iOS on the iPad will now be iPadOS

Update: Post WWDC announcement – What’s New with iPadOS?

• Mouse Support
• Widgets on the Home Screen
• Better Multi-tasking
• Split view in-App
• New File Management System
• Folder and File Sharing
• iPads now read USB Drives/SD cards etc.
• New Safari – Desktop Class

Apple has been on a mission to make the iPad a more productive tablet since the launch of the first gen iPad Pros. Many people still don’t view tablets as being able to replace laptops, despite the power the iPads have.

The separation from iOS means a lot for the iPad line which since the beginning has been using the same software base that iPhones use: iOS. It means the idea that a tablet can replace your laptop is finally becoming real: that, probably, tablet apps will be making their way to the Macs in the future.

For a long time, the iPad has had exclusive apps designed for big screens. Compare that to the Android side where apps have been just stretched out phone apps. With a dedicated OS, we should expect even more for the iPad ecosystem. It will be exciting to see what Apple announces in terms of the separation between iOS, iPadOS and MacOS. What would make the three different? How would the different OS’s interact? Also, what will developers build?