Apple has destroyed the potential of the Smart Connector on the new iPad Pro

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 89
    auxio said:
    So you're saying that finding new ways to organize data which eliminates the need for file management doesn't help people?
    I understand what you're saying and what Apple is trying to do, but it strikes me as one of those things that makes it less suited for "pro" use. I don't want a file associated with a specific app, as I may use two or three different apps to work on it. I also need to be able to save multiple versions of a project, which is more hassle with Apple's approach. Hand-holding and idiot-proofing are good for consumer-facing applications, but for many professional users, especially creators, a more traditional file system may be easier and more flexible. r maybe not, depending on the task. I'm just not quite so willing to dismiss effective workflows just because something new comes along, which may or may not be better, or only better for a certain subset of users.

    auxio said:
    Or wireless headphones
    Latency, data compression, @#$%&!!! pairing. None of those things is insurmountable, none is a deal-breaker, but all are things that complicate the life of a content creator. Handy and logical for consumers, harder to understand in a pro product. I've got cables for mics, speakers, processors, et al, but we draw the line at a headphone cable? I don't care all that much, it just seems weird to me.

    auxio said:
    cloud data storage
    Yet again, that's something with clear, obvious benefits for consumers, but is something most professionals would never even consider using, except in exceptional circumstances (I've been known to reach into a computer at home from a client's site to retrieve a file I didn't know I'd need, but I sure wouldn't want to make that my primary working method). Maybe if one is on the road for weeks at a time and doesn't want to fill the internal storage with all the CAD drawings for twenty sites, but even then a portable drive is MUCH faster and doesn't incur cellular data costs.

    Again, it's not a deal-breaker since storage optimization can be turned off (can't it?) to prevent the system from invisibly offloading something you really don't want it to, and higher storage capacities can be had. It's even kinda handy for some situations. I just don't see it as something I would list in the "features" section if I was selling to pro users.

    auxio said:
    Some people simply don't want to change, even if it actually does help them simplify things.
    True. Partly it's inertia/laziness, but sometimes old, well-established methods have survived a long time for a reason. Newer does not automatically mean better, and sometimes "simplifying" means giving up some flexibility that may be important to some.

    Consider Pro Tools (audio software): the interface mimics the signal flow of an analog console, even though it doesn't have to. Why? Because it's logical, easy to get your head around, and allows the user to work quickly. Alternative systems have a lot of the same capability, but aren't as intuitive to use. Decades of evolution finessed signal flows and established concepts everyone understands (even the kids just coming out of school now). So, while the new tools are better than the old ones, the old methods of interacting with them are better than any of the new ways presented so far.

    I'm not saying that to imply some kind of deficiency in the iPad Pro, but just to counter the argument that new tools must and should automatically involve letting go of time-tested methods just because they're old. Sometimes old manages to stay around long enough to BE old because it's a good approach.
    williamlondonGeorgeBMac
  • Reply 62 of 89
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,243member
    If this were the only shortcoming of the new iPads there would be reason to get upset. As it stands, Apple's walled garden has shut out the iPad Pro from the pro market. iOS is seen as a toy operating system. It makes it impossible to do so many things that pros need to do like manage thousands of files or compile code or manage a network or ...
    I do rigging at professional concert venues. I watched an audio engineer walk around our 19,000 person arena with an iPad pulling faders up and down on his Audio desk during the sound check for Metallica. 
    I have seen lighting guys do the same thing. 
    I’ve seen this at 30,000 person outdoor shows. Not to mention the thousand other times I’ve seen them used on stage for various things. 
    Use cases vary, but iOS is certainly not a toy. If you want a hammer that drives screws as well, you’re out of luck. 
    edited November 2018 chiamacplusplus
  • Reply 63 of 89
    Rayz2016 said:
    If this were the only shortcoming of the new iPads there would be reason to get upset. As it stands, Apple's walled garden has shut out the iPad Pro from the pro market. iOS is seen as a toy operating system. It makes it impossible to do so many things that pros need to do like manage thousands of files or compile code or manage a network or ...
    I see. 

