Jobs clearly saw the iPad as the future of computing. It was the product he had spent his entire career working toward. His generation had dreamed of something like it for nearly 30 years. He would have been far more aggressive than post-Steve Apple has been in addressing the factors that are holding it back, such as an awkward file system and lack of a pointing device. These limitations are compounded now by higher prices. Jobs would have done whatever was necessary to have the iPad become the computing device of choice by now—both for consumption and for productivity. As it is, it is now mostly relegated to a pricey consumption device.
Wut? Most of the things holding iPad back came from Jobs. He specifically placed the iPad as an in between device. What happened though is the larger smartphone came along. But if you go back and watch his presentation what was magical about iPad was it was just this piece of glass that you manipulated with your fingers. The future of computing isn’t turning iPad into a laptop.
The iPad has grown up since then. It's time for iOS on the iPad Pro to grow up as well. That doesn't mean it should turn into macOS.
Jobs clearly saw the iPad as the future of computing. It was the product he had spent his entire career working toward. His generation had dreamed of something like it for nearly 30 years. He would have been far more aggressive than post-Steve Apple has been in addressing the factors that are holding it back, such as an awkward file system and lack of a pointing device. These limitations are compounded now by higher prices. Jobs would have done whatever was necessary to have the iPad become the computing device of choice by now—both for consumption and for productivity. As it is, it is now mostly relegated to a pricey consumption device.
Wut? Most of the things holding iPad back came from Jobs. He specifically placed the iPad as an in between device. What happened though is the larger smartphone came along. But if you go back and watch his presentation what was magical about iPad was it was just this piece of glass that you manipulated with your fingers. The future of computing isn’t turning iPad into a laptop.
That's true. It won't turn into a laptop. That would be silly.
But, for it to fulfill its potential and Apple's promise for it to become a laptop killer, they need to add and enhance its features and functions -- starting with a touchpad on it external keyboard.
The future of the iPad is not to become a laptop -- but to kill the laptop. So far though, it's hobbled by its OS restrictions.
To me all these reviews are basically truck owners reviewing a car complaining the car can’t do everything their truck can. Does Nilay Patel actually want to replace his laptop with an iPad Pro? Just because iPad Pro doesn’t meet everyone’s workflow doesn’t mean it can’t meet some people’s workflow. I get some of the frustration from people who want iPad to be their only computer (excluding their phone/smartwatch) but it seems a lot of reviewers have no interest/intention of iPad being their only computer. I’d like to see more reviews either from people who use iPad as their primary device or people reviewing it for what it is, not something else.
Well to be fair Apple are now directly comparing this car to a truck. It’s faster than 92% of them after all.
As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences?
That the USB connector is now there and what it means, what it can and cannot do?
That the underlying filesystem is not exposed and Flash drives don’t work necessarily as they do on the truck?
That you may need new headphones?
From an existing users perspective, sure, it’s easy to compare and contrast vs what has gone before but I didn’t mind Nilays review. My biggest bugbear is filesystems and default apps. Each of these is easy to work with on the truck. It’s a non-user serviceable part on the iPad.
In particular, Files, while it more or less gets the job done, is just super clunky. Not necessarily the app itself which it well done, but actually using it within apps. Is the files bit baked into the app, do I need to see it on a share sheet? Do I need to add my file provider (OneDrive, iCloud, Google drive) to the share sheet? Has this app added support for my file provider?
The default app app thing I can live with but again I need to uses that share sheet shim to get files into google mail to send.
Its stuff like that which mitigates against bein a desktop replacement and it is absolutely correct to point it out.
Despite that, I’ll be getting one because in other ways I am far more productive in my iPad than otherwise.
To me all these reviews are basically truck owners reviewing a car complaining the car can’t do everything their truck can. Does Nilay Patel actually want to replace his laptop with an iPad Pro? Just because iPad Pro doesn’t meet everyone’s workflow doesn’t mean it can’t meet some people’s workflow. I get some of the frustration from people who want iPad to be their only computer (excluding their phone/smartwatch) but it seems a lot of reviewers have no interest/intention of iPad being their only computer. I’d like to see more reviews either from people who use iPad as their primary device or people reviewing it for what it is, not something else.
Well to be fair Apple are now directly comparing this car to a truck. It’s faster than 92% of them after all.
As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences?
