Apple Explains Why Stage Manager is Limited to M1 iPads in New Statement

[landi.erik]

As I said, I knew this would be the comments.

Did you actually listen to his explanation, or you already know he's just doing Apple's PR?

And if you listened, what exactly doesn't pass your expert scrutiny?

And why do you doubt this is his personal opinion? Because it's very similar to my personal opinion - and I certanly have no contact with anyone from Apple.

I didn’t have any issues with his towing the party line, I took issue with the fact he’s saying we are going through the 5 stages of grief. It’s totally negating people’s concerns and basically saying shut up and take what Apple gives us (and we are fortunate to have that).

Watch MaxTech video time stamp 10:20 or just look at Jailbroken screen captures with better multitasking in this thread. The fact we are all still arguing about this goes to show the splintering of the user base…

 

[Blowback]

One of iPadOS 16's key new features is Stage Manager, which allows users to resize apps into overlapping windows for an improved multitasking experience. Stage Manager also fully supports an external display, allowing users to work with up to four apps on the iPad and up to four apps on the external display simultaneously.

To the disappointment of some users, Stage Manager is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, including the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air. In a statement shared with Rene Ritchie, Apple explained its rationale for this limitation by asserting that the Stage Manager experience "requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip."

Apple's full statement, as shared by Ritchie:For example, the M1 iPad Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM, compared to 6GB in the previous-generation iPad Pro. Apple also advertises the M1 iPad Pro as having 2x faster storage than the previous-generation model.

While the Stage Manager feature is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, iPadOS 16 as a whole is compatible with all iPad Pro models, the third-generation iPad Air and newer, the fifth-generation iPad and newer, and the fifth-generation iPad mini and newer. The update is currently in beta for developers, with Apple planning to release a public beta in July. iPadOS 16 should be released to all users around September.

Article Link: Apple Explains Why Stage Manager is Limited to M1 iPads in New Statement

Really doesn't bother me. Have lived without it all this time....and am waiting on the next iPadPro with M2 chip. Not an issue. In order for the software to move forward some 'new' hardware is warranted and some 'old' hardware is left behind...like my present iPad. Also, I'm pissed that it doesn't work with my Performa 600....

 

[aevan]

For the skeptics, here is a screenshot of my iPad 7th gen with jailbreak running 5 windowed apps simultaneously with no difficulty. All are active windows And useable (albeit small). I could’ve kept adding apps as well.

Shame on Apple.

Try running something memory intensive alongside that, like Procreate. I honestly doubt the experience would be up to Apple's requirements.

I'm sorry, but this really doesn't prove anything. It's one thing to make something work, and other to make it work in all cases and up to certain standards. And, as I keep saying - it makes no sense financially to limit this feature artificially. Apple earns most of the iPad money from regular iPads - and it's the best entry point for new users. They want to make them as appealing as possible and this is *not* a feature that would get most people to upgrade anyway.

 

[aevan]

I didn’t have any issues with his towing the party line, I took issue with the fact he’s saying we are going through the 5 stages of grief. It’s totally negating people’s concerns and basically saying shut up and take what Apple gives us (and we are

Not sure what you mean, he said several times he understands the grief and even told anyone to ask for the features they want as loud as they want - just that people should be realistic. And he explained the reasoning behind this decision which makes sense. Where did he negate people's concerns exactly?

 

[landi.erik]

Try running something memory intensive alongside that, like Procreate. I honestly doubt the experience would be up to Apple's requirements.

I'm sorry, but this really doesn't prove anything. It's one thing to make something work, and other to make it work in all cases and up to certain standards. And, as I keep saying - it makes no sense financially to limit this feature artificially. Apple earns most of the iPad money from regular iPads - and it's the best entry point for new users. They want to make them as appealing as possible and this is *not* a feature that would get most people to upgrade anyway.

I bet if we showed you procreate on this multitasking jailbreak you’d still find a way to defend Apple. Which is your right too, but that does not mean those of us questioning this decision are not wrong.

 

[Joe Dohn]

Try running something memory intensive alongside that, like Procreate. I honestly doubt the experience would be up to Apple's requirements.

He essentially said "and you can keep up throwing more stuff". So it suggests even 5 apps are nothing to this workload.

But all it would take then is to throw something memory intensive to disprove that then, right? So we could just ask him to run throw Procreate with a heavy file into the mix?

