“As we reported last week, iOS 13 is expected to bring some notable improvements to the iPad user experience,” Chance Miller reports for 9to5Mac. “Now, a new concept imagines what iOS 13 might look like on the iPad, included new navigation features, mouse support, and more.”
“OS 13 is said to be adding support for mouse interaction as an Accessibility feature for the iPad. This would allow users to pair a Bluetooth mouse with their iPad for an added control option,” Miller reports. “Today’s concept from designer Guilherme Martins Schasiepen attempts to imagine what that might look like.”
Miller reports, “The concept imagines features like floating apps, Expose, improved drag and drop, and more coming to the iPad this year.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Check out Schasiepen’s concept videos:
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s iOS 13 could finally turn iPads into real laptop replacements – April 24, 2019
Mouse and trackpad support coming to iPad in iOS 13? – April 23, 2019
Catching up to DOS in the ’80s… but in a mobile device…
As power user, I find that my work flow is always slower on my iPad Pro than my MacBook. I’m always going back and forth. Being able to use a cursor would make certain common writing/editing tasks SOOO much better. I don’t really see the need for touchscreen on a Mac(maybe others need that), but I definitely see HUGE advantages for writers/heavy power users having access to the precision and speed of a cursor on an iPad. For speed and precession, the finger isn’t always the best tool.
What about a pen instead of a mouse?
With Touch Chromebooks available these days, they are firmly staking out a use case niche between iPads and Mac notebooks. Might be the sweet spot for both education and non-traditional office workers. Touch Macs, or iPads with mouse/trackpad capabilities might have to be Apple’s solution.
Good for the iPad.
But what about Mac Pros who need serious firepower, not underpowered wannabes …
Ah, GoeB, the ultimate underpowered wannabe
#MGGB – Make GoeB Great again
It all sounds promising, just a few more features like these and iOS could become my primary computer. I would still have a Mac but most of my computing activity could be done on my iPad.
My wish list is:
Full desktop Safari web browser with download manager.
Multi-document/window/tab style apps.
Better multi-tasking to handle point 2.
Be able to just plug in a Flash drive, hard disk or camera and have it appear in the Files app.
Be able to connect an external monitor, mouse and keyboard and interact that way.
Trackpad on Smart Keyboard
Become an external touch screen for Mac apps. (Not an external screen, see below.)
Dedicated Undo/Redo Gesture or Command (No shaking and not just some buttons on the keyboard.)
I have a feeling I will get at least some of these at this year’s WWDC.
I hope Apple starts treating iOS and macOS the same, iOS should not be seen as a watered down/simplified OS and macOS as the OS for advanced users. It should really be that iOS is seen as the touch/gesture first OS and macOS as the Mouse first OS. They should have the same level of features, just adapted for their unique interaction models.
On top of this they could allow developers to create an app with a single code base but different User Interfaces for iOS and macOS. The app’s UI could adapt or change completely depending on which OS it was on or which interaction model it was using.
So for example if a macOS app was able to display it’s window on an iPad, that window’s UI would automatically change to reflect that it was on a touch first device.
The inverse would apply to an iOS app on an iPad that’s connected to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. It’s UI would change to a macOS like UI to reflect the change in interaction model.
I think there is a fundamental problem with creating a single UI for touch and mouse (I’m looking at you Windows). You will always end up with a compromised user experience because of the inherently different demands those interaction models will place on a single UI.
Apple shouldn’t be afraid of implementing advanced or complex features in iOS, they should be afraid of compromising the touch first UI they’ve so successfully created.
I hope Apple develops an adaptive UI layer that allows developers to create highly optimised apps for both interaction models while allowing them to maintain a single code base. This would be great for developers as it’s less overall work to create an app for all of Apple’s devices. This in turn is great for users as they will have more apps on both iOS and macOS.
However all this will still allow developers to create highly specialised apps specifically for macOS/Mouse or iOS/Touch.
To do all this Apple will need to start bringing the advanced features macOS has to iOS but it looks like they may be starting to do that. It’s a pretty exciting time, I have a feeling this signals the start of a significant period for Apple especially with possible ARM based Macs in the next couple of years.
With Win10 MS has implemented separate desktop and tablet modes you can easily switch between. Perhaps it can be a model that Apple can use as reference for their own implementation. Mode switching ease and efficiency may become a selling point in future devices for mobile workers.