iPadOS 26 is making me think about dumping my MacBook Air

At WWDC25, Apple's Craig Federighi called iPadOS 26 the "biggest iPadOS release ever," and he's not exaggerating.

- BY ROMAN LOYOLA

I am a diehard Mac user, even if it means I have to lug around a big and heavy (relatively speaking) MacBook with me instead of something more portable. I've tried using an iPad, but like many people, I found that iPadOS isn't the proper environment for my productivity.

Apple may have changed that. At Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 (fave.co/4k9Nn1j), the company introduced iPadOS 26 (fave.co/4lppRP4), the next major version of the iPad operating system, and Apple's Craig Federighi called it the “biggest iPadOS release ever.” He's not exaggerating. The changes in iPadOS 26 are so drastic that if I don't switch over to an iPad completely, I'll at least make it a viable part of my workflow. The next version of iPadOS is nothing short of transformative, and even old-school Mac users like me should take notice.

iPadOS 26 has Mac-like windows, which makes it a better platform for doing multiple tasks.

İPADOS 26: A MAC-LIKE WINDOW SYSTEM

With iPadOS 26, Apple is implementing a completely new way to manage windows on the screen. The new system makes it so much easier to manage windows—the system is, in fact, Mac-like. App windows now have grab handles that you can tap and drag to resize them. You can tap and drag windows wherever you want. Windows now have the upper left corner red, yellow, and green buttons for closing, minimizing, or maximizing, respectively. When you minimize a window, iPadOS displays a genie effect of the app going to the Dock. There's even a cursor, a menu bar, and new support for Exposé (fave. co/4fWZEpo).