My iPad finally runs a desktop OS, but it's Windows XP -- here's what it was like
Earlier this year, I picked up an old 2018 iPad Pro at a garage sale. It was selling for an incredibly low price, so I thought of getting it primarily for consuming content when I'm flying. However, I barely used it a couple of times before it started gathering dust on a shelf. That's when I put it to better use. Initially, I planned on using it as a digital photo frame but realized it wouldn't be of much use. Then, I thought of using it as a smart home hub of sorts to control all my lights and speakers. But, I already had an Echo Show to do that. After some more deliberation, it hit me that I could convert it into a portable laptop that I could carry instead of my MacBook Pro when traveling.
While that seemed like a good idea, I realized iPadOS 18 -- despite new features and improvements -- was rather limiting for doing anything productivity-related. Multitasking isn't ideal, running multiple instances of an app isn't possible, and most importantly, I was limited to using just mobile versions of apps. So, I took things into my own hands. I fired up my gaming PC, installed Chrome Remote Desktop, and set it up as a host. I'm sure by now, you know where this is headed. If you too have an old iPad or just about any tablet lying around, here's how you can turn it into something useful.
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Setting up Chrome Remote Desktop
There are several alternatives to Chrome Remote Desktop -- some of which even offer better features. However, I picked Chrome primarily because I already had the app installed on my PC, and the setup process is extremely simple. Moreover, I've been using the app to access my PC remotely via my Mac for several years, and I'm familiar with how it works, so I didn't want to experiment with other options.
All I had to do was head to the Chrome Remote Desktop website and download the app on my PC. I then set a PIN to access my PC and it was good to go from the host's side. See, it's as simple as that via Chrome's app.
Set your PC/laptop's power settings to never allow the computer to go to sleep/turn off. This will ensure you have a constant connection with the remote desktop.
On my iPad, I visited the Remote Desktop Viewer site and signed in using the same Google account I used to sign in to the Remote Desktop app on my PC. Then, I selected my PC from the list of devices and entered the PIN to access it.
Creating a shortcut to access the PC
I wish Google had a dedicated viewer app for iPadOS to make the experience more seamless. Since it's not there, I created a home screen shortcut to make it simpler to access my PC with a single button. Moreover, following this process allowed me to use keyboard shortcuts and play around with the screen resolution and aspect ratio -- something you can't do when accessing the viewer directly via a browser.
Once I was on the Google Remote Desktop site, I tapped on the Share button next to the address bar.
Then, I selected the Add to Home Screen button and hit Add.
This essentially added an icon to my iPad's home screen that took me straight into the Remote Desktop viewer. If you're going to access your PC regularly, this hack will definitely save you a lot of time.
Changing settings for better usability
Once I gained access to my PC, I experimented with the settings inside the Remote Desktop app and tweaked them for better compatibility with the iPad's hardware. Here's everything I changed by tapping on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
Enabled Scale to fit. Enabled Resize to fit. Changed the Video codec to VP9. Set the Maximum framerate to 60FPS. Turned on Smooth scaling. Selected the checkbox next to On-screen input.
With these parameters, I found the performance and display resolution to be the best.
Simulating input devices
While I was familiarizing myself with the Remote Desktop UI and preferences, I figured I could change the way I interacted with my PC's screen. By default, you can use your touchscreen input to simply tap items on the screen to select or launch them. Apart from this, you also get a touchpad mode that lets you use the iPad's touchscreen like a trackpad.
With this option, sliding my finger on the touchscreen replicated the movement of the mouse cursor. Additionally, Chrome also gives you an option to use an on-screen keyboard to input text into a field on the PC. Combining these two -- the makeshift trackpad and keyboard -- provides a somewhat usable experience. However, I didn't want to settle for just that. I took it to the next level by picking up an inexpensive keyboard case for the iPad.