That the USB connector is now there and what it means, what it can and cannot do?
That the underlying filesystem is not exposed and Flash drives don’t work necessarily as they do on the truck?
That you may need new headphones?
From an existing users perspective, sure, it’s easy to compare and contrast vs what has gone before but I didn’t mind Nilays review. My biggest bugbear is filesystems and default apps. Each of these is easy to work with on the truck. It’s a non-user serviceable part on the iPad.
In particular, Files, while it more or less gets the job done, is just super clunky. Not necessarily the app itself which it well done, but actually using it within apps. Is the files bit baked into the app, do I need to see it on a share sheet? Do I need to add my file provider (OneDrive, iCloud, Google drive) to the share sheet? Has this app added support for my file provider?
The default app app thing I can live with but again I need to uses that share sheet shim to get files into google mail to send.
Its stuff like that which mitigates against bein a desktop replacement and it is absolutely correct to point it out.
Despite that, I’ll be getting one because in other ways I am far more productive in my iPad than otherwise.
Does anyone have any inkling that the software limitations will be overcome in iOS 13, or is really just a heap of hopin’/ wishin’/prayin’
I seem to have been doing a lot of that the last five years. Maybe the RDF has worn off.
it’s pretty clear from the choices Apple is making about macs they management wants to force direction towards ipads. The hardware is getting there, the software ain’t. The pro is priced like the whole is more than the sum of a laptop’s parts, even though it isn’t there yet.
we use iPads at work a lot. Mainly because I developed the use case and built the workflow around them tbh. We were buying iPad pros. Now the base iPad has pencil support, we have switched to them (with LTE) for future purchases. For me that is a victory in itself as IT, of course, want us to use Surface. For our work purposes, the extra money for an iPad pro is no longer worth it. Maybe if we were a bunch of Artistes in a loft somewhere, but no.
Point is, if Apple wants to replace laptops with iPads, they need to not be limited in functionality compared with a laptop. They need to do everything a laptop does, better than a laptop does, and more. They need to be better than a laptop at everything a laptop already does, plus be able to do more. And that isn’t just weight and battery life.
Users will render tech obsolete by finding better technology to use.
edit: here is an example of a limitation that annoyed me just yesterday. I have a short home video in the TV app. I wanted to share it using icloud sharing. Can’t do it. Can’t transfer the home video to Photos to be able to do it. Can’t transfer the home video from one app to the other in split screen. Can’t transfer the file in the Files app. Can’t load it into Dropbox. You just can’t do it. This should be simple. As simple as drag and drop between iTunes and photos on a MacBook. It is not. No doubt because Apple is more worried about commercial video being shared that way than making it easier for the User.
Maybe there is some complex work around, but the Apple way was once it could be done intuitively. Now it seems the Apple way is weighted towards controlling the User more than giving the User useability.
To me all these reviews are basically truck owners reviewing a car complaining the car can’t do everything their truck can. Does Nilay Patel actually want to replace his laptop with an iPad Pro? Just because iPad Pro doesn’t meet everyone’s workflow doesn’t mean it can’t meet some people’s workflow. I get some of the frustration from people who want iPad to be their only computer (excluding their phone/smartwatch) but it seems a lot of reviewers have no interest/intention of iPad being their only computer. I’d like to see more reviews either from people who use iPad as their primary device or people reviewing it for what it is, not something else.
Well to be fair Apple are now directly comparing this car to a truck. It’s faster than 92% of them after all.
As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences?
That the USB connector is now there and what it means, what it can and cannot do?
That the underlying filesystem is not exposed and Flash drives don’t work necessarily as they do on the truck?
That you may need new headphones?
From an existing users perspective, sure, it’s easy to compare and contrast vs what has gone before but I didn’t mind Nilays review. My biggest bugbear is filesystems and default apps. Each of these is easy to work with on the truck. It’s a non-user serviceable part on the iPad.
In particular, Files, while it more or less gets the job done, is just super clunky. Not necessarily the app itself which it well done, but actually using it within apps. Is the files bit baked into the app, do I need to see it on a share sheet? Do I need to add my file provider (OneDrive, iCloud, Google drive) to the share sheet? Has this app added support for my file provider?
The default app app thing I can live with but again I need to uses that share sheet shim to get files into google mail to send.
Its stuff like that which mitigates against bein a desktop replacement and it is absolutely correct to point it out.
