iPad Pro Stage Manager on M1 iPad Pro 12.9”

[rogueGT]

So I’ve updated my ipad pro 12.9” to the latest Beta.

Installed it, and enabled Centrestage. (I mean stage manager!)

I recall the backlash that Apple got when they enabled this only for the M1 iPads. Many were felt they were missing out.

After trying this for a day or two, I don’t think annyone is missing out on annything at anll.

Stage manager doesn’t seem at all usable and efficient.

It takes up a lot of unnecessary room, and why do you need to see all those opened ‘grouped windows’ in the side, doesn’t that make it more messy unintuitive ?

The ‘centre stage ’ is also taking up about 70% of the screen now, with every other screen real estate being wasted.

What’s the point of this? So that you can ‘remember’ what other windows you have opened ?

That just seems useless to me and seems like it’s ”trying too hard” to replicate a MacBook experience.

Any one have any different views and are finding stage manager to be enhancing your usage and productivity ?

 

[Username-already-in-use]

I am sure you mean Stage Manager.

I think Stage Manager has been extremely useful on my 12.9 whenever I need to have 3-4 windows open at once.

For a full-screen single window (or two-app split screen) experience, Stage Manager is best turned off.

Also it still is somewhat buggy (but it is a beta).

In regards to the controversy of it being M1-exclusive, some people online crave confected drama and like to deal with technological progression in the most inappropriately emotional way possible.

 

[rogueGT]

thank you - yes I mean stage manager and I agree that it is best turned off if I need a full screen, which is probably 99% of the time

 

[Mr.Blacky]

Stage Manager has it's benefits when using the iPad as a tablet, but it's most useful when using a mouse/trackpad and keyboard.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

I am sure you mean Stage Manager.

I think Stage Manager has been extremely useful on my 12.9 whenever I need to have 3-4 windows open at once.

For a full-screen single window (or two-app split screen) experience, Stage Manager is best turned off.

Also it still is somewhat buggy (but it is a beta).

In regards to the controversy of it being M1-exclusive, some people online crave confected drama and like to deal with technological progression in the most inappropriately emotional way possible.

Full-screen single window looks exactly the same with Stage Manager on or off, so not agreeing on that one.

 

[The Game 161]

I will certainly use it just not all the time. I think that’s why it’s off by default they know people won’t use it all the time. For me it will be if I want media while doing other tasks. More than often people will use spilt screen

 

[Digitalguy]

So I’ve updated my ipad pro 12.9” to the latest Beta.

Installed it, and enabled Centrestage. (I mean stage manager!)

I recall the backlash that Apple got when they enabled this only for the M1 iPads. Many were felt they were missing out.

After trying this for a day or two, I don’t think annyone is missing out on annything at anll.

Stage manager doesn’t seem at all usable and efficient.

It takes up a lot of unnecessary room, and why do you need to see all those opened ‘grouped windows’ in the side, doesn’t that make it more messy unintuitive ?

The ‘centre stage ’ is also taking up about 70% of the screen now, with every other screen real estate being wasted.

What’s the point of this? So that you can ‘remember’ what other windows you have opened ?

That just seems useless to me and seems like it’s ”trying too hard” to replicate a MacBook experience.

Any one have any different views and are finding stage manager to be enhancing your usage and productivity ?

I think you are missing an important point. Most of those complaining couldn't care less about Stage Manager itself. The only thing they wanted was external monitor support, not this implementation of Stage Manager.
And M1 was not necessary for external monitor support. It's necessary for Stage Manager as it was made. People didn't need 8 apps open at the same time, they wanted to extend their display and still be able to use their iPad. That's all, even one app full screen on an external display would have been fine for most people.
And Stage Manager is not even trying to replicate the MacBook experience, they ported it to Mac just to make more "desktop like", but it's a even worse experience on MacOS.

 

[BhaveshUK]

I think you are missing an important point. Most of those complaining couldn't care less about Stage Manager itself. The only thing they wanted was external monitor support, not this implementation of Stage Manager.
And M1 was not necessary for external monitor support. It's necessary for Stage Manager as it was made. People didn't need 8 apps open at the same time, they wanted to extend their display and still be able to use their iPad. That's all, even one app full screen on an external display would have been fine for most people.
And Stage Manager is not even trying to replicate the MacBook experience, they ported it to Mac just to make more "desktop like", but it's a even worse experience on MacOS.