    If only there was some other profession outside network management, it might have a chance. 

    What we need are alternative professions, like people who make other people better when they get sick, or people who help other people with legal problems, or people who make pictures move to entertain or inform other people, or people who collect words on a page to entertain or inform other people. 

    🙄
    True but those things require apps coded by professional software developers that can't use the iPad Pro to do that. They run on networks you can't manage with an iPad Pro. You have no idea of what else you could be doing with the iPad Pro if you were not living under Apple's restrictions.
    Yeah! Like my need to run pro grade virus scanners on my devices. 
  • Reply 64 of 89
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    dewme said:
    shrave10 said:

    The constant complaints that all boil down to pointing out that an iPad Pro is not a MacBook Pro are beyond tired. It’s like complaining that a Corvette isn’t a “pro” vehicle because it doesn’t have three quarter ton cargo carrying capacity, four wheel drive, and a 500 lb ft turbo diesel engine. There’s a reason why Chevrolet makes both Corvettes and Silverado Pickups. They are two different products that appeal to both different uses ...
    The two different uses argument was valid 8 & 1/2 years ago when the AX chip was in it's neanderthal stage.  Now it's at 7nm and more powerful than many PC notebooks.  There is no need to compromise.  If Mr. Jobs were alive, he would probably be looking at Craig Federighi and asking, "What the heck are you waiting for?"   This product needs to be taken to new markets, i.e., mouse driven markets that the higher priced MacBooks are not reaching ex. 85% education that is now lost to Chromebooks and PC's and overseas markets where MacBooks are rarely spotted.  It's now eight years and the iPad with it's current feature set has shown us that it is fully capable of losing these markets.  Time to change the playbook.  Hopefully the keyboard - tracking pad patent published at patentlyapple.com today may help the iPad reverse the last 26 consecutive quarters of sales decline. 
    Again, what is behind the motivation to morph the iPad Pro into a MacBook Pro? 
    ...
    Morph into a MacBook Pro?
    No, that would be silly.

    But a 12" MacBook -- with a simplified OS such as iOS -- would meet the needs of most students and standard consumers.  And, when they need to use it as a tablet, say to play a game, they simply remove it from its keyboard/trackpad case.

    That would also enable Apple to free MacBooks from their thin, light, minimalist prison and add flexibility and functionality to them.
    shrave10
  • Reply 65 of 89
    I gotta admit, I've never seen the purpose of the smart connector anyway -- or anywhere...

    The Bluetooth Logitech keyboard Apple sells for the 6th Gen iPad works fine.   Its thick and bulky, but that's just its design, not the fault of being bluetooth.

    Yes, the smart connector can supply power.  But, to what purpose?  The Logitech BT lasts several years on a single battery as it is...

    Apple is not known for adding unnecessary ports and connectors (quite the opposite actually, they seem to be committing port & connector genocide.

    So, what am I missing?  Aside from (unnecessary) power, what does the smart connector add?
    I would have like to have two smart connectors on the iPad Pro.
    Both on the long edge, one on the bottom for a keyboard, and one on top to charge the Pencil.  The dongle method of charging the pencil is untenable.
  • Reply 66 of 89
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    auxio said:
    auxio said:
    Rayz2016 said:
    If this were the only shortcoming of the new iPads there would be reason to get upset. As it stands, Apple's walled garden has shut out the iPad Pro from the pro market. iOS is seen as a toy operating system. It makes it impossible to do so many things that pros need to do like manage thousands of files or compile code or manage a network or ...

    If only there was some other profession outside network management, it might have a chance. 
    And if only the way people work could change over time.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to feeding punch cards into my mainframe...
    People WILL change - when the change helps them.   But not because Jony decided they should.
    So you're saying that finding new ways to organize data which eliminates the need for file management doesn't help people?  Or wireless headphones and cloud data storage which eliminate the need for connecting a bunch of cables to your device doesn't?  Some people simply don't want to change, even if it actually does help them simplify things.

