iPad iOS needs a Serious Overhaul!

[RudySnow]

My first iOS device, back when the OS was called iPhone OS, was an iPod touch. I found it to be a great mini-computer, but I wanted it a little bigger. When the iPad came out a few years later, I bought it on day one and have found it to be exactly what I wanted, namely, a bigger iPod touch. And that's what I still like about iPads, that it's a larger iPod touch. To me, being bigger is enough of a difference all on its own to justify having an iPad -- it doesn't need separate software features to justify it. So if you don't feel you want/need a bigger iPhone, then maybe the iPad isn't for you.

I see where you're going with this, but the only time I ever thought of the iPad as a "bigger iPhone" was when the iPad 1 was introduced. The software at the time was so limited to the larger screen and the RAM so puny, I could completely agree that had things not improved in the last five years, the "bigger iPhone" metaphor could still stick.

With the introduction of the iPPro lines, I definitely don't see the iPad as a "bigger iPhone" in any regard, and I was delighted (unlike others, I'm fully aware) that Apple can now start truly marketing the iPad as a computer. Now, I don't code, edit huge videos, run Adobe software, etc., which is fine--there are still Macs for that consumer population, but I am still convinced that is a minority group outside of the MacRumors regulars. I sold my MacBook Pro in March and never looked back. I do absolutely EVERYTHING I need on my iPP as a computing device--not a Netflix or consuming device--and I absolutely DO NOT MISS the slow creep of bulk and extra tech support that was building in my OSX life that required extra "tinkering," if you will, to keep my Mac running smoothly. (I still dread adding drivers, serial numbers, and debugging my wife's Mac Mini.)

I'm not saying the iPad is without its limitations (such as the aforementioned high-end software), and I would love dual display and the ability to use multiple Airplay speakers. But these limitations aside, I really believe the iPad really could be the future for the Apple lines.

Who knows... we may look back at the new iPPs like we look at the iPad 1 and wonder, "how did we ever DO anything on this thing?"

 

[sparksd]

I'm really on the fence with this one, its difficult. My self from a tech enthusiast point of view wishes that iOS on the iPad was closer to that of Mac OS, but the people i know who use the iPad as their primary device (my grandmother and mother) both love the iPad because it is so simple to use compared to the Windows laptops they were using before, and don't want the iPad to act anything like a desktop class OS.

I don't really know how fix this clash. Maybe keep the existing simple grid view out the box then an advanced button in settings which changes the GUI to a more feature rich iOS GUI? Maybe the Pro coming in the advanced GUI mode out of the box with a button to flick it to simple.

You make a good point. We gave our 90+ year-old Mom an iPad and she was able to use it - simple and reliable. I was so impressed with it myself that I bought an Air 2 - my first Apple device and and I'm a retired s/w professional with over 40 years in the industry. How do you keep a device simple and reliable for "the masses" (not meant derogatorily) but also provide functionality satisfying the tech geeks and the working professionals (often times one and the same)? I believe it's possible, but not easy. And what is the greater market, i.e. return on investment?

 

[M. Gustave]

I don't really know how fix this clash. Maybe keep the existing simple grid view out the box then an advanced button in settings which changes the GUI to a more feature rich iOS GUI? Maybe the Pro coming in the advanced GUI mode out of the box with a button to flick it to simple.

There really is no 'clash', except for people who fundamentally misunderstand the iPad, and see iOS as a watered down version of MacOS.

New features are being added in each release, and iOS is already "feature rich". Making x86 style menus and tiny touch targets appear on the screen won't make a better device or user experience (see Surface).

 

[Channan]

My first iOS device, back when the OS was called iPhone OS, was an iPod touch. I found it to be a great mini-computer, but I wanted it a little bigger. When the iPad came out a few years later, I bought it on day one and have found it to be exactly what I wanted, namely, a bigger iPod touch. And that's what I still like about iPads, that it's a larger iPod touch. To me, being bigger is enough of a difference all on its own to justify having an iPad -- it doesn't need separate software features to justify it. So if you don't feel you want/need a bigger iPhone, then maybe the iPad isn't for you.

