Comprehensive list of features for the upcoming iPadOS. A lot of features here that weren’t given a lot of discussion (or any), including:
Location-based and when a folder changes are two triggers I most want to see.
I also hope built-in means Shortcuts will open faster, or not need to visibly open, for a shortcut icon to run.
and mouse support!
So far, all the OS updates announced are excellent, and I think iPadOS is the most intriguing. External drives. Multiple spaces. Widgets. Shortcut improvements. Etc. etc. This is the first time I’ve thought “well, maybe now it’s time to go iPad only”. And, the first time I decided to join the Apple OS beta program.
Totally not a Surface 
I don’t see mouse support listed under accessibility (or elsewhere on the page). Perhaps they haven’t gone public yet. Saw it on Twitter, must be real.
From the screenshot, it looks like the icons must bubble up and to the left. Apparently it’s that way because that’s the way it is.
Apple has made clear over the years that they disagreed with Android’s idea of widgets on phones, presumably (I don’t know if they’ve ever discussed it) because of the space taken up. But I’m loving the idea of widgets on the bigger screens iPads, though:
That’s some of them!
I’m disappointed that it will be part of the OS because now it will only get updated once a year, at most.
I assume they had to do it for some reason, but it’s disappointing.
I’m guessing it has to do with Automations. At any rate, people on the Shortcuts team seem really pumped about this move, and they want to see what users make of it now that it’s integrated:
https://twitter.com/kelan/status/1135685226032640000
EDIT: And A.I.:
And speed is apparently greatly increased as well:
Perhaps a stupid question at this point in time but do “we” know if:
external USB drives is USB-C only, or will there be a lightning-USB-A adaptor (asking since I have an 10.5" iPad Pro)
And will it only support thumb drives, or will external hard drives be supported - and will they need external power input?
I’m not sure this is true. At least it can get updated with every OS update, but I was already finding last year that OS updates were breaking things so I think it’s probably for the best that they’re locked together now.
Yes, that was a dumb thing for me to say, I was not thinking about point-updates. Obviously that is a much better future than what I was fearing.
I’m thrilled they’re adding automations, and the NFC Stickers thing.
Sorry Launch Center Pro, I’ve already cancelled my subscription which I haven’t really even used since I started it in December, mostly because I can’t find any real use to NFC stickers, even though I have a bunch of them. Maybe they’ll work better now? But I’m still not sure how I’d use them, personally.
Nice - that finally makes it possible - along with the server connection in the Files app - to have desktop file management 
There are MFI-certified Lightning to USB-A cables out there. I am not sure, if Apple has something like that, though.
https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/1135731436613459969
If even a Drobo can be connected, any USB-connected storage device will work. If or if not an external power supply is needed depends on the needs of the external device. A 2.5 inch USB hard drive might run without being connected to an external power supply. A 3.5 inch hard drive probably will need an external power supply. I have no idea how much power is provided over the lightning port to a USB-connected device, though.
I think you’re right - I know it’s been a hassle for me after going all iOS (now iPadOS+iOS) to maintain my Time Capsule which I now use as a local file server - I’ve been juggling between the Files app, & apps FileBrowser & Remote Files for something as simple as file transfers for backup purposes
Nice - I can’t wait to try this
Does anyone know if all these features will be available on the iPad Air as well as the pros?
Some of the new features, like the additions to files, are already available using third party apps and run on all iPads, so I expect Apple to make many of them available to the last few versions of iPad.
I’m not as confident they will offer external storage via a lightning port. We might have to continue to use third party solutions for that.
Apple really wants to sell services so keeping older devices functional would seem to be in their best interest.
