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Samtb

macrumors 65832
Original poster
Jan 6, 2013
1,503
33
i mainly want it for the split screen multitasking but I can't think of a case where I'd use split screen multitasking on an iPad.
 

IrishVixen

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2010
2,504
115
I'd say any answer we could give you is heavily dependent on what you actually use an iPad for. If it's primarily a consumption device, you may not find split screen useful at all.

I'm a writer who does most of my writing on the iPad. For me, split screen will mean being able to have a website or other app up for reference without having to stop what I'm doing, flip over to a browser, find the information I need, and then keep switching back and forth while I take notes on what I'm reading. Split screen is WAY overdue for me.
 

Samtb

macrumors 65832
Original poster
Jan 6, 2013
1,503
33
I use it as a consumption device - music, reading, emails, web surfing etc.
 

garirry

macrumors 68000
Apr 27, 2013
1,543
3,904
Canada is my city
i mainly want it for the split screen multitasking but I can't think of a case where I'd use split screen multitasking on an iPad.
If you DO need the feature, buy the iPad.
If you DON'T need the feature but you DO have money you can't spend elsewhere, buy it.
If you DON'T need the feature but you DON'T have free money, don't buy it.
That's the most I can say.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,156
i mainly want it for the split screen multitasking but I can't think of a case where I'd use split screen multitasking on an iPad.

Can you afford it? Will owning the device make you happy?

If the answer is yes to both of those then thats all the reason you need. That why I own an iPad. Very few people actually NEED an iPad and we could debate whether anyone actually NEEDS one at all.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,827
13,083
Can you afford it? Will owning the device make you happy?

If the answer is yes to both of those then thats all the reason you need. That why I own an iPad. Very few people actually NEED an iPad and we could debate whether anyone actually NEEDS one at all.
True. Unless you need to justify it to the wifey or something, then you'd need to come up with a reasonable excuse. :p
 

JoePa2624

macrumors regular
Oct 12, 2014
247
105
AZ
You're watching Netflix on your brand new iPad and one of your buddies texts you. You Slide Over and respond to his text without having to miss that hilarious moment in the Office episode you're watching.
 
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David58117

macrumors 65816
Jan 24, 2013
1,237
523
I'd say any answer we could give you is heavily dependent on what you actually use an iPad for. If it's primarily a consumption device, you may not find split screen useful at all.

I'm a writer who does most of my writing on the iPad. For me, split screen will mean being able to have a website or other app up for reference without having to stop what I'm doing, flip over to a browser, find the information I need, and then keep switching back and forth while I take notes on what I'm reading. Split screen is WAY overdue for me.

There have been apps that allow that for awhile though.

It has a browser on one side, and a notepad on the other.

Worked ok.

Anyway, I'm kind of of the opinion that split screen will mostly be a novelty on the iPad..

I think it's perfectly fine as is..
 

IrishVixen

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2010
2,504
115
There have been apps that allow that for awhile though.

It has a browser on one side, and a notepad on the other.

Worked ok.

Anyway, I'm kind of of the opinion that split screen will mostly be a novelty on the iPad..

I think it's perfectly fine as is..

And I'm glad that you're happy with it. You don't have to use new features that don't interest or work for you. There are plenty of things Apple has introduced I think are a novelty or even useless--I'm looking at you, Siri--features that I disable the minute I get a new device. (My husband uses Siri all the freaking time. I don't get it, but hey, more power to him if he thinks it makes his life easier.) That's the beauty of having choices.

Me, I prefer being able to use the apps that work best for me for each purpose, and not having to use a third one-size-never-fits-all purpose-built app that inevitably has one killer feature and absolutely nothing else I need. That's a kludgy workaround if for no other reason than I would then need to transfer those notes into my normal working app, adding additional steps to my workflow.

I also don't just do work with websites. Reference books in ebook form are a big part of research for me--so a notes + browser only setup would be worthless in that scenario. As most of my ebooks are in Kindle and PDFs are in GoodReader, being able to pair those with Notebooks (or eventually Scrivener for iOS) on the same screen is going to smooth my workflow considerably.

Once third party apps support split screen, this will be a very useful feature for some of us who use the iPad more for production than consumption--for us, that one thing may well be worth moving up to a newer iPad. For those who only use their device for surfing, watching video, etc., I suspect it'll be a take-it-or-leave-it function they don't often use...certainly not a feature worth upgrading for.

Unless, of course, they just want someone to enable them. In which case, of course you should upgrade to the latest & greatest! ;)
 
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