Modern desktop operating systems don’t limit the number of processes actually running. iOS limits the type of apps that can run in the background and will kill a process that uses to much cpu or RAM.

iOS is optimized to consume as little power and memory as possible.

>Modern desktop operating systems don’t limit the number of processes actually running.

Yes. But no reason we need "unlimited processes" to use iOS for development and other stuff.

A few processes with a hard limit would be doable...

For me personally to do any type of development, I either need a constant network connection or the ability to run my stack locally including databases and Redis.

I also need to be able to launch a web browser or Postman to debug interactively. I personally hate developing on a laptop with no external monitors (preferably two). I would definitely hate trying to do that with iOS’s simplistic multi app/multi window support.

Also, while the Files app is okay for one off documents and sharing between apps. How would that work in a development scenario?

You would also need to allow apps to communicate with each other over TCP/IP locally.

Now you’re back to a multi window GUI (making iOS more complex) and apps having random access to the file system (less secure).

If you want an iPad to behave like a laptop - why not just buy a laptop? Alternatively, if you want a laptop with the power of MacOS and the power/performance capabilities of ARM, wouldn’t it make more sense for Apple to port MacOS and create ARM laptops?

The iPad is so light, I have no trouble throwing one in my laptop bag along with my laptop and syncing files between apps on both using cloud storage.

Actually that is the trend for modern versions of Windows and macOS.

Modern versions of MacOS and Windows don’t try to get rid of swap nor do they arbitrarily kill/block background processes.

Actually they do arbitrarily kill background processes That opt-in to it.

It has to be opt-in because otherwise legacy processes would break, but it is definitely present.

If you opt in for it, can it really be called “arbitrary”?

Yes - the killing is done arbitrarily without warning. Just like on iOS. It is the recommended behavior.

Better have a look at what is in the box for Windows 10X and post-Catalina roadmaps with the increasing app sandoxing.

Well, unless you have inside knowledge about Apple’s roadmap, sandboxing is only required for the Mac App Store.

Or are you believing the same 10+ year old conspiracy theory that Apple plans to make it mandatory for apps to be installed from the Mac App Store?

Also Windows 10X is just another failed gimped version of Windows that is suppose to make Windows run better on tablets and low power devices.

I happen to have good guesses reading between the lines, and it quite obvious where required notarization, user space drivers, application entitlements and iOSification of macOS are heading to.

MSIX is what is driving Windows 10X security, which coincidently is the future of Windows package management.

Application entitlements were required shortly after the Mac store launched - over 10 years ago and only for App Store apps. If Apple wants everything to be App Store only, they really are taking their sweet time.

Signed drivers have been a requirement for Windows forever. Apple is actually late to the game.

It’s also well understood that from a security and stability standpoint that moving drivers into user space was preferable.

Catalina has changed that, notarization is now required for everything, not only App Store.

Well, first there is a difference between “notarization” and “sandboxing”. Notarization just requires you to have your app signed, is a completely automated process, and in no way restricts what your app does.

Sandboxing restricts what your app can do and you have to use entitlements to use certain features.

But no, notarization is not “required” and as an end user you can ctrl-click the first time you run an app to bypass it.

Still, give it more 5 years or so.

They said the same thing back when it was announced in 2010....

They also said that Apple would never make notarization a requirement, then came Catalina.

They never said that and in fact it is still not a requirement. You can use the same control click to bypass it that you always could.