All I wanted was for when I mirror my iPad screen for the black bars to be gone on the side. A bonus would have been if I could have had two more apps open on the external display (once again no black bars) whilst using other two apps on the iPad like now.

This Stage Manager feature seemed impressive right after WWDC, but now we’re months from that, it just feels like extra complexity because Apple always need iPad to do things “the iPad way.” This need for iPad to always be unique in how it does basic computing things and avoid overlap with the Mac is baffling to me.

In Apples attempts to be so clever with their iPad, they are just making things more confusing as time goes by.

 

[Isengardtom]

Stage manager is going to be useful for external monitor support. Everything else is not real "multitasking", at least not for me.

When I work, which is with a lot off Office apps, I use 2 external displays in full screen. I never juggle around different apps on one display. Maybe occasionally a split but definitely not a ton of floating apps. Managing those is distraction creating, not multitasking for me.

 

[Ludatyk]

I think you are missing an important point. Most of those complaining couldn't care less about Stage Manager itself. The only thing they wanted was external monitor support, not this implementation of Stage Manager.

Umm.. from what I gather, critics want macOS on an iPad… not Stage Manager.

And Stage Manager is not even trying to replicate the MacBook experience, they ported it to Mac just to make more "desktop like", but it's a even worse experience on MacOS.

I was under the impression Stage Manager on macOS was to help with decluttering when it comes to managing multiple windows.

I had listen to DaringFireball podcast yesterday and Gruber brought up a good point. There are two drastic difference in the Stage Manager approach between macOS and iPadOS. Stage Manager on macOS is simple and easy way to declutter windows whereas on iPadOS it’s a power user feature.

I think it’s more so of how the two operating system existed before.. macOS didn’t have a feature to help with managing windows (as far as I know) and iPadOS never had a feature to have multiple windows on a screen.

 

[tomtad]

I had listen to DaringFireball podcast yesterday and Gruber brought up a good point. There are two drastic difference in the Stage Manager approach between macOS and iPadOS. Stage Manager on macOS is simple and easy way to declutter windows whereas on iPadOS it’s a power user feature.

I think it’s more so of how the two operating system existed before.. macOS didn’t have a feature to help with managing windows (as far as I know) and iPadOS never had a feature to have multiple windows on a screen.

And here I think we have the fundamental misstep with Stage Manager. It's trying to do two different things on two OS's with fundamentally different paradigms. They need to focus the feature on one platform.

 

[BhaveshUK]

And here I think we have the fundamental misstep with Stage Manager. It's trying to do two different things on two OS's with fundamentally different paradigms. They need to focus the feature on one platform.

Agreed. I feel as much as people are criticising the iPad implementation, no one was asking for Stage Manager on Mac OS. It feels like it was added to Mac OS so they had something to say at WWDC.

On both platforms, it currently feels like a solution in search of a problem.

 

[Ludatyk]

And here I think we have the fundamental misstep with Stage Manager. It's trying to do two different things on two OS's with fundamentally different paradigms. They need to focus the feature on one platform.

That’s understandable. But Stage Manager serve both macOS and iPadOS a solution to their problem.

If you missed Craig interview on TalkShow he mention a situation where his kid was using macOS and their windows were all over the screen. It was messy and the kid moved all his windows off to the side with no intentions on managing those windows. I understand @BhaveshUK might think that’s not a problem, but for some people out there… Stage Manager can help with having a messy desktop.

And in regards to iPadOS, well… they never had the ability to resize windows vertically or use multiple windows on the screen (let alone external display support). That’s pretty much a problem for iPad power users. Granted, they could adopt a Windows 11 type of multitasking concept where windows can be placed. I think eventually Apple will get to that point.

 

[BhaveshUK]

That’s understandable. But Stage Manager serve both macOS and iPadOS a solution to their problem.

If you missed Craig interview on TalkShow he mention a situation where his kid was using macOS and their windows were all over the screen. It was messy and the kid moved all his windows off to the side with no intentions on managing those windows. I understand @BhaveshUK might think that’s not a problem, but for some people out there… Stage Manager can help with having a messy desktop.

And in regards to iPadOS, well… they never had the ability to resize windows vertically or use multiple windows on the screen (let alone external display support). That’s pretty much a problem for iPad power users. Granted, they could adopt a Windows 11 type of multitasking concept where windows can be placed. I think eventually Apple will get to that point.