 

[landi.erik]

Not sure what you mean, he said several times he understands the grief and even told anyone to ask for the features they want as loud as they want - just that people should be realistic. Where did he negate people's concerns exactly?

It’s condensing is what it is, telling someone “oh your just going through grief” is certainly minimizing.

 

[Joe Dohn]

Really doesn't bother me. Have lived without it all this time....and am waiting on the next iPadPro with M2 chip. Not an issue. In order for the software to move forward some 'new' hardware is warranted and some 'old' hardware is left behind...like my present iPad. Also, I'm pissed that it doesn't work with my Performa 600....

It doesn't bother me much either. What bothers me is Apple's disastrous PR, going with an outright lie ("the old iPad does not support multitasking") and then trying to change that to "the old iPad can actually multitask, but it doesn't perform as we expect".

Had they stood silent, or even said "we have done that due to financial decisions" would still be horrible, but at least I would respect them a little more.

 

[aevan]

I bet if we showed you procreate on this multitasking jailbreak you’d still find a way to defend Apple.

I don't really do hypotheticals - but I have to say that would make me think what's the real reason. I'm not defending a corporation, there are a ton of things that Apple does business-wise that annoy me and legitimate reasons to criticise them.

This doesn't feel like one - it makes perfect sense that if you want 8 apps that can request up to 16Gb RAM running simultaneously on a device that has 8Gb RAM - you need a swap file. And if you want responsiveness you'd expect from an iPad, that swap requires several things found on a Mac and on M1 iPads. It's incredible to me how this place simultaneously claims that these days you can't run Chrome with 8Gb RAM on Macs, but also that you can run apps like Procreate on a 4Gb RAM iPad alongside 7 more apps of any type. Find a Mac with 4Gb RAM, open up a few apps and browser tabs and let me know if it feels as responsive as an iPad.

 

[Coochie Boogs]

The "downers" in this thread are wild. It's always interesting to read the different perspectives and hot takes, but in all honestly at this point it's all conjecture, outside of a select group that has already used the upcoming feature.

 

[landi.erik]

The "downers" in this thread are wild. It's always interesting to read the different perspectives and hot takes, but in all honestly at this point it's all conjecture, outside of a select group that has already used the upcoming feature.

Or those of us actively running iPad OS16 and submitting feedback.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

We are an ipad loving house. I thought we were set, but when the M1 went to the ipad I knew it was important. Thanks to a few things working out, we have managed to all upgrade to them. Passed the others to that won’t use this feature anyway. Heck, I’m probably the only one that will use it - but with the M1 the 2 kids should be set hardware wise for a few many years (aka, the next one is on them!).

I do still miss my Gen2 12.9, I went to the 11” M1 and I’m still adapting to it…

 

[aevan]

It doesn't bother me much either. What bothers me is Apple's disastrous PR, going with an outright lie ("the old iPad does not support multitasking") and then trying to change that to "the old iPad can actually multitask, but it doesn't perform as we expect".

Where did they say the iPad doesn't support multitasking? They said it wouldn't support Stage Manager, which can have up to 8 apps open at the same time. Seriously, the non-pro and non-air iPads have 4Gb RAM, it's not that big of a mystery. You need a swap file for that. And if you want a swap file, you need modern Mac guts to make it iPad-level responsive.

This is not for financial reasons.

 

[landi.erik]

I don't really do hypotheticals - but I have to say that would make me think what's the real reason. I'm not defending a corporation, there are a ton of things that Apple does business-wise that annoy me and legitimate reasons to criticise them.

This doesn't feel like one - it makes perfect sense that if you want 8 apps that can request up to 16Gb RAM running simultaneously on a device that has 8Gb RAM - you need a swap file. And if you want responsiveness you'd expect from an iPad, that swap requires several things found on a Mac and on M1 iPads. It's incredible to me how this place simultaneously claims that these days you can't run Chrome with 8Gb RAM on Macs, but also that you can run apps like Procreate on a 4Gb RAM iPad alongside 7 more apps of any type. Find a Mac with 4Gb RAM, open up a few apps and browser tabs and let me know if it feels as responsive as an iPad.

So then what about swap files running on spinning disks? I mean this to me was a slap in the face response (from Apple not you aevan). Swap files have been around for decades in OSX-Windows-Linux.

 

[hans1972]

My Mac has never slowed down from using Expose. Stop justifying nickel and diming.

