Forum Discussion

Nigel Price's avatar
Nigel Price
Iron Contributor
Jun 19, 2017

Can I install Visual Studio Code on an iPad ?

Hi   I am trying to install Visual Studio Code on my 12" iPad Pro - so there is pleanty of poke there. I find the Visual Studio Code downloads and I click on Down Load for Mac and I get a zip file...
Darren Parkinson's avatar
Darren Parkinson
Brass Contributor
Jun 19, 2017
You can't as far as I'm aware. The iPad is just a tablet. Despite what Apple tells you, it isn't yet a full laptop replacement. So unless it's in the App Store, you won't be able to install it. There was a proposal last year which doesn't look like it went anywhere: https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/10928
  • Jiří Štolba's avatar
    Jiří Štolba
    Copper Contributor
    Oct 04, 2017
    Hello, I think its not about "tablet / full PC / laptop". I used the Visual Studio (latest one was VS 2015 Standard) on my Toshiba Encore W8 tablet and its worked without any bigger problems (yes it was slower but still usable)

    I think Nigel could have a problem with operating system because Microsoft accepts just two of them:
    macOS Sierra 10.12: Community, Professional, and Enterprise.
    Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11: Community, Professional, and Enterprise*.

    BUT here:
    Nigel download the zip file and now he is not able unpack the ZIP then ... I will be nice :) https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25411?locale=en_US
  • Nigel Price's avatar
    Nigel Price
    Iron Contributor
    Jun 19, 2017

    Hi Darren Parkinson

     

    I have an iPad Pro with a keyboard I would have thought that would be as powerful as some of the apple macs.

     

    So I cannot use VSCode on the train then without getting my rather large Laptop out.

     

    But hang-on does VSCode not run on a Windows Surface - is that not a tablet - so why not on an iPad ?

     

    Regards

     

    Nigel

     

     

    • skyPurpleCloud's avatar
      skyPurpleCloud
      Copper Contributor
      Sep 19, 2020

      Nigel Price 

       

      Hey Nigel,

       

      Mac laptops run MacOS (previously OS X) which is a Unix based OS.

       

      iPads and iPhones run iPadOS and iOS respectively (some older iPads still run iOS).

       

      I use iPad for a lot of stuff and just usually get a terminal into target systems or utilise a VDS of some sort (like Amazon Workspaces running Windows 10).

       

      For traveling to conferences etc. so I still have access to all my tools, like VS Code, I have a light(er) weight MacBook Pro with all I need.

       

      The better option for your needs maybe a MacBook Air or the MacBook, which are only slightly heavier than an iPad (just no touch screen, which is frustrating).

       

      p.s. I cam here looking for a version of VS Code for my iPad too ... hopefully, MS will bring something official out soon.

       

      Are there any alternatives (iPad apps not web apps) which people have suggested?

       

      Many thanks,

      Roy.

    • Joseph Ackerman's avatar
      Joseph Ackerman
      Iron Contributor
      Jun 19, 2017
      Nigel Price wrote:

      But hang-on does VSCode not run on a Windows Surface - is that not a tablet - so why not on an iPad ? 

      Because as Darren Parkinson said, the iPad is not a full laptop replacement.  The current generation Surface is.

       

      So no, you cannot use VS code on the train (yet).  However, you can edit your files in any plain text editor that you can get to run on your iPad. :-)

      • Dustin Dortch's avatar
        Dustin Dortch
        Copper Contributor
        Jun 01, 2019

        Joseph Ackerman It has nothing to do with your opinion of whether it is a full laptop replacement.  It is a different operating system, that is why, and VS Code has not been compiled to run on it or published in the app store.  This, and only this, is why.

         

        Nigel Price  It is a fantastic portable computing device and is rather versatile.  I would really appreciate having VS Code right on it, but for the time being, I use JumpDesktop to remote into my Windows machine (I also have LTE on my iPad Pro) and I can even use a mouse (Swiftpoint GT) with that app and the remotely connected system.

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