I’m placing bets on two things:
-
Apple changes the Finder icon back to the classic one.
-
Federico goes back to trying to use the iPad as his only computer.
Any takers? 
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…and:
- Federico will write a post which includes the sentence “iPadOS 26 has forced me to reconsider every aspect of my iPad workflows.”
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LOL
For sure on 2 and 3!
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I’m more interested in knowing if David Sparks will be going back to an iPad after giving up some time ago not being able to make it Mac enough.
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No, I don’t believe David or Stephen will go back to the iPad as a primary computer. Frederico is another matter altogether.
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IIRC you were doing an experiment like this as well. Are you still using the iPad as your primary system?
No, I’m currently using my MacBook Pro as my primary computer and the 11-inch iPad as a complementary device. However, I would like to use the iPad as my primary computing device, or even my only computing device. Accordingly, once iPadOS 26 is released to the public, I’m going to try my experiment again, but this time for 14 rather than 30 days. I’m not optimistic that there have been enough changes to make using the iPad as my primary or exclusive computer viable, but I am going to give it another try.
A 14-day trial will not cost me anything, and because it’s summer, my schedule is a little more open, so I have a little more time for a thorough test run.
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I’m not sold. Just tried iPadOS 26 beta on my 12.9" iPad Pro.
For my workflow, superficial new look, but pushing around windows doesn’t really help me do things I need my laptop for.
Details:
Haven’t used my iPad for much in the past few years, so loaded up the beta and tried to do real work on the couch instead of just going to my desk.
My workflow of the day - using ChatGPT macOS app for an in-depth long research session and then cut/paste the results into rtf text file in DevonThink.
Loaded iOS ChatGPT app onto iPad, fired up DevonThink on iOS (aka “Devonthink to Go”) and let in sync in foreground since haven’t used it on iPad for a long time.
I could not cut and paste preserving the nice formatting (bold, numbered lists, etc.) that ChatGPT generates.
Best I could was finally get it into DTTG with super tiny font size and lost much of the formatting.
No matter what settings I adjusted in DTTG, and trying multiple methods to copy the text, both using ChatGPT and using backdoor “grab the text” type workarounds, gave up after 35 minutes.
Went to my desk, copy/pasted from ChatGPT on macOS (all my session logs were already synched) and pasted into DevonThink macOS in under 2 minutes.
Disclaimer:
I know a lot of things at work here (fair-to-intermediate, but not expert DT user, rusty iPad user, not mainstream workflow, using rtf document files) but to paraphrase Steve Jobs
“If I can’t get something done, it really doesn’t matter why”
Bottom line: For my workflow, the iPad was a total PITA, and the new windowing really didn’t matter.
Even running the apps full screen, I had the same limitations, adjustable windows didn’t help (or hurt) at all.
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If one is a heavy DEVONthink user, I agree—the iPad introduces friction, frustration, and significant inefficiency. DEVONthink To Go 3 (I’m holding out hope for version 4) is really designed as a companion app—for quick capture and reference, not for deep work. I experience the same limitation with Scrivener: it’s excellent on the Mac but only passable on the iPad. DEVONtechnologies is working on a new version, and I understand that Scrivener is developing a new mobile app as well. If both companies deliver more capable iPad versions, doing heavier lifting on the iPad may become more viable. iPadOS 26 will help, but the real progress will come when app developers close the gap between iPad and desktop functionality.
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Not taking those bets! 
I really wish they would put Time Machine on iPadOS and let us do full backups to an external SSD. This peace of mind would allow me to go bit on my iPad storage, download all photos and files, and backup my life to an external.
Until then, iPad remains my 95%-of-the-time computer.
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Agreed. I have DTTG on my iPhone and I use it for a quick reference/lookup.
This works really well as I keep my database inside DT on the Mac, not indexed to external files, so I view DTTG on iPhone as a way to easily encapsulate all my data and have it available on the iPhone without the pain of iOS files app (or even the newer Finder-light version in iPad OS 26).
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That’s so funny! It’s like he’s in the room.
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IMHO, the “Jump the shark” moment for Federico is when he publishes a blog or article with the lead:
"This article was 100% researched, outlined, written, edited, and published using Apple AI running locally on my iPad without any human intervention.
Arrivederci! See ya in a few years, going to the beach…"
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You forgot to include something about shortcuts.
I tried for so many years to go iPad all in only. Waiting to see how iOS 26 will adjust, but it probably won’t.
My iPad usage
- presenting at a meeting/taking notes
- writing in Obsidian (after all research is said and done)
- entertainment device
Any real powerlifting is done at my mac, maybe the iPad could do those things…but it’s cumbersome. (using Craft or Notion easier and more fluid)
Oh, I’m sure the whole process gets kicked-off by a manual or automatically invoked shortcut.
Thanks!
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I wonder if obsidian will be able to sync in the background, with the coming changes. That was one thing that always put me off using it.
The Finder flip has to be a mistake that bizarrely wasn’t caught pre WWDC. If it ships like this it underlines just how far things have gone under Alan Dye.
I like the liquid glass design. Apple’s forte, strength, and defining feature has always been beautiful design.
The changes to the iPad will make it possible for more people to use an iPad as their only computer (like my wife already does), but many of us will still use the Mac as our primary ‘work’ computer becasue there are things you can do on a Mac (like Keyboard Maestro, Alfred, etc.) you can’t do on an iPad. That said, I use my iPad extensively during the day and evening.
MacOS will continue to be great for what it was designed for, and the iPad will be great at the functions it was designed for.
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As I said elsewhere, I’m going to try a two-week experiment with iPad only again once iPadOS 26 is released. In my perfect world, I would purchase a Mac mini and a Studio display to supplement the use of the iPad.