Despite that, I’ll be getting one because in other ways I am far more productive in my iPad than otherwise.
"As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences? "
If you view the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, then yes. If you view it as a laptop alternative, then no. The first scenario implies users prefer the iPad Pro runs macOS. The second scenario implies that users prefer iOS over macOS. Slight but important difference.
This is just Apple limiting its iPad line via software to protect sales of its Mac laptops. I hope with iOS 13 next year they finally allow the iPad to fly! But I’m not holding my breath. I also think Apple is going to have a hard year going forward in general. The saturation of the smartphone market is finally effecting it in a significant way, and I think it will be prolonged and painful for the company this time. We’ll see...
"It's such an intimate creation process that it made me realize that Apple's not merely trying to change my or your old habits," the site elaborated. "Apple's not trying to make the iPad Pro a laptop replacement because the device isn't one. It's trying to do something bigger: invent a new way of creating for a new generation that is not bound to the old computing laws of clicking a mouse."
I have been thinking about this when they announced iPad Pro this year. Yes, the hardware is miles ahead of competitors but the price and OS limitation worried me. Okay, iPad Pro is not for everyone at that price, but if you can afford one and if you're due for a new tablet, it is one to be highly considered.
As for the iOS limitation, this is where I realised that Apple has one grandeur future and has been creating the path slowly towards that. This review confirms with what I have been thinking. People complains about no true multitasking, no mouse support, no full apps version, but that exactly Apple's vision for future computer, which is one that's not bound to the old ways: no mouse, no physical keyboard, no fiddling with toolbars and icons, no text commands, no traditional sense of multitasking or multiple windows. It should be organic, contents take precedence with all tools accessible right there on screen directly. And I think I like that new future. Time for changes.
To me all these reviews are basically truck owners reviewing a car complaining the car can’t do everything their truck can. Does Nilay Patel actually want to replace his laptop with an iPad Pro? Just because iPad Pro doesn’t meet everyone’s workflow doesn’t mean it can’t meet some people’s workflow. I get some of the frustration from people who want iPad to be their only computer (excluding their phone/smartwatch) but it seems a lot of reviewers have no interest/intention of iPad being their only computer. I’d like to see more reviews either from people who use iPad as their primary device or people reviewing it for what it is, not something else.
Well to be fair Apple are now directly comparing this car to a truck. It’s faster than 92% of them after all.
As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences?
That the USB connector is now there and what it means, what it can and cannot do?
That the underlying filesystem is not exposed and Flash drives don’t work necessarily as they do on the truck?
That you may need new headphones?
From an existing users perspective, sure, it’s easy to compare and contrast vs what has gone before but I didn’t mind Nilays review. My biggest bugbear is filesystems and default apps. Each of these is easy to work with on the truck. It’s a non-user serviceable part on the iPad.
In particular, Files, while it more or less gets the job done, is just super clunky. Not necessarily the app itself which it well done, but actually using it within apps. Is the files bit baked into the app, do I need to see it on a share sheet? Do I need to add my file provider (OneDrive, iCloud, Google drive) to the share sheet? Has this app added support for my file provider?
The default app app thing I can live with but again I need to uses that share sheet shim to get files into google mail to send.
Its stuff like that which mitigates against bein a desktop replacement and it is absolutely correct to point it out.
Despite that, I’ll be getting one because in other ways I am far more productive in my iPad than otherwise.
"As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences? "
If you view the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, then yes. If you view it as a laptop alternative, then no. The first scenario implies users prefer the iPad Pro runs macOS. The second scenario implies that users prefer iOS over macOS. Slight but important difference.
Actually, all I was saying is that from the perspective of the sell - that this thing can probably replace your PC/Mac/Linuxboxen - all of this functionality deserve scrutiny and criticism because in iOS they represent something that differs from the typical experience of the other things, the trucks. In some way it feels like officially sanctioned hacks around original design choices in iOS (talking files specifically without wishing to harp about it).
Because if joe average falls for the spin without looking into it too closely they might be disappointed that they can’t plug in a printer, for instance, or import directly to Lightroom. And that means a disappointed apple switcher. At least in some respects. There are definitely compromises with iPad but of course with the marketing they are rarely pointed out and this is why we have reviews.
It’s put really well in another post. The hardware is there. iOS has a little catching up to do.
