Next Year's iOS 13 Update to Feature iPad-Focused Upgrades Like Revamped Files App

The best Apple software update was Snow Leopard (10.6) because there was little hype or new user-visible features. Instead, right out of the gate Apple said they would concentrate on optimization, bug fixes, and other under the hood improvements (new SW but not visible to user). And that is exactly what they did. It was SOLID!!!
Have not seen any Apple software release since then that wasn't mostly glitz, hype, half-baked new features, and Emoji engineering.
That being said, this does sound like the right sort of focus for the iPad. Fingers crossed....

 

Mark Gurman: I had no idea what I was talking about with iPhone X sales, but now I'm going to bring you the scoop on iOS 12 and it's "lack of features".

 

I’m a developer who is keenly interested in a first-party framework directly bridging iOS and macOS UI code for a future project. I’m not counting on it happening this year and it’s not just because of Gruber’s piece.

--- Post Merged, May 5, 2018 ---

If the apps have “limited functionality” on a Mac, that’s the developer’s fault for either not knowing how to implement more functionality (assuming it makes sense in their business model and vision for the app, etc.), or for going with a UI that isn’t extensible enough to support said functionality.

A lot of UI work, I’ve found, isn’t just accommodating what’s there today but also considering what will (or might) be there next year.

 

Don´t believe a word. You have surely heard of the Newton.

 

Tim spends all his time telling us how "incredible", "wonderful", and "magical" everything Apple is, and how much we're all "going to just love" using it. Worthless platitudes.

The thing about things or people that are so great is you don't need to tell everyone that they are.

 

I am still convinced iOS has out lived it purpose. This was originally an OS made to compete against Nokia and Blackberries, it was not designed for tablets to replace desktops.

Its time to release the next big thing and to move on just like how Apple moved from OS 9 -> X and Windows 3.1 ->'95 . No amount of additional features plugged into this Frankenstein os is going to cut it.

that being said, as someone who has been following the tech industry for a long time, people are always waiting for the next big thing. I learned to enjoy whatever is available.

 

Yoink is the best 3.49 euro ever spent for an app on my iPads

 

So iOS 12 is largely an animoji update, which means nothing to me since I have an iPhone 8 and would've meant nothing to me even if I had an iPhone X. Brilliant.

I'm looking forward to the real iOS update in 2019.

 

People keep saying that but are apparently forgetting that many of the "under the hood improvements" in fact were new features: it was the first version of OS X with a 64 bit kernel, it added amongst others Grand Central dispatch, OpenCL, CUPS, and many power management features, and later also the Mac App Store.

And people seem to forget that it was not all smooth sailing with Snow Leopard. Especially early on, the system was plagued by incompatibilites, instabilities, and several other problems, because of all the "under the hood improvements". It wasn't until after a couple of patches that Snow Leopard became the stable system about which so many still wax poetic.

 

What about "optimization" and "under the hood" did you not understand?

 

After seeing this paragraph, I sighed relief that more Animoji is what makes up iOS 12. Because pretty much that's the top feature now of most iOS updates ...

 

What about the point that "under the hood" and "optimisations" do not equal "no new features" did you not undertand?

 

There were significant new features. It's just that few of them were directly apparent to the user. What helped Snow Leopard was mainly how long its cycle was; by 10.6.8, it was quite solid.

 

I think it's a great release, actually. Lots of long-withheld features. Access to files. Split screen, tons of good stuff. The only disappointment I have is that features that were promised in the release for iOS and MacOS weren't carried through. Like the apfs filesystem on the Mac, it was underwhelming for those without a boot flash drive. But all in all, great.

 

For some reason, I'm having flashbacks to when System 7 was current. The next OS was supposed to be Copland, but Apple was already talking about Gershwin.

Is it just me, or is anyone else seeing this?

 

Which leads to the question where the advantage for the iOS user is supposed to be, when the apps get bloated by all the extraneous functionality that only works on macOS.

 

I don't believe Apple ever said much about Gershwin (or, really, had much even conceptually to show for it); they gave the codename, but if anything, one of the big problems with Copland was feature creep. Everyone wanted their pet project to ship in Copland, rather than waiting for that to come out first, then adding additional stuff in Gershwin.

(Similarly, Windows Longhorn was supposed to be a small release between Whistler and Blackcomb, but instead it ended up having so many features that it got rebooted entirely into the still-somewhat-bloated Vista.)

 

It's one step forward, two steps back because iOS 10 was stable. iOS 11 was too bug filled to the point Apple is pushing all its plans back to iOS 13 and 2019.

 

The sad thing is it shouldn’t be necessary. iOS needs a better way of dealing with attachments and downloads.

 

Mouse, Trackpad support?

 

Christ, this stuff should all be coming in 12.

 

I think Apple wants to bridge the gap between all their devices. Each has its own unique use case, but it sure would be nice to leave off one place and pick up wherever on whichever device you happen to have on you. Sure typing would be better on a Mac, but you may want to take a glance at it on an Ipad or an iPhone or vice versa. And the UI on each device optimized for its strengths. There is no such thing as the ONE perfect tool. Each tool has something to offer for a specific task at hand.

 

I disagree. The physical form is moot. It’s the power inside via the hardware and software that is important

 

>Yawn< I was going to launch into my usual spirited rebuttal to this stale-old argument, but then I thought "why bother?"
I realize there will always be people who think that if a device doesn't suit their particular workflow, then it shouldn't even exist. Said people are also apparently unaware of, or have no appreciation for fields of endeavor different than their own. So it would be a waste of time to talk about the legions of photographers, musicians, visual artists, scientist, educators, retailers, salespeople, real estate agents, pilots, etc who make a living by working on iPad.

Nope. I'm done. Going forward, I leave everyone to their own particular belief-system silo, while I continue to create, as well as consume, with my iPad Pro.

 

I have to imagine a major focus of iOS 12 not mentioned will be introduction of Workflow throughout iOS after their purchase of that app so you can automate everything. I imagine that’s why they held off automations for Honepod in the Home app because they wanted to wait to introduce much more advance options for the whole iOS in June.