I can't answer a call or text my family with my laptop while I'm on the go. I can't plug my macbook into a car to use maps or play music. I can't use my macbook on the beach to take a picture of my child playing in the surf. I can't really use my phone to type out anything shorter than a quick text.
(Caveat, for the pedants: yes, I could do all those things, but with terrible inconvenience.)
Chromebooks here too.
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/54816
MacOS is absent, but I'm sure it's not too far off using an Google Chromebook emulator with Google Play Store in UTM if it's a must.
I did consider an emulator in xcode, but that's not quite what I'm after.
Files are so basic...
For instance a phone and a Surface Pro covers 100% of the use cases, there's no gap for a 3rd device. For some this gets down to one device with a Galaxy Fold and DEX.
People might have different preferences and/or be locked in the Apple ecosystem anyway, but we have working products showing things done differently ("think different" was such a good copy)
iPad OS is limited, but it's fine for reading, writing and sketching. It's good to do that on a separate device that is not connected to work stuff. I can bring my iPad in the bedroom because it's just a fancy book.
Windows is also far too needy for this sort of device. I returned my Surface after a day because of updates, notifications, tracking and a complete lack of respect for the user. My iPad is such a calm device by comparison.
Windows is not refined nor optimized for tablet use by any measure, but it actually does the job, instead of showing a cute and extremely refined middle finger half the time.
The breaking point for me was the reader apps, where I'd have a file and just no way to read it, short of taking 10 min on a desktop to somewhat convert it to what the iPad can handle (see below). Since they're also in a pissing match with Amazon, the reading experience is just subpar. What's the point of a simple and elegant interface if I'm still babysitting what's going in there and have to constantly think about work-arounds that also end up clunky and broken ?
> Art and note apps
Adobe suite, ClipStudio etc. are all there, in their actual, professional, full-blown version, and not some compromised "on the go" version. Same for One-note, obsidian etc., there's no lack of them on Windows while it was a fresh market on the iPad.
> ebook reader apps
I think iBooks is the only reader you don't get (is there a web version ? I have no idea).
Granted I buy most of my books on kindle, the in-browser reader works well enough (in the end, I'm full screen turning pages, so makes no difference). I'd argue getting the read the book straight from the page I bought them is pretty great.
I didn't bother with the android subsystem version but it would be an option if there is any limitation on the web part. I also have a bunch of old ebooks and scans from way before there were stores, and of course they were better handled by the windows apps (at some point I was using CloudReader on iOS, and it just disappeared).
Right now it’s inferior not-a-laptop with a touchscreen that you can detach and people still buy it.
For the same reason you carry an "inferior" camera, pda, navigation system, cellphone with very short battery life and undersized movie screen: a smartphone does all that okay-ishly. Or why ultrabooks are vastly more popular than gaming laptops. Convenience and form factor trump "inferior" all the time.
Youtube playback would stop everytime another video starts playing somewhere (additional fun when it's just a video ad that actually had no sound in the first place).
SMB file management is still an afterthought, so you end up needing a plex server dealing with all the complexity the iPad can't deal with.
Browsing is the same, outside of the Safari limitation, extensions are few and tab management a pain in general.
For books and magazine it's kinda the same. It works fine for light use. It becomes frustrating if it's something you actually care about.
In the end, I realized I actually care less about visual polish and more about having complete functionalities, at the price of dealing with Windows and managing a computer instead of an appliance.
This is what made me sell the Surface. I wanted to replace a paper notebook I bring everywhere. What I got was tiny buttons, menus, and a save dialog every time I wanted to close the app. My drawings were not drawings in a sketchbook, but files I had to manually sort and access on a filesystem.
After spending a whole day installing updates and turning off ads and tracking, I couldn't just unwind and doodle. The Surface constantly reminded me that I was operating a computer, not drawing.
> ebooks
The in-browser reader is not a replacement for an offline book reader. This tablet is offline most of the time.
> obsidian
I want to write and doodle, not edit markdown files. Otherwise I'd have no use for a tablet. This tablet replaces a paper notebook.
https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/sketchpal/9MVT92NRF5...
Does a pretty good job
Sure, not the most convenient way, but there is no replacing something like pandoc.
> Adobe suite, ClipStudio etc. are all there, in their actual, professional, full-blown version
Speaking of those, does the Pencil still feel somewhat half baked for Apple? The display front panels on iPads aren't "optimized" for pens, like, given rigidity and texturing for front panels. I don't own the iPad kit nor am I a digital artist, but the Pencil as a physical object almost feels like poking acrylic panel with laundry hangars, and most third party feeling among all third party pens. and I didn't understand how they could sell it as a serious thing.
