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iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways
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Multitasking that would not arbitrarily kill processes when running out of memory is needed as well. Swapping pages to “disk” has been available for decades, how about we start allowing it on iPadOS.
If this is a HW limitation, let’s add proper SSDs in Pro iPads and limit to those. I’ll upgrade.
Re: struggle to articulate the usability of iPadOS vs. MacOS
I heard you touch on aspects like a round vs pointed cursor and the lack of precision in knowing cursor location when the cursor becomes a button and other gesture turned cursor translation issues.
Distinctions within the state of the current paradigm hybridization from direct on screen gestures to the Mac’s remotely controlled cursor movements I believe is the heart of the issue you are grappling with.
While I attempted and finally failed at getting a Mac-like experience on iPadOS primarily due to the lack of the far more user-friendly Finder vs. Files experience in maintaining and developing data storage, organization, display, navigation, and retrieval, I think one of the key differences in the two operating systems that is a direct fallout of touch UI vs. remote UI is the lost of leverage possible with remote cursor use.
Now, to appreciate this point you have to be in a particular place with your own touch and movement acuity. Like every other skill, touch and movement acuity presents as a broad spectrum with some having very high levels of one or both and some with very low levels.
Having very high levels of touch and movement acuity, I am very adept and happy using the MacOS cursor and feel like it’s getting out of my race car and walking down the street when I’m left to use a gesture controlled cursor. The ipadOS cursor controlled by the trackpad is like driving the car blindfolded with the car is stuck in first gear. Not much fun.
One of the greatest powers of the MacOS cursor is the ability to gain leverage by increasing the speed/sensitivity of the cursor. With very fine motor control, you can comfortably crank up the speed resulting in much less time spent getting to the place you needed to trigger the command needed or to drag objects around. Even a 16” laptop is a large distance to cross with smallish targets to hit and then maneuver within in the case of menus, windows, and the like. If fine motor control and strong visual acuity aren’t present and comfortable, then staying on the keyboard is going to be the most comfortable and efficient way to navigate and control the system.
I think most people get around a lack of having this leverage by leaning into keyboard shortcuts and minimizing cursor use. The best place is to use each input for their respective strengths as dictated by your personal sense of touch and movement.
Anyway, I hope this gives you some thoughts on the matter of the roll of touch and UI success between the direct touch and remote cursor control paradigms.
I heard you touch on aspects like a round vs pointed cursor and the lack of precision in knowing cursor location when the cursor becomes a button and other gesture turned cursor translation issues.
Distinctions within the state of the current paradigm hybridization from direct on screen gestures to the Mac’s remotely controlled cursor movements I believe is the heart of the issue you are grappling with.
While I attempted and finally failed at getting a Mac-like experience on iPadOS primarily due to the lack of the far more user-friendly Finder vs. Files experience in maintaining and developing data storage, organization, display, navigation, and retrieval, I think one of the key differences in the two operating systems that is a direct fallout of touch UI vs. remote UI is the lost of leverage possible with remote cursor use.
Now, to appreciate this point you have to be in a particular place with your own touch and movement acuity. Like every other skill, touch and movement acuity presents as a broad spectrum with some having very high levels of one or both and some with very low levels.
Having very high levels of touch and movement acuity, I am very adept and happy using the MacOS cursor and feel like it’s getting out of my race car and walking down the street when I’m left to use a gesture controlled cursor. The ipadOS cursor controlled by the trackpad is like driving the car blindfolded with the car is stuck in first gear. Not much fun.
One of the greatest powers of the MacOS cursor is the ability to gain leverage by increasing the speed/sensitivity of the cursor. With very fine motor control, you can comfortably crank up the speed resulting in much less time spent getting to the place you needed to trigger the command needed or to drag objects around. Even a 16” laptop is a large distance to cross with smallish targets to hit and then maneuver within in the case of menus, windows, and the like. If fine motor control and strong visual acuity aren’t present and comfortable, then staying on the keyboard is going to be the most comfortable and efficient way to navigate and control the system.
I think most people get around a lack of having this leverage by leaning into keyboard shortcuts and minimizing cursor use. The best place is to use each input for their respective strengths as dictated by your personal sense of touch and movement.
Anyway, I hope this gives you some thoughts on the matter of the roll of touch and UI success between the direct touch and remote cursor control paradigms.
from my understanding that Swapping is (at least technically) alredy a non-issue on M-chip iPads and actually already on the A12Z.
What proper SSD is needed on iPad? The access speed and r/w performance is desktopclass. (2-3GB/s)
It can be both with "iPad-like experiences" and something much closer to MacOS which millions of users are demanding and Apple is finally acquiescing to to some degree in iPad OS 19. Stage manager and trackpad support are clunky because they're afterthought add-ons meant to shut us up but they're not delivering what iPads are perfectly capable of without sacrificing their uniqueness. The iPad is neutered for business reasons not technical hurdles.
