PC Magazine July 2017

Michael Muchmore
Dragging files onto an email to create an
attachment is cool, but you’ve been able to do that
on the Surface or any PC with a touch screen for a
while. In fact, none of the iOS 11 improvements
for iPad Pro users represent things you can’t
already do on a Windows tablet. And with those,
you can use a mouse and have lots of windows
and virtual desktops. Then there’s the issue of an
OS that uses mobile device app icons on a nearly
13-inch screen, which would be fine if you could
use a mouse to open them.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a believer that all screens
should be touch screens. I love being able to poke
the occasional OK button and swipe through
photos and adjustment sliders, even on my 23-
inch all-in-one PC screen. I disagree strongly with
Apple spokespeople who contend that touch on a
laptop is absurd and will cause your arm to fall off
after a day’s use. That said, I like having the
option to switch to a mouse. (Note that I’m not
talking about pen or pencil input here, which I
applaud on both the iPad Pro and the Surface
Pro. It’s just not something in my wheelhouse
when it comes to productivity computing.)
The iPad is an awesome device. It’s light, fast,
reliable, and offers every kind of useful and fun
app you can think of. I use one nearly every day—
as a tablet. For any kind of productive activity, I
need a real computer. And with no mouse, no
more than two Windows open, and an interface
that’s first and foremost tailored to smartphone
and tablet usage, iOS 11 doesn’t fill that bill.
michael_muchmore@pcmag.com
@mikemuch
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