To me all these reviews are basically truck owners reviewing a car complaining the car can’t do everything their truck can. Does Nilay Patel actually want to replace his laptop with an iPad Pro? Just because iPad Pro doesn’t meet everyone’s workflow doesn’t mean it can’t meet some people’s workflow. I get some of the frustration from people who want iPad to be their only computer (excluding their phone/smartwatch) but it seems a lot of reviewers have no interest/intention of iPad being their only computer. I’d like to see more reviews either from people who use iPad as their primary device or people reviewing it for what it is, not something else.
Well to be fair Apple are now directly comparing this car to a truck. It’s faster than 92% of them after all.
As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences?
That the USB connector is now there and what it means, what it can and cannot do?
That the underlying filesystem is not exposed and Flash drives don’t work necessarily as they do on the truck?
That you may need new headphones?
From an existing users perspective, sure, it’s easy to compare and contrast vs what has gone before but I didn’t mind Nilays review. My biggest bugbear is filesystems and default apps. Each of these is easy to work with on the truck. It’s a non-user serviceable part on the iPad.
In particular, Files, while it more or less gets the job done, is just super clunky. Not necessarily the app itself which it well done, but actually using it within apps. Is the files bit baked into the app, do I need to see it on a share sheet? Do I need to add my file provider (OneDrive, iCloud, Google drive) to the share sheet? Has this app added support for my file provider?
The default app app thing I can live with but again I need to uses that share sheet shim to get files into google mail to send.
Its stuff like that which mitigates against bein a desktop replacement and it is absolutely correct to point it out.
Despite that, I’ll be getting one because in other ways I am far more productive in my iPad than otherwise.
"As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences? "
If you view the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, then yes. If you view it as a laptop alternative, then no. The first scenario implies users prefer the iPad Pro runs macOS. The second scenario implies that users prefer iOS over macOS. Slight but important difference.
Actually, all I was saying is that from the perspective of the sell - that this thing can probably replace your PC/Mac/Linuxboxen - all of this functionality deserve scrutiny and criticism because in iOS they represent something that differs from the typical experience of the other things, the trucks. In some way it feels like officially sanctioned hacks around original design choices in iOS (talking files specifically without wishing to harp about it).
Because if joe average falls for the spin without looking into it too closely they might be disappointed that they can’t plug in a printer, for instance, or import directly to Lightroom. And that means a disappointed apple switcher. At least in some respects. There are definitely compromises with iPad but of course with the marketing they are rarely pointed out and this is why we have reviews.
It’s put really well in another post. The hardware is there. iOS has a little catching up to do.
Does anyone have any inkling that the software limitations will be overcome in iOS 13, or is really just a heap of hopin’/ wishin’/prayin’
I seem to have been doing a lot of that the last five years. Maybe the RDF has worn off.
it’s pretty clear from the choices Apple is making about macs they management wants to force direction towards ipads. The hardware is getting there, the software ain’t. The pro is priced like the whole is more than the sum of a laptop’s parts, even though it isn’t there yet.
we use iPads at work a lot. Mainly because I developed the use case and built the workflow around them tbh. We were buying iPad pros. Now the base iPad has pencil support, we have switched to them (with LTE) for future purchases. For me that is a victory in itself as IT, of course, want us to use Surface. For our work purposes, the extra money for an iPad pro is no longer worth it. Maybe if we were a bunch of Artistes in a loft somewhere, but no.
Point is, if Apple wants to replace laptops with iPads, they need to not be limited in functionality compared with a laptop. They need to do everything a laptop does, better than a laptop does, and more. They need to be better than a laptop at everything a laptop already does, plus be able to do more. And that isn’t just weight and battery life.
That’s the point but the main point of fallacy regarding iPads. Steve Jobs’ famous saying was: “computers will become trucks” not “cars will replace trucks”. There is a limit on the tasks that can be assigned to iPads, push that limit and you’ll compromise its usability. In that sense iPads will never replace laptops, as cars will never replace trucks. But as the most compromised truck, a laptop may well be replaced by more functional trucks (and to some extent, by some cars).
Edit: ... and an iPad may make the replacement of a laptop by a much more powerful desktop computer easier.
