This is the first in what will likely be a series of writings I’ve been thinking about doing for some time. I come across a lot of what I’m calling “iPad Misconceptions” on Reddit and other social media. Some of these are are based on outdated information, and some are just flat out wrong. But I see them a lot and sometimes I want to address them. So here we go.

The iPad Software Model

If you’re a particularly adapt computer user, one of the first “roadblocks” you might run into with iPadOS is its different software model. A standard laptop operating system like Windows or macOS uses what I call a “File-First” model. That means that the starting point for most workflows is the filesystem or an individual file. iPadOS uses what I call an “App-First” model. Essentially all workflows start with launching an app.

File-First

With a Mac or PC, users generally have full access to the operating system’s filesystem. Virtually every application on a laptop or desktop can safely assume some level of filesystem access. Users have the freedom to access and modify any file they need to. The downside is that if you don’t or only sort of know what you’re doing, you can absolutely make a mess of things.

There have been efforts in recent years to curb some of this unfettered access in the name of “security”. Apple has attempted to enforce a similar iPadOS-sequel sandboxing model for macOS apps, with mixed results. More recent releases of macOS and some Linux distros have moved core OS and system files to an immutable volume to prevent tampering.

App-First

The App-First software model dates back to the origins of iOS. Apple CEO Steve Jobs best described Apple’s new approach to the filesystem during the WWDC 2011 keynote where he described efforts behind “getting rid of the filesystem”.

“When you try to teach somebody how to use a Mac, the easiest of all computers to use, everything is going along fine until you hit the filesystem, and then the difficulty is staggering for most people. So we’ve made it on the iOS devices to where you ever have to think about it. The app manages the presentation of its own documents.”

This approach is consistent with prior Apple apps that tried to remove the task of managing and organizing individual files. iTunes and iPhoto users manage their content in ways that ideally made more sense than going through the filesystem.

iPadOS does have the Files app as a central file repository, but participation in that shared system is optional for individual apps. Users are not guaranteed to have direct access to their every application’s files. For the average user that iPad is targeted towards, that’s one less thing to have to worry about managing. The user focuses on using whatever app it is they use to accomplish their task. Self-described “Pro Users” will likely find the App-First aspect of iPadOS maddening. They tend to prefer managing and tweaking their own files and settings, and resent that control being taken away.

Conclusion

The File-First and App-First software models have their benefits and drawbacks. The point is that iPad not being as file oriented as a laptop OS isn’t a deficiency. Its a different way of working and different isn’t inherently bad. Users get to choose which way works best for them, and it’s nice to have the choice in the market.