Stage Manager Still Has Several Issues as iPadOS 16 Nears Release

[smulji]

Yet I don’t see any newer models copying the form factor, unlike the early days of the Surface Pro. Wonder why.

This one by Dell was released just recently: https://www.dell.com/en-ca/shop/lap.../xps-13-9315-2-in-1-laptop/nxps139315t_s5760e

This one, by ASUS, also released this year: https://www.amazon.ca/Display-GeFor...wicXNhIjoiMS4xOSIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ==&sr=8-1

 

[noanker]

As I indicated, there are no maverick CEOs leading organizations the size of Apple or near the size of Apple, so the list has already been created. It’s zero. And, yes, reality is biased in favor of reality.

Really?

Belief bias is highly evident in your many arguments, exhaustively finding fault within anything posted by others in this forum. Everyone has an opinion, and those opinions may often run contrary to those of yours. Personally, I'm interested in hearing everyone's opinions, be they right or wrong. I don't feel the need to challenge what someone has posted each and every time or strive to prove myself right, arguing with and multi-quoting their responses, challenging each response.

Acceptance of others' opinions is not a sign of weakness. Your opinion is not always the best. Arguing obsessively and exhaustively with others for whatever self-validation is derived from it, ruins the spirit of these forums.

You may want to just touch grass, step back and enjoy the myriad of viewpoints of others. 👍

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Acceptance of others' opinions is not a sign of weakness. Your opinion is not always the best. Arguing obsessively and exhaustively with others for whatever self-validation is derived from it, ruins the spirit of these forums.

You may want to just touch grass, step back and enjoy the myriad of viewpoints of others. 👍

You believe that Tim Cook is a major problem that needs to go. I accept your opinion that Tim Cook should go and I’m not saying that he shouldn’t. I’d just also like to know, in your opinion, who would best replace him as the company wouldn’t operate without a CEO (Unless you’re also indicating that Apple should shut down completely?). If you don’t have an opinion on who would make a good replacement, it’s fine, I just thought you might have one. Once, someone said “Scott Forstall”. While I don’t know his “pandering to China” status, it was at least an opinion.

Also, for anyone that can’t handle having their opinions challenged or questioned… posting those opinions to a public forum… is likely one of the worst things for someone like that to do.

 

[smulji]

I’d just also like to know, in your opinion, who would best replace him as the company wouldn’t operate without a CEO

Apple has always excelled when it had a product focused CEO => someone that had a hands-on attitude and focus on making the best products that delighted its customers and making technology more personal. By product, I don't mean just hardware. I mean the totality (hardware, software, services) of the user experience. I'm not convinced any longer that Tim Cook is the one. Honestly, my pick would be Tony Fadell.

 

[CyberBob859]

Have you ever used DeX? It’s terrible. I have two Samsung tablets and find it to be garbage. It was designed to make the lack of tablet apps not so obvious. It’s there to make phone apps look less ugly. Please, no DeX.

Do you know how to read? I said I want MacOS - not Dex.

 

[tobybrut]

Do you know how to read? I said I want MacOS - not Dex.

QUOTE from you: “”Dex Mode” is absolutely what is needed.” macOS is your comparison to DeX. macOS would suck on a tablet as badly as DeX does on an Android tablet. They are equivalent in your mind. Sorry but you said it. My post to you is telling you that putting macOS on an iPad would be as bad as putting DeX on a tablet since you are the one equating the two.

DeX is awful. MacOS is awful in a touch environment, not to mention the terrible battery life. Buy yourself a Mac if you want macOS. Why would you want a compromised environment running an OS that wasn’t designed for it? As the saying goes, beware what you ask for. You might get it. Fortunately Apple isn’t dumb enough to destroy the iPad by putting macOS on it. They’ve said they’ve tried it and found it a bad experience. So why do you want it?

 

[Jedimindtrick]

I'm trying to make Stage Manager work, but it's like using training wheels for windowed apps, you can only resize the window to preset sizes, and you can't truly place the window where you want on your screen without it shuffling around on its own. I understand the reasoning, needing to be able to see where the window is and make it so you can touch it with your finger to bring it back to the front. But just allow me to place the window wherever I choose and add Mission Control, PLEASE! It would make using Stage Manager so much easier!

