Without a doubt, Apple’s amazing demonstration of Universal Control at this year’s WWDC was this year’s show stopper. To move your cursor from your Mac over to your iPad and drag a file back to your Mac is amazing. But I’m starting to see an odd theory based on this demo which is catching on. People are starting to think that Universal Control is Apple’s ultimate solution for bringing monitor support to the iPad. The idea is that Apple wants to create an “integrated ecosystem”. And in their definition of an integrated ecosystem the iPad can’t stand alone. I’m skeptical of this idea and here’s why.
Universal Control Is for Mac Users
While Universal Control is an awesome looking new feature, it’s a Mac feature for Mac power users. It’s not for iPad users. A significant percentage of iPad users (especially the Pro) don’t even use Macs any more.
Universal Control solves a Mac problem. Plenty of Mac users were iPad owners who probably had their iPads sitting on their desk right next to their monitors. Apple removed the friction of moving data back and forth between their devices. The goal was to increase customer satisfaction for people who need the power and flexibility of a Mac.
But this doesn’t solve the iPad User’s request for more display real estate.
iPad Monitor Support Doesn’t Undercut an Integrated Ecosystem
The dubious idea underlying this new theory that Apple won’t ever offer monitor support for the iPad is rooted in the belief that Apple is protecting their Mac business by handicapping the iPad. Of course, the language is more along the lines of “Apple wants you to buy all of the devices to enjoy all of the benefits” but it means the same thing. Artificial protection of the Mac business.
The problem with this idea is that Apple has never shown a willingness to “protect” one product line by gimping another. Phil Schiller has said many times that each product has to fight for it’s reason to be if another product encroaches on it’s territory.
Apple is never going to protect the Mac business by saying that if you own an iPad, you need to buy a Mac to enjoy your iPad more.
Monitor Support Is About Extending your iPad
Adding monitor support to the iPad is about making the iPad more powerful. It’s about being able to see more information at once. It doesn’t preclude the idea of an integrated ecosystem. It is for iPad Pro users who have already left the Mac behind and only use their iPads.
The iPad would still be for people who have different needs than Mac users. Like me for instance. I’m a business user and not a media content creator. I don’t do a lot of copy and pasting from one app to another. I do a lot of in-depth work in one app that may require a massive amount of cpu power.
I have Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets that are huge and complex and make my work-issued Dell Laptop cry. Hitting the return button will sometimes take over a minute to crunch the results. But in new M1 iPad Pro I’m looking at processing times that are less than half the time. The only thing I’m missing from my iPad Pro is the ability to look at two different spreadsheets simultaneously or a monitor that can display more columns than my iPad.
Monitor support simply makes my iPad more useful. It doesn’t erect any walls between the iPad and Mac.
iPadOS Signals a Different Future
Often when Apple releases a feature, many will say “Ah yes, in retrospect it was obvious”. This will be the case when monitor support finally comes to the iPad.
One of the main clues foreshadowing monitor support is spinning off iPadOS. Why do this if the iPad was going to remain a big iPhone? If the current theory of the Mac being the central hub by which the iPad gains monitor support was true, Apple would have never created iPadOS.
The purpose of iPadOS is to bring a new paradigm of multi-tasking and app display management to the iPad that isn’t needed on the iPhone.
Apple brought Mouse and Trackpad functionality to the iPad. The logical next step is to bring monitor support. Any argument that could be made against bringing monitor support to the iPad, could’ve been made against bringing trackpad support to the iPad. Apple pundits predicted that the mouse would never come to the iPad because people should use a tablet as a tablet and a laptop as a laptop. But Apple brought it to the iPad anyway. Apple has already rejected the idea that an integrated ecosystem means that you can’t bring powerful tools to the iPad.
So Why the Delay?
As far as I know, I’m the first person who started to theorize that Apple was bringing the TrackPad to the iPad. Back in November of 2015 I thought that maybe Apple was going to bring it with iOS 10. They finally did it 4 years later in iOS 13.4. Part of my argument at the time was the newly released iPad Pro seemed way over-powered not to take it into that direction. I was right.
I think part of the problem is that Apple is grappling with how to display apps on a screen that is much larger than 12.9 inches. The current multi-tasking paradigm was designed for small screens, not large ones. If Apple is going to allow people to plug in 32 inch monitors, there is going to need to be a whole new multi-tasking system. One that they’re working on and isn’t ready yet.
The other issue is one that I wrote about earlier this week. Apple’s vision for the iPad is a wireless device that gives you freedom. They don’t want the iPad to be perceived as being anchored to a desk and Apple hates wires. Just look at this Apple produced commercial for the iPad. Two things are cast in a negative light. Desks and wires. Wires in particular, they’re portrayed like cockroaches. Could Apple be working on a new wireless monitor that has Universal-Control-like properties?
