I’ve been using the new M4 iPad Pro for the last week exclusively, resisting any urge to use my MacBook Pro as a crutch. Needless to say, it’s been an enlightening, interesting, and dare I say, a fun experience on a lot of fronts. My biggest takeaway? The iPad has flaws, but iPadOS does not need to be macOS to make it a good computer.
There is a large contingent of iPad users who are using computers today only because of iPadOS and how accessible it is to them. The iPad has arguably made computers more accessible to users who were once downright afraid of computers. For that reason alone, we should put some respect on the iPad’s name.
Before the latest batch of iPad Pro reviews came out, I predicted what the running story would be, and I’m not even very good at making predictions. We’ve seen the same story time and time again over the years. Yes, the hardware is great…but the software falls short. Oh, and by the way, I’m guilty of it as well.
For years, the iPad Pro has sported hardware under the hood that’s more than capable for getting things done. For some users, it has been iPadOS’ shortcomings and idiosyncrasies that have make it challenging to get the most out of its power.
However, that does not mean that the iPad needs to run macOS to reach its full potential. It just needs to be the very best version of iPadOS.
What does the best version of iPadOS look like?
I don’t think it looks like Apple copied and pasted macOS onto the iPad. I think it still looks very much like iPadOS appears today, just with the type of refinements and creature comforts that more advanced users expect. It also needs app developers to treat the platform like a first-class citizen.
There are many areas where I think iPadOS can improve, but there are three main areas that I think are among the most important.
1. iPadOS apps and the need for a common thread
iPadOS apps almost feel like their own little mini operating systems running on the iPad. That’s because every app has its own unique method for interacting with it, accessing needed tools, etc. It’s missing the common thread that binds all apps together to make it a cohesive experience.
On the Mac, that common thread is the menu bar. It’s the place where, no matter the app, you can go there to do the thing…whatever that thing happens to be.
One could argue that the current methodology for viewing keyboard shortcuts – holding the Command (⌘) key – is basically iPadOS’ version of the menu bar. The problem with the keyboard shortcuts menu is that it relies on a connected keyboard, is slow to invoke, and it takes up too much space, I think a more thought out redesign that serves both touch and keyboard users is needed.
2. Keyboard Shortcuts, but taken seriously
This is both an iPadOS problem, and an individual app problem. As fun and handy as touch interfaces can be, they aren’t always appropriate for certain tasks. Power users rely on keyboard shortcuts to get things done more efficiently.
Of course, iPadOS has keyboard shortcuts, but they need to be taken more seriously by app developers, including Apple. If it exists as a function, it should, in most cases, have a corresponding keyboard shortcut.
I encountered one of the most egregious examples of this problem while editing the entire video embedded above on my iPad using Final Cut Pro. Apple’s pro NLE is an amazing experience in a lot of ways, especially for its touch-first interface. I think this app has a ton of potential, and I’m excited for Final Cut Pro for iPad 2, which should ship within the next month.
That being said, there are missing features that video editors need that just aren’t there yet, and that’s understandable given the app’s short time in existence. What isn’t as understandable is the lack of keyboard shortcuts for certain commands that do currently exist, such as copying and pasting effects between clips. Because there were no keyboard shortcuts for these commands, I had to undergo the time-consuming process of manually copying and pasting effects between the one hundred or so clips in my timeline so that they would all match.
Apple should also implement a way to allow users create their own keyboard shortcuts. Such a feature already somewhat exists as an accessibility setting in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboards > Full Keyboard Access, but it’s only for customizing the keyboard shortcuts used to navigate iPadOS, not for individual apps.
3. File management for tots
The Files app is a huge improvement over its first iteration back when it was called iCloud Drive. I appreciate how we now have more detailed file information, how we can compress and decompress files, etc., but there needs to be more flexibility for users to manage files.
One of the many frustrating things I encountered was the inability to preview a video shot with my Sony FX30 via Quick Look. Opening the file with Quick Look produced a blank screen prompting me to open the file in another app.
There are many little issues like this that, by themselves, aren’t a big deal. But when you start adding up all of the smaller shortcomings of file management in iPadOS, it stands out.
iPadOS doesn’t need to be “fixed”
I’ve compared the difference between using macOS and iPadOS to get the same task done like the difference between running on land, and running while submerged in water. Eventually, you’ll both make it to the destination, but who will finish first? Better yet, who will feel better after the run? Apple has drained a lot of the water that has bogged down the iPad experience, but more needs to be done.
iPadOS is a highly capable platform, with its own unique paradigms. Some of its shortcomings might be viewed as strengths depending on how the light is hitting the prism so to speak. Shortcomings can also spur innovation when engineers are forced to approach a problem in a different way.
iPadOS doesn’t need to be fixed, because that implies that iPadOS is broken. iPadOS needs to be improved and optimized. Improving the platform isn’t just about copying and pasting macOS onto the iPad. Improving iPadOS involves Apple paying close attention to the most basic user experience and interface shortcomings, while also continuing to build it out with new and unique features year after year. Apple hasn’t been perfect on this thus far, but we must recognize how far the iPad has come in a relatively short time.
9to5Mac’s Take
Although Apple probably should have read the room before it published the controversial ad where it crushed all of the beloved physical relics of creativity into a thin and light iPad Pro, I got where it was going with it. This machine can wear an infinite amount of hats, and it’s arguably the most versatile piece of consumer electronics that’s ever been created.
The software that powers it, iPadOS, is fine. Swaths of users will second that thought. We just have to be patient, let iPadOS be iPadOS, and allow the platform to keep maturing.
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