I gave iPados 26 a full summer test – my decision on using it as a MacBook option

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Key takeaways of zdnet

• In iPados 26, a Mac-like windowing system, a menu bar, a real cursor and a much better files make it much better to work in addition to the app.
• There are still a couple missing features that will bring a big difference in iPados 26.
• While iPados 26 makes 26 iPad more complete device, power users should not expect to get productivity benefits using Mac.

The iPad and Mac are always supplemented equipment with some overlapping tasks – until iPados 26, which brings them very close together. Since the announcement of iPados 26 in June in June wwdc 2025, the big question is, “Does this mean that I can use my iPad to change my laptop?”

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The answer to me is “no” but this does not mean that iPados 26 is not a big step. I have been using iPados bets on a daily basis for the last two months, and I liked a lot. Let’s dig in the best new features that I think you will love your iPad when the new software arrives.

How I tested iPados 26

I tried iPados 26 on the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro, so that I could judge it as a machine with laptop-like performance and abilities (and for the configuration I used by me, a laptop-like price in $ 1,899). The model I used had a tendem OLED display with nano-texture glass, which is more than the display quality of any MacBook Pro that you can buy, at least color surgum, contrast ratio, peak brightness, response Times and Black Level.

Too: Each iPad model that supports iPados 26 (and which will not be compatible)

Do not make any mistake, this M4 iPad Pro is the best iPad ever I have used. In fact, this is the most capable tablet that I have ever used. But it does not make it a laptop killer. There are still things that an iPad is better than a laptop, and there are still things that are much better on laptops. But we will meet in a moment.

My 4 favorite features in iPados 26

1. New winding system: For a long time, Apple has brought a Mac-like winding system to the iPad, and it has been done in a powerful and elegant way. Close, minimal, and maximize three familiar green, yellow, and red dots are now present on the iPad Windows, as long as you choose Window Apps instead of a full-screen app or stage manager in your settings.

But now you can change your heart content, overlap window, and multitasks better than before. Many times, I shaped the windows without meaning, and I still do not believe what I am doing wrong that triggers. In other words, it is not yet correct, but it still works really well. Best of all, Apple made it in the underlying iPados so that this feature would come in all the iPad models released since 2020.

2. Menu bar: When you swipe from the top of the screen while in an app, the Mac-like menu bar is now visible. It highlights a lot of functions and options that you must first dig to access through the Settings menu. This is a win. As the more complex apps adopt the menu bar, it is one of the timid power user features that people are in love.

3. A true cursor: The iPad has been supporting the mouse for many years and a cursor, but the iPad version of a cursor was a round dot that mimicked your finger tip as it is a touchscreen device.

I was thrilled to see that iPados 26 replaced the dot with a triangular arrow that looks like a real mouse and feels more and is much more accurate to work with the new windoeing system and dig through the new menu bar.

4. A fully functional files app: Management of files is one of the most disappointing things on iPad for a long time. I read a lot on the iPad-it is a great reading device, and even more nano-texture tendem with OLED display that blocks the dazzling and fingers. But traditionally, it has often become difficult and a lot of steps are taken to download documents from the web to the iPad and then open them in an app for quick and easy reading.

Too: Your iPad is getting a huge upgrade for free. Features I can’t wait to use iPados 26

In iPados 26, I navigated on a website in safari and found a PDF. I swipe down to use the menu bar, clicked file. Save as, and then navigate into a folder and rescued it there. I opened the app of new files, easily located in the file, and quickly opened it in the new preview app – one of the best additions for iPados 26.

Two things are still missing in iPados 26

1. A Mac-like space system to organize a set of Windows: Once I started shaping and shaking windows on iPados, I wanted to automatically set my system using one of my favorite features on Mac: Space. It organizes you a set of Windows, apps, a browser, which is logged into your daily services, etc. and then you can make another location/desktop with a separate set of things. I often use separate spaces for work apps, personal apps, photo editing, background media player and project space, where I am working on something specific.

Too: iPados 26 is turning my ipad air into ultraopeportable laptop

And one of the best parts on Mac is that you can swipe with three fingers on your mouse touchpad and it will show all your places and you can quickly move to the person you want. In iPados 26, I regularly wanted to swipe myself with three fingers on the touchpad. While the iPad has a stammanagar that does something similar, it is not just as comfortable, sharp and flexible as a blank space. The iPad needs this.

2. Chlameshell mode: Now when iPados 26 is working more like Mac in some major ways and has the ability to connect with external monitor, one of the major Mac capabilities that will be great to import will be chlamshell mode. This is the place where you connect to an external monitor and then close Mac, effectively operate it more like a desktop because you work perfectly on the monitor when you use the outer mouse and keyboard. For example, it came to me when I was at an off-site team meeting and we needed to dial to a colleague.

I tilted my iPad on a TV in the conference room and used it to run Google Meat as I needed to do something else on my laptop. The only problem with the setup was that the iPad was to be open next to the TV, so we saw the same image on the iPad and TV at the same time, which was distracting. Clameshell mode will solve it and make the iPad even more like a growing computer.

Where does this iPad leave?

As a tool to do his day job, the iPad remains one who has always been – a light computing machine that is not able to work as a laptop. But, iPados 26 has made iPad a very capable computer that is very less disappointing to use to do more powerful tasks.

And don’t forget, there are still many things that are better than iPad a laptop. This is better for mobile connectivity when you use the underlying 5G because you rarely have to worry about Wi-Fi or hotspot. It is better to draw and take handwritten notes with an apple pencil as you cannot do those things on most laptops.

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It is better to watch most films, shows and videos because it has a better performance and has apps that often have faster and easy to draw materials. And for work, it is often better for single-scripture jobs where you need to focus and block distractions.

However, if you need heavy multitasking, use several monitor, copy-paste data between the apps, manipulate big data sets, operate complex software, or use shortcuts and scripts to automate major tasks, then you are still going to be very happy using Mac (or Linux or Windows Machine).

Nevertheless, iPados 26 iPad feels that it should always be like an unavoidable machine. And he deserves a hat tip.