the revamped iPad Pro in 2018 — continuously pushed it as a PC replacement. The keyboard has seen iterations, multitasking has been tinkered with a lot but somehow the iPad has always been the bridesmaid, and never the bride.

With iPadOS 26, Apple may finally get users to commit and say “I do” on behalf of the iPad as a MacBook replacement. This year’s update delivers a nice blend of desktop-class features and touch-first design, bringing the iPad closer than ever to being a legitimate MacBook alternative.

The most notable change? The most notable change? Window management. Apple’s revamped window management system now enables resizable, freely positioned app windows that actually remember their layout when reopened — something Mac users take for granted, and iPad users have long wished for.

With draggable corners, upper-left window controls, and a clean UI, it now genuinely feels like a desktop environment. Add to that a new menu bar interface that appears when swiping from the top — offering app menus and quick access to settings — and suddenly the iPad doesn’t just behave like a desktop, it looks like one too.

I have tested the beta version of the iPadOS 26 for more than a day and there seems to be a world of a difference. My iPad Air with the new Magic Keyboard feels a more confident and capable machine.

The Files app has received a major update as well, inching closer to macOS Finder with detailed file views, customisable columns, and better organisation tools. Even the Expose-style multitasking from Mac has made its way to iPadOS, further narrowing the functional gap.

What’s impressive is how Apple has pulled this off without shoehorning macOS into a touchscreen device. Instead of porting the entire desktop OS, iPadOS 26 adapts the best parts of macOS into a system still optimised for touch, while scaling wonderfully when paired with a keyboard and trackpad.

The result? When docked, the iPad becomes a portable workstation that feels nearly indistinguishable from a MacBook. Sure, it still can’t run macOS apps or traditional developer tools, but for most productivity, creative, and communication tasks, the experience is now close enough. And with the raw power inside current M-series iPads, performance is rarely a concern.

It’s taken Apple nearly a decade, but the iPad is finally shedding its identity as a “big iPhone.” With iPadOS 26, Apple’s tablet doesn’t just flirt with desktop functionality, it looks to embrace it.