Turned it on during beta, used it 5 minutes and then turned it off, never looking back.
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Stage Manager Criticized as 'Poorly Tested' Feature With 'Plethora of Bugs' Still Unfixed as iPadOS 16 Released
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This has been going on for at least 8 years. Nearly the entire time that Tim Cook has been in charge.
Spaces was the best and I’m STILL pissed they removed it. I know fictionally it’s still the same with the row along the top, but there was something visually pleasing about having a grid of desktops waiting to be utilized that I miss so much.
Definitely. I don't understand why Apple doesn't give us MacOS-like windowing. Instead, they force their users to learn how to use their (IMHO substandard) iPad-only implementations.
Craig: "So, what's wrong with Stage Manager?"
Software SVP: "A poorly conceived idea developed for teenagers and lesser intelligence people using archaic and failed 1980s UX designs that were mostly abandoned by Windows 95."
Craig: "No, I get that. What's wrong with the feature?"
Software SVP: "Nobody actually wanted to make it, so we handed it off to a couple of Windows ME's veterans. They did their best."
Craig: "So, ship it or fix it?"
Software SVP: "Best we care to do, given the circumstances. The people who demanded it will enjoy it, and the remainder won't even realize it's there."
Craig: "So, that's why we hid it in Control Center!"
Software SVP: "It's better than my recommendation for this project."
Craig: "Which was what? I can't remember....haha."
Software SVP: "Don't. Tell them to buy a laptop."
Software SVP: "A poorly conceived idea developed for teenagers and lesser intelligence people using archaic and failed 1980s UX designs that were mostly abandoned by Windows 95."
Craig: "No, I get that. What's wrong with the feature?"
Software SVP: "Nobody actually wanted to make it, so we handed it off to a couple of Windows ME's veterans. They did their best."
Craig: "So, ship it or fix it?"
Software SVP: "Best we care to do, given the circumstances. The people who demanded it will enjoy it, and the remainder won't even realize it's there."
Craig: "So, that's why we hid it in Control Center!"
Software SVP: "It's better than my recommendation for this project."
Craig: "Which was what? I can't remember....haha."
Software SVP: "Don't. Tell them to buy a laptop."
The problem I see with that is that Apple has been moving way too slowly with the iPad Pro Software. If they wanted to evolve Stage Manager into a macOS "light", they would probably take way too long to do it.
It took 7 years to get from the first iPad Pro to this point and, honestly, Stage Manager seems like a feature that should have been on the first or second gen iPad Pros.
Funny enough, I actually enjoy it more on Mac than I do on iPad, which I didn’t expect. It’s definitely a little awkward at the moment, though. On my 11” iPad Pro (2020), the sizing of the windows can be odd, but it does feel interesting to have some layer of depth rather than windows always being full screen. I think I’d enjoy it more on iPad if I had a 12.9” Pro.
But, as I mentioned, on Mac, it’s actually pretty convenient to have my key apps off to the side, and to just click between them, rather than having overlapping windows or go to the Dock to un-minimize. I’m excited to see how this feature evolves.
That’s so embarrassing. That’s THEIR OWN application and they didn’t even get it to work right? I am so disappointed in Apple’s software quality these days
I tried it on my iPad Air last night because I thought exactly that - that it would be better on it.
Alas, it was surprisingly confusing and I couldn’t get it to work as I thought it would based on Apple’s presentation.
Sometimes the dock popped up, other times it didn’t. Sometimes stage manager’s bar popped up, other times it wouldn’t.
It’s an embarrassment on the Mac. How would this ever fit in with the Dock, Mission Control and Spaces?? My head hurts even thinking about it.
And it’s so annoying that app pairs swap positions in the side bar. They move around all the time.
Steve Jobs would never have signed off on this monstrosity.
And it’s so annoying that app pairs swap positions in the side bar. They move around all the time.
Steve Jobs would never have signed off on this monstrosity.
I imagine Stage Manager could be part of the yet to be released realityOS experience, working with content in a 3D space. By understanding the function/mindset of Stage Manger in macOS and iPadOS, our adoption of realityOS could be easier.
Just give it to the Siri team. They'll have it fixed by 2045.
This was one of my first thoughts when I read all the initial reports of how bad Stage Manager was during the betas.
Tim Cook famously criticized Microsoft for trying to "converge a toaster and a refrigerator." And it took another three years after that for Microsoft to admit defeat and release Windows 10, and another several years after that to slowly remove the vestiges of Tablet Mode and Star Menu Tiles from that OS.
Steven Sinofsky is probably laughing his head off watching Apple try to do exactly what they criticized him for trying to achieve nearly a decade ago.
Yes. And this ‘staging area’ should be in the control panel swipe down - which is currently a massive waste of space. Then it would be a true control centre where you can get to your spaces and apps within them, manipulate them, arrange them and interact with them.
Once again, there's no one at Apple that knows how to say, or spell, "no".
If it works for you, enable it. If it doesn't, leave it off. DONE!
Stage Manager's a good idea, poorly executed. Stage Manager on Mac is so limiting and the fact you can only have FIVE tab groups up with no way to scroll through the rest, is absolutely stupid. Not to mention app centric handshakes (like Steam notifications) are treated as separate Windows while Stage Manager is on, causing them to become tabbed.
It was a lot worse during the Ventura beta, as during the beta you couldn't even turn Stage Manager off, and if you swiped between full screen desktops it would open up random different tabs from the Stage Manager groups.
And once again, all this was reported to them during the beta, and they did nothing. What's the point of having the Feedback Assistant if they don't do anything about these issues?
Stage Manager on iPad though, is even worse. The issue on iPad is iPadOS related issues. Windows don't have the traffic light buttons so you can't minimize or close! Not to mention mouse inputs are emulating touch so there's still the touch limitations.
"HAY SIRI! Help me program a multimodal window interface replacement suitable for touch and traditional input methods!"
( ... be-boop! ... )
Add cheddar cheese and bake at 400 degrees until bubbly.
My main hope is that Apple will screw this up badly enough that they'll end up allowing MacOS on iPads as a replacement
That’s a good point. See you on the M4 exclusive version of iPadOS 21!
I tried it for a while yesterday and this afternoon and it's a bit confusing, I find it interesting, but it's not particularly intuitive. I like the multitasking management better than before, or at least I'm more used to it.
I don't think it's something badly implemented, but I think that in order not to make it look like macOS, they have complicated the management of these windows, making it somewhat confusing and frustrating at first.
I will try to continue using Stage Manager, but with calm and some patience...
I don't think it's something badly implemented, but I think that in order not to make it look like macOS, they have complicated the management of these windows, making it somewhat confusing and frustrating at first.
I will try to continue using Stage Manager, but with calm and some patience...
I think this may be one of those unbelievably rare times when everyone on MR agrees on something being complete crap