The iPad tablet is now like a laptop

For several years now, Apple has been trying to convince the whole world of its claim that the iPad is capable of replacing a laptop, and the new OS should make it even more official.

Well, let's see what the iPadOS 16 has brought and how much it has to do with laptops.

If we ask Apple - they have a lot in common, of course!

The new iPadOS 16 is the gap between iOS 16 and macOS Ventura operating systems and is designed to bring together all the best features of the three OSes in one place, with the desire for multitasking (finally) to be like a laptop.

That's why the iPad OS brings significant Passkeys improvements to the Safari web browser, a redesigned Home app, a new Weather app with live animations and real-time displays, as well as numerous other enhancements.

Multitasking has received significant improvements, but only if you use an iPad with an M1 chip, so the Stage Manager announced for macOS Ventura also comes on iPadOS 16, which means that applications can be displayed as floating windows, which can overlap or fit on the same screen according to some layout that the user-designed. 

The iPad with the M1 chip now also supports external screens with a resolution of up to 6K and displays up to eight of any applications simultaneously on the screen.

Messages application fits in with collaborative applications, ie. with applications that can be run by multiple people at once, so changes will be shown not only in real-time through messages in Messages applications and people who are not currently in the document being worked on, and for this Apple Files applications are currently supported, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders and the mentioned Safari, while developers will have access to the Apple API, which will allow them to add this option to their applications.

The new Freeform whiteboard, which lets you share text messages, PDFs, links, and draw and write over images with Apple Pencil, makes it easy to share quick thoughts, which are as simple as writing on a meeting board.

The ability to change the extension of any file in the tablet's memory has moved into the system capabilities, and now it is possible to read the size of the folder and its contents without opening it. 

If you use the M1 iPad, the new OS also offers a Display Zoom option, which increases the resolution of the enlarged part of the screen, to make its content easier to read or view.

The Apple Mail app for the iPad, now, like the iOS 16 Messages app, has now been given the option to cancel a sent email. the message, as well as to schedule the sending of e-mails in the given time. If you use Mail in a supported language, you will be able to correct typos on the fly, as well as use synonyms, if Mail notices that you repeat some words often.

Safari also supports the access keys mentioned at the beginning - PassKeys - which Apple announces as "an easier and more secure login method designed to replace passwords on the web and in applications ." These are unique digital keys stored on the iPad and specific to the sites you create them for. 

Since they are never stored on a server, they cannot be stolen. You can log in to websites or apps with a password by scanning the QR code with your iPad and then using Face ID or Touch ID for authentication (say, or some other key combination).

There's Reference Mode, Apple's color accuracy reference mode that allows the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to " meet color requirements in workflows such as review and approval, color grading, and composing ." in prepress jobs that require top precision and calibration.

And finally, it remains to say that the iPadOS 16 will be available for iPad (5th generation and newer), iPad mini (5th generation and newer), iPad Air (3rd generation and newer) and more for all iPad Pro pills.