When people say the iPad is just a big iPod touch, I tell them that's exactly why it's so great!

 

[sracer]

I'm really on the fence with this one, its difficult. My self from a tech enthusiast point of view wishes that iOS on the iPad was closer to that of Mac OS, but the people i know who use the iPad as their primary device (my grandmother and mother) both love the iPad because it is so simple to use compared to the Windows laptops they were using before, and don't want the iPad to act anything like a desktop class OS.

I don't really know how fix this clash. Maybe keep the existing simple grid view out the box then an advanced button in settings which changes the GUI to a more feature rich iOS GUI? Maybe the Pro coming in the advanced GUI mode out of the box with a button to flick it to simple.

There are things that Apple can to to improve iOS that won't impede on the simplicity. UI work takes time... lots of testing... with people of different ages and stages. Trade-offs to be made, decisions that straddle the benefits and deficits. Apple has done it in the past but I think they've wandered a bit over the years and now it is time for a tightening up and cleaning up.

 

[Nautilus007]

Overhaul, yes separate OS no.

 

[jigzaw]

The tiny Watch has its own watchOS because using it is different from using the phone, so why doesn't a beautiful beast like the iPad have its own padOS? It is a different machine from the phone, used for different things and with it's own way of being physically used (multiple fingers, both hands sometimes) that are totally different than how one usually uses the phone with just a thumb. I don't see why the software should continue being a clone of an aging cell-phone OS.

I don't like Windows but I have to admit the live tiles give their devices a modern useful feel. The notifications on iOS are perfectly optimized for a little phone in your pocket but are totally wasteful of space on the iPad. Would it be so ridiculously hard to have a lockscreen on the iPad with, say, customizable pieces of live information like number of new texts, emails, maybe headlines from your favorite news source, maybe tweets from your favorite tweeterer? Maybe a tile with rotating pictures from one of your photo folders, maybe a constantly updating list of what new movies were added to Netflix today? If nothing else was different about the iPad except something like that, just THAT little bit of engagement with the user could go a long way.

Another little bit of something: I was hoping the size of the iPad Pro would make typing much easier, but instead of using the space for a full-size keyboard, they seem to have kept the size of the keyboard from the 9.7-inch iPad and just filled in the surrounding area with big oversized feature buttons. Being able to type comfortably by maybe being able to adjust the keyboard a bit would have been a major selling point to a super-fast typist like me, but instead you still have to scrunch your wrists together to type even on an enormous iPad. Silliness. Oh, that's right, they want to sell you a "smart cover" with that weird rubber keyboard. Sigh.

 

[nighthawk67]

The tiny Watch has its own watchOS because using it is different from using the phone, so why doesn't a beautiful beast like the iPad have its own padOS? It is a different machine from the phone, used for different things and with it's own way of being physically used (multiple fingers, both hands sometimes) that are totally different than how one usually uses the phone with just a thumb. I don't see why the software should continue being a clone of an aging cell-phone OS.

I don't like Windows but I have to admit the live tiles give their devices a modern useful feel. The notifications on iOS are perfectly optimized for a little phone in your pocket but are totally wasteful of space on the iPad. Would it be so ridiculously hard to have a lockscreen on the iPad with, say, customizable pieces of live information like number of new texts, emails, maybe headlines from your favorite news source, maybe tweets from your favorite tweeterer? Maybe a tile with rotating pictures from one of your photo folders, maybe a constantly updating list of what new movies were added to Netflix today? If nothing else was different about the iPad except something like that, just THAT little bit of engagement with the user could go a long way.

Another little bit of something: I was hoping the size of the iPad Pro would make typing much easier, but instead of using the space for a full-size keyboard, they seem to have kept the size of the keyboard from the 9.7-inch iPad and just filled in the surrounding area with big oversized feature buttons. Being able to type comfortably by maybe being able to adjust the keyboard a bit would have been a major selling point to a super-fast typist like me, but instead you still have to scrunch your wrists together to type even on an enormous iPad. Silliness. Oh, that's right, they want to sell you a "smart cover" with that weird rubber keyboard. Sigh.