For art apps, Procreate is very good but it's still kinda limited. Windows has the full Photoshop, CSP, Art Rage etc. experiences.
And with WSA you can just grab the Android versions of Kindle or whatever.
And is really respectful of the user to artificially kneecap a device from doing tasks?
but useless as a computer?
I needed to apply for a visa -It can't even handle that simple task!
Like all I had to do, is collaste togesther a few dozen documents (bank statements, utility bills, etc.), merge all them into PDfs and organise pages cronologically. Couldn't even do that.
whats the point of having a great processor in an iPad if it's all wasted.
This is a deal braker for me, handling official documents is a normal thing normal people have to do every day.
Open the PDF (or print the webpage to PDF if needed), tap to insert other PDFs into that one (so assembling / merging the documents).
Drag any pages into the order you want, save the file.
What’s missing?
LOLNO. Many, many people use an iPad as their primary or only nonphone computer.
Sounds like you had a tool chain problem, not an iPad problem.
Yet for all that, I replaced it with a Moto X just 2 years later, and it's the Moto X that I really miss, with its superior voice control and its preference to remain in my pocket, and the little dimple in its wooden back.
I think today's Macbook Air M2 with 360deg hinges, touch and some iPad like UI-mode would be a holy grail for the article author.
Microsoft, for all its qualities, truly does not care about the finer details.
0. 360 MX. This is the least likely. I'm sure Apple has been testing flippable hinges for decades at this point, but even if they could make the best one, they need a marketing reason for users. What's the point in a flippable laptop if you can't use everything when it's flipped like Windows?
1. Running iOS apps. macOS with an ARM chip already runs iOS apps, the problem is that most developers are chickenshit and don't allow people to run their apps on macOS. Apple needs to reverse course and remove the ability to deny running on macOS.
2. Cellular data. By this point, Apple would have done it. There's a valid argument that Apple doesn't want to even entertain negotiations with Qualcomm about how much it would cost them to put modems in their laptops, so I believe our last hope is that the modems currently in development by Apple themselves are someday destined for Apple laptops.
3. Excellent touch response. Every Macbook already has the best touch response in any laptop. Their trackpad is best-in-class. I don't know how Apple could even fail at that.
4. Lidar. What? Why?
0. You bring up some points I fully agree with. Since we’re talking about Apple who can’t do anything mundane, for the hinge let’s just assume they come up with a new tech (maybe a single pivot point and the keyboard spins freely, or a mechanism that detaches it entirely so it can be snapped in flush on the back, or some other solution I can’t imagine yet)
1. Agreed
2. I can’t imagine this would actually stop them if they decided to cannibalize the iPad and build an MX 360
3. Agreed
4. Personally I would probably never use it, but it’s a notable iPad feature and might as well have them all
Obviously the market just isn't there for smaller phones, but I actually think the iPhone 3GS had the best form factor of any phone I've used, and it's smaller screen encouraged information density, which I like.
I say I use an iPhone mini now, and it's true, but only because Apple requires you to use an iPhone with their Watch. I've given up on the phone form factor, and use an Apple Watch with an ear bud and cellular, and keep the phone in drawer most of the time. Actually is was the Moto lineup that got me onto that: they had that short-lived earbud that was marketed as requiring zero screen in order to do all your mobile computing (I never got one though).
You might wonder why one wouldn't just use an Android watch that could do all of it without the bullshit Apple tax across multiple devices. It's for similar reasons for why I didn't end up liking the Galaxy Note, even though it still, to this day, feels like a miracle that they could cram so many features AND so much quality into that device, and that it could legitimately perform in all those categories.
The iPhone mini still feels too big, but at least it's mostly usable with one hand, even if it's not comfortable to do something like pull down the control panel shade on the top right corner with your left hand.
I know I'm just a weirdo though. I thought the Windows Phone UI was brilliant, especially the audio design.
iPad is super handy but I'm not sure a laptop has turn by turn nav, maybe it could via an emulator.
As a programmer with serious mobile experience I fully understand it. But it sound a bit crazy that a powerful and more superior (and open! In both hard and sometimes soft - if with an opensource OS) platform need so _emulate_ an embedded one (mobile, usually at least partially proprietary one) to provide turn-by-turn nav: what appears to be a first-order need of anyone in the modern world.
You can run OSM in navigation mode, I suppose.
