There ’s this jolly odd persuasion among some parts of the Mac community that the good release of the platform ’s softwareeverwas Snow Leopard . Yes , that ’s right : 2009 ’s Mac OS X 10.6 , a release that was excellently marketed as have got “ zero raw features ” and focusing on glitch fixes and enhancements .
That assessment is , of course , open for debate , but the melodic theme has hold on enough that some people still regularly call for “ Snow Leopard ” style releases of Apple ’s current operating system of rules — even though I ’m sure there would be a general rallying cry of bloody murder if the companionship seek to release update that really did n’t have a individual new lineament .
Such an update is decidedly not what we amaze at this past hebdomad ’s Worldwide Developers Conference : the chopine update that Apple showed off are moderately brim with novel features . But run down the lean it also becomes clear that this was a bit of a search - and - ruin example for Apple ’s engineers , as they crossed off a whole metrical ton of petition and “ missing ” feature that have , in some case , been lingering for years .
Perhaps these update are more like “ fill up gaps ” releases , but in any case , there ’s a lot here that suggest Apple is n’t simply trying to count to what ’s next but to fix what ’s come before and level the acting field of operations across all its platforms .
Filling in the gaps
Case in point : though the very first iPhone ship with a Weather app , a similar program has never seem on either the iPadorthe Mac — until now . Twelve year after the release of its tab , Apple has last descend to make for Weather to the iPad and Mac , thanks in no lowly part to itsacquisition of weather condition app / servicing Dark Sky in 2020 . alike , the Mac also gained a Clock app , which had antecedently existed on iPad and iPhone , as well as Siri commands for set timers .
The Mac finally gets Weather and Clock apps .
Apple
While the addition of the apps is positive merely in terms of stimulate them at one ’s disposal , it also show that Apple is pushing hard on the idea of bringing parity to its political program . As macOS , iPadOS , and iOS grow nigher together ( not only running much of the same code , but now even running on the same implicit in computer hardware ) , Apple clearly wants to be in a position to swan out raw apps and features across all of its twist , where they make sense . ( The Mac , for example , may not get a Wallet app anytime presently . )
Parity not only maintains the experience when going from one platform to another but also arrange the table for next growing , making it easier to add subsequent enhancements across all of its various platforms — which continues to make things easier for Apple in years hence .
Checking off the boxes
Many of the features Apple sum this year were 1 that have been much requested , a fact that Apple SVP Craig Federighi even mentioned on stage . Messages , for example , got the power to mark message as unread , unsend them , and redact them . Mail get undo and schedule sends , improved search , and snoozable reminders . iCloud at last got Shared Photo Libraries . The iPad got improved multitasking via Stage Manager .
Apple click off a draw of long - running feature requests , filling hole in functionality that have often forced users to turn to third - company apps ( in cases where workable substitutes existed ) . More cynical takes on this might point to Apple try out to get out people away from alternative apps , but the simple solution is unremarkably the correct one , and in this case , it seems to be more about really removing frustrations from users of these apps — and doing it an Apple - corresponding way that moot how the feature work and what user actually want ( as match to what they oftensaythey want ) .
Not every “ missing ” feature was addressed by this year ’s updates , of course ( my desire to be capable to practice any emoji as a tapback in Messages , for example , go sadly neglected ) , but Apple did an admirable job of poise those much - requested characteristic with debuting totally raw ace .
Apple Mail for Mac gets some much - requested features .
Classing up the desktop
But nowhere is Apple ’s approach to parity more on exhibit in this year ’s WWDC announcements than when Federighi hash out bringing “ desktop - family apps ” to the iPad .
This family of apps refers primarily to apps that one interacts with via a keyboard and pointing machine , such as Apple ’s own Magic Keyboard , but more more often than not it ’s a microcosm of this whole trend : filling in gaps of thing that apps can do on the Mac , but not yet on the iPad . This includes customizable toolbars , filing cabinet menus with commonly used commands , systemwide hunt and replace , and improvements to the multiple - selection fashion .
The iPad has always sat between the Mac and the iPhone , but these improvements seem to be more about detaching it from the more constrained environment of its iOS etymon and bring into its own as a fully - fledge operating system on equation with macOS .
Of naturally , well - intentioned that such an initiative is , it ’s belied somewhat by the fact that many of Apple ’s own professional desktop apps , most notably Final Cut Pro and Logic , still have yet to make the jump to the iPad . So it look like here , as elsewhere across Apple ’s platforms , there are still a few gaps left to fill .
