[mullr]

> audio software/hardware manufacturers tend to ignore Windows

Really? Apogee is the only manufacturer in this market I can think of, out of many, that supports Apple products but not Windows. All latency-fearing Windows audio software and hardware uses ASIO, for which there is broad industry support.

> Audio hardware manufacturers want to release products for platforms that people are actually using, so they target OS X.

I think you perceive their motivations correctly, but most people would reach a different conclusion than you have. Anecdotal evidence suggests that said manufacturers have as well.

> The really weird thing is that I get better latency when recording through my iPad then I do when recording through my beefy gaming rig.

The latency of a digital audio system is determined by the amount of buffering in the signal path, but your computer must be able to keep those buffers reliably full. Your iPad, being a more controlled system with fewer background processes, should be able to do a much better job of this than your desktop box, where anything goes.

[actsasbuffoon]

Universal Audio's UAD satellite boxes and the Apollo range of interfaces don't support Windows. Focusrite's discontinued Liquid Mix DSP box didn't support Windows. All of Metric Halo's audio interfaces are Mac only. I believe some of MOTU's audio interfaces used to be Mac specific, since their Digital Performer DAW software was Mac specific. If memory serves DP went multi-platform with version 8, and their audio interfaces have also become increasingly Windows friendly.

These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. That's before we even get into software.