iPad User Magazine - UK (2019-09)

A

pple has been trying to turn

the iPad into a computer for

serious work ever since the

launch of the first iPad Pro.

It has been hindered though by decisions

it took early on with iOS, like the lack of a

‘proper’ file system and the inability to

connect external storage.

iPadOS doesn’t fix all those problems

but it is a big step in that direction, and

represents the biggest change to the

software on which Apple’s tablet ru ns

since we first saw the iPad in 2010.

The most obvious difference is the

new Home screen. Whereas in iOS 12 and

earlier, it was just a bigger version of the

iPhone Home screen, it now, at last,

makes good use of the additional sc reen

space. Whereas in iOS 12, the iPad

displays the same four columns of icons

in portrait mode as the iPhone, and only

one more in landscape, in iOS 13 it

displays six columns in both portrait and

landscape. However, the biggest change

is the addition of the Today widget. Swipe

from the left in landscape mode and it

slides into the left side of the screen,

squeezing the six columns of icons.

Multi-tasking has been improved too.

Points of view

Split View can now display two instances

of the same app (in apps that support it),

as well as different apps. And Slide Over

can host multiple apps in the Slide Over

Window; you can cycle through them by

swiping or see a stack of all of them. Tap

an app’s icon in the Dock and you’ll see all

the spaces open within that app.

Apple Pencil features have also been

enhanced. Latency has been reduced and

there’s a new tool palette, along with new

tools including a pixel eraser and a ruler

for drawing straight lines. And you can

now take a screenshot with Apple Pencil

by dragging up from one of the bottom

corners. Talking of screenshots, when

you take a shot of a webpage, iPadOS can

grab the whole page (not just the visible

section) and save it as a PDF. And you can

use a bunch of new markup tools to mark

it up before saving it to Files.

If you have an Apple Pencil and use

a Mac, you’ll love Sidecar in iPadOS and

macOS – it enables you to use the iPad

as a second screen on the Mac, or as a

drawing slate with apps on the Mac.

Devices compatible with iPadOS >

12.9-inch iPad Pro 11-inch iPad Pro 10.5-inch iPad Pro 9.7-inch iPad Pro iPad

(6th generation)

iPad mini iPad mini 4

(5th generation)

12 9 i h iP d P 1111 ihiPdP iPad

(5th generation)

iPad mini 4

n)

The new Home screen fits in more

columns of icons, plus a swipeable

Today widget that can share the screen.

iOS Guide to iPadOS

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A

pplehasbeentryingto

theiPadintoa compu

seriousworkeversinc

launchof thefirstiPad

It hasbeenhinderedthoughbydec

it tookearlyonwithiOS,likethelac

‘proper’filesystemandtheinability

connectexternalstorage.

iPadOSdoesn’tfixallthoseprob

butit is a bigstepin thatdirection,a

representsthebiggestchangetoth

softwareonwhichApple’stabletru

sincewefirstsawtheiPadin 2010.

Themostobviousdifferenceis t

newHomescreen.Whereasin iOS 1

earlier,it wasjusta biggerversiono

iPhoneHomescreen,it now,atlast,

makesgooduseoftheadditionalsc

space.Whereasin iOS12,theiPad

displaysthesamefourcolumnsoficons

in portraitmodeastheiPhone,andonly

onemorein landscape,in iOS 13 it

displayssixcolumnsin bothportraitand

landscape.However,thebiggestchange

is theadditionoftheTodaywidget.Swipe

fromtheleftin landscapemodeandit

slidesintotheleftsideofthescreen,

squeezingthesixcolumnsoficons.

Multi-taskinghasbeenimprovedtoo.

Points of view

SplitViewcannowdisplaytwoinstances

ofthesameapp(inappsthatsupportit),

aswellasdifferentapps.AndSlideOver

can host multiple apps in the Slide Over

Window; you can cycle through them by

swiping or see a stack of all of them. Tap

an app’s icon in the Dock and you’ll see all

the spaces open within that app.

Apple Pencil features have also been

enhanced. Latency has been reduced and

there’s a new tool palette, along with new

tools including a pixel eraser and a ruler

for drawing straight lines. And you can

now take a screenshot with Apple Pencil

by dragging up from one of the bottom

corners. Talking of screenshots, when

you take a shot of a webpage, iPadOS can

grab the whole page (not just the visible

section) and save it as a PDF. And you can

use a bunch of new markup tools to mark

it up before saving it to Files.

If you have an Apple Pencil and use

a Mac, you’ll love Sidecar in iPadOS and

macOS – it enables you to use the iPad

as a second screen on the Mac, or as a

drawing slate with apps on the Mac.

Devices compatible with iPadOS >

inchiPadPro 10.5-inch iPad Pro 9.7-inch iPad Pro iPad

(6th generation)

iPad mini

(5th generatio

12 9 i h iP d P 11 i iPP iPad

(5th generation)

iPad mini 4

n)

The new Home screen fits in more

columns of icons, plus a swipeable

Today widget that can share the screen.

iOS Guide to iPadOS

oturn

terfor

cethe

dPro.

isions

k ofa

y to

blems

and

he

ns

he

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