I can see from your example of Craig how Stage Manager will benefit others. For myself, I have always kept clear spaces for my work — I’m quite OCD with organisation 🤣 I’ll keep giving Stage Manager a go when it is publicly released as well before making any final decisions.

From what I see on the Mac OS threads on MacRumors, the reception to Stage Manager is less enthusiastic than even here on the iPad sections. Which makes me wonder how adopted this feature will be on both platforms given it’s tucked away in control centre 🤔

Do you mind sending me a link to the video of Craig discussing Stage Manager?

 

[Mr.Blacky]

I can see from your example of Craig how Stage Manager will benefit others. For myself, I have always kept clear spaces for my work — I’m quite OCD with organisation 🤣 I’ll keep giving Stage Manager a go when it is publicly released as well before making any final decisions.

From what I see on the Mac OS threads on MacRumors, the reception to Stage Manager is less enthusiastic than even here on the iPad sections. Which makes me wonder how adopted this feature will be on both platforms given it’s tucked away in control centre 🤔

Do you mind sending me a link to the video of Craig discussing Stage Manager?

Since I'm using my iPad 99,99% as a tablet, I'm still undecided if I keep Stage Manager on or off.
But on my iMac I went Stage Manager full blast and I don't use Mission Control, "Show Desktop", Command-Tab or the Dock for App switching anymore. I really like how windows are always centred and how clean and organised the desktop always looks. And in my opinion, Stage Manager is also the best solution if you want to switch between multiple windows from one App.

 

[Ludatyk]

I can see from your example of Craig how Stage Manager will benefit others. For myself, I have always kept clear spaces for my work — I’m quite OCD with organisation 🤣 I’ll keep giving Stage Manager a go when it is publicly released as well before making any final decisions.

If you are great at organizing windows... then you really won't see the benefit of Stage Manager on macOS.

From what I see on the Mac OS threads on MacRumors, the reception to Stage Manager is less enthusiastic than even here on the iPad sections. Which makes me wonder how adopted this feature will be on both platforms given it’s tucked away in control centre 🤔

It's a combination of emotions. Some are disappointed that Stage Manager isn't on 2018/2020 iPad Pro models, some just wanted macOS-like experience when it comes to window management. But Apple decided to take a different approach when it comes to resizing windows which wasn’t expected.

And Stage Manager being off by default is a factor it being a drastic different to how users normally interact with their iPad. It would be such an alarming response if as soon as iPad user updated to iPadOS 16 and they see Stage Manager on the screen. But I’m sure Apple will give them splash screens educating them on the new feature.

Do you mind sending me a link to the video of Craig discussing Stage Manager?

There’s chapters available. So, you can skip to Stage Manager section.

 

[Dmacaussie]

I got a new M1 iPad and installed the beta excited that stage manager would be the solution to using the iPad as a sole device at home (I have a work PC).
I was disappointed in it so much that I realise the iPad is good at being a tablet only.
What I wanted was full use of the screen on an external monitor with 2 apps side by side using the space of the monitor better and maybe a third app on the iPad screen. Floating windows is great in theory but so much space wasted and the screen is so busy.
Not for me. iPad is for sale and I’ll go back to a basic iPad for iPad tasks like reading, email, watching Netflix, etc and stick to the PC for more complex tasks.
I feel like Apple has deliberately made this more complicated than it needs to be, which is against the great advantage the iPad has- simplicity.

 

[Digitalguy]

Umm.. from what I gather, critics want macOS on an iPad… not Stage Manager.


I was under the impression Stage Manager on macOS was to help with decluttering when it comes to managing multiple windows.

I had listen to DaringFireball podcast yesterday and Gruber brought up a good point. There are two drastic difference in the Stage Manager approach between macOS and iPadOS. Stage Manager on macOS is simple and easy way to declutter windows whereas on iPadOS it’s a power user feature.

I think it’s more so of how the two operating system existed before.. macOS didn’t have a feature to help with managing windows (as far as I know) and iPadOS never had a feature to have multiple windows on a screen.

Here you seem to be mixing 2 different types of critics, but below you yourself acknowledge that there are different types.
Those who wanted MacOS, wanted it for M1, since iPads with M1 have the (same) hardware to run MacOS in dual boot.
Let me be very clear on this. The vast majority want iPadOS and MacOS to coexist for different purposes, not to replace iPadOS (so the "buy a Mac" does not apply here, most already have it).
The other critics, the ones I was talking about, is the many people wanting extended display support, regardless of M1. This was the most requested feature. Which is a very different thing from MacOS. And as I said it didn't need M1. Because it didn't need to be implemented with Stage Manager (which was made in a way that it does require M1). It could have been implemented like DEX, and maybe limited to 1 or 2 apps on the monitor for lack of RAM and swap on iPads.

