One of the biggest features announced last year at WWDC is finally live. Universal Control allows you to interact with your iPad and Mac from one Keyboard and Mouse/Trackpad. It is a simple but magical feature only Apple can do thanks to the tight integration they have between their hardware and software.
Early this year, I complained about how it had been over 6 months since the announcement, without the product shipping. Even now that it’s live, the feature is still in BETA. Which is why there are still some bugs here and there.
But that’s not to say it isn’t the perfect way to multitask between the iPad and the Mac. That’s not to say it isn’t the way to carry two displays and work from anywhere seamlessly.
Here are my favourite things about Universal Control:
- It’s seamless magic – you need no cable. You need nothing actually. Just have your devices near each other and on the same iCloud account and you’re good to go.
- Dual display setup – Both the iPad and the Mac have really good displays. And now you can use both for your work. Be it writing a script, researching, or editing while watching stuff.
- Enhanced productivity – Of course, the dual display setup enhances your productivity provided you’re one who loves dual displays.
- Eliminates need for iPad Accessories – provided you have a way of mounting your iPad next to your Mac, there’s now no need to buy crazy expensive iPad accessories. Your Mac’s keyboard and trackpad will work well on your iPad.
- Justifies the processing power iPads have – iPads are crazy powerful. And Apple has continuously been adding on to the power – even more now with M1 processors. The seamless way this feature works is justification for all that power.
Would you use the feature? Or better yet have you already used Universal Control? Also, what do you think of the tight integration Apple has between its devices?
