Recently, I’ve been using my old Mac more and more, even thought I’ve long preferred using an iPad for both work (writing) and play (making music, and all the other dumb stuff you do on a computer when you’re goofing off).

And It’s gotten me thinking. Why do I prefer the Mac for some tasks? And I mean, strongly prefer. I’m so used to using both iOS and macOS that it’s not a questions of familiarity. Nor is it that I’m trying to squeeze the Mac way of doing things into the iPad, and vice versa — a common problem for new switchers.

No, my preference comes down to two small yet fundamental differences between the iPad and the Mac. These two features are present on the Mac, and will probably never make it to the iPad. What are they?

Some of the most creative iPhone home screen designs we’ve ever seen use blank gaps to separate icons into groups or to create interesting stepped patterns. But how is that even possible? After all, if you delete a home screen icon, the others close ranks to fill in the space.

The answer is to add blank icons to create those gaps. Then, you can add a blank row to organize your iPhone home screen, or move all your apps the the bottom of the screen instead of the top.

Most people are animals. They drop files onto their Mac desktops the way teenagers drop junk food and candy wrappers in the street, littering the place up until you can’t find anything. I’m not gong to try to cure you of that habit. That was your parents’ job, and they already failed. But I can show you a few quick ways to access your shameful desktop when you decide you can face it.

Fall has finally arrived, but the Cult of Mac Store is staying warm with a fresh shipment of hot new deals. This week, we’ve got a comprehensive bundle of iOS 11 courses that’s yours for whatever you want to pay. Plus, we’ve got a 1080p snaking camera, a tool for streamlined file sharing, and an app for clearing gigs of space on your Mac. Everything is top shelf and hugely discounted. Read on for more details:

Developers received an all-new beta build of iOS 11 today, just two weeks after Apple seeded the previous one.

iOS 11 beta 4 brings a host of bug fixes and performance improvements, plus a few key changes that make Apple’s mobile operating system even better. New beta builds are also available for macOS High Sierra, tvOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.

If you want the fastest possible web browsing experience on Mac, don’t sway from Safari.

Apple promises that Safari 11, which will debut in macOS High Sierra this fall, is “the world’s fastest desktop browser.” And tests show that it does not disappoint.

When Apple unveiled the new iMac Pro at WWDC this week, not only was it the most powerful Mac ever made, it was also one of the most pricey ever.

At $5,000 for the baseline model, the iMac Pro is aimed at the most professional of Pro users, but according to a new price analysis on competing super-powered PC, the iMac Pro might actually be a killer deal.

Game streaming platform Twitch today unveiled its new desktop app for Windows and Mac.

It will offer all the features you expect from the service, including voice and video calling, and you’ll be able to get your hands on the beta later this month.

Google Chrome is already the best third-party web browser on iOS, and with every update, it gets even better. The next will bring a Safari-like Reading List feature that lets you save web pages for later.

After Apple brings an OLED touch pad to the MacBook Pro later this year, the feature is likely to make its way to other notebooks — and maybe even the Magic Keyboard. This awesome new concept video imagines what that might look like.