The updates to Files and Safari are game-changers. For skilled users who can handle its complexities, this update to multitasking will make productivity and content creation tasks much more efficient. And as is the case with iOS 13 generally, a focus on privacy and giving powerful tools to third-party app developers goes a long way to distinguish this from other platforms in a positive way. It doesn’t hurt that Apple’s iPad hardware is almost universally outstanding, either.
If you’re looking to replace your laptop with an iPad, congratulations; Apple has listened to your feedback and made it viable for the first time. That’s no small feat. But as a famous fictional mathematician once said, Apple was so preoccupied with whether it could that it didn’t stop to think if it should.
For the types of users who read Ars Technica — who seek out knowledge to maximize control and mastery of their personal technology — most of these changes are quite welcome. I’m just a little worried about what it all means for everybody else. Year by year, the iPad is being reimagined for a new mission. But to do that, Apple has to abandon — or at least compromise — the original mission. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on exactly who you are.
In any case, Cupertino’s efforts to respond to long-time user feedback herald a very interesting new chapter for the Apple ecosystem. And doing serious work on a true tablet has never been easier.
MacDailyNews Take: Axon’s conclusion is exactly why we’ve long advocated for a simple toggle in the operating system for iPads. All iPads should come “simple” by default. Power users can choose to flick a toggle to access advanced features that might be highly confusing to average users.
Imagine an “iOS Pro” mode.
Turn on iOS Pro on your iPad Pro
1. Tap Settings > General, and make sure iOS Pro is turned on.
2. There is no step two.
Hey, we can dream, can’t we? — MacDailyNews, December 29, 2015
As usual, Ars’ full review is worth the read. Check it out here.
Interns: TTK. Prost!