Honestly this is genius idea I LOVE the idea of widgets on the lockscreen, I think that's what iOS10 was trying to do. I just think the only thing holding them back is the lack of iPad sales.

 

[Channan]

The tiny Watch has its own watchOS because using it is different from using the phone, so why doesn't a beautiful beast like the iPad have its own padOS? It is a different machine from the phone, used for different things and with it's own way of being physically used (multiple fingers, both hands sometimes) that are totally different than how one usually uses the phone with just a thumb. I don't see why the software should continue being a clone of an aging cell-phone OS.

I don't like Windows but I have to admit the live tiles give their devices a modern useful feel. The notifications on iOS are perfectly optimized for a little phone in your pocket but are totally wasteful of space on the iPad. Would it be so ridiculously hard to have a lockscreen on the iPad with, say, customizable pieces of live information like number of new texts, emails, maybe headlines from your favorite news source, maybe tweets from your favorite tweeterer? Maybe a tile with rotating pictures from one of your photo folders, maybe a constantly updating list of what new movies were added to Netflix today? If nothing else was different about the iPad except something like that, just THAT little bit of engagement with the user could go a long way.

Another little bit of something: I was hoping the size of the iPad Pro would make typing much easier, but instead of using the space for a full-size keyboard, they seem to have kept the size of the keyboard from the 9.7-inch iPad and just filled in the surrounding area with big oversized feature buttons. Being able to type comfortably by maybe being able to adjust the keyboard a bit would have been a major selling point to a super-fast typist like me, but instead you still have to scrunch your wrists together to type even on an enormous iPad. Silliness. Oh, that's right, they want to sell you a "smart cover" with that weird rubber keyboard. Sigh.

At this point, it would make absolutely no sense to develop a brand new OS for the iPad. You'd lose all the apps iOS has. Besides, what would the benefit be?

The iPad doesn't need a different OS. It just needs more thought put into the OS it already has.

 

[jigzaw]

At this point, it would make absolutely no sense to develop a brand new OS for the iPad. You'd lose all the apps iOS has. Besides, what would the benefit be?

The iPad doesn't need a different OS. It just needs more thought put into the OS it already has.

I don't see why compatibility with iOS apps couldn't be maintained with a padOS. Maybe the best way to go IS to optimize the existing iOS for iPad, but won't that just bloat the software and make for a more gluttonous storage hog on the phone?

 

[Night Spring]

I don't see why compatibility with iOS apps couldn't be maintained with a padOS. Maybe the best way to go IS to optimize the existing iOS for iPad, but won't that just bloat the software and make for a more gluttonous storage hog on the phone?

I think you are arguing semantics here. If an "iPad OS" maintains compatibility with iPhone apps, then it's just a variant of iOS, with iPad specific optimizations. And no need for bloat, since Apple releases separate firmware versions for each device anyway. iPhone firmware need not contain iPad specific features, just as iPad firmware doesn't contain any phone app, for example.

 

[jigzaw]

I think you are arguing semantics here. If an "iPad OS" maintains compatibility with iPhone apps, then it's just a variant of iOS, with iPad specific optimizations. And no need for bloat, since Apple releases separate firmware versions for each device anyway. iPhone firmware need not contain iPad specific features, just as iPad firmware doesn't contain any phone app, for example.

None of this is an issue for me and I don't really care whether it's a separate OS or an optimized variant. I'm just wondering why the iPad in 2016 hasn't advanced beyond being just a blown-up version of a cell phone and agreeing with the spirit of the OP. Just seems un-Apple-like to have a 13-inch computer running software designed for a 4-inch telephone.

 

[M. Gustave]

Just seems un-Apple-like to have a 13-inch computer running software designed for a 4-inch telephone.

