An improved iPad app be way more useful, we already use Lighting-to-Ethernet dongles with it, but the Mikrotik iOS app just isn't that great and still buggy.
If you think about it, this could actually be a way of unifying the iPhone/iPad app with everything else. The iOS app does have that "basic mode" which is really handy for non technical users.
I really do use winbox daily on a Mac... But RN I have ZERO complaints about winbox, even on a Mac, so a replacement isn't that appealing. Count me skeptical too, but it took 6 years to get automatic reconnect only added in v3.32 winbox.
Be curious to see what Mikrotik is doing, but focusing on desktop apps seems the wrong direction. Mobile/tablets are the majority of devices on the internet, while PC/laptops are decreasing in usage. I personally prefer to never use my Mac (or windows laptop) to manage a Mikrotik or anything, but the iPad interface is lacking. Long way from retiring MacBook, but prefer if I could get away with only a tablet. Trust me using any laptop on a roof is PITA. Qt or Electron ain't going to help that problem.
Yeah the iOS/Android app's "basic mode" part works pretty well (& some ways better than webfig/winbox QuickSet). But it's the "Advanced" part where it's tough to use the iOS app as a winbox-replacement β since you have to keep navigating the menus. Android app uses tabs so you switch between config screen easily, but iOS lacks this feature so it constant navigating down, then up, then down to do anything. The reviews on Apple App Store tell the story:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mikrotik/ ... ll/reviews
Now I do think a richer iOS app be very difficult to do in a cross-platform manner...for example, Apple has macros "shortcuts"/app URLs that Mikrotik app could support (but doesn't), now that be iOS-specific code support. Or, similar integration for events/logs/etc to Apple notification via the Mikrotik app. etc. etc. Or the multi-tasking views of iPad. etc. etc..
Basically prefer seeing an improved/update (e.g. more
Apple-ish) iOS app, than "new & better" MacOS app. Basically swapping one cross-platform (wine) for another doesn't have much appeal, at least to me.
Anyway, we'll see what surprise Mikrotik have in store, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they'll have a revamped UI, beyond the 1990-style MVC windows app, but count me skeptical. They've let the iOS languish for a long time, so mildly annoying to see "hey we're working on something 'new and better'" when there's stuff to "fix" today.