    The iPad is a great opportunity to rethink the way we do things.  I personally can't wait to eliminate all of the overhead around creating apps so that I can focus on actually creating them.  Bring on the future!
    LOL...  No!  I didn't say that at all...

    What I DID say was:
    "People WILL change - when the change helps them.   But not because Jony decided they should."
  • Reply 67 of 89
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    auxio said:
    auxio said:
    Rayz2016 said:
    If this were the only shortcoming of the new iPads there would be reason to get upset. As it stands, Apple's walled garden has shut out the iPad Pro from the pro market. iOS is seen as a toy operating system. It makes it impossible to do so many things that pros need to do like manage thousands of files or compile code or manage a network or ...

    If only there was some other profession outside network management, it might have a chance. 
    And if only the way people work could change over time.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to feeding punch cards into my mainframe...
    People WILL change - when the change helps them.   But not because Jony decided they should.
    So you're saying that finding new ways to organize data which eliminates the need for file management doesn't help people?  Or wireless headphones and cloud data storage which eliminate the need for connecting a bunch of cables to your device doesn't?  Some people simply don't want to change, even if it actually does help them simplify things.

    The iPad is a great opportunity to rethink the way we do things.  I personally can't wait to eliminate all of the overhead around creating apps so that I can focus on actually creating them.  Bring on the future!
    LOL...  No!  I didn't say that at all...

    What I DID say was:
    "People WILL change - when the change helps them.   But not because Jony decided they should."
    And all that statement does is dismiss what Apple is trying to do with the iPad simply because you have some personal beef with Jony Ive.  Look a little deeper.
  • Reply 68 of 89
    dewme said:
    shrave10 said:

    The constant complaints that all boil down to pointing out that an iPad Pro is not a MacBook Pro are beyond tired. It’s like complaining that a Corvette isn’t a “pro” vehicle because it doesn’t have three quarter ton cargo carrying capacity, four wheel drive, and a 500 lb ft turbo diesel engine. There’s a reason why Chevrolet makes both Corvettes and Silverado Pickups. They are two different products that appeal to both different uses ...
    The two different uses argument was valid 8 & 1/2 years ago when the AX chip was in it's neanderthal stage.  Now it's at 7nm and more powerful than many PC notebooks.  There is no need to compromise.  If Mr. Jobs were alive, he would probably be looking at Craig Federighi and asking, "What the heck are you waiting for?"   This product needs to be taken to new markets, i.e., mouse driven markets that the higher priced MacBooks are not reaching ex. 85% education that is now lost to Chromebooks and PC's and overseas markets where MacBooks are rarely spotted.  It's now eight years and the iPad with it's current feature set has shown us that it is fully capable of losing these markets.  Time to change the playbook.  Hopefully the keyboard - tracking pad patent published at patentlyapple.com today may help the iPad reverse the last 26 consecutive quarters of sales decline. 
    Again, what is behind the motivation to morph the iPad Pro into a MacBook Pro? ... 

    Apple’s penetration into education markets and cost sensitive overseas markets is not being inhibited by lack of a mouse pointer based UI. Those markets are driven by price, not mouse pointers. ...
    Not stating iPad should morph into MBPro.  Just to be able to use either as tablet for media consumption / artist work or to use it with keyboard + trackpad / mouse to be able to get more productivity work done.  Sure, an ARM Macbook would be able to compete well in education and overseas markets.  However, many students and overseas users can not afford an iPhone, ARM Macbook, and iPad.  Lack of mouse support is absolutely a factor in iPad's poor penetration in overseas markets because many can not afford different classes of devices for different types of work.  Apple can put out both, trackpad support for iPad as well as an ARM Macbook with both products appealing to their own user bases and helping Apple expand their market reach.  
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 69 of 89
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    auxio said:
    So you're saying that finding new ways to organize data which eliminates the need for file management doesn't help people?
    I understand what you're saying and what Apple is trying to do, but it strikes me as one of those things that makes it less suited for "pro" use. I don't want a file associated with a specific app, as I may use two or three different apps to work on it. I also need to be able to save multiple versions of a project, which is more hassle with Apple's approach.
    So what if, instead of managing all of the files you need for a project, you could create something called a project which hides all of the files/chunks of data within it?  And the project itself would store the changes so that you could go back to older versions.  A higher level conceptualization which more closely matches reality and eliminates the need for low-level data management and versioning.  The apps which work with that project would handle all of the low-level data manipulation for you, freeing you up to do more work on the actual project instead of data management.  This is exactly what computers were designed to do -- handle the tedious, inane tasks so that we're freed up to do the creative ones.

