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Using an iPad for real, part 2 – iPadOS coming

My continuing exploration of using an iPad for work… how will iPadOS affect things?

One of the things that might help me use the iPad Pro for real (replacing a laptop for a high percentage of the time) is the upcoming iPadOS.

iPadOS is being introduced by Apple as a separate operating system to iOS, which will now be the iPhone OS, while the iPad gets it’s own dedicated system.

The first big change will be on the new home screen. The grid of app icons will be tighter, allowing more to fit on the screen, and reducing the amount of dead space. With this tighter grid of apps, there’s will be an option to show Today View alongside them, which should make for a more useful overview screen.

Multitasking also gets an upgrade on iPadOS is a few ways. Split View should allow me to see two app windows at a time for the same app, or two different apps, a drag-and-drop interface making switching between apps and windows easy.

iPadOS will allow me to plug a USB drive or SD card reader into the iPad, and the Files app will be able to read this and allow me to easily manage data between the iPad’s internal storage and the external drive. I don’t use a lot of USB memory sticks these days, but having this facility with an iPad, not just a laptop, could be really useful at conferences and suchlike. Files will have a Column View (to take advantage of the iPad’s wide screen) and the iCloud Drive will allow folder sharing, and show content from the USB drive or SD card if it’s plugged in – nice!

Apple also say that apps could launch up to twice as fast, and apps themselves should be smaller in download size, by up to 50%, taking up less storage space, although I don’t have any problems there.

Safari web browser is also improved with iPadOS, because it’s no longer just viewing mobile sites (I’ve always found this annoying), as iPadOS views websites in a modified desktop view that’s a cleaner and optimised for touch.

Apparently the likes of Google Docs and WordPress web apps will also work better with Safari on iPadOS. Safari will also have a download manager (cool!) and improved tab management.

Lots of new gestures too – although I can never remember many of these anyway! lol

A simple swipe up from the corner with my Apple Pencil should launch markup and brings up the newly-redesigned tool palette, which can be dragged around and repositioned anywhere on the screen.

And finally, mouse support! Yay! I can definitely see this being useful – as a mouse and keyboard will naturally feel much more like a desktop experience, with the alternative of using it as a touchscreen tablet at other times.

Can’t wait !

Stuart Mealor
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Stuart Mealor

Stuart is interested in all things e-learning, with specific interests in Moodle, e-learning strategy, and business development. His experience in education over 30 years, MBA in International Business, and knowledge of e-learning systems implementation, together with graphic design background, give him a unique skill set for e-learning projects.

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