A new report today claims that Apple will offer Microsoft Surface-like multitasking for the iPad as a feature of its upcoming iOS 8 mobile operating system.
iOS 8 is likely to supercharge the functionality of Apple’s iPad with a new split-screen multitasking feature, according to sources with knowledge of the enhancement in development. These people say that the feature will allow iPad users to run and interact with two iPad applications at once. Up until now, each iPad application either developed by Apple or available on the App Store is only usable individually in a full-screen view.
If split-screen multitasking for the iPad is indeed a part of iOS 8, it will likely operate similar to the Microsoft Surface’s popular “snap” multitasking feature that allows users to display multiple apps on the screen.
9to5Mac’s sources also say the feature will allow apps to better interact. For example, a user may be able to drag content, such as text, video, or images, from one app to another. Apple is said to be developing support for developers to design apps to interact with one another.
The split-screen multitasking feature has been lusted after by many iPad users for quite awhile now. The feature is said to be designed with the 9.7-inch iPad screen in mind, and it is unknown if the feature will work on the smaller screen of the iPad mini. The feature also reportedly works only in landscape mode. News of this possible feature will surely add fuel to the larger-screened “iPad Pro” fire.
iOS 8 is expected to be introduced alongside OS X 10.10 at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
(iOS 8 iPad multitasking mockup created by Michael Steeber.)