As many have pointed out, you can turn stage manager off, and it's off by default. With that said, allow those of us who want to turn it on to have more control over the window size/placement. It's such a silly idea that when you drag a window around on your screen, it moves everything else around with it!

 

[tobybrut]

I'm trying to make Stage Manager work, but it's like using training wheels for windowed apps, you can only resize the window to preset sizes, and you can't truly place the window where you want on your screen without it shuffling around on its own. I understand the reasoning, needing to be able to see where the window is and make it so you can touch it with your finger to bring it back to the front. But just allow me to place the window wherever I choose and add Mission Control, PLEASE! It would make using Stage Manager so much easier!

As many have pointed out, you can turn stage manager off, and it's off by default. With that said, allow those of us who want to turn it on to have more control over the window size/placement. It's such a silly idea that when you drag a window around on your screen, it moves everything else around with it!

Swiping up from the bottom is essentially the functionality, though not the look, of Mission Control.

Also keep in mind iPad apps weren’t written to be free flowing apps of any size or shape, unlike in macOS. Apps that don’t support slideover and split screen can’t easily be resized either. They are basically stuck in one aspect ratio. A similar problem affects iPhone apps run in iPadOS as well since they only support a vertical orientation. The limitation is on the apps, not the OS. Apps written for macOS are mostly written to be freeform as well as supporting a precise pointer, which is why Apple doesn’t move anything around or reshape any apps in the macOS version of SM.

Apple really can’t do anything about preset sizes because they can’t make apps not ugly if they allowed unlimited resizing and shaping. This is something ignored on Android where they don’t care if the apps look ugly.

 

[prospervic]

They’ve never advertised it as a laptop replacement. Ever. Why do people still keep saying that? They’ve advertised it as a computer. When those “What is a computer?” ads came out, iPads were thought of as toys good for nothing but small apps and games. Apple wanted to stress that it’s a full-fledged computer. But not once have they ever said it is a laptop replacement. The point of those ads is that not everyone needs a laptop or desktop. Think differently and imagine what you need to do. If the iPad is good for you, buy that one. If not, buy one of the other products, but don’t dismiss iPad out of hand because you think it’s a toy. Apple never said it’s a desktop replacement either, but strangely no one ever claims Apple said that.

That is what Apple promised. And it is a computer. It’s not a laptop, just as a desktop is not a laptop.

For the vast majority of users, the iPad is just fine and iPadOS does everything they need it to do, which is why Stage Manager is off by default. Most will never need it. I don’t use it myself because I don’t need it. The regular multitasking is more than enough. In fact, I prefer the old method.

For those who want it to be a laptop, buy a laptop. If you claim it doesn’t do what a Mac can do, well, because it isn’t a Mac. It also does things a Mac cannot do. But just as laptops overlap with desktops where neither can completely replace the other, the iPad overlaps them as well, doing some jobs better than the Macs and other jobs not as well. To expect a tablet with a completely different touch interface to be a laptop makes no sense.

It also has a ton of pro apps. I’d point you to Christopher Lawley’s fine YouTube video on 35 different professions that can easily run a business on an iPad complete with multiple apps that make those businesses work. People are blinded by Apple’s Pro apps, but they aren’t the only pro apps in existence.

Fine points, cogently expressed.

I suspect the unspoken truth of some who rail against the iPad Pro not being a laptop replacement is that they do not want to spend the money for two devices. But if you make one or both of them non-pro (MacBook Air or iPad Air) then the cash outlay is reduced.

Yes, carrying two devices is more of a burden, but when you consider that the 12.9 IPP + Magic Keyboard is chunky and heavy (3.02 pounds), putting the new, svelte and relatively light MBA in a backpack along with a 1 pound iPad is not a huge difference (weighing only slightly more than the 14-inch MacBook Pro).

 

[Jedimindtrick]

Swiping up from the bottom is essentially the functionality, though not the look, of Mission Control.

