In my last post, I likened hypothetical macOS virtualization in iPadOS to Mac OS X’s classic mode. The more I’ve thought about it however, the more I think classic mode isn’t the right analogy. Classic mode was for anyone migrating to Mac OS X, which was practically every Mac user at the time. I don’t see virtualized macOS as something for every iPad user. A better analogy would be Boot Camp.

Boot Camp was (and seemingly still is) an optional feature that made it possible for technically inclined users to install Microsoft Windows on Intel-based Macs. It wasn’t for everyone. I would wager most everyone that seriously used Boot Camp strongly preferred macOS, but needed access to Windows to perform some function of their work. This is exactly the type of audience I imagine virtualized macOS would support. Technically inclined users who prefer the iPad, including iPadOS, but still need to occasionally access macOS to do some bit of work. The only difference is that Boot Camp installed Windows as a parallel system OS that required rebooting into. That was fine for 2006, but obviously doesn’t make sense in an era where virtualized environments can be just as performant while effectively running in an app.