    auxio said:
    Or wireless headphones
    Latency, data compression, @#$%&!!! pairing. None of those things is insurmountable, none is a deal-breaker, but all are things that complicate the life of a content creator.

    And having to organize and run cables everywhere isn't complicated?  Especially when you end up with one cable in the chain which is failing and you have to figure out which one it is.  Again, you're looking at the problems with wireless audio today.  Which aren't necessarily the problems of tomorrow.

    Just take a look at how far WiFi has come.  15-20 years ago, no network professional in their right mind would have used it for their corporate network infrastructure.  Now it's used everywhere.

    auxio said:
    cloud data storage
    Yet again, that's something with clear, obvious benefits for consumers, but is something most professionals would never even consider using, except in exceptional circumstances (I've been known to reach into a computer at home from a client's site to retrieve a file I didn't know I'd need, but I sure wouldn't want to make that my primary working method). Maybe if one is on the road for weeks at a time and doesn't want to fill the internal storage with all the CAD drawings for twenty sites, but even then a portable drive is MUCH faster and doesn't incur cellular data costs.

    Oh man... relying on a portable drive?  I've had at least a dozen hard drives fail on me in the past 20 years.  I have a 256GB USB 3.0 flash drive (not a mechanical drive) I use in a pinch, but even still there's the potential to lose or break it.

    For all of the professional software development I do, the files are stored in the cloud.  If I'm going to travel to somewhere with no internet access, and I need to work, then I'll store them locally.  But that's maybe 0.1% of the time.  Most of the time when I'm travelling to somewhere without internet access, it's intentional so that I can't do work.

    auxio said:
    Some people simply don't want to change, even if it actually does help them simplify things.
    I'm not saying that to imply some kind of deficiency in the iPad Pro, but just to counter the argument that new tools must and should automatically involve letting go of time-tested methods just because they're old. Sometimes old manages to stay around long enough to BE old because it's a good approach.
    Trust me, I'm notorious for being skeptical of new methods of doing things, and hard-headed about change.  But I almost always find that, once I wrap my head around that new way, I realize how much better/simpler it makes things.  I'm actually glad that I work with a group of people who push me to change/rethink how I work because, if I was working on my own, I'd likely still be stuck in the past and burning a lot of time unnecessarily on things which have been automated and/or eliminated completely by new ways of working.
    chia
  • Reply 70 of 89
    auxio said:
    So what if, instead of managing all of the files you need for a project, you could create something called a project which hides all of the files/chunks of data within it?  And the project itself would store the changes so that you could go back to older versions.  A higher level conceptualization which more closely matches reality and eliminates the need for low-level data management and versioning.  The apps which work with that project would handle all of the low-level data manipulation for you, freeing you up to do more work on the actual project instead of data management.  This is exactly what computers were designed to do -- handle the tedious, inane tasks so that we're freed up to do the creative ones.
    I hear you, I'm just not convinced the computer can manage my files as well as I can for my intended purposes. How many times a day do you hear someone scream at their computer, "DON'T HELP!" That's a person whose needs are not being satisfied by what the computer thinks is the best approach. Computers are really good at organizing and sorting. They're bloody AWFUL at guessing what a human is trying to do.

    My work consists primarily of collecting various source elements, modifying them, and consolidating the modified elements to create various versions of the finished product. Apps that use the traditional files approach make that easy, like Pro Tools and Photoshop. Software that tries to make my life "easier" by hiding things it doesn't think I need to know about, like Final Cut*, actually make it harder.

