While I love several of the new features in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, the ability to use external storage is one I keep coming back to. It opens up lots of new and interesting possibilities that will make certain tasks easier and may even change the amount of internal storage in the iPads that we buy. As such, I’ve been pushing the limits to see what works and what doesn’t.
I feel compelled to add to my post from earlier today, because the instructions in the Redmond Pie article I linked to left something to be desired. I have a feeling they didn’t try them out before they posted it, because they don’t work without some extra steps and considerations. So if you are a Windows user, have an Apple Dev Account and want to give the iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 Beta a go, here is what you need to do.
In a little less than 24 hours, Tim Cook will take the stage and Apple’s 2019 WWDC Keynote will begin. It’s usually a lengthy event that will reveal the company’s software roadmap for all of its devices and services for the next year. Considering that Apple only has a few public-facing events per year and that WWDC is the only one that touches on all Apple’s entire ecosystem, it is probably the biggest. In fact, with the iPhone having leveled out in growth, WWDC should become the unquestioned king of Apple events going forward.
I use my iPad Pro as a secondary/personal device, but there are many people who prefer to take the plunge and make it their so-called daily driver machine. More power to them. While I am not in a position to use an iPad as my primary computer at work, I know that it is capable of handling the majority of tasks for many kinds of jobs. I also know a few other who, like me, use an iPad of some kind as their primary home device.
Apple fans have been wondering if the company would ever touch this third rail of the iPad. The device started its life as a hard core touch-only tablet. However, as it morphed into a more powerful device that could take on more tasks, Apple began to slowly add new features.
Apple broke with Steve Jobs’ derogatory statements on the concept of the stylus with the addition of the Apple Pencil. Well, sort of. The Pencil isn’t the sole input method for the iPad like the styli of old, but its arrival definitely marked a shift for Apple’s tablet. It sounds like Apple is about to cross the next big iPad input divide with iOS 13.
Guilherme Rambo of 9to5Mac is at it again. He posted an article at 9to5Mac this morning that details several new features that should be coming in iOS 13. While his attributed sources are a very vague “people familiar with the development of the operating system,” he has become a reliable enough source of Apple and iOS data that anything he is reporting should be taken seriously.
Every once in a while, I come across something really interesting while browsing Kickstarter or Indiegogo. The TouchType Pro, a creative and innovative keyboard case for the current gen iPad Pros, would seem to fit that bill. However, to be completely honest, that’s not how I found it. While the TouchType Pro campaign was just released on Kickstarter, I have been aware of this product for a while now. In fact, I’ve actually been able to go hands on with a prototype for a few weeks. More on this in a bit.
You see, Salman Sajid, the developer of the TouchType Pro and its earlier crowdfunded variations, originally reached out to me back in the Summer of 2017. After reading one of my iPad keyboard case reviews, he wanted to know if I would be interested in a project he was starting to work on. If you are a regular reader here, then you know there was no way I was passing that up.
Logitech was the one third party accessory company that brought out keyboard cases for the first two generations of the iPad Pro right after release. They were also the only ones besides Apple to make use of the Smart Connector for their keyboards, rather than relying on Bluetooth.
Their Create cases for the original Pro were a bit heavy and bulky, but had great backlit keyboards. The Slim Combo cases that they released right after the 2017 iPad Pros were even better. In fact, the Slim Combo for the 12.9″ Pro is still my favorite keyboard case of all time. It was a near-perfect balance of protection, portability and utility.
I spent most of yesterday taking the new iPad Mini for a spin and watching my daughter have a blast with it. Now it’s time to focus on the new iPad Air. Where the Mini felt almost foreign because I haven’t used one for so long, the new Air still feels quite familiar. Even though I didn’t hang onto it, I tried the 10.5″ iPad Pro when it was released in 2017. I really liked it, but the 12.9″ still won out, in the end.
I got the new Mini 5 unboxed and set it up to load my backup yesterday before bed so it would be ready to roll today. When I got up this morning, it was fully restored and my first gen Apple Pencil was charged and ready.
Ever since the first iPad Pro was released, Apple’s tablet lineup have been kind of a jumbled up mess. You had models that were too close together in price and specs, like the iPad Air 2 and original iPad Pro. You had the iPad Air 2 on closeout while Apple was selling the new 9.7″ iPad Pro. The two tablets looked exactly the same and were only separated by Pencil support and a few other specs.