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Sidecar: Turn an iPad Into a Secondary Mac Display
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The other day I had to re-install Duet Display, and a window popped up saying it might not be compatible with future versions of Apple’s OS. I don’t remember, maybe that warning always appeared. But I wonder if anybody running the beta can confirm whether Duet, Luna, and Air Display work with Catalina.
Your Macbook's battery life is around 1000 charge cycles. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201585
Go to the airplay display setting in the top menu bar that appears now like an iPad and just change the setting to use as separate display.
No, it doesn't work, because the Haswell-CPU of this model doesn't have HECV support in hardware (it's only up from Skylake).
There is a terminal command, that enables SideCar for unsupported Macs. The HEVC encoding will be done in software then. It's nice for testing purposes, but for your daily work, the graphics quality is too terrible.
Maybe, Apple will improve software encoding later during the public beta test - maybe not...
Wow, a fantastic new MacOS & iPadOS feature, explained in an excellent video/article and...it brings out the predictable complaints and anti-Apple vitriol in the MR comments. Nothing new...
Looks truly great, how’s latency when u connect directly USB-C to USB-C ? Is it completely gone and works like a normal monitor, or latency is still there like on WiFi?
This is great info! Thanks! So I’m wondering, I’ve been considering updating my current Wacom Intuos 3 to the latest Intuos Pro tablet. Would you recommend holding off and using the new sidecar feature this fall, or would and Intuos Pro be a better option?
My understanding is the limitation is for non 8th gen Intel CPUs. The 8th gen Intel CPUs have built in HEVC encoding/decoding, and this is what they rely on to keep the video quality up.
If you hack it to run anyway, you get a lower video quality. Apple excluded Macs that don't have HEVC encoding (8th gen Intel cpus) rather than letting some people get lower video quality.
My main concerns are around using this as small permanent display for something like slack that i don't want eating up deskspace but needs to be up all the time…
Does it stay connected after sleep? And does it remember windows' screen locations? Having to reconnect and then drag windows was too much of a pain with Duet…
Does it stay connected after sleep? And does it remember windows' screen locations? Having to reconnect and then drag windows was too much of a pain with Duet…
No.
For now, the Mac and the iPad will go to sleep simultaneously and you'll have to reconnect the iPad after waking the Mac from sleep.
It's not impossible, that Apple will change this behavior in a later beta version.
Yes, it works like any other multi monitor setup.
As long as the iPad is not connected, you'll have that content on a different desktop.
I haven't tested it with USB-C, but USB to Lighting has no noticeable latency. Via WiFi the latency is also near to perfect.
I use SideCar on an unsupported Mac (27" Late 2013) with terminal hack and an iPad Air2 as well as an 12,9" iPad Pro (2nd. Gen). Performance and latency is great, but the graphics quality is a mess. I hope, Apple will improve the software HEVC encoding in a later version of macOS Catalina.
Do you have this running now? I’m currently using a Luna with a MBA and I’m looking to move to a Mac Mini. Wireless is sometimes flaky but cabled is good. Touch screen Mac!
Would looooovve it this worked with my 2012 MBP, especially since my MBP has a broken display, but doesn't sound like it will.
Strongly considering picking up an iPad pro as a laptop replacement as super casual computer user at this point it's only weaknesses seem to be no true mouse/track pad support and I'll assume iPad OS still isn't giving us the ability to create smart playlists which if I have to I can hookup the ol MBP to my tv to do. Still would really like to see this feature on iOs and iPad os.
11" or 13" not that is the question? hmmm
Strongly considering picking up an iPad pro as a laptop replacement as super casual computer user at this point it's only weaknesses seem to be no true mouse/track pad support and I'll assume iPad OS still isn't giving us the ability to create smart playlists which if I have to I can hookup the ol MBP to my tv to do. Still would really like to see this feature on iOs and iPad os.
11" or 13" not that is the question? hmmm
No one is going to keep the sidecar connection on indefinitely just for convenience. Not even sure about long term connection stability and effect on battery would be; I doubt it would be efficient. Therefore it would be prudent to allow someone to start sidecar from the client end as needed. It’s really a no brainer
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Apple displays are nice looking and consistent so I don't have to fiddle with other panels from different brands. Takes the guess work out of it, rather than trying Acer/Dell/Samsung/whatever and getting a different look or feel to what Apple uses. If you meant get a real monitor, I have one it's a Samsung, but its big and takes up space, and i'm sick of the extra wires and cables when just one from my MBP to my mobile sidekick style monitor would be nice. One reason I use Apple is that I don't have to look thru tons of brands and thousands of builds for the right thing for pro work, I just click buy...easy
Can’t use other keyboard anymore, I love MacBook Pro keyboard. And the fun part about all I know in real life loves it. But online forums users loves to whine. I type all day, I work like 10x-12 hours a day often and my keyboard is perfect
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Apple ofter limits feature availability for stability and performance but if it is possible you can activate it and try. But for sure Apple will not give you a slow experience by default. It is always been there and I find it right.
Apple website says its 1000, my "System Information" says 5500 remaining. Maybe 1000 at its peak performance, and 5000 cycles at a deteriorating levels
This was a feature I - and many of my friends - wanted since Apple Pencil was introduced. And the single reason I’m super hyped about Catalina. So, this is just a feature you personally don’t need.
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While latency is great, I’m having a lot of trouble with the pressure curve. I have to press the Pencil much harder than my Wacom to get a normal line. In apps like CSP where you can set up the pressure curve, this is not an issue - but in Photoshop or Zbrush it is. I’m talking only about pressure sensitivity, not the lightness of pressure required to manipulate the interface.
Astropad has a pressure curve that is much more normal (more similar to Wacom, or how the Pencil acts in apps like Procreate or Notes).
Honestly, this seems like a bug to me. No way Apple thinks this is normal.
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Remember it is Mac apps that you're viewing. Those apps would need to understand different gestures in order for the iPad to pass them along successfully.
The Sidecar implementation looks really well thought out. Nice work, Apple.
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Could you be looking at the "Charge Remaining (mAh)" value, instead of the "Cycle Count" value?
Mine says:
Charge Remaining (mAh): 4095
Cycle Count: 1200
Two very different values.Cycle Count: 1200
For me, this is the most exciting feature introduced in OSX in the last five years.
They've just added 1) Touchscreen support for OSX... 2) Satellite computing... 3) a portable second monitor.
For FREE.
I misspoke earlier. For me, this is the most exciting new feature in OSX in over a decade.
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