Passionategeekz June 19th news, recently, we focused on iPad MacStories editor Federico Vitici, interviewed Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, with Apple, and the two delved into new changes to iPad and iPadOS that will be released this fall.
Federichi said the development of the iPad’s multitasking feature is a continuous task for years and requires continuous trial, noting: “Find out what kind of multitasking experience is appropriate for this device and how to make it unique in every way, I think it’s worth exploring.” Federichi revealed that he “uses the iPad every day, and is always there.”
Apple has been working to ensure that users don’t have to worry about application management issues, which led to the initial launch of Slide Over and Split View multitasking features, but these features have limitations. Federichi stressed that ensuring the simplicity and interactivity of the iPad is always a “first task,” noting that “a touch-first experience is the ‘unnegotiable’ part of the whole process.”
When Stage Manager emerged as the next major multitasking change for iPad in 2022, Federici said that the iPad and its operating system were mature and developers also clearly realized that iPads are different devices from Macs, so Apple “feels more flexibility” to add multitasking options for those who need it.
Apple has long been cautious about adding Mac-like multitasking features to the iPad, seemingly worried that it will limit developers’ innovation on iPad. Federichi noted that if the iPad had a menu bar from the beginning, developers might hide features in the menu bar, and Apple wants to encourage a cleaner experience. He explained: “If the iPad had a menu bar from the beginning, like a Mac, the app developers would naturally say, ‘I think a lot of my features might only be accessible through the menu bar, right?’ These features provide a set of constraints that developers have to develop under these conditions to a certain extent and determine the nature of the product being developed. And for the iPad, by creating a simplicity-centric environment, this means that many developers in the entire application ecosystem have done amazing design work to keep this simplicity-based experience.”
Passionategeekz noted that Federichi also mentioned that Apple spent a long time understanding how people use iPads, and the decision to update the multitasking feature of iPad in iPadOS 26 was to meet the needs of different iPad users. Some users want a similar iPhone simple interface, completely immersed in one window; while other iPad users want more control and functionality outside the tablet interface. “We finally recognize the existence of this user base. I think it’s very important that we’re always looking for the right interface for the iPad with our users and seeing it as a journey,” Federichi said.
He also pointed out that for a new device and different types of users,Apple needs to resist the urge to “take old things off the shelves and put them here because maybe it feels right”. Instead, it is important to discover the “essence” of the iPad and what windowing on a touch-first device might look like if the Mac never existed. Apple is currently trying to find a balance point.
Federichi also explained why Apple has long resisted the merger of iPadOS and macOS. He used the metaphor of “spork” to illustrate the reason: Apple’s goal is not to replace Macs, each device has a different purpose, and he said: “If the spoon is good and the fork is good, then should we combine them into one dish? It turns out,This is neither a good spoon nor a good fork. This is a bad idea. Therefore, we don’t want to make ‘fork spoon’. ”
Federichi further pointed out that while iPads can get “inspiration” from the Mac’s elements, he does not think that iPads should run macOS.
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