Also keep in mind iPad apps weren’t written to be free flowing apps of any size or shape, unlike in macOS. Apps that don’t support slideover and split screen can’t easily be resized either. They are basically stuck in one aspect ratio. A similar problem affects iPhone apps run in iPadOS as well since they only support a vertical orientation. The limitation is on the apps, not the OS. Apps written for macOS are mostly written to be freeform as well as supporting a precise pointer, which is why Apple doesn’t move anything around or reshape any apps in the macOS version of SM.

Apple really can’t do anything about preset sizes because they can’t make apps not ugly if they allowed unlimited resizing and shaping. This is something ignored on Android where they don’t care if the apps look ugly.

I get all of that - it still doesn't explain the need to shift the windows all over the place as you move other windows, or have windows "snap" into a place on the screen. It's so clunky. Just leave the window where I intentionally placed it. Allow me to use the dock to bring the back windows to the front if I can't see them.

 

[tobybrut]

I get all of that - it still doesn't explain the need to shift the windows all over the place as you move other windows, or have windows "snap" into a place on the screen. It's so clunky. Just leave the window where I intentionally placed it. Allow me to use the dock to bring the back windows to the front if I can't see them.

This is the choice Apple made to solve the particular problem of overlapped apps. I would suggest filing a report using the bug reporting app. The more people who make these suggestions, the more likely Apple is to change their minds, but there clearly is an obvious reason for it. You just have to make your case that it’s annoying and that they’re trying to solve an issue that really isn’t a problem. Definitely file a report, though. Don’t just let it go or else Apple will keep things as is. Personally, I don’t care either way. I kind of like it moving around, but it’s fine if it doesn’t.

I can’t remember if the reporting app has a suggestions option since I’ve only ever reported actual bugs, but if there isn’t one, report it as “doesn’t work as expected”. Darn it, I expect it to stay where I put it!

 

[FeliApple]

Every single day I thank Apple for not listening to the very vocal minority who wants macOS on an iPad. Great way to ruin the platform. Want macOS? Buy a Mac. The iPad does iPad things extremely well, and I commend Apple for trying to find a way to make the iPad do more (as an iPad!) instead of uselessly and needlessly overlapping it with the Mac.

The iPad isn’t a laptop. It’s a tablet. Let Macs do Mac things and iPads do iPad things, while improving and adding the most functionality to each as possible.

 

[prospervic]

It will be a joyous day when Mac Rumors allows us to easily remove our mistake posts.

 

[prospervic]

Every single day I thank Apple for not listening to the very vocal minority who wants macOS on an iPad. Great way to ruin the platform. Want macOS? Buy a Mac. The iPad does iPad things extremely well, and I commend Apple for trying to find a way to make the iPad do more (as an iPad!) instead of uselessly and needlessly overlapping it with the Mac.

The iPad isn’t a laptop. It’s a tablet. Let Macs do Mac things and iPads do iPad things, while improving and adding the most functionality to each as possible.

Amen! Nice to hear a voice of reason and maturity on this thread.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

Apple is set to release iPadOS 16 to the public this month, yet users continue to face several issues with the new Stage Manager feature.

In the latest iPadOS 16 beta seeded earlier this week, developer Steve Troughton-Smith and MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci highlighted various user interface issues they continue to face from time to time while using Stage Manager, including the dock disappearing when rotating the iPad, content failing to scale properly when a window is resized, keyboard input failing to register in certain apps, and more.

In August, Viticci criticized Apple for its "fundamentally misguided" approach to Stage Manager. The feature has improved in the weeks since, but it's clear from the latest beta that several issues persist even as iPadOS 16 nears release.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577391211144482831

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577356440271994883

Apple recently expanded Stage Manager to older iPad Pro models with A12X and A12Z chips released in 2018 and 2020, albeit without external display support, which limits the feature to four apps on the built-in display on these models. Apple also delayed external display support for iPad models with the M1 chip until later this year.

Stage Manager allows users to have up to four apps open in overlapping windows on an iPad's display for an improved multitasking experience. A modified version of Stage Manager is also available on macOS Ventura for keeping windows front and center.

