In iOS 10, Apple took a year off from focusing on the iPad and we were stuck with the multitasking system from iOS 9. With iOS 11, the focus shifted back, giving us a multitasking 2.0. They added the dock, solving many of the issues that come with that long list of icons. The app switcher and control center also improved, forming the base of what we have today. iOS 12 confirmed the every other year iPad pattern, where most of the effort went into the iPhone and performance, rather than revising how the iPad functioned.

While the iPad software stalled in the iOS 12 era, the hardware made it's biggest leap with the 3rd generation iPad Pro. They removed the home button, reduced the bezels, added FaceID, used magnets and inductive charging to fix the flaws of the Apple Pencil, and changed the port to USB-C. The reviews of that device all pointed towards the software though, because it truly was the most restrictive and limiting part of the device. Nearly every review mentioned some limitation, and hoped the next iOS would address their complaints. iOS 13 did just that.

iPadOS

With iOS 13 this year, the software caught up to the hardware. They even gave it it's own name - iPadOS. Finally, the iPad was out from under the shadow of the iPhone. There are too many changes included with iPadOS for me to effectively list out. They are hard to summarize and explain, especially in text. It's something you have to see and use to fully appreciate. If you're not familiar with the features, it helps to scroll down the list of them on Apple's website first.

The home screen finally grew up, allowing you to pin a list of widgets to the left side. Slide Over windows became more like an iPhone on the side of your screen. Split View improved by allowing an app to have multiple windows and ratios. Apps can be paired and split and brought in from the side however you like, as long as the app supports it.

Sidecar lets you use an iPad as a Pencil enabled Mac display. File management improved, adding access to file shares and external media like hard drives, flash drives and SD cards. Entering and editing text improved with new gestures and the option for a floating swipe enabled virtual keyboard. Safari became more like a desktop browser, preventing you from seeing the dreaded stretched out mobile sites built for phones. FaceID got faster. Apps got smaller. And perhaps my two favorite words: dark mode.

There really is an exhausting amount of improvements in iPadOS. I didn't cover all of them. Stepping back and looking at the bigger picture though, what does all this mean? Certainly, all the new features are better than what came before, even if some come with a steep learning curve. In many ways, the improvements brought the iPad more in line with what we expect from a “real” computer, the canonical laptop or desktop PC.

Cheering for flash drive access in 2019 may seem silly to some, but it’s one of the many features that show that the iPad is maturing and become something more than a nice way to scroll through Twitter on your couch. It’s still good for that too, though.