    * I'm aware that FCPX has now evolved methods to overcome most of those limitations. I'm just using it as an example of how "simplifying" file operations by making them invisible can actually be a hindrance to productivity.

    auxio said:
    Oh man... relying on a portable drive?  I've had at least a dozen hard drives fail on me in the past 20 years.
    Yes, equipment can fail. I don't think the chances of being screwed by a portable SSD failure are any higher than it being a broken WiFi antenna lead or broadband chip though. In fact, in my experience, the MOST likely failure point in the chain is internet access, something over which we usually have no control.

    Besides, cloud access is expensive (at least it is for me -- cellular data rates around here are brutal) and slow. I can't amuse a client with small talk for half an hour while their 10GB project downloads.

    auxio said:
    Trust me, I'm notorious for being skeptical of new methods of doing things, and hard-headed about change.  But I almost always find that, once I wrap my head around that new way, I realize how much better/simpler it makes things.  I'm actually glad that I work with a group of people who push me to change/rethink how I work because, if I was working on my own, I'd likely still be stuck in the past and burning a lot of time unnecessarily on things which have been automated and/or eliminated completely by new ways of working.
    You're lucky. I spend most of my time dealing with the broadcast TV industry, which has be dragged kicking and screaming into any technology that doesn't have a decade of proven reliability.

    Q: How many broadcasters does it take to change a lightbulb?
    A: CHANGE?!
    edited November 2018 GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 71 of 89
    Rayz2016 said:
    I see. 

    If only there was some other profession outside network management, it might have a chance. 

    What we need are alternative professions, like people who make other people better when they get sick, or people who help other people with legal problems, or people who make pictures move to entertain or inform other people, or people who collect words on a page to entertain or inform other people. 

    🙄
    Personally, I'm hoping that Apple makes some kind of device with a more flexible operating system, that maybe has a build in keyboard and more ports or something. For now, I guess we'll muddle by with these useless iOS devices.
  • Reply 72 of 89
    mjw149mjw149 Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    They need to settle down. Continuing to change the size and now connectors are what lesser OEMs do. Apple is supposed to have vision, not iteration. And of course iterations and improvements will come. But the fundamental size, shape and connectors? Not a good look. And if the pogo pins are on the bottom anyway, why not have them be the only connectors now? This has more ports than a MacBook.
  • Reply 73 of 89
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    auxio said:
    auxio said:
    auxio said:
    Rayz2016 said:
    If this were the only shortcoming of the new iPads there would be reason to get upset. As it stands, Apple's walled garden has shut out the iPad Pro from the pro market. iOS is seen as a toy operating system. It makes it impossible to do so many things that pros need to do like manage thousands of files or compile code or manage a network or ...

    If only there was some other profession outside network management, it might have a chance. 
    And if only the way people work could change over time.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to feeding punch cards into my mainframe...
    People WILL change - when the change helps them.   But not because Jony decided they should.
    So you're saying that finding new ways to organize data which eliminates the need for file management doesn't help people?  Or wireless headphones and cloud data storage which eliminate the need for connecting a bunch of cables to your device doesn't?  Some people simply don't want to change, even if it actually does help them simplify things.

    The iPad is a great opportunity to rethink the way we do things.  I personally can't wait to eliminate all of the overhead around creating apps so that I can focus on actually creating them.  Bring on the future!
    LOL...  No!  I didn't say that at all...

    What I DID say was:
    "People WILL change - when the change helps them.   But not because Jony decided they should."
    And all that statement does is dismiss what Apple is trying to do with the iPad simply because you have some personal beef with Jony Ive.  Look a little deeper.
    No, not even a little bit.
    But you might be confusing iOS with MacOS.  They are both OS's but they do different things different ways because they have different origins and purposes.
  • Reply 74 of 89
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    auxio said:
    auxio said:
    So you're saying that finding new ways to organize data which eliminates the need for file management doesn't help people?
    I understand what you're saying and what Apple is trying to do, but it strikes me as one of those things that makes it less suited for "pro" use. I don't want a file associated with a specific app, as I may use two or three different apps to work on it. I also need to be able to save multiple versions of a project, which is more hassle with Apple's approach.
    So what if, instead of managing all of the files you need for a project, you could create something called a project which hides all of the files/chunks of data within it?  And the project itself would store the changes so that you could go back to older versions.  A higher level conceptualization which more closely matches reality and eliminates the need for low-level data management and versioning.  The apps which work with that project would handle all of the low-level data manipulation for you, freeing you up to do more work on the actual project instead of data management.  This is exactly what computers were designed to do -- handle the tedious, inane tasks so that we're freed up to do the creative ones.