Mission Control (Expose) is only an application manager. The slowness comes from the applications themselves.

 

[landi.erik]

I just wanna say I respect and listen to all the opinions here, justifications on both sides of argument are strong.

I’m just challenging everyone here to “Think Different”

 

[4jasontv]

Where did they say the iPad doesn't support multitasking? They said it wouldn't support Stage Manager, which can have up to 8 apps open at the same time. Seriously, the non-pro and non-air iPads have 4Gb RAM, it's not that big of a mystery. You need a swap file for that. And if you want a swap file, you need modern Mac guts to make it iPad-level responsive.

This is not for financial reasons.

If it wasn't for financial reasons, why do nearly 70% of the iPads released in the past year not support Stage Manger?

 

[I7guy]

If it wasn't for financial reasons, why do nearly 70% of the iPads released in the past year not support Stage Manger?

They dont have the horsepower?

 

[4jasontv]

They dont have the horsepower?

The new iPads don't have the horsepower, but the old ones do.

 

[hans1972]

A community that kisses the a** of a company – any company – is not healthy.

A community where devoid of those who really dislike Apple is a much better community.

There are a lot of people here who hate Apple, think they're lying most of the times, they are only out to get money out of their customers, they should pull out of China because of human rights issue, Apple being almost evil for not supporting right-to-repair, using USB-C on their iPhones, supporting side loading and multiple App Stores etc.

I could do without any of them because their position is known and they don't bring anything new.

People who wants to change the world for the better are some of the most dangerous people on earth and I would not like for them to infest Apple dedicated forums.

 

[hans1972]

A community that kisses the a** of a company – any company – is not healthy.

A community devoid of those who really dislike Apple is a much better community.

There are a lot of people here who hate Apple, think they're lying most of the times, they are only out to get money out of their customers, they should pull out of China because of human rights issue, Apple being almost evil for not supporting right-to-repair, using USB-C on their iPhones, supporting side loading and multiple App Stores etc.

I could do without any of them because their position is known and they don't bring anything new.

People who wants to change the world for the better are some of the most dangerous people on earth and I would not like for them to infest Apple dedicated forums.

 

[antiprotest]

Call me sheeple, that’s fine, but I actually am upgrading to an M1 iPad Pro just for this

I think making a personal decision based on a clear headed understanding of the facts does not make you a sheep, even if you are being strong armed by Apple, as long as you admit it. But those who think that Apple is right no matter what are sheep.

 

[landi.erik]

The new iPads don't have the horsepower, but the old ones do.

Not sure on this point, the M1 and future processors have higher transistor counts so performance will go up (unless architecture changes the way instructions are completed). Only time I can remember an older product being better was AMD Bulldozer being worse the Phenom X series.

A community where devoid of those who really dislike Apple is a much better community.

There are a lot of people here who hate Apple, think they're lying most of the times, they are only out to get money out of their customers, they should pull out of China because of human rights issue, Apple being almost evil for not supporting right-to-repair, using USB-C on their iPhones, supporting side loading and multiple App Stores etc.

I could do without any of them because their position is known and they don't bring anything new.

People who wants to change the world for the better are some of the most dangerous people on earth and I would not like for them to infest Apple dedicated forums.

So you’d like to live in an echo chamber of yes people? I mean how do you expect to iterate on the product without feedback good/bad? Where do I fall in? Again Fan boy here but does not mean I don’t criticize questionable decisions.

 

[rafark]

4-year-old-hardware-misses-out-on-1-new-feature-shocker!

The new iPad was just released a few months ago

 

[hans1972]

[...] Google is now allowing us to run VMs in Android 13, and said VMs are being implemented to work with specific, restricted privileges, so they run at near native speed.

The people who wants to run virtual machines on phones and tablets are exactly the type of people Apple should avoid having as customers.

Here's a list of people I would be extremely happy lost confidence in Apple and removed themselves from the Apple ecosystem:

• Wants touch-screen support on Macs
• Wants be in full control of their iOS and iPad OS devices
• Wants Apple to design their products to be easily repaiable
• Right-to-repair people
• Wants iOS to be more like Android
• Wants macOS to be more like Windows
• Wants Apple to be more like Microsoft, Google or PC manufacturers
• Wants to run virtual machines on simple iOS and iPad OS devices
• and the list goes on

Difficult to say which one of them I hate the most, but very often the same person holds all of the above beliefs.