In a must-read editorial at Macworld, Editor David Price thinks talk of the next version of iPadOS being more macOS-like could be a bad thing.
He makes a lot of good points, but I disagree with his premise. I think giving the iPad more Mac-like features will be a great thing — and something I’ve long pushed for.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the next version of iPadOS will indeed make the operating system a lot more like macOS. He says that the iPadOS 19 update, which will be announced at June’s Worldwide Developer Conference, will address “productivity, multitasking, and app window management” by adopting elements of macOS’s interface and navigation. Not by installing macOS on iPads, he adds, but by bringing iPadOS closer to macOS.
Here are David’s concerns if this happens:
° The Mac’s windowing system works so well because it has evolved as the easiest system to navigate using a mouse and keyboard, not a touchscreen.
° Most iPad users don’t want a complex interface so “choose to use Apple’s tablet in preference to a MacBook or big-screen iPhone precisely because of its simplicity.”
However, David recommends something I’ve long wished for: Apple could divide its tablet line into two divisions.
I’d love to see the iPad Pro ship with a very macOS-like operating system, and the other iPads ship with the current iPadOS. (Although in my perfect world, the iPad Pro would ship with a version of macOS that’s tweaked for touchscreen, as well as mouse/keyboard, navigation.)
In fact, I’d love to see the iPad Pro with iPadOS Pro reduced the “Mac Pad.” Admittedly, that would only muddle Apple’s product line-up, so I could live with a souped-up (software wise) iPad Pro.
Along similar lines, I’ve also proposed that Apple should reposition the iPad mini as an ebook reader. You can read my thoughts about that here.
Apple will host its annual WWDC online from June 9 to 13, 2025. And I’ll be eagerly awaiting to see what Apple has planned for the iPad.
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