    auxio said:
    Or wireless headphones
    Latency, data compression, @#$%&!!! pairing. None of those things is insurmountable, none is a deal-breaker, but all are things that complicate the life of a content creator.

    And having to organize and run cables everywhere isn't complicated?  Especially when you end up with one cable in the chain which is failing and you have to figure out which one it is.  Again, you're looking at the problems with wireless audio today.  Which aren't necessarily the problems of tomorrow.

    Just take a look at how far WiFi has come.  15-20 years ago, no network professional in their right mind would have used it for their corporate network infrastructure.  Now it's used everywhere.

    auxio said:
    cloud data storage
    Yet again, that's something with clear, obvious benefits for consumers, but is something most professionals would never even consider using, except in exceptional circumstances (I've been known to reach into a computer at home from a client's site to retrieve a file I didn't know I'd need, but I sure wouldn't want to make that my primary working method). Maybe if one is on the road for weeks at a time and doesn't want to fill the internal storage with all the CAD drawings for twenty sites, but even then a portable drive is MUCH faster and doesn't incur cellular data costs.

    Oh man... relying on a portable drive?  I've had at least a dozen hard drives fail on me in the past 20 years.  I have a 256GB USB 3.0 flash drive (not a mechanical drive) I use in a pinch, but even still there's the potential to lose or break it.

    For all of the professional software development I do, the files are stored in the cloud.  If I'm going to travel to somewhere with no internet access, and I need to work, then I'll store them locally.  But that's maybe 0.1% of the time.  Most of the time when I'm travelling to somewhere without internet access, it's intentional so that I can't do work.

    auxio said:
    Some people simply don't want to change, even if it actually does help them simplify things.I'm not saying that to imply some kind of deficiency in the iPad Pro, but just to counter the argument that new tools must and should automatically involve letting go of time-tested methods just because they're old. Sometimes old manages to stay around long enough to BE old because it's a good approach.
    Trust me, I'm notorious for being skeptical of new methods of doing things, and hard-headed about change.  But I almost always find that, once I wrap my head around that new way, I realize how much better/simpler it makes things.  I'm actually glad that I work with a group of people who push me to change/rethink how I work because, if I was working on my own, I'd likely still be stuck in the past and burning a lot of time unnecessarily on things which have been automated and/or eliminated completely by new ways of working.
    What you are describing are work arounds.
    Most knowledgeable people welcome new ways of doing things.   But, new or old, they stick with what meets their needs the best.  Sometimes that's the new way and sometimes its the old way.

    The touch interface for example is great for playing games or social media on a bus on your way to work but it's not so great if you're creating a large, complicated spreadsheet.  For that, a large screen with a keyboard and mouse are the better tools.

    If you take a trip to Lowe's you'll see that they still sell regular old screw drivers even though there are newer, electric ones now.  And people buy and use whichever best meets their needs.
  • Reply 75 of 89
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    I hear you, I'm just not convinced the computer can manage my files as well as I can for my intended purposes. How many times a day do you hear someone scream at their computer, "DON'T HELP!" That's a person whose needs are not being satisfied by what the computer thinks is the best approach. Computers are really good at organizing and sorting. They're bloody AWFUL at guessing what a human is trying to do.
    If there's any degree of uncertainty in the task, then yes, computers are pretty awful.  I'm mainly talking about how the model of files and folders is very rudimentary and could be improved upon a lot for many tasks to better model how people think about the organization of information for those tasks, and what they need to achieve with that information.

