In my view, Apple doesn’t want to make an iPadOS-running iPad into a laptop replacement, they want to make it into an orthogonal alternative.

In some sense, for many categories of use, the App Store hosts superior offerings to what the Mac App Store does. Panic and Omni offer extremely sophisticated applications that I use on a daily basis. Office is likewise almost on par with the desktop equivalents (for most users, I’m well aware of the limitations in macros and plugins and so forth).

Many developers seem to be taking a “Mobile First” approach these days, and that is driving wind into the iPad’s sails.

I really would be more prudent before dismissing it.