Apple's doing a similar type of move on the iPad M1 models, but super powered. Years ago, I found that DeX ended up working surprisingly well, sometimes. The whole experience reminds me, in a lot of ways, of using Samsung's DeX, which allows desktop-type computer experiences on its tablets and phones when connected to a monitor. Now I'm playing some John Williams soundtracks while writing and Slacking and playing some Catan and checking Twitter, and this basically feels like my typical screen-immersed day, but all iPad-enabled. For me it was playing Catan while also responding to emails and Slacks. It's particularly weird and fun to control apps with the keyboard and trackpad, while also doing things with the touchscreen on the iPad with an app open there. Using an iPad Air with Magic Keyboard attached, I just perched it in front of my Dell monitor and felt it become a two-screen device at last. I don't think Apple's new Stage Manager changes things much for people working directly on an iPad (see below), but wow, it opens up possibilities if you have a monitor nearby. Apps can be opened on the monitor, or on the iPad, and the mouse or trackpad cursor will just move back and forth like on a monitor-connected Mac. Plug in a monitor now, and wow, it's just like a Mac. Laying out iPad apps on a big monitor is finally useful in iPadOS 16. That's where I'm at after trying the public beta out: striving to find my iPadOS sea legs. As iPadOS drifts between iPhone and Mac, picking up more parts of each and blending them, the pieces don't always make sense. It feels like Apple is trying to evolve a new computer interface, but through tiny steps and experiments.

It's powerful, and it's also strange and still not Mac-like enough. Stage Manager, which enables these extra multitasking perks, brings a whole new layout that's also extremely alien-feeling. I could go into other iPadOS features, but I'll do that later because, really, this is the feature this year. These iPads are on the expensive side, making this a pro feature you may not even consider worth upgrading for yet. You also need an M1-equipped iPad to make these new multitasking features work, which means a current iPad Pro or iPad Air model.

Ios process monitor