The iPad gets its
own operating
system: iPadOS
More like a proper computer in its own right
THERE’S BEEN SPECULATION for years about
Apple unifying its desktop and mobile
operating systems. After all, iOS is based
on macOS, and today’s iPhones and iPads are
powerful enough to run similar software to Macs.
Then again, using an iPhone is inevitably a very
diļerent experience from using a Mac.
The iPad, though, lies somewhere in between,
and at WWDC, Craig Federighi announced that it
would Ľnally have its own operating system,
logically if cumbersomely known as iPadOS. It’s
iOS 13 with some extra bits, but the extra bits
should make using an iPad for proper work feel
less compromised.
iPadOS focuses on making use of the bigger
screen, working in more than one app or on more
than one document at once, and entering and
editing text. It also beneĽts from iOS 13’s new
ľexibility in accessing Ľles (see p26). Reľecting
the growing size and resolution of iPads, the Home
screen grid has six icons across rather than Ľve,
which still leaves room for them to squash up
further when you slide in the new Today View
sidebar, bringing your favorite Widgets.BROWSER BOOST
Safari will identify itself as a desktop browser, so
websites should appear as they would on your Mac
rather than on an iPhone. You can view web pages
side by side just by dragging oļ a URO. In keeping
with the revamped Files app, you can see downloads
in progress or recently completed, and jump to
their Ľle location.
Finally, how about using iPad apps with a mouse?
Apple still isn’t keen to open this particular can of
worms, but iPadOS does support both USB and
Bluetooth mice as an accessibility feature, enabled
under Assistive Touch.iPadOS really maximizes the more generous iPad screen sizes
— and Dark Mode looks great.Install fonts on
your iPadfonts
The App Store becomes a type shop
The ability to add typefaces
is essential to design and
publishing work, and Apple has
finally offered support for font
installation in iPadOS — via the
App Store. A few vendors are
already signed up, including
Adobe and Monotype, although
it’s not clear if they’ll let usersinstall fonts for which they
already own desktop licences
at no extra cost, or how Adobe
Fonts included in Creative Cloud
will be handled. As far as we can
tell, the method of installing
fonts via configuration profiles,
facilitated by apps such as
AnyFont, should still work too.
Feature
24 AUG 2019 maclife.com