The Apple iPad was launched with a simple vision, to be a portable computer. With every new model, Apple has tried to bridge the gap between the iPad and the MacBook. However, the iPad remained popular more as a tablet than a full-fledged computing device.
Of course, you could browse the web, stream videos and game on an iPad, but the iOS still limits its functionalities. Additionally, it lacked the desktop software used on laptops and PCs. For many users, the iPad was just a large-screened iPhone without the calling feature. However, Apple claims things are about to change with the new iPad OS. The new iPad OS aims to make the iPad more like a computer but is it really capable?
Apple iPads have always supported external Bluetooth keyboards, however with limited functionality. Even after the launch of the first-generation Apple Smart Keyboard, the iPad still functioned very much like a tablet.
However, the new iPad OS improves the external keyboard support on the iPad. It lets you use Microsoft Word shortcuts such as Command + arrow keys to move the cursor around text. You can use Command + F to find words and other Word shortcuts which makes navigating and editing documents easier. Even working on Microsoft Excel gets better, as now you use can use Shift + arrow key to select a range of cells which previously required touching the iPad screen.
Additionally, there are other shortcuts like Command + Tab to switch between apps, bringing the iPad experience closer to a computer. But what if you don’t want to use an external keyboard? Luckily, the iPad OS also improves the on-screen keyboard as well. Apple calls it the QuickPath keyboard, a floating iPhone-sized keyboard which can be moved anywhere on the screen giving providing flexibility while typing.
iPad OS may still look like iOS, but it feels different. The new OS bring lots of design changes. The most noticeable ones are smaller icons and a better looking widgets tray. It may take time to get used to the new design but smaller icons mean access to more apps on the screen. In fact, you can now accommodate 30 apps on a single screen along with 15 apps in the Dock tray.
As Apple has managed to reduce app and their update sizes, the new iPad OS lets you install more apps. Of course, having too many apps may make your screen look cluttered, but using keyboard shortcuts such as Command + I for app search or Command + H for the home screen can make navigation simpler.
One of the other noticeable design changes with the iPad OS is the Dark Mode. Most Apple designed apps look well optimised for the Dark Mode and the overall dark theme adds a fresh look to the iPad’s interface. If you don’t prefer the Dark mode, it can be easily turned off by swiping down the Control Centre menu and holding down touching the brightness tab.
The new iPad OS brings tons of new features and one of them is the Split view. It lets you use two apps at the same time just like you do on your computer. In fact, this feature lets you move text, photos and files just by dragging and dropping, saving the time used to manually copy-paste data.
This means, now you can transfer text from Safari into a note, an image from Photos into an email or a calendar event into a text message by a simple drag and drop. This feature also gives you the flexibility of adjusting the screen space for each app, just like would on any PC or laptop.
One of the biggest improvements that comes with the new iPad OS is its improved web experience. Any iPad running the new iPad OS now loads the desktop version of web sites, rather than the scaled-down mobile version. This means, you can get better looking text, pictures and access to all the menus on a web-page without needing additional gestures and inputs. Also, as the screen size of most iPads is like laptops, you can now run web-based apps which wouldn’t run on mobile browsers.
In fact, using Safari gets better with the external keyboard as you get the full view of your display without the keyboard blocking part of the view. You can use shortcuts like Control + Tab to switch between tabs, Command + L to type a new URL and other shortcuts like on a computer.
The new iPad OS lets you download files on your iPad locally, a task impossible with previous iOS versions. This is a nifty feature, if you edit lot of online documents and want them save locally on your iPad. The Files app on the new iPad OS uses a Mac-like interface, which makes arranging files and folders a lot easier. You can now easily move, copy and paste files just like would on a Mac.
The iPad OS brings in significant enhancements to bridge the gap between the iPad and a computer. It makes the iPad better equipped to use office suites such as Microsoft Office or Google’s G Suite. Though the iPad cannot run desktop versions of other mainstream desktop software yet, you can easily mirror these apps on the iPad from a Mac using the Apple Sidecar feature. The iPad then behaves like a second monitor, even a dedicated controller where you can use an Apple Pencil for desktop apps.
The mouse support on the iPad OS is currently an accessibility feature. This means you cannot use it with apps on your iPad. Until then, the iPad is still a versatile and a much better portable computing device. So, does iPad OS make the iPad a laptop replacement? Not yet, but it’s getting close.