Does anyone have any inkling that the software limitations will be overcome in iOS 13, or is really just a heap of hopin’/ wishin’/prayin’
I seem to have been doing a lot of that the last five years. Maybe the RDF has worn off.
it’s pretty clear from the choices Apple is making about macs they management wants to force direction towards ipads. The hardware is getting there, the software ain’t. The pro is priced like the whole is more than the sum of a laptop’s parts, even though it isn’t there yet.
we use iPads at work a lot. Mainly because I developed the use case and built the workflow around them tbh. We were buying iPad pros. Now the base iPad has pencil support, we have switched to them (with LTE) for future purchases. For me that is a victory in itself as IT, of course, want us to use Surface. For our work purposes, the extra money for an iPad pro is no longer worth it. Maybe if we were a bunch of Artistes in a loft somewhere, but no.
Point is, if Apple wants to replace laptops with iPads, they need to not be limited in functionality compared with a laptop. They need to do everything a laptop does, better than a laptop does, and more. They need to be better than a laptop at everything a laptop already does, plus be able to do more. And that isn’t just weight and battery life.
That’s the point but the main point of fallacy regarding iPads. Steve Jobs’ famous saying was: “computers will become trucks” not “cars will replace trucks”. There is a limit on the tasks that can be assigned to iPads, push that limit and you’ll compromise its usability. In that sense iPads will never replace laptops, as cars will never replace trucks. But as the most compromised truck, a laptop may well be replaced by more functional trucks (and to some extent, by some cars).
iOS needs to become a real operating system and let you run real apps. It needs a real file system as well. For pro users, including developers, it needs a pro mode that allows users to do whatever they want to like they can on a real laptop computer even if it means accepting some risk. iOS should be able to run Xcode. It has plenty of CPU power and RAM. The only reason it can't is a software limitation imposed by iOS. You should be able to have apps that can scan and connect to a WiFi router, be able to see real MAC addresses, fully access Bluetooth without restrictions, run in the background or with the screen locked even if that means they can drain the battery. Pro users should be able to side-load apps. By all means ask for permission and use entitlements but allow the iPad to finally become a real computer. Mr. Cook, tear down this walled garden!
Get a Macbook Air. You even get a Thunderbolt 3 and the T2 chip. Why can’t you tolerate the thought that a developer’s machine may be different of a non-developer person’s device? Besides, as a primarily learning device, the iPad provides an adequate amount of coding, as seen with Swift Playgrounds and Python tools... Oh no, now you will blame Apple for not putting C++ and Java in Playgrounds !!!...
You’re on the wrong line, dude, go to the correct one.
When the developer line runs weaker Intel chips that don't run as fast as the iPad Pro, it's only logical people want the new hotness that is the iPad Pro to go into developer app spaces. Granted, Apple may well fix this issue with going to ARM, but that's beside the point.
iOS needs to become a real operating system and let you run real apps. It needs a real file system as well. For pro users, including developers, it needs a pro mode that allows users to do whatever they want to like they can on a real laptop computer even if it means accepting some risk. iOS should be able to run Xcode. It has plenty of CPU power and RAM. The only reason it can't is a software limitation imposed by iOS. You should be able to have apps that can scan and connect to a WiFi router, be able to see real MAC addresses, fully access Bluetooth without restrictions, run in the background or with the screen locked even if that means they can drain the battery. Pro users should be able to side-load apps. By all means ask for permission and use entitlements but allow the iPad to finally become a real computer. Mr. Cook, tear down this walled garden!
Get a Macbook Air. You even get a Thunderbolt 3 and the T2 chip. Why can’t you tolerate the thought that a developer’s machine may be different of a non-developer person’s device? Besides, as a primarily learning device, the iPad provides an adequate amount of coding, as seen with Swift Playgrounds and Python tools... Oh no, now you will blame Apple for not putting C++ and Java in Playgrounds !!!...
You’re on the wrong line, dude, go to the correct one.
When the developer line runs weaker Intel chips that don't run as fast as the iPad Pro, it's only logical people want the new hotness that is the iPad Pro to go into developer app spaces. Granted, Apple may well fix this issue with going to ARM, but that's beside the point.