As for Stage Manager on Mac, I see what Gruber means. Over the past days I have been working with MacOS more than usual (as I am moving some workflows from my Windows desktop to my M1 mini). And I realize how messy it tends to be compared to Windows 10. Especially the finder windows, which can quickly become a mission control mess, where Windows is much more efficient with the grouped previews from the taskbar (I am sure some Windows haters are gonna hate me, but that's how I feel, MacOS has some advantages but Windows is clearly superior with window management). So yes, Stage Manager can help on this, although again Windows has a better way of doing it.

 

[Ludatyk]

Here you seem to be mixing 2 different types of critics, but below you yourself acknowledge that there are different types.
Those who wanted MacOS, wanted it for M1, since iPads with M1 have the (same) hardware to run MacOS in dual boot.
Let me be very clear on this. The vast majority want iPadOS and MacOS to coexist for different purposes, not to replace iPadOS (so the "buy a Mac" does not apply here, most already have it).

Yes, I agree. I was only focused on the “put macOS on iPad” crowd.

The other critics, the ones I was talking about, is the many people wanting extended display support, regardless of M1. This was the most requested feature. Which is a very different thing from MacOS. And as I said it didn't need M1. Because it didn't need to be implemented with Stage Manager (which was made in a way that it does require M1). It could have been implemented like DEX, and maybe limited to 1 or 2 apps on the monitor for lack of RAM and swap on iPads.

I completely understand. They could have easily implemented a feature like DeX and be limited whereas it wouldn’t require M1, but I think Apple wanted to go all in or nothing. It would have been the same argument… why put an M1 chip on an iPad? Stage Manager implementation is that reason.

 

[Digitalguy]

Yes, I agree. I was only focused on the “put macOS on iPad” crowd.


I completely understand. They could have easily implemented a feature like DeX and be limited whereas it wouldn’t require M1, but I think Apple wanted to go all in or nothing. It would have been the same argument… why put an M1 chip on an iPad? Stage Manager implementation is that reason.

Sounds a lot to me like "since we are not porting our desktop apps to iPadOS and even less give MacOS in dual boot, let's make a multitasking feature that requires a lot of RAM so that we can give people a reason to upgrade to M1 (even from the past 2 generations) to users that would otherwise not upgrade"
Because again, the choice is not necessarily "be limited" or "go all in" but could have been more or less apps open at the same time based on the device (just like they did with split screen / slide over back in the day, just slideover for 1GB RAM devices, split screen or slideover for 2GB RAM device and the 3 at the same time for 3GB+ RAM devices).
And, again too, many people couldn't care less about Stage Manager (personally I will only use it to have an external monitor once iPadOS 16 arrives, since I barely split screen, let alone use 4 resized apps on the iPads), and would have been happier with a Dex like feature, which IMO is actually better than stage manager on an external monitor (and does not prevent you from using the regular iPad interface/multitasking on the iPad).

 

[sparksd]

Sounds a lot to me like "since we are not porting our desktop apps to iPadOS and even less give MacOS in dual boot, let's make a multitasking feature that requires a lot of RAM so that we can give people a reason to upgrade to M1 (even from the past 2 generations) to users that would otherwise not upgrade"
Because again, the choice is not necessarily "be limited" or "go all in" but could have been more or less apps open at the same time based on the device (just like they did with split screen / slide over back in the day, just slideover for 1GB RAM devices, split screen or slideover for 2GB RAM device and the 3 at the same time for 3GB+ RAM devices).
And, again too, many people couldn't care less about Stage Manager (personally I will only use it to have an external monitor once iPadOS 16 arrives, since I barely split screen, let alone use 4 resized apps on the iPads), and would have been happier with a Dex like feature, which IMO is actually better than stage manager on an external monitor (and does not prevent you from using the regular iPad interface/multitasking on the iPad).

Having had the public beta on my M1 12.9 for some time now, I find that the full monitor support is all that I'm interested in with Stage Manager. And it will be a while before all apps play well with it.

