iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

[subjonas]

Nope.

People have been poking screens with their greasy fingers for DECADES. Many years before the vast majority of people had ever used a touchscreen, they poked at computer screens. I've seen them do it, I've had to clean the mess before I could tolerate using their computer long enough to see what problem they were on about, I've seen them immediately poke it again after I told them to stop touching it.

The screen touchers weren't trained back then, they were born.

I think you’re talking about people who are very unfamiliar with computers, right? But I’m talking about experienced computer users.

Again, let me reiterate that I’m not saying touch is not more intuitive than indirect pointing. It’s obvious it is. When a new computer user mistakenly touches a screen, that is because touch is more intuitive. But I’m making the subtle point that when experienced computer users such as in these forums mistakenly touch a screen, that is not evidence of intuition, but of muscle memory, because they are switching back and forth with touch devices. If the reflex was more due to intuition, then experienced computer users back in the days before touch screens would have been mistakenly touching their screens nearly as often, but they weren’t. And again, muscle memory causes people to mistaken touch/reach for nonexistent trackpads and mice too—that doesn’t mean those are more intuitive. The (side) point was that we should understand and use evidence properly.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

If that's true, then this is one thing we missed from Steve Jobs days. He was never afraid of cannibalizing Apple's other products, because if he didn't do it, another competitor would do eventually.

The people that say this don’t want to recognize that, with the iPad usually outselling the Mac 2-1 in a given year, the iPad has ALREADY cannibalized the Mac. Every year with more iPad sales is one more year closer to the “I want macOS on iPad” problem resolving itself.

They also have selective memory because it’s a good chance they were either around during the time when the iPhone cannibalized the iPod OR know how to “google iPod” and wonder why they aren’t being made anymore. OH and the laptops are cannibalizing the desktops! Rather than make underpowered laptops with a series of solutions far weaker than their high end, everything in an Apple Silicon generation gets roughly the same single threaded performance. So, decent performance no longer has to be left at home.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

So it'll just look like MacOS, as opposed to working more like MacOS?

It’ll “work like” macOS in the same way that the iPad Settings “work like” macOS settings.

 

[subjonas]

Only half of my computers (three laptops and an iPad) have touchscreens so I have as much muscle memory to use the touchscreen as I do use a trackpad; but it is quicker and more natural for me to just tap a button I see on the screen than it is to put my finger on the trackpad, move the pointer, and then click on the button.

Touch is certainly more intuitive and faster in general. But other factors come into play with laptops—namely, what the software was designed for and how the screen is positioned and how long you’re working and how good the alternatives are. Precision pointing UIs and larger vertical screens set on the other side of a keyboard/trackpad discourage touch, and requiring more movement can get tiring after a certain amount of time working. And with the alternatives like trackpads, it’s worth noting that a poor or mediocre trackpad/set of gestures (such as that of many cheaper Windows laptops) can make one think that touch is more necessary than it has to be (for those laptops with poor trackpads, touch is more necessary). Regardless, even with the drawbacks of touch on a laptop and even with good trackpads, there are some like yourself for whom the benefit of touch is still a strong demand. But I suppose regardless still, there doesn’t appear to be a strong enough demand among MacBook users as a whole, not strong enough to change Apple’s mind. But who knows, things can change.

 

[darngooddesign]

Touch is certainly more intuitive and faster in general. But other factors come into play with laptops—namely, what the software was designed for and how the screen is positioned and how long you’re working and how good the alternatives are. Precision pointing UIs and larger vertical screens set on the other side of a keyboard/trackpad discourage touch, and requiring more movement can get tiring after a certain amount of time working. And with the alternatives like trackpads, it’s worth noting that a poor or mediocre trackpad/set of gestures (such as that of many cheaper Windows laptops) can make one think that touch is more necessary than it has to be (for those laptops with poor trackpads, touch is more necessary). Regardless, even with the drawbacks of touch on a laptop and even with good trackpads, there are some like yourself for whom the benefit of touch is still a strong demand. But I suppose regardless still, there doesn’t appear to be a strong enough demand among MacBook users as a whole, not strong enough to change Apple’s mind. But who knows, things can change.

People who like touchscreens on laptops seldom position them as the only method of interaction.

 

[yabeweb]

Mouse really need a pointer if we want it to be more Mac like, the dot is fine, but option to have a precision pointer like the arrow is a must.

 

[jdiamond]

I sure hope they allow menu mode with the lighter/less expensive keyboards that come with iPads. An iPad with the pro keyboard is heavier than a 16" Macbook Pro.

I've tried in the past to use my iPad as a Mac by running a VPN program into my actual Mac and using the mouse and keyboard - so my iPad acted as a touch screen monitor. Surprisingly to me, it did not work well - it was not a good experience. The gui controls were too small to use easily - you really need a lower resolution set up for a touch device. But then - a smaller screen with larger GUI elements isn't great for using Windows - I typically like a monitor that's at least 22" for Mac work.

So IMO, Apple is not as crazy as you might think - it's really not easy making MacOS great on a small screen. I think what makes more sense is to unify the code bases - so you can use a mouse with iPad apps and use first rate software.

 

[darngooddesign]

I sure hope they allow menu mode with the lighter/less expensive keyboards that come with iPads. An iPad with the pro keyboard is heavier than a 16" Macbook Pro.

The 13” iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard is around 2 pounds lighter than the 16” MacBook Pro.