Actually Apple can port some or all of the Xcode to the iPad but I don’t think that has top priority right now. Porting user realm’s applications should have top priority IMHO. For two usability reasons: coding requires large display, since many windows will be open most of the time. Second, coding is a text intensive task and we all know that the touch interface does not excel in text selection and manipulation. Coders are very fast typers, mostly using arrow key and other keyboard shortcuts to select and edit text, the iPad foldable keyboard may not be adequate. For performance reasons: although programming is a task that requires minimum footprint, Xcode is a de-luxe environment and developers wouldn’t be satisfied with less. In brief, this is not a matter of whether iOS is capable or not, this a matter of there is demand or not.
iOS needs to become a real operating system and let you run real apps. It needs a real file system as well. For pro users, including developers, it needs a pro mode that allows users to do whatever they want to like they can on a real laptop computer even if it means accepting some risk. iOS should be able to run Xcode. It has plenty of CPU power and RAM. The only reason it can't is a software limitation imposed by iOS. You should be able to have apps that can scan and connect to a WiFi router, be able to see real MAC addresses, fully access Bluetooth without restrictions, run in the background or with the screen locked even if that means they can drain the battery. Pro users should be able to side-load apps. By all means ask for permission and use entitlements but allow the iPad to finally become a real computer. Mr. Cook, tear down this walled garden!
Get a Macbook Air. You even get a Thunderbolt 3 and the T2 chip. Why can’t you tolerate the thought that a developer’s machine may be different of a non-developer person’s device? Besides, as a primarily learning device, the iPad provides an adequate amount of coding, as seen with Swift Playgrounds and Python tools... Oh no, now you will blame Apple for not putting C++ and Java in Playgrounds !!!...
You’re on the wrong line, dude, go to the correct one.
When the developer line runs weaker Intel chips that don't run as fast as the iPad Pro, it's only logical people want the new hotness that is the iPad Pro to go into developer app spaces. Granted, Apple may well fix this issue with going to ARM, but that's beside the point.
Actually Apple can port some or all of the Xcode to the iPad but I don’t think that has top priority right now. Porting user realm’s applications should have top priority IMHO. For two usability reasons: coding requires large display, since many windows will be open most of the time. Second, coding is a text intensive task and we all know that the touch interface does not excel in text selection and manipulation. Coders are very fast typers, mostly using arrow key and other keyboard shortcuts to select and edit text, the iPad foldable keyboard may not be adequate. For performance reasons: although programming is a task that requires minimum footprint, Xcode is a de-luxe environment and developers wouldn’t be satisfied with less. In brief, this is not a matter of whether iOS is capable or not, this a matter of there is demand or not.
I wonder if maybe iOS is actually not capable of it. It might be something funadamental, like the way apps are sandboxed.
iOS needs to become a real operating system and let you run real apps. It needs a real file system as well. For pro users, including developers, it needs a pro mode that allows users to do whatever they want to like they can on a real laptop computer even if it means accepting some risk. iOS should be able to run Xcode. It has plenty of CPU power and RAM. The only reason it can't is a software limitation imposed by iOS. You should be able to have apps that can scan and connect to a WiFi router, be able to see real MAC addresses, fully access Bluetooth without restrictions, run in the background or with the screen locked even if that means they can drain the battery. Pro users should be able to side-load apps. By all means ask for permission and use entitlements but allow the iPad to finally become a real computer. Mr. Cook, tear down this walled garden!
Get a Macbook Air. You even get a Thunderbolt 3 and the T2 chip. Why can’t you tolerate the thought that a developer’s machine may be different of a non-developer person’s device? Besides, as a primarily learning device, the iPad provides an adequate amount of coding, as seen with Swift Playgrounds and Python tools... Oh no, now you will blame Apple for not putting C++ and Java in Playgrounds !!!...
You’re on the wrong line, dude, go to the correct one.
When the developer line runs weaker Intel chips that don't run as fast as the iPad Pro, it's only logical people want the new hotness that is the iPad Pro to go into developer app spaces. Granted, Apple may well fix this issue with going to ARM, but that's beside the point.
Actually Apple can port some or all of the Xcode to the iPad but I don’t think that has top priority right now. Porting user realm’s applications should have top priority IMHO. For two usability reasons: coding requires large display, since many windows will be open most of the time. Second, coding is a text intensive task and we all know that the touch interface does not excel in text selection and manipulation. Coders are very fast typers, mostly using arrow key and other keyboard shortcuts to select and edit text, the iPad foldable keyboard may not be adequate. For performance reasons: although programming is a task that requires minimum footprint, Xcode is a de-luxe environment and developers wouldn’t be satisfied with less. In brief, this is not a matter of whether iOS is capable or not, this a matter of there is demand or not.