 

[Ludatyk]

Sounds a lot to me like "since we are not porting our desktop apps to iPadOS and even less give MacOS in dual boot, let's make a multitasking feature that requires a lot of RAM so that we can give people a reason to upgrade to M1 (even from the past 2 generations) to users that would otherwise not upgrade"

Maybe you’re right. But I do think porting their desktop apps is next on Apple roadmap.

and would have been happier with a Dex like feature, which IMO is actually better than stage manager on an external monitor (and does not prevent you from using the regular iPad interface/multitasking on the iPad).

Can you explain this?

For me, the major difference I see is that Stage Manager provides two displays when hooking it up via a monitor. For instance… I can easily move apps/windows between my monitor and the iPad itself.

DeX doesn’t allow me to do this. Moving apps from the device to an external display… results in the app restarting.

 

[xraydoc]

All I wanted was for when I mirror my iPad screen for the black bars to be gone on the side. A bonus would have been if I could have had two more apps open on the external display (once again no black bars) whilst using other two apps on the iPad like now.

No way to do that without something like Stage Manager. The iPad's screen is a different aspect ratio than most desktop monitors, so black bars will be required when mirroring unless iPadOS offers full second-screen support (like iPadOS 16 does with Stage Manager).

However, with Stage Manager, you can get two apps up on the external display (without black bars) side-by-side. Just hide the dock and the left-hand "stage" and two apps will fit nicely side-by-side. You might need to resize and move the windows depending on how the other apps come up by default. They don't completely occupy every mm of the screen space, but it's still pretty good. I suspect because some iPad apps don't support completely arbitrary window sizes, covering every last mm of screen space will be difficult for iPadOS to do. If you don't want other floating windows in the background, you don't need to have them.

 

[Digitalguy]

Can you explain this?

For me, the major difference I see is that Stage Manager provides two displays when hooking it up via a monitor. For instance… I can easily move apps/windows between my monitor and the iPad itself.

DeX doesn’t allow me to do this. Moving apps from the device to an external display… results in the app restarting.

I haven't installed the beta on my M1. But yes on Dex app restarts the app when you move from the tablet. I gather Stage Manager doesn't.
Problem with stage manager is that, as far as I understand you cannot have it on the monitor and not on the tablet, which you can with Dex (Dex on the monitor and the regular tablet as a tablet). This for me is a plus, it's kind of having 2 devices at the same time, a desktop on the monitor and still keep using the regular tablet with the best UI for it (mind you OneUI is much more powerful than split screen/slide over, among other things it has horizontal split, 3 apps split (with one vertical and 2 horizontal), infinite resize of apps and splits, including of slide over etc.)

Simple use case, I want to use the monitor to remote into a desktop, and still keep using the tablet as usual. This is a very simple use case that should have been possible with any iPad, at least the USB C ones, but it's not, since when I remote it's still mirroring and even if the app adapts to the monitor I cannot use my tablet... It's possible with stage manager on M1, although I would have preferred to have the regular tablet UI on the tablet

 

[Ludatyk]

Problem with stage manager is that, as far as I understand you cannot have it on the monitor and not on the tablet, which you can with Dex (Dex on the monitor and the regular tablet as a tablet). This for me is a plus, it's kind of having 2 devices at the same time, a desktop on the monitor and still keep using the regular tablet with the best UI for it (mind you OneUI is much more powerful than split screen/slide over, among other things it has horizontal split, 3 apps split (with one vertical and 2 horizontal), infinite resize of apps and splits, including of slide over etc.)

That’s not true. You can have Stage Manager on both the iPad and monitor, however… I recently found out you can have two separate apps. For instance, two safari browsers (or any multi-window supported app).. one on the iPad and the other on the monitor. And I like how I can move apps from the iPad to the monitor or vice versa.

Simple use case, I want to use the monitor to remote into a desktop, and still keep using the tablet as usual. This is a very simple use case that should have been possible with any iPad, at least the USB C ones, but it's not, since when I remote it's still mirroring and even if the app adapts to the monitor I cannot use my tablet... It's possible with stage manager on M1, although I would have preferred to have the regular tablet UI on the tablet

Yeah, you’ll be able to use the monitor and remote into Windows/Mac from your iPad. Then use Stage Manager on the iPad itself if that’s what you prefer.

edit: my apologies.. i misread it. You can opt to not use Stage Manager on the iPad if you prefer tablet UI and use Stage Manager on the external display