iPADOSdesktop and mobile versions. Sometimes you simply
couldn’tseekeyinterfaceelements that you’d get
on thedesktopversionofasite.
ApplehasfinallygivenusaSafaribrowsing
experience that makes it easier to take the iPad
seriously asa laptopalternativeorreplacement.
WheniPadOSdropssometimethisfall,hereare
some of thetreatsyoucanexpect.
Desktop-classbrowsing
Alltheotherchangesessentiallybuildoffthisone.
The app’s‘useragent’nowtellsawebsitethattheiPad’s
owner is using the macOS version of Safari, and so (for
the most part), you’ll see the same thing you’ll see if
youvisiteda certainwebpageona Mac.(Italsomeans
someinterfaceoptionshaveflipped:Insteadofseeing
‘Request Desktop Website’, you’ll now see ‘Request
Mobile Website’.)
Apple optimized all inputs for touch, so you should
beabletointeractwithscreenelementswithyour
fingeraseasilyasyoumightwithamouse.Youcan
even use USB or Bluetooth mice on iPads now through
an Accessibility setting called ‘Assistive Touch’, but
Apple isn’t doing much to advertise the feature.
Desktop-class browsing on the iPad eliminates
many of the core frustrations of using the iPad as
a ‘laptop’. The webinterfacesforGmail,Google
Calendar,Facebook,Squarespace,andYouTubenow
work the same way they do on a Mac, and The Verge
recentlyshowedhowGoogleDocsnowworkssowell
inSafarithatitboastsfeaturesyouwon’tevenfind
in Google’sdedicatedapp.