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iPad What are your most wanted iPad OS features?

K

Kingcoherent

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 30, 2022
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The Pro iPads have been powerful for the last few years, and the new ones are particularly powerful. There are also some very compelling Pro level apps now available for iPad.

Interestingly however, given that Apple doesn't supply a charger with the new Pro in most European countries it clearly considers the iPad to be a gadget, not a computer. Moreover, given the walled garden approach of the OS it lacks capabilities essential for generative computing (https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/9385626). This is not just about the ability to side load, it's about the ability to build new applications on the device without the need for a gatekeeper's approval.

Perhaps due to its hobbled OS older iPads hold up really well. I use mine daily for work (reading news, academic papers, web browsing) and relaxation (controlling/streaming to my hifi/TV, YouTube, browsing, the odd game, Logic Remote to control Logic Pro in my music studio).

So, what features would you like to see Apple announce for this "Pro" gadget?

For me the absolute top feature needs to be proper filesystem control and access. In the past I've relied on my iPad Native Instruments Traktor to DJ when my laptop died: I still cannot add music directly to the music library without a computer. For this reason, it cannot be a standalone device and will always need to be used as a companion device. I appreciate that this probably opens up a whole world of complication - given its unix foundations you may well need user profiles and more.
 
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Change iPadOS to macOS but not directly copy macOS. Basically make iPadOS more open than iOS but a bit closer than macOS.

However, if Apple is determined to keep iPadOS iOS, nothing will happen no matter how many attempts Apple make, forced or otherwise, to fundamentally change iPadOS to something else.
 
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My main wishes:
- iPad to iPad Sidecar
- iPad to iPad Universal control
- audio support and trackpad support in Sidecar for Mac
- battery charge threashold (85% or even better, customizable)
- choice of default app to open a file type
- ability to "peg apps to RAM" (= keep it in RAM as a piority, instead of regular reloading)
- ability to resize and place apps as I wish in Stage Manager
 
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What I would like
- make Home Screen app placement fully customisable as a option (no forced grid placement)
- improve file system further to make it more like finder


for the rest what I mostly want is more powerful software
- somS more higher end games
- improvements to iWork suite apps
 
A proper file system and a terminal, but that would probably require it to become a whole lot more like Mac OS (or just become Mac OS entirely), so I don't think that's really going to happen. 😢
 
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A real terminal would be great. Maybe windows snapping, like windows 11 added.

I'm also not crazy about the home screen. Give us the option to have a blank slate with transparent background widgets like MacOS has.

I actually like Files, but the buttons need labels. At least give us the option.

Preview would be really nice to have. One app that can open different types of image files and can edit pdfs. Not sure why this hasn't landed yet.

Oh, more Mac-like windowing. Stage Manager is close but no cigar.
 
Expand the home-screen folders to take up most of the screen when you open them. On my 12.9" iPad Pro, it's silly to have only a 4 x 4 icon grid when an 8 x 7 grid would fit. It's annoying to have to swipe to a second folder screen when I have more than 16 apps in a category.

And, yes, a better file system.
 
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Open it up so that it's a proper OS, like Mac or Linux, and not still just a glorified phone OS in 2024
 
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Sidecar as a proper app, with remote connection abilities, able to be started from iPad.

Home screen more like a desktop.

Traditional window decorations. Why reinvent the wheel and put that annoying 3dot menu in the middle?!

More predicability with stage manager. Half the time I dont know what will go where. Also, why is there a four window limit?

I wish people would stop asking for a "proper file system". It has a proper file system. If they want a more finder like experience, or something different to files or one of the alternatives then say file manager.

Ability to install from anywhere (which I believe is coming in a restricted way in EU).

Edit: Forgot one, allow slide over (son useful) in stage manager.
 
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Have the Files app show the items from the Photos folder with albums as subfolders.
 
Yeah adding a completely second desktop via AirPlay. I want to put youtube etc. on my TV while I use the iPad for other stuff.
 
A more open OS where you’re free to do things like you would on a Mac, windows PC, and even a Chromebook. Right now it’s just like a iPhone, closed out and app based.
 
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Desktop class browser, with the ability to support extensions. I’d even forgo the extension support for a fully fledged browser.
 
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NastyMatt said:
Desktop class browser, with the ability to support extensions. I’d even forgo the extension support for a fully fledged browser.
Click to expand...
Technicallly, it supports extensions. It‘s just depended on Apple approving them through the App Store.

cupcakes2000 said:
Traditional window decorations. Why reinvent the wheel and put that annoying 3dot menu in the middle?!
Click to expand...
Well, it’s a touch-first device.. it’s more intuitive that way. And the touch targets would have been difficult to hit on a traditional window design.
 
Ludatyk said:
Well, it’s a touch-first device.. it’s more intuitive that way. And the touch targets would have been difficult to hit on a traditional window design.
Click to expand...
The close and the minimise icons can the the same size as the three dots? Makes no difference to be honest. Anyway, its the fact its in the middle of the window thats my issue. It gets in the way of some stuff.

Also, it cant possibly be more intuitive than just putting them where they have been since the beginning of WIMP based systems. Tap the recognisable icon in the normal place verses a menu with a list of badly described options.
 
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I was hoping for an always on display.

In general I'd like to not have to wait a year to get neat new features that are added to iOS.
 
cupcakes2000 said:
The close and the minimise icons can the the same size as the three dots? Makes no difference to be honest. Anyway, its the fact its in the middle of the window thats my issue. It gets in the way of some stuff.
Click to expand...
But it’s more than two icons that needs to fit… there is a total of 4 selections to choose from. And can you give me an example of it getting in the way? Haven’t experience that problem… but I believe you can turn it off completely under settings.

Also, it cant possibly be more intuitive than just putting them where they have been since the beginning of WIMP based systems.
Click to expand...
I get your point. But the fact it’s a touch-first device… that has to be taken into account as well.
 
Ludatyk said:
And can you give me an example of it getting in the way? Haven’t experience that problem… but I believe you can turn it off completely under settings.
Click to expand...
I dont want to turn it off. One needs to manage windows with it.

It gets in the way of jump desktop.
 
Ludatyk said:
Well, it’s a touch-first device.. it’s more intuitive that way. And the touch targets would have been difficult to hit on a traditional window design.
Click to expand...

The 3-dot menu just isn't intuitive, it feels like a compromise to facilitate multitasking with a mouse/trackpad.

Maybe Apple needs to add a flag that apps can check for to adjust their app layout slightly to better compliment mice. Then the onus moves onto app developers to make their app take advantage of that.
 
ProbablyDylan said:
The 3-dot menu just isn't intuitive, it feels like a compromise to facilitate multitasking with a mouse/trackpad.

Maybe Apple needs to add a flag that apps can check for to adjust their app layout slightly to better compliment mice. Then the onus moves onto app developers to make their app take advantage of that.
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity… Why would an app layout adjustment help in this case? And placing the onus on the devs could make matters worst.

And the user tap/touch a 3-dot small icon that contains a menu… accessible and straight forward, not confusing at all.
 
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