While Universal Control is an awesome looking new feature, it’s a Mac feature for Mac power users. It’s not for iPad users. A significant percentage of iPad users (especially the Pro) don’t even use Macs any more.
Universal Control solves a Mac problem. Plenty of Mac users were iPad owners who probably had their iPads sitting on their desk right next to their monitors. Apple removed the friction of moving data back and forth between their devices. The goal was to increase customer satisfaction for people who need the power and flexibility of a Mac.
But this doesn’t solve the iPad User’s request for more display real estate.
iPad Monitor Support Doesn’t Undercut an Integrated Ecosystem
The dubious idea underlying this new theory that Apple won’t ever offer monitor support for the iPad is rooted in the belief that Apple is protecting their Mac business by handicapping the iPad. Of course, the language is more along the lines of “Apple wants you to buy all of the devices to enjoy all of the benefits” but it means the same thing. Artificial protection of the Mac business.
The problem with this idea is that Apple has never shown a willingness to “protect” one product line by gimping another. Phil Schiller has said many times that each product has to fight for it’s reason to be if another product encroaches on it’s territory.
Apple is never going to protect the Mac business by saying that if you own an iPad, you need to buy a Mac to enjoy your iPad more.
Monitor Support Is About Extending your iPad
Adding monitor support to the iPad is about making the iPad more powerful. It’s about being able to see more information at once. It doesn’t preclude the idea of an integrated ecosystem. It is for iPad Pro users who have already left the Mac behind and only use their iPads.
The iPad would still be for people who have different needs than Mac users. Like me for instance. I’m a business user and not a media content creator. I don’t do a lot of copy and pasting from one app to another. I do a lot of in-depth work in one app that may require a massive amount of cpu power.
I have Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets that are huge and complex and make my work-issued Dell Laptop cry. Hitting the return button will sometimes take over a minute to crunch the results. But in new M1 iPad Pro I’m looking at processing times that are less than half the time. The only thing I’m missing from my iPad Pro is the ability to look at two different spreadsheets simultaneously or a monitor that can display more columns than my iPad.
Monitor support simply makes my iPad more useful. It doesn’t erect any walls between the iPad and Mac.
iPadOS Signals a Different Future
Often when Apple releases a feature, many will say “Ah yes, in retrospect it was obvious”. This will be the case when monitor support finally comes to the iPad.
One of the main clues foreshadowing monitor support is spinning off iPadOS. Why do this if the iPad was going to remain a big iPhone? If the current theory of the Mac being the central hub by which the iPad gains monitor support was true, Apple would have never created iPadOS.
The purpose of iPadOS is to bring a new paradigm of multi-tasking and app display management to the iPad that isn’t needed on the iPhone.
Apple brought Mouse and Trackpad functionality to the iPad. The logical next step is to bring monitor support. Any argument that could be made against bringing monitor support to the iPad, could’ve been made against bringing trackpad support to the iPad. Apple pundits predicted that the mouse would never come to the iPad because people should use a tablet as a tablet and a laptop as a laptop. But Apple brought it to the iPad anyway. Apple has already rejected the idea that an integrated ecosystem means that you can’t bring powerful tools to the iPad.
So Why the Delay?
As far as I know, I’m the first person who started to theorize that Apple was bringing the TrackPad to the iPad. Back in November of 2015 I thought that maybe Apple was going to bring it with iOS 10. They finally did it 4 years later in iOS 13.4. Part of my argument at the time was the newly released iPad Pro seemed way over-powered not to take it into that direction. I was right.
I think part of the problem is that Apple is grappling with how to display apps on a screen that is much larger than 12.9 inches. The current multi-tasking paradigm was designed for small screens, not large ones. If Apple is going to allow people to plug in 32 inch monitors, there is going to need to be a whole new multi-tasking system. One that they’re working on and isn’t ready yet.
The other issue is one that I wrote about earlier this week. Apple’s vision for the iPad is a wireless device that gives you freedom. They don’t want the iPad to be perceived as being anchored to a desk and Apple hates wires. Just look at this Apple produced commercial for the iPad. Two things are cast in a negative light. Desks and wires. Wires in particular, they’re portrayed like cockroaches. Could Apple be working on a new wireless monitor that has Universal-Control-like properties?
And now we're back in a similar situation. Apple produced another overpowered device that appears ready for some big feature enhancements. The same Apple pundits who said that Apple would never bring mouse support to the iPad are now saying that monitor support will never come either. Hopefully it doesn’t take 4 years to prove them wrong this time.
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