The app tiling was almost the most exciting part of the new MacOS.
Microsoft are having such a hard time not being insane that apart from Gaming, I would kind of like a mac for daily use - Which is hampered by price and the fact that Apple's window management is pretty much garbage…
… but their text handling is far superior, and they often do the right thing for the wrong reason.
Like focussing on privacy so they can fire zingers at Google.
Then they haul up a five year old game that they fanwanked about a year ago, a game that runs on handhelds, and claim that it means Apple can compete as a gaming company.
You notice they didn't run Cyberpunk 2077 to show off, or one of the Jedi games.
The handwriting adjustment on iPads, and the ability to sum columns of numbers or casually work out math equations was what I liked there.
I’d actually start using Notes more if it was compensating for the shitty plastic-on-glass writing experience. I’m looking forward to seeing how it handles someone who’s entire school career was cursive via fountain pens (which on iPad means line width variation) versus someone laboriously printing with a felt tip (the pen type in use in the tech demo - not throwing shade. The demo was set up for maximum success). That “it fixes words with your own handwriting” really broke down when Goodnotes tries it.
Also, I would really like to see if I can create a list in notes, and then have it ported to for example the shopping list in Reminders.
Actually I should just try that to see if it’s currently works in iOS 17…
There's some machine learning and machine vision stuff that tentatively I like for Photos and spell check, and email sorting…
… but the update to Safari Reader Mode where it can generate a summary and content table was the part that I really want to play with. I very much want to see how Tumblr breaks it.
I use Safari’s Reader Mode a huge amount for decluttering web pages and making them friendly for reading. Paired with the reading list that saves the page offline, and the possibility of having reader mode active in Webkit, it might be really solid way to browse RSS feeds.
I’m also looking forward to Siri getting a hefty update and being able to apply itself to screen context.
This is a major accessibility thing for people with limited vision.
If you can get it to look at the screen and say to it “okay open a specific app” then ask it what the app is doing and have it give you a summary rather than it trying to literally read the screen, and then ask it to control the app for you, that’s actually really handy.
As it is being able to take a photograph of something and then say Siri, what does this say?
And then be able to follow up and say okay do something with the information – for example add calendar events , make a note that summarises the information given, add to a shopping list, add to a note and so on.