iPadOS 16 Beta Watch

USB-C is the future for the iPad, too

iPadOS 16 Beta Watch: Reminders’ badges finally makes sense

By Thord D. Hedengren FeaturesJuly 7, 2022

Apple released the third developer beta of iPadOS 16, which could be what the upcoming public beta will be based on. While there are fixes all-around, one thing really stood out to me, and that’s a new setting for the Reminders app. You might remember that I’m enjoying the new Today view in Reminders, but also that the way badges are being used, for due and overdue tasks, are less-intuitive than they should be.

Well, I’m pleased to report that this a thing of the past, as of the third iPadOS 16 beta.

Continue reading →

iPadOS 16 Beta Watch: Stage Manager on an iPad mini

By Thord D. Hedengren NewsJuly 6, 2022

While the Stage Manager feature, which is growing on me, won’t be available on non-M1+ iPads, you can apparently try it on other devices using Xcode’s iPadOS simulator. That’s exactly what 9to5mac did, so if you’re curious as to how Stage Manager would look on an iPad mini, head over there for some screenshots.

Apple isn’t happy with Stage Manager’s performance on non-M1 iPads, which is the official explanation as to why only iPad Pros (not counting the 2018 models) and the latest iPad Air gets Stage Manager. There’s probably something else there, too because Stage Manager definitely works best on larger screens. I’ll have more on that soon, but suffice to say, I’m not seeing any real benefit of running Stage Manager on an iPad mini, for example, even if it was snappy enough. The screen’s just too small.

Four apps for you to consider (#103)

By Thord D. Hedengren NewsJuly 6, 2022

This week, I’m doing something different with the Switch to iPad newsletter.

How are you? Me, I’m getting ready to wind down for some sort of summer break. That, to me, means I want to clear my plate a bit, so this issue will feature four apps I’ve been playing with for the last couple of weeks.

📧 Switch to iPad #103 requires a paid subscription. It’s $5/month or $50/year, and helps pay the bills for both newsletter and this very site.

iPadOS 16 Beta Watch: The new Today view in Reminders

By Thord D. Hedengren FeaturesJuly 5, 2022

New iPadOS versions usually mean that the default apps get some (sometimes much-needed) TLC. That’s the case with iPadOS 16 too, although most of the coverage has been related to Mail, which, in all fairness, is getting the most updates.

The additions to Reminders is more subtle, but much appreciated. I’m actually using Reminders for my task management, thanks to its wonderful integration with both Siri, and other apps, like Readdle’s Calendars, for example. There are plenty of trade-offs, and Reminders isn’t without its quirks, as I’ve talked about several times before, but here we are.

I’m pleased to say that Reminders are getting a little nicer in iPadOS 16.

Continue reading →

iPadOS 16 Beta Watch: Send Later in Mail

By Thord D. Hedengren FeaturesJuly 4, 2022

Mail is the default app in iPadOS 16 that’s got the most updates, and arguably also the app that’s in most dire need. I’m reluctant to talk about the snooze feature just yet. In fact, I debated whether I’d write a post about Send Later at all because I don’t think that the Mail app is particularly stable, especially not in Stage Manager. There’s something wonky going on, and since communication is important to so many things I’m doing, I’ve put in limited use.

That said, I’ve used the Send Later feature a couple of times now, and I must say, it’s worked without a hitch.

Continue reading →

iPadOS 16 Beta Watch: Stage Manager is growing on me

By Thord D. Hedengren FeaturesJuly 1, 2022

I wrote a full newsletter on Stage Manager, the new multitasking environment in iPadOS (and the upcoming macOS Ventura). You basically get windowing support, although your windows aren’t fully resizable, you’re still stuck with a couple of pre-determined sizes. Personally, I have yet to fully commit to this, the verdict’s still out, but I must say, the Stage Manager feature is growing on me.

Continue reading →

A few weeks with Readdle’s Calendars app 🗓 (#102)

By Thord D. Hedengren NewsJune 30, 2022

I’ve been spending a few weeks with Readdle’s Calendars app. That’s what Switch to iPad #102 is all about.

Everything that really needs to get done at a certain time ends up in the calendar. Time-blocking isn’t for everyone, or even everything, but to me, it’s the only thing that works when things go sideways. It’s crucial when I’ve got too much on my plate, or when life hits you with something sad.

The consensus among Apple enthusiasts is that Fantastical is the best calendar app out there. It’s great, I like it for plenty of reasons, but I also found that it performed worse than the default app with my numerous Google accounts. You might remember that I switched to the default Calendar app a while back, with the promise that I’d try some other calendar apps as well. That’s what I did, and that’s why I’m writing about Readdle’s Calendars app.

📧 Switch to iPad #102 requires a paid subscription. It’s $5/month or $50/year, and there are over 100 issues for you in the archives. Perfect summer reading, I’d say!

Let’s create the iPad Office Toolkit (#101)

By Thord D. Hedengren NewsJune 22, 2022

This issue will be a little shorter than usual, but I hope you’ll find it interesting nonetheless. You see, I’ve been wanting to dive deeper into how the iPad works for various professional use-cases. One thing most people will say is that iPadOS is fine for light office work, which sounds about right, doesn’t it? Well, I’m on a mission to try to figure this out, and see where the whole thing falls apart.

Email and documents won’t be such an issue (although I’ve got thoughts on the latter), but when it comes to spreadsheets, the iPad’s screen might not be the best option. Those are the things I’m going to explore, essentially creating an Office Toolkit, consisting of apps and services, for iPad users.

📧 Switch to iPad #101 is free for all to read. Have at it!

USB-C is the future for the iPad, too

By Thord D. Hedengren NewsJune 16, 2022

It’s been widely reported that future iPhones will have to switch to USB-C instead of Lightning, at least in Europe, due to a new European Union legislation. While this is true, and the likely outcome, it’s not only affecting iPhones. The legislation targets tablets as well, which means that the entry-level iPad needs to move from Lightning to USB-C. It’s the last iPad model on sale that isn’t using USB-C, so this shouldn’t be such a big loss for Apple. After all, USB-C is the primary connector for iPads, still.

Continue reading →
← OlderNewer →