I wonder if maybe iOS is actually not capable of it. It might be something funadamental, like the way apps are sandboxed.
If you ignore sanboxing, you can’t even compile on the Mac too. It is not related to sandboxing.
Jobs clearly saw the iPad as the future of computing. It was the product he had spent his entire career working toward. His generation had dreamed of something like it for nearly 30 years. He would have been far more aggressive than post-Steve Apple has been in addressing the factors that are holding it back, such as an awkward file system and lack of a pointing device. These limitations are compounded now by higher prices. Jobs would have done whatever was necessary to have the iPad become the computing device of choice by now—both for consumption and for productivity. As it is, it is now mostly relegated to a pricey consumption device.
Wut? Most of the things holding iPad back came from Jobs. He specifically placed the iPad as an in between device. What happened though is the larger smartphone came along. But if you go back and watch his presentation what was magical about iPad was it was just this piece of glass that you manipulated with your fingers. The future of computing isn’t turning iPad into a laptop.
That's true. It won't turn into a laptop. That would be silly.
But, for it to fulfill its potential and Apple's promise for it to become a laptop killer, they need to add and enhance its features and functions -- starting with a touchpad on it external keyboard.
The future of the iPad is not to become a laptop -- but to kill the laptop. So far though, it's hobbled by its OS restrictions.
Touchpad on external keyboard? How do you think to power that?
Many "pro" users hate the trackpad. You must also consider a USB port on that keyboard to attach a mouse. To power both the trackpad and the mouse your keyboard would do best with rechargeable Li-ion batteries inside, wouldn't it?
Kill the laptop? How? Hello... ?
I think the power issues were resolved quite awhile ago.
Jobs clearly saw the iPad as the future of computing. It was the product he had spent his entire career working toward. His generation had dreamed of something like it for nearly 30 years. He would have been far more aggressive than post-Steve Apple has been in addressing the factors that are holding it back, such as an awkward file system and lack of a pointing device. These limitations are compounded now by higher prices. Jobs would have done whatever was necessary to have the iPad become the computing device of choice by now—both for consumption and for productivity. As it is, it is now mostly relegated to a pricey consumption device.
Wut? Most of the things holding iPad back came from Jobs. He specifically placed the iPad as an in between device. What happened though is the larger smartphone came along. But if you go back and watch his presentation what was magical about iPad was it was just this piece of glass that you manipulated with your fingers. The future of computing isn’t turning iPad into a laptop.
That's true. It won't turn into a laptop. That would be silly.
But, for it to fulfill its potential and Apple's promise for it to become a laptop killer, they need to add and enhance its features and functions -- starting with a touchpad on it external keyboard.
The future of the iPad is not to become a laptop -- but to kill the laptop. So far though, it's hobbled by its OS restrictions.
While I agree with you about the trackpad on an external keyboard when people say they want the iPad to kill the laptop most of the things they list would be killing the laptop by turning iPad into one. Mouse support and a full file system is basically a laptop.
It would serve as a laptop for casual users -- students for example would likely love it. But, I see the true laptop continuing with higher performance, more flexibility and added ports.
Jobs clearly saw the iPad as the future of computing. It was the product he had spent his entire career working toward. His generation had dreamed of something like it for nearly 30 years. He would have been far more aggressive than post-Steve Apple has been in addressing the factors that are holding it back, such as an awkward file system and lack of a pointing device. These limitations are compounded now by higher prices. Jobs would have done whatever was necessary to have the iPad become the computing device of choice by now—both for consumption and for productivity. As it is, it is now mostly relegated to a pricey consumption device.
Wut? Most of the things holding iPad back came from Jobs. He specifically placed the iPad as an in between device. What happened though is the larger smartphone came along. But if you go back and watch his presentation what was magical about iPad was it was just this piece of glass that you manipulated with your fingers. The future of computing isn’t turning iPad into a laptop.
That's true. It won't turn into a laptop. That would be silly.
But, for it to fulfill its potential and Apple's promise for it to become a laptop killer, they need to add and enhance its features and functions -- starting with a touchpad on it external keyboard.
The future of the iPad is not to become a laptop -- but to kill the laptop. So far though, it's hobbled by its OS restrictions.
