I can’t wait to beta test iPadOS 16 to see if the operating system finally lives up to its full potential

I can’t wait to beta test iPadOS 16 to see if the operating system finally lives up to its full potential. In other words, will I finally be able to use an iPad Pro as a laptop alternative.

I’m not looking to ditch my Mac and go fully iPad. However, I want, in the late Steve Jobs’ parlance, for the former to be my “truck” and the later to be my car. 

Here’s the ideal set-up for me: do the bulk of my day-to-day work on a 24-inch iMac (preferably an updated one with an M2 chip) and use my 12.9-inch iPad Pro for when I’m on the move. 

Currently, I use the tablet to watch videos, check email, and surf the web. I use it as a drawing tablet, gaming device, ebook reader, Bible, and more. However, when I go on the road, I can’t use it to run Apple World Today.

Apple continues to insist that, when it comes to the iPad, “your next computer is not a computer.” However, for many of us, the iPad, even the iPad Pro, isn’t a true laptop replacement or alternative.

It’s not the hardware. An iPad running an Apple-designed M1 processor has plenty of oomph. And the next update, probably in September or October, will likely sport an M2 processor.

It’s not the screen size, though I would buy a 14-inch iPad IF I could use it as a laptop. It’s the operating system; iPadOS doesn’t offer the multitasking features and flexibility of macOS.

That might change with iPadOS 16. With improved multitasking, full screen monitor support, and the Stage Manager feature, it sounds as if I might get my wish at last. However, I won’t know until I the public beta becomes available in July. I’ll keep everyone posted on how it affects my workflow on an iPad Pro.