While some of us like to keep our iPads all to ourselves, the device often finds itself utilized as a shared entity within a household. As such, there has been great pressure from consumers to offer some variation of multi-user support – allowing individuals to personalize their own iPad profile with custom wallpapers, alerts, mailboxes and preferences.
The iPad is commonly referred to as a "Post-PC" device by Apple, and of all the functions it has hijacked from the family computer such as browsing, creating documents and catching up on social networks, many see the ability to add separate profiles as the natural progression.
It’s been well documented just how much of an influence iOS will be having on OS X Mountain Lion, and it seems the fruit company is considering bringing another desktop-based feature onto its mobile ecosystem. A leaked memo by Apple sent to a developer confirms Tim Cook’s company is at least toying with the notion, which would inarguably be a big step forward for those sharing an iPad with family members or friends.
The jailbreakers have tried to offer a similar option for those looking to dissect iOS, notably with the tweak iUsers, but as we always say, it’s much better, (and more often than not, a great deal smoother), if it ships as stock, and although users are still coming to terms with the delightful batch of hardware upgrades within the very latest Apple tablet, there’s always room for improvement.
The scoop trickles through via AppleInsider, which also reports that Apple has been working on multi-user support since way back in 2010 – the very year the original iPad landed. As opposed to just being a simple list of users requiring passwords or codes, it could also utilize user recognition via the iPad’s front-facing camera, and although such technology hasn’t really worked out so far, it would add to the seamlessness of the iOS experience if perfected.
As somebody who spends much time blogging, having a PC or Mac is an absolute necessity, but unless I’m writing articles, everything else – YouTubing, researching, learning, reading, gaming – is all done on my iPad, so it’s of little surprise the Cupertino’s tablet is taking center stage in many homes and households across the world.
I think it’s more a case of "when" than "if" with regards to this feature being rolled out, and although we’ve little idea with regards to how developed the feature is, Apple will probably be looking to release it via a software update as soon as possible.
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