In fact, the case even has a built-in trackpad to replicate a laptop. I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to convert my iPad into a full-blown Windows laptop. Either way, adding the keyboard case made the entire combination even more ideal. I don't have to choose between a touchscreen display and a trackpad since I can use both, and I don't have to struggle while typing on an on-screen keyboard with input lag.
If you plan on doing something like this, you could also use an existing wireless keyboard or mouse by connecting them via Bluetooth. You don't necessarily need to buy a keyboard case like I did.
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What can you use it for?
Alright, now that the setup is sorted, let's get to the main aspect. What can you do on this mini iPad Windows laptop running on a remote desktop connection? Turns out, quite a few things.
Let me circle back to the fact that I wanted to use the iPad as a replacement for my heavy laptop when traveling. I wanted to use it primarily for text processing, browsing, light photo editing, and accessing documents and other files. So, was it able to deliver on all these fronts? Let's go over them one after the other.
Text processing
Microsoft Word is generally my go-to software for writing any piece of text. While I don't have an Office 365 subscription, I do have a copy of Microsoft Office 2019 installed on my PC. I was able to open Word on the iPad and type on it without any issues.
Sure, there were some input lags from time to time, but that is to be expected from a remote connection that's reliant on bandwidth.
Browsing
It's obvious that you don't need to run Windows on an iPad to browse the web. However, I love Chrome for the desktop since it has some nice extensions, and I prefer reading text in desktop view to mobile view. This is exactly why I loved browsing on the Chrome Windows app.
Moreover, I prefer having a split-screen view of Word and Chrome when I'm taking notes for an article. It's much easier to do on Windows than on iOS. Again, I experience several jitters from time to time, probably also due to the fact that my iPad is six years old at this point. If you have a newer, more powerful iPad, the experience should ideally be far smoother.
Photo Editing
This is where the iPad completely failed. When I say photo editing, I don't mean complex color grading in Lightroom. I use an app called PhotoScape to edit and annotate the images I add to my articles. When I tried running the app via the remote desktop connection, the interface froze, and I had to restart the session from scratch. This happened several times. So, anything that's remotely intensive may not work as intended.
Accessing files
One of the biggest upsides of a remote desktop connection is you can access all your files without having to carry around an external drive. I fired up Windows Explorer on the iPad, which, by the way, worked flawlessly.
There was some lag in the animations when opening folders, but I was happy as long as I was able to retrieve the files I needed. So, it passes this test too.
Needless to say, anything more demanding like gaming, running too many instances of an app, or even playing a high-res video at a high frame rate is a no-go. Then again, it's a makeshift computer, so it's best to keep your expectations low.
Can't be used as a primary machine
While the setup is functional, I face several issues at random intervals when using Windows 11 on the iPad via a remote desktop connection. For starters, there are random freezes, at which point, my only option is to restart the connection. Thankfully, all the ongoing work gets saved on the host PC locally, so there's very little chance of losing unsaved data.
Several times, the screen resolution would get messed up, leading to some portion of the screen getting cut off. I've also experienced some windows going out of the viewable screen area, rendering them useless. The other day, I was working on an article when half of the screen just went completely blank. I closed and reopened the app, but the same issue occurred a few minutes later.
These experiences can certainly put you off and may even convince you to pick up an actual laptop at an affordable price. Then again, it's important to note that we're working with a makeshift solution that's not foolproof. Issues like these are bound to exist, especially when using a tablet with dated hardware.
I'm ditching my Mac for this mini iPad PC
My job involves a lot of travel to events that take place for a day or two. During these events, I don't necessarily need my laptop, but I still carry it with me wherever I go because I never know when I might need it. However, that has led to acute backache because my 14-inch MacBook Pro is quite heavy. Thankfully, with my new iPad contraption, I no longer have to carry my Mac with me wherever I go.
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Running Windows on the iPad does most of what I need for a day or two. I can deal with a couple of lags and freezes here and there if it means traveling with a lighter backpack. Plus, I can simply swipe up to go back to iOS and stream media when I'm done working.