Agreed with that last statement.
But, it cannot become a laptop killer without a touchpad on an external keyboard. Touch serves one set of functions well while a cursor/touchpad serves a different set of functions well. It doesn't matter how powerful the hardware becomes or how functional the OS becomes, the iPad will never be a laptop killer until it can do those laptop / touchpad type functions reasonably well.
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As a person who may have heard that this iPad thing could possibly become your primary computing device don’t you think it’s fair and reasonable to contrast the two experiences?
That the USB connector is now there and what it means, what it can and cannot do?
That the underlying filesystem is not exposed and Flash drives don’t work necessarily as they do on the truck?
That you may need new headphones?
From an existing users perspective, sure, it’s easy to compare and contrast vs what has gone before but I didn’t mind Nilays review. My biggest bugbear is filesystems and default apps. Each of these is easy to work with on the truck. It’s a non-user serviceable part on the iPad.
In particular, Files, while it more or less gets the job done, is just super clunky. Not necessarily the app itself which it well done, but actually using it within apps. Is the files bit baked into the app, do I need to see it on a share sheet? Do I need to add my file provider (OneDrive, iCloud, Google drive) to the share sheet? Has this app added support for my file provider?
The default app app thing I can live with but again I need to uses that share sheet shim to get files into google mail to send.
Its stuff like that which mitigates against bein a desktop replacement and it is absolutely correct to point it out.
Despite that, I’ll be getting one because in other ways I am far more productive in my iPad than otherwise.
I seem to have been doing a lot of that the last five years. Maybe the RDF has worn off.
it’s pretty clear from the choices Apple is making about macs they management wants to force direction towards ipads. The hardware is getting there, the software ain’t. The pro is priced like the whole is more than the sum of a laptop’s parts, even though it isn’t there yet.
we use iPads at work a lot. Mainly because I developed the use case and built the workflow around them tbh. We were buying iPad pros. Now the base iPad has pencil support, we have switched to them (with LTE) for future purchases. For me that is a victory in itself as IT, of course, want us to use Surface. For our work purposes, the extra money for an iPad pro is no longer worth it. Maybe if we were a bunch of Artistes in a loft somewhere, but no.
Point is, if Apple wants to replace laptops with iPads, they need to not be limited in functionality compared with a laptop. They need to do everything a laptop does, better than a laptop does, and more. They need to be better than a laptop at everything a laptop already does, plus be able to do more. And that isn’t just weight and battery life.
Users will render tech obsolete by finding better technology to use.
edit: here is an example of a limitation that annoyed me just yesterday. I have a short home video in the TV app. I wanted to share it using icloud sharing. Can’t do it. Can’t transfer the home video to Photos to be able to do it. Can’t transfer the home video from one app to the other in split screen. Can’t transfer the file in the Files app. Can’t load it into Dropbox. You just can’t do it. This should be simple. As simple as drag and drop between iTunes and photos on a MacBook. It is not. No doubt because Apple is more worried about commercial video being shared that way than making it easier for the User.
Maybe there is some complex work around, but the Apple way was once it could be done intuitively. Now it seems the Apple way is weighted towards controlling the User more than giving the User useability.
If you view the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, then yes. If you view it as a laptop alternative, then no. The first scenario implies users prefer the iPad Pro runs macOS. The second scenario implies that users prefer iOS over macOS. Slight but important difference.
As for the iOS limitation, this is where I realised that Apple has one grandeur future and has been creating the path slowly towards that. This review confirms with what I have been thinking. People complains about no true multitasking, no mouse support, no full apps version, but that exactly Apple's vision for future computer, which is one that's not bound to the old ways: no mouse, no physical keyboard, no fiddling with toolbars and icons, no text commands, no traditional sense of multitasking or multiple windows. It should be organic, contents take precedence with all tools accessible right there on screen directly. And I think I like that new future. Time for changes.
Because if joe average falls for the spin without looking into it too closely they might be disappointed that they can’t plug in a printer, for instance, or import directly to Lightroom. And that means a disappointed apple switcher. At least in some respects. There are definitely compromises with iPad but of course with the marketing they are rarely pointed out and this is why we have reviews.
It’s put really well in another post. The hardware is there. iOS has a little catching up to do.
Edit:
... and an iPad may make the replacement of a laptop by a much more powerful desktop computer easier.