The '4-inch telephone' is also a powerful computer, and can do 95% or more of what the iPad can. I love these posts where people attempt to slander the iPad by saying it's just a "blown up iPhone", literally the most successful and paradigm changing computing device ever made.

 

[Channan]

None of this is an issue for me and I don't really care whether it's a separate OS or an optimized variant. I'm just wondering why the iPad in 2016 hasn't advanced beyond being just a blown-up version of a cell phone and agreeing with the spirit of the OP. Just seems un-Apple-like to have a 13-inch computer running software designed for a 4-inch telephone.

Mostly because any changes Apple makes to iOS on the iPad can also be adapted for the iPhone. There's no reason to develop a feature for the iPad and not also bring it over to the iPhone since they both run the same operating system.

You get a few exclusive features that don't make much sense on a smaller screen (multitasking gestures and split screen for example), but anything that's added to the iPad that isn't governed by the size of the display is easily added to the iPhone.

The iPad is fantastic as just a "blown up iPod touch". The problem isn't that the iPad functions like a iPhone, but rather looks like a blown up iPhone in some aspects. I just want to see Apple put a little more effort into adapting features for the larger display.

 

[goobot]

Tvos is 95% ios with a few minor changes.

 

[Beavix]

The '4-inch telephone' is also a powerful computer, and can do 95% or more of what the iPad can. I love these posts where people attempt to slander the iPad by saying it's just a "blown up iPhone", literally the most successful and paradigm changing computing device ever made.

Success doesn't work like that. The iPhone has been a huge success because it is a great multifunction device which fits into your pocket. Once you make it way bigger it becomes something else. By this logic let's put iOS on MacBooks too.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I don't know that it needs a distinctly different OS. I think Apple is branching out OS X/macOS to too many specific variants as it is (iOS, tvOS, watchOS, etc.). However, I do strongly feel that where iOS is pretty close to perfect in terms of the UI/UX on things like the iPod touch, all models of iPhones= and the iPad mini, as soon as you get to the 9.7" iPads and especially the 12.9" Pro, it gets to be a bit of a joke in terms of what you can and can't do and these limitations in iOS wouldn't require THAT much of an overhaul to overcome. It's not like iOS isn't just a subset of OS X/macOS.

 

[mwebb]

It's worse than that. Everything on my iPad Mini (Retina or my wife's non-Retina original edition) looks exactly like it does on my iPad 4 screen... just smaller. There's no scaling AT ALL. Whereas the full-sized iPad displays everything perfectly readable (because of their huge sales volumes, apps and mobile websites have optimized to the 9.7" size), the iPad Mini just shrinks stuff down. Going into "larger type" settings in the Settings app doesn't work at all. No websites or apps seem to recognize the command.

So, basically, Jobs was wrong about "touch accuracy" - we don't need to sandpaper down our fingers to operate an iPad Mini - but he was right about size mattering, because I need reading glasses to use the Mini, thanks to the awful lack of scaling.

Right now it seems that only two Apple iOS devices are "optimized" for real world, every day use, especially if you are borderline in terms of presbyopia (reading glasses) - the Plus iPhone, and the original iPad (the large Pro doesn't fail at readability, but DOES fail at efficient use of screen space, as you point out).

With iOS 10 it's clear that iPad takes a back seat when it comes to UI and innovation.

Most of the things on the iPad are just sized up iPhone features. Something the iPad originally wasn't created to be.

Especially with the iOS 10 iPad Pro some of UI elements are ridiculous.

Notifications taking up the whole screen. Needing to scroll to see everything etc.

Do you think a more dedicated OS for iPad would help?

It's seems that the team dedicated to iPad UI is not doing there job properly.

 

[Night Spring]

Going into "larger type" settings in the Settings app doesn't work at all. No websites or apps seem to recognize the command.

While the font size IS a problem, that setting was never intended to apply to websites. Apps need to be coded to take advantage of that setting, and unfortunately my very few apps do so.

Does iPad mini have a Zoom mode under Display Settings?

For font size on websites, try this.
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2012/05/13/font-size-bookmarks/