Several weeks ago we got some anonymous feedback in the Connected inbox, directed at Federico:

It’s a shame to hear that you’re going back to the Mac, because this year iPadOS is getting live window resizing and positioning, similar to macOS and visionOS 😉

We read the feedback on the show, not really knowing what to make of it. But it’s been a few years since Apple last tinkered with the iPad’s windowing system, so it’s safe to assume that is about time for more changes to arrive.

Enter Mark Gurman, who published this today:

Apple readies iPadOS 19 overhaul that will make the tablet’s software more like macOS. Besides a big effort to make the design of Apple’s operating systems more consistent, a big theme of the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference is likely to be iPad software.

I’m told that this year’s upgrade will focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management — with an eye on the device operating more like a Mac. It’s been a long time coming, with iPad power users pleading with Apple to make the tablet more powerful.

Many of them, including myself, just wanted Apple to put macOS on the iPad. They won’t get their wish, but the changes will likely go far enough to make a lot of those users happy — at least for now. 

That certainly sounds like what our anonymous commenter was describing, and while it would be great for the iPad to gain a more Mac-like windowing system, I don’t think the people who want macOS on their iPads will look at iPadOS 19 and be truly satisfied.

Window management doesn’t address the core issue that has haunted the iPad since the beginning.

A year ago, as the M4 iPad Pro was rolling out, Federico Viticci took a look at the state of the iPad. Forgive the long block quote, but I think this still stands today:

The iPad is the only Apple computer that genuinely feels made for someone like me – a person who loves modularity, freedom, and the mix of touch and keyboard interactions. I share my frustrations because I care about the platform and want it to get better. But at the same time, we need to face reality: the iPad’s operating system isn’t improving at the speed the hardware deserves – that iPad owners who spent thousands of dollars on these machines deserve.

Something needs to change.

With new iPad Pros nearly upon us, it’s time to admit that iPadOS is not an operating system of the same caliber as Apple’s new hardware. iPadOS has been the victim of erratic updates over the years, with features that were meant to “reimagine” desktop computing only to get not even halfway there and be left to languish for years. Once again, I am not suggesting that the solution is to put macOS on iPad and call it a day. I’m saying that if that’s not in the cards, then Apple should consider all the ways iPadOS is still failing at basic computing tasks. I’d be okay with iPads running iPadOS forever. But if we passively accept that this is as good as an iPad can get, I strongly believe that we’ll play a role in letting Apple squander the greatest computer form factor they’ve ever created.

He goes on:

I’m tired of hearing apologies that smell of Stockholm syndrome from iPad users who want to invalidate these opinions and claim that everything is perfect. I’m tired of seeing this cycle start over every two years, with fantastic iPad hardware and the usual (justified), “But it’s the software…” line at the end. I’m tired of feeling like my computer is a second-class citizen in Apple’s ecosystem. I’m tired of being told that iPads are perfectly fine if you use Final Cut and Logic, but if you don’t use those apps and ask for more desktop-class features, you’re a weirdo, and you should just get a Mac and shut up. And I’m tired of seeing the best computer Apple ever made not live up to its potential.

I started using the iPad as my main computer when I was stuck in a hospital bed and couldn’t use a laptop. I kept using it because once you get a taste of that freedom, it’s hard to go back. I will continue using it because none of the alternatives match Apple’s hardware quality, app ecosystem, and pure delight. But loving something doesn’t mean ignoring its flaws. And iPadOS is a flawed operating system that still doesn’t get the basics right and, as a result, drags down the entire product line.

It’s been hard to argue against the iPad’s hardware for a long, long time, but as Federico points out, the “it’s the software” line is a refrain we’ve all heard over and over.

Back in 2010, it was a genius move on Apple’s part to have the iPad tie into the already-big-by-then-but-now-truly-massive iPhone app ecosystem. Despite claims of “It’s just a big iPhone!” many of us saw the potential in a computer that was a sheet of glass, able to turn into any app you wanted.

As the iPad got bigger and more capable, it was inevitable that people would demand more from it, but the iPad’s roots have held it back. Even after renaming iPhone OS to iOS, then forking iPadOS, the iPhone and iPad are very close cousins, and Apple is seemingly unwilling — or unable — to really push the iPad toward the Mac in terms of capability.

Files is a mere shadow of Finder. The audio and video routing on the iPad is a joke compared to what the Mac can do. Power users can build as many Shortcuts as they want, but the app may fail to sync them properly between devices. Need a utility running in the background all the time? Too bad. What is simple on a Mac often requires jumping through hoops on an iPad, despite the hardware being basically identical under the hood.

But Stephen, you may say, developers just need to write good, powerful software for iPadOS!

There are some shining examples of this, but more and more, the iPad is forgotten by developers. Again, we turn to Federico:

…with a few exceptions for Apple Pencil-based artistic tools like the incredible Procreate and note-taking apps like GoodNotes, when is the last time you saw a completely original iPad app for productivity that made you want to buy an iPad? Or that made you want to use the iPad version of an app instead of its macOS or web version?

Should the iPad app ecosystem really need to be reduced to the “Apple Pencil ecosystem” for it to stand out between the iPhone and the Mac?

The reality is that making groundbreaking iPad apps is a lost art and has been for a long time.

Blaming developers for the iPad’s slow progress isn’t fair, though. Yes, Apple has made creating an iPad app easier and easier over the years, but ultimately, the success of any platform lays at the feet of the platform owner. Apple’s App Store rules can be seen as stifling, and until Logic and Final Cut for iPad came along in recent years, Apple had never built a true professional app for the iPad. Files being bad is on Apple, not third-party developers. Shortcuts for the iPad not having the powerful escape hatches to AppleScript or even the shell isn’t the fault of users who are trying to speed up their work, but they pay the price for Apple’s instance that the iPad be a closed, sanitized system.

But Stephen, you may say, aren’t you glad Apple has returned its focus to the Mac with Apple silicon and solid macOS releases? Do you want to go back to the days where the laptops were bad and Apple seemed to think the iPad was the future of computing for everyone?

Despite the evidence in this case, I do think Apple can chew gum and walk at the same time. Apple could continue to keep its head down on the Mac and work to make the iPad a more capable computer. Even as a Mac guy, I wish it would.

Being able to to rearrange iPhone-class applications at will won’t make the iPad more useful in my workflow as a professional.