Apple says iPadOS 16 will be released in October, but it not did confirm a specific day. The software update will be labeled iPadOS 16.1, and it will likely be released alongside iOS 16.1 for the iPhone, as the updates share the same build number.

Article Link: Stage Manager Still Has Several Issues as iPadOS 16 Nears Release

If you truly need this feature, buy a Mac. Stop trying to turn an iPad into a Mac

 

[Jedimindtrick]

If you truly need this feature, buy a Mac. Stop trying to turn an iPad into a Mac

I understand this position. However, I don't care if they turn "an iPad into a Mac" necessarily. Especially the base models, and if you're only using touch controls. I just think Stage Manager, as it's currently offered, is a miss. I actually think it's worse than Split Screen and Slide Over.

I do believe it's time for Apple to reconsider their iPad lineup though. They offer 4 types (base, mini, Air and Pro). Yet with all 4 types, they're still based on the same concept of the original iPad from 12 years ago. My point being, 12 years ago the technology didn't exist yet to allow the iPad to run on the same hardware as the iMac. Which is why from the beginning the OS has been completely different. That has changed. Now the same chip that powers my MacBook Pro is powering my iPad Pro. My iPad Pro has 16gb of ram (which seems pointless currently). With that comes a higher level of expectation, especially when you consider a M1 128gb 12.9 iPad Pro costs MORE than a M1 256gb MacBook Air. You pay more for a less productive machine with less storage. I love my iPad Pro but that's just straight up the truth.

I completely understand those who want Apple's version of a Surface Pro. I'd buy one for sure. They already offer 4 different iterations of the iPad. Why not offer one that uses a more conventional OS? I'm able to run iPad apps on my M1 MacBook Pro, why is it out of the question to ask for the reverse?

 

[IllinoisCorn]

I understand this position. However, I don't care if they turn "an iPad into a Mac" necessarily. Especially the base models, and if you're only using touch controls. I just think Stage Manager, as it's currently offered, is a miss. I actually think it's worse than Split Screen and Slide Over.

I do believe it's time for Apple to reconsider their iPad lineup though. They offer 4 types (base, mini, Air and Pro). Yet with all 4 types, they're still based on the same concept of the original iPad from 12 years ago. My point being, 12 years ago the technology didn't exist yet to allow the iPad to run on the same hardware as the iMac. Which is why from the beginning the OS has been completely different. That has changed. Now the same chip that powers my MacBook Pro is powering my iPad Pro. My iPad Pro has 16gb of ram (which seems pointless currently). With that comes a higher level of expectation, especially when you consider a M1 128gb 12.9 iPad Pro costs MORE than a M1 256gb MacBook Air. You pay more for a less productive machine with less storage. I love my iPad Pro but that's just straight up the truth.

I completely understand those who want Apple's version of a Surface Pro. I'd buy one for sure. They already offer 4 different iterations of the iPad. Why not offer one that uses a more conventional OS? I'm able to run iPad apps on my M1 MacBook Pro, why is it out of the question to ask for the reverse?

Hey, your post was really well said.

 

[AppleRocks2011]

I’ll be 100% honest, I did notice a few UI issues however I’ve found this very useful for my workflow; editing in LumaFusion having safari and the files app open so I can download and drag content right into the timeline. It’s a really nice system. I’m sure it will be refined in the coming months, but even the fact that non-M1 iPads got this is great. Overall, very useful.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I’ll be 100% honest, I did notice a few UI issues however I’ve found this very useful for my workflow; editing in LumaFusion having safari and the files app open so I can download and drag content right into the timeline. It’s a really nice system. I’m sure it will be refined in the coming months, but even the fact that non-M1 iPads got this is great. Overall, very useful.

It does make drag and drop far more useful.

 

[prospervic]

I’ll be 100% honest, I did notice a few UI issues however I’ve found this very useful for my workflow; editing in LumaFusion having safari and the files app open so I can download and drag content right into the timeline….

Yep. This really makes working in Luma Fusion easier.