Stage Manager, an upcoming feature that will be included with macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16, is great for iPads, but Spaces is better on Mac.
Stage Manager, a set of never-before-seen features making its way to iPads and Mac as part of upcoming iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura software updates, works great on iPad, but falls short when compared to Spaces and Mission Control on Mac. This feature solidifies the iPad’s position as a viable computing alternative. It’s not a replacement for a traditional computer as many would think, but rather a new way to accomplish the same tasks one would typically do on a laptop. Stage Manager brings true multi-window support to M1 iPads, provided they have a keyboard and pointer attached, as well as full external display support. When these peripherals are connected, the iPad is pretty close to a MacBook, but it’s not the same experience.
Even when a mouse and keyboard are attached to a compatible iPad, the two devices aren’t primary input devices to the tablet lineup. Regardless of the input devices connected, the primary method of interaction for iPad will always be touch. This is reflected in the software, even when a mouse, keyboard or trackpad is connected. iPadOS is designed first and foremost for touch input, and that shows in the development of Stage Manager. It’s simple to tap between collections of windows and switch between them intuitively, and it’s a great way to bring multi-window support to a touch-enabled device with the computing power of a traditional computer. .
By comparison, the Mac is strictly a device controlled by specific peripherals, such as a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. The closest thing to touch input on a Mac is SideCar, an iPadOS feature that lets the iPad act as an external display for a macOS device. Thanks to SideCar, the Mac – with the use of an Apple Pencil – can be controlled by a touchscreen. But after using SideCar on an iPad for a while, the flaws of using the Apple Pencil on a computer that require precise pointer control will become apparent. Since software intended for the Mac cannot be easily operated via iPad touch input, can software intended for the iPad – namely Stage Manager – be easily operated with precise pointer input?
The controller is bulky and less efficient
The answer is, of course, yes. It’s simple to use Stage Manager on macOS because having more precise pointer input than expected can’t hurt the user experience. However, for advanced users who already know how to quickly manage multiple windows on macOS, using Stage Manager will be considerably less efficient than existing window management options. Namely, the duality of Mission Control and Spaces on Mac provides an excellent experience when quickly switching between multiple windows, apps, and desktop spaces. They’re both triggered using gestures designed specifically for the Mac’s input devices – the Magic Mouse and the Magic Trackpad – and don’t suffer the consequences of developing a feature that’s compatible with two very different devices.
Mission Control is activated with a three-finger upward swipe on the Mac’s trackpad or a Magic Mouse, and will open a window management solution that displays any open app or window. Users can click on a given window to bring it to the front of the screen or rearrange the windows as they see fit. At the top of the Mission Control view, the Spaces UI is visible. Hovering over the Spaces section of Mission Control will show the desktop spaces that have been created and any applications in full screen. Users can drag apps to various desktop spaces and create new ones as well. After creating spaces, a three-finger swipe left or right is enough to swap desktop spaces, each tailored to the user’s preferences.
This essentially achieves the same goal as Stage Manager without the invasive window management sidebar or cumbersome controls. Creating spaces in Mission Control takes minutes, and swipes to activate Mission Control or switch spaces take seconds. When it’s time to focus on a singular task, everything that happens inside Mission Control or another space is invisible. Then, when it comes to managing an element in Mission Control or another Space, a simple gesture is enough to bring everything to the fore. It’s a quick and easy way to manage windows that’s been around for over a decade, and there’s a reason the staple has stuck through so many Mac software updates.
Source: Apple 1, 2
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