    For example, think about searching a whole bunch of video files for one which contains footage of a particular car.  Files and folders don't capture that kind of information.  Sure you could scan those files, do image recognition on the frames, and then store that information for each file.  But that would take a lot of time and storage space.  And it would likely still be slow to search.  So what if, instead of storing video as files, it was in a footage archive which was optimized for the exact tasks you need to do with that video footage (searching in many ways, quick access based on time, etc).  And that archive could be distributed across machines/drives as needed (not just a simple file).

    Yes, equipment can fail. I don't think the chances of being screwed by a portable SSD failure are any higher than it being a broken WiFi antenna lead or broadband chip though. In fact, in my experience, the MOST likely failure point in the chain is internet access, something over which we usually have no control.

    Besides, cloud access is expensive (at least it is for me -- cellular data rates around here are brutal) and slow. I can't amuse a client with small talk for half an hour while their 10GB project downloads.
    Cellular data is still far too expensive for large amounts of data.  Wired is still the way to go.  I can get unlimited data on DSL for around $50 per month (25Mbps).  I guess if your clients are people in remote areas, or who can't/won't pay for decent internet connections, then it makes sense to work that way.

    One thing to note is that there are ways to store data in the cloud such that you only need to download the "differences" between what you're working with  locally and what is stored in the cloud (rather than the entire project).  Unfortunately I only know about how this works for software development, but here's something I found for video.

    You're lucky. I spend most of my time dealing with the broadcast TV industry, which has be dragged kicking and screaming into any technology that doesn't have a decade of proven reliability.
    In general, people only care about (pay for) the end result of your work.  What tools and process you use to get that end result are entirely up to you.
  • Reply 76 of 89
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    The touch interface for example is great for playing games or social media on a bus on your way to work but it's not so great if you're creating a large, complicated spreadsheet.  For that, a large screen with a keyboard and mouse are the better tools.
    For big spreadsheets, a large screen is needed absolutely, but external keyboard, mouse and trackpad, not so much. All that can be done with onscreen variants, all touchscreen. That is, the display size is a much much bigger driver for certain spreadsheet usage than the difference between external versus onscreen input mechanisms. If there is a 15” iPad, it’ll handle spreadsheets just as well as a 15” laptop would.

    I just want to push back on the default notion that an iPad needs an external keyboard or an external point device. I certainly want Apple to support all possible external input devices, but an iPad comes with keyboard and pointing inputs onscreen already. It needs work, but that is not saying much as everything needs work.
  • Reply 77 of 89
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    auxio said:
    Trust me, I'm notorious for being skeptical of new methods of doing things, and hard-headed about change.  But I almost always find that, once I wrap my head around that new way, I realize how much better/simpler it makes things.  I'm actually glad that I work with a group of people who push me to change/rethink how I work because, if I was working on my own, I'd likely still be stuck in the past and burning a lot of time unnecessarily on things which have been automated and/or eliminated completely by new ways of working.
    What you are describing are work arounds.
    Most knowledgeable people welcome new ways of doing things.   But, new or old, they stick with what meets their needs the best.  Sometimes that's the new way and sometimes its the old way.

    The touch interface for example is great for playing games or social media on a bus on your way to work but it's not so great if you're creating a large, complicated spreadsheet.  For that, a large screen with a keyboard and mouse are the better tools.

    If you take a trip to Lowe's you'll see that they still sell regular old screw drivers even though there are newer, electric ones now.  And people buy and use whichever best meets their needs.
    So remember that we're talking about "pros" here (people doing jobs for money).

    In almost any industry, you'll quickly be overtaken by competitors if it takes you longer to perform a task than others (assuming the end result meets the requirements).

