iPados 26 is ideal for work, but these 3 things could make you miss macOS

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I used the IPad Pro M4 Like my only laptop for more than a year, and it’s an excellent productivity device. Apple iPados 26 feels Even more like a laptopBut after spending time with the beta version of the mobile operating system, there are a few things that always prevent it from becoming a real laptop replacement for everyone. Before exchanging your MacBook Air for an iPad, here are three things to keep in mind.

1. The window is always limited

A stack of six windows on an 11 -inch iPad Pro (credit: Tyler Hayes)

A functionality of iPados 26 is window modeThis allows you to stack your open applications. You can move them like an ordinary window, minimize or close them. A big change that it is, it is also quite natural and it is probably that this interface should have worked all the time.

There are two ways whose window on iPados 26 does not quite correspond to a Mac. The first is the simple reality of the size of the screen. On my 11 -inch iPad Pro, it is difficult to see more than one or two applications stacked at the same time, so the use of presentation to switch between Windows is a must. Apple is 13 inches ipadBut I suspect that most people use the 11 -inch versions.

Second, the muscular memory that sent me back to the home screen was strong. Outside the door, I canceled some of the advantages of the window by constantly getting home. I had to teach myself to go up the platform or move my cursor down the screen. Don’t forget Fill this quay With your most used applications. This will help you get the most out of the window.

The menu bar is automatically hidden on iPados 26 (credit: Tyler Hayes)

The addition of the menu bar is a huge victory for productivity. Now, instead of chasing the interface of an application, all features appear at the top of the screen. The problem is that the manpower menu automatically cache by default, so it is easy to forget it. I don’t care that it is centered rather on the left. I just want an option to see it all the time.

The good news is that if you Connect your iPad to one external monitorYou can see it automatically when an application opens; No need to hover the mouse at the top. It makes the experience much more like Mac, but how many of us use monitors? The cross fingers that a future iPados update adds the option for a persistent menu bar.

3. The preview application is not exactly the same as macOS

The Application Overview on iPados 26 shows less menu choice than the Mac version. (Credit: Tyler Hayes)

When Apple first presented iPados 26 on WWDC, the functionality that stood out the most for me was the preview application. I was delighted to see a better window, a presentation for sorting the windows, the fire buttons and the menu bar, but the preview was the most surprising.

Overview is one of these invisible applications that acts as a glue to keep all kinds of things together on the Mac. I use it all the time for random tasks and I could not be more excited to see it on the iPad. Unfortunately, the Application Application does not completely reflect the Mac on iPados.

An example is that there is no cropping option under the tools in the menu bar for the preview. If you select part of an image or a PDF, you will need to click or press the selected part to display a copy or cropping option. It’s not in the menu bar, even with an attached keyboard. The display section of the menu bar is also truncated in the iPad application.

If you are counting on the preview and hope it is the same as on a laptop, you might be disappointed. Perhaps this does not make sense for this new application to reflect the Mac version one by one, but it should be noted that it may not be the exact food tool you need.

How to try iPados 26

Apple published a public beta version From his new ones in July, you can therefore consult the iPados 26 now. But beta can be buggy, so I would recommend installing it on a spare iPad or holding the stable version. You don’t have to wait long. The apple is Hold a material event on September 9Where he will probably announce the release date of the iPados 26. Expect this during the week of September 15.