Windowing, Menu Bar, and Pointer Come to iPadOS

[MikeDr206]

They’re making that touch screen Mac they said they weren’t going to make. But in the most stubborn way possible.

Right? I’m looking forward to the party line as to why many of these features can’t be integrated into a Mac convertible running in tablet mode…

 

[MikeDr206]

This is a really interesting development. Does this portend MacOS apps running on iPad OS soon? That seems to be the only reason to make a change like this. A big obstacle to doing so was the lack of precision of a pointer within a tablet interface. Now that they've incorporated a precise pointer into iPadOS, there's one less key reason to not merge the two.

I for one would buy a convertible device that can run both … even simultaneously. Continuity can be improved in the latter case, for instance.

 

[MikeDr206]

I wonder if you can use menu bar and window controls without trackpad and mouse? Like Apple Pencil? I don't have iPad keyboard/trackpad but I do have Apple Pencil.

And if so, why couldn’t MacBooks have a touchscreen to offer such a mode as well?

 

[MikeDr206]

Apple is never going to do that because then you would have no reason to buy a Mac. I’m sure Apple has data that shows power users own both a Mac and an iPad. They’re not going to do anything to change that.

agreed. I own an MBA and an IPP with all the trimmings (Magic Keyboard or whatever they call it, Pencil, and Folio case). The combined price exceeds lower end Macs.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm really irritated and bummed that they got rid of SplitView & SlideOver, the latter in particular for when in full screen mode.

Those are really useful and concise modes on an iPad Mini sized screen.

 

[MikeDr206]

Menu bar apparently is not fixable and there is no way to tune down transparency…at least for now or I didn’t see it.

Edit:

You can reduce transparency!

It had to be this way (i.e., your edit). Otherwise the whole nod to accessibility that Apple otherwise touts becomes a huge joke on visually impaired people.

 

[MikeDr206]

I don't use my iPad to its full potential because of the interface. Multitasking still feels clumsy to me, but being able to layer windows is a game changer that'll allow me to operate it closer to how I do a Mac. I've always used my Mac as a workhorse and iPad as a media/entertainment device, and now that could easily flip.

I still need a Mac for specific work tasks, but if I start doing more and more on my iPad because of the new interface, I could totally see myself opting for a MacBook Air instead of Pro.

FileMaker Pro, full Microsoft Word (I have to meet anyone in an enterprise environment who uses Pages), support for full featured apps ala MacOS, etc.

 

[sunapple]

Right? I’m looking forward to the party line as to why many of these features can’t be integrated into a Mac convertible running in tablet mode…

My mind goes to the most terrible reason (for us consumers): if iPad could replace Mac then all computing can only take place on closed-off platforms where apps can only be installed through the App Store which maximizes profits for Apple. Luckily I’m wearing a tinfoil hat.

 

[patrickbyrd325]

And if so, why couldn’t MacBooks have a touchscreen to offer such a mode as well?

You can, you just swipe down with your finger