Apple today released the first public beta of iOS 11 to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to download and test the update ahead of its fall release. iOS 11 has been available for developers since June 5, and the first public beta corresponds with the second developer beta.
iOS 11 is a huge step forward for iPads as a general purpose computing device, but there are still steps to be taken – changing default applications is a big one, as is mouse support so you don’t have to touch the screen for every little thing you need to do. And, of course: Xcode for iOS, which seems like an inevitability at this point.
Somewhere halfway between the Surface Pro and the iPad Pro lies the ideal mobile computer. Apple made a huge stride towards that perfect middle ground with iOS 11.
Update: The Verge has a good overview of what’s new in iOS .
My technical part got exited for the first time in a long time by this Apple release. However my iPad 2 cannot run this and it isn’t enough progress to get me back into the Apple eco-system. Currently iPads are in limbo, the “regular” iPads offer nothing new compared to the ancient iPads for pure consumption use. And the “Pro” iPads are far more overkill for pure consumption use and nowhere close to good enough for multitasking productivity work. So who are they targetting with these devices at the moment?
Maybe it’s just me, but the new non-pro iPad seems to me like a huge upgrade from the iPad 2…
The “new non-pro iPad” is a huge upgrade from the iPad 2 … but only in specs, not in things you can do with it. Both are just consumption devices and I wouldn’t benefit from spending the 400-500 Euro.
For pure consumption every tablet, including my ancient iPad 2, is good enough
For productivity no tablet, including the “newest iPad Pro with future iOS 11”, is good enough.
Tablets are too expensive to replace and they haven’t improved in an impactful way.
50% of my consumption is on my phone
40% is on my laptop
10% is on my ancient iPad2
90% of my production and work is on my laptop
10% of my production and work is on my phone
A full windowing system would be very useful too. Especially with mouse support
Still flat and ugly as shite?
I can’t help but think Apple is intentionally keeping the iPad as a companion to the desktop (though they aren’t marketing it that way correctly, my guess is due to the marketing team being on a different page from the products team – I miss Steve Jobs).
I wonder whether they’ll ever really add desktop like features such as a mouse or full windowing system. If it’s a companion – basically a thing you add to your workstation to draw on, or to take notes with at meetings, before you go back to work at your traditional system – or a media consumption device, or kiosk-ish tool – why would they add desktop things?
Also, why would they want iPads to compete with laptops for sales?
some really bad changes to ios here. I hate switching between/closing apps in ios 11, unbelievably clunky. At least we are getting closer to the end of the Cook era.