    In your scenario, imagine if a contractor used a regular screwdriver on a big job and was charging you by the hour.  You'd quickly hire someone else.
    edited November 2018
  • Reply 78 of 89
    auxio said:
    auxio said:
    Trust me, I'm notorious for being skeptical of new methods of doing things, and hard-headed about change.  But I almost always find that, once I wrap my head around that new way, I realize how much better/simpler it makes things.  I'm actually glad that I work with a group of people who push me to change/rethink how I work because, if I was working on my own, I'd likely still be stuck in the past and burning a lot of time unnecessarily on things which have been automated and/or eliminated completely by new ways of working.
    What you are describing are work arounds.
    Most knowledgeable people welcome new ways of doing things.   But, new or old, they stick with what meets their needs the best.  Sometimes that's the new way and sometimes its the old way.

    The touch interface for example is great for playing games or social media on a bus on your way to work but it's not so great if you're creating a large, complicated spreadsheet.  For that, a large screen with a keyboard and mouse are the better tools.

    If you take a trip to Lowe's you'll see that they still sell regular old screw drivers even though there are newer, electric ones now.  And people buy and use whichever best meets their needs.
    So remember that we're talking about "pros" here (people doing jobs for money).

    In almost any industry, you'll quickly be overtaken by competitors if it takes you longer to perform a task than others (assuming the end result meets the requirements).

    In your scenario, imagine if a contractor used a regular screwdriver on a big job and was charging you by the hour.  You'd quickly hire someone else.
    A contractor is going to use the best tool available -- which is not necessarily the newest one.  Which is why you will see a set of "old fashioned" screw drivers in every contractor's tool kit -- right beside the fancy "new" electric one.   

    As you say:  "In almost any industry, you'll quickly be overtaken by competitors if it takes you longer to perform a task than others (assuming the end result meets the requirements)."
    ...  Exactly!   That's why they use the BEST tool available rather than the newest one.  To a pro, the age of a tool means nothing.  They just use the best tool for the job.   Sometimes that's the oldest.  Sometimes it's the newest.   It depends on the job.
  • Reply 79 of 89
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    auxio said:
    auxio said:
    Trust me, I'm notorious for being skeptical of new methods of doing things, and hard-headed about change.  But I almost always find that, once I wrap my head around that new way, I realize how much better/simpler it makes things.  I'm actually glad that I work with a group of people who push me to change/rethink how I work because, if I was working on my own, I'd likely still be stuck in the past and burning a lot of time unnecessarily on things which have been automated and/or eliminated completely by new ways of working.
    What you are describing are work arounds.
    Most knowledgeable people welcome new ways of doing things.   But, new or old, they stick with what meets their needs the best.  Sometimes that's the new way and sometimes its the old way.

    The touch interface for example is great for playing games or social media on a bus on your way to work but it's not so great if you're creating a large, complicated spreadsheet.  For that, a large screen with a keyboard and mouse are the better tools.

    If you take a trip to Lowe's you'll see that they still sell regular old screw drivers even though there are newer, electric ones now.  And people buy and use whichever best meets their needs.
    So remember that we're talking about "pros" here (people doing jobs for money).

    In almost any industry, you'll quickly be overtaken by competitors if it takes you longer to perform a task than others (assuming the end result meets the requirements).

    In your scenario, imagine if a contractor used a regular screwdriver on a big job and was charging you by the hour.  You'd quickly hire someone else.
    A contractor is going to use the best tool available -- which is not necessarily the newest one.  Which is why you will see a set of "old fashioned" screw drivers in every contractor's tool kit -- right beside the fancy "new" electric one.   

    As you say:  "In almost any industry, you'll quickly be overtaken by competitors if it takes you longer to perform a task than others (assuming the end result meets the requirements)."
    ...  Exactly!   That's why they use the BEST tool available rather than the newest one.  To a pro, the age of a tool means nothing.  They just use the best tool for the job.   Sometimes that's the oldest.  Sometimes it's the newest.   It depends on the job.
    But a good pro also keeps up-to-date on the newest tools, building materials, and techniques so they find ways to do their job better or more efficiently.  Rather than getting stuck only seeing one way to do things.
    edited November 2018 shrave10
  • Reply 80 of 89
    Our old Ipad is on the fritz. Given the price of a laptop and it's advantages, goodby Apple.  
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