Hands on with Stage Manager

June 08, 2022

We've been waiting a long time for floating, resizable app windows on our iPads.

Stage Manager looked great in Monday's canned WWDC22 demo, but some of the initial reactions from real-world testing have been pretty negative.

The new system received a blistering critique from well-known Apple developer Steve Troughton-Smith, who's assessment is "a net negative for b1."

"I hate that it shuffles/resizes windows on me," he wrote on Twitter, among other criticisms.

But our resident iPad power user -- Ed Hardy -- gave it a shot and came to a different conclusion.

"There’s a heaping ton of potential here," he writes. "Even in this first beta, iPadOS 16 and Stage Manager change the way I use my iPad."

Check out our top post for his full hands-on rundown.

P.S.: Don't miss the demo videos in the RoomPlan post below. It's super-impressive how the latest iPhones and iPads can map a room quickly in 3D. You may have to pick up your jaw off the floor.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

One of the most-requested iPad features is here. Stage Manager in iPadOS 16 puts applications in resizable, floating windows. I’ve tested the first beta of the new system for several days now, and there’s a lot to like. And there’s plenty of frustration, too. (Some of that stems from this being an early beta.) Here’s my hands-on experience with the iPad’s new multitasking system, and why I think it’s going to change the way many of us use our tablets.

A new framework dubbed RoomPlan will allow apps to quickly create 3D floor plans of rooms using the LiDAR Scanner in recent iPhones and iPads. The Swift API will allow real estate and e-commerce apps to scan and create a room’s floor plan. This can then be used for remodeling and interior design changes. It's got some serious wow factor.

Both of Apple’s latest laptops run on the same powerful new chip. With only a $100 difference between the two, what exactly sets them apart? Does the new MacBook Pro live up to its “pro” name, or is the Air the better buy? Here’s a look at the differences between the two new Mac laptops.

The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand. The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. And right now, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store.

Forget your whisk, chef’s knife or food mixer. The iPhone should be your go-to device when it comes to preparing delicious meals in the kitchen, because it can double as a digital recipe book. And when it comes to recipe apps, trust me: The best out there is Mela.

For your reading pleasure, Apple redesigned its Books apps in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. When those operating systems hit your devices later this year, you should find the Books interface less distracting and more customizable.

Apple Original Films outraced other studios to win the rights to the movie helmed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. Notably, the resulting agreement takes a new road to theatrical and streaming distribution.

Bluetooth headphones are nearly ubiquitous, and an upcoming feature allows computers or phones to stream music to not just one Bluetooth receiver but all of them in the area. While one goal of Auracast broadcast audio is to let people share their music with groups, it also has more practical uses.

Tweet o' the day

One more thing ...

"My job is to work with sort of the top 100 people, that's what I do. That doesn't mean they're all vice presidents. Some of them are just key individual contributors. So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, argue with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know -- just explore things." -- Steve Jobs

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