I remember the time I was heading south from Syracuse in an area notorious for state police speedtraps when I had pulled alongsides a greyhound and my son had logged into the WiFi on board the bus. The bus driver got pissed at us and got up to 95 mph to shake us. I gave up first but I figured he'd have a lot more to lose from getting a ticket than I would.
However, although the devices might run on ancient stable standard, but that does not mean, that operating system is not playing silly games there. If you had an app that talked to them via serial port, you could throw it away once Microsoft introduced GNSS subsystem.
That said, the point still stands. I did some searching, and Streets and Trips are discontinued. Copilot was bought by Trimble and AFAIK, you can only get the mobile app versions (they still have offline support). I think their truck fleet software will still run on laptops, but are sold as part of a bulk purchase.
I did find MapFactor, which I've never used, as being something that will work on Windows and Linux (via wine) and it provides real-time GPS navigation.
https://www.mapfactor.com/en/products/navigation-software-st...
Quite often they work completely offline, and also cover more information related to topography and driving routes that may not be traditional roads on existing maps. For example, the path to a location in a farmer's field, etc.
I would also say that about 1/3 of people that work primarily from their laptop, and travel a lot (no easy access to a desktop monitor), will probably have an iPad as a second display as well.
On my journey home in a more crowded train I saw half a dozen iPads just from where I was sitting. They are extremely useful devices for train journeys.
Similar to the parent I only ever see iPads in two places, the hands of rich kids in restaurants, and in primary schools.
If you spend a lot of time on public transport, an iPad isn't really that much of a luxury item. It's a really pragmatic choice, and at least in the UK an entry-level or recent secondhand iPad is not much more expensive than the cheapest usable alternative.
Most seats on British trains are not at tables, and while many (by no means all, depends on the operator) have a seatback tray table, it is generally not the right shape for all but the smallest laptop, and the proportions are not such that they work well with convertible PCs that use screen-cover keyboards.
We really get crammed into trains.
An iPad is large enough to read a book or emails even if you are stuck without a seat, the on-screen keyboard is practical enough to write reasonable emails or edit small documents on, watch a film on, etc.
So is a very cost effective way to make use of what might be 2+ hours of every working day.
(Train travel is pretty expensive over any distance, too. An entry level iPad is only about ten times the cost of an ad-hoc journey into London from where I am.)
So is a very cost effective way to make use of what might be 2+ hours of every working day.
You can either drive it and do nothing but listen to something relatively simple, or sit in a train and read/work/draw/listen/play games/sleep.
(It’s not my commute; I work from home. But I visit clients sometimes; yesterday involved six hours of train/tube travel. I wouldn’t do that every day but I could do it once a week.)
However, 30 miles is significantly under the average US commuting distance. And, unless you live and work near an urban downtown, 30 miles probably doesn't get you to a lot of appropriate professional jobs. I live in an exurb outside a major metro and my (nominal) office is the nearest tech job I could physically commute to and it barely squeezes in under 30 miles.
https://hbr.org/2021/05/that-dreaded-commute-is-actually-goo...
But, yes, other numbers seem to be lower (and are generally more likely to quote commute time rather than distance which is probably more relevant for most people).
But thirty miles in an hour on urban/suburban rail isn't particularly unusual. And this time is time you can use, if you have even a little bit of method about it. I know people who have done all the reading for entire higher education degrees in that period of time.
At any rate, the notion to which you're responding regarding the area of possible commute being 2800 square miles is foolish. You have to go to where the jobs gather, and there are all sorts of complex reasons why they don't distribute evenly across that area that a rational person should not spend time weighing up when they consider whether an iPad might be a useful thing for the train.
In my case, if I made the commute into London on a daily basis, knocking down the distance to this hypothetical US average of 16 miles might save, I think, about a third of the journey time in practice. It would knock off half of the price of a season ticket, which might be useful. But it would add easily 40% to the cost of a house, which is the overriding concern. And even then I'd still buy the iPad for that journey.
People who actually live in London tend to be either very rich or unemployed.
Sincerely, from someone in the third world who has taken UK public transport. You don't.
I don't say this to disparage your message, but hopefully to give some gratitude for the nice things you do have over there.
I found it most amusing how people would get antsy and annoyed when a train was more than 5 minutes late in the UK. For years of me taking South African trains, if there was any delay worth being mad about, it would've been after 2 hours had passed.
And as far as safety is concerned, when every seat is full and there's already very little seat-to-seat distance, the aisle is crammed with people face to back with nothing to hang on to, and the vestibules are all full to the point that people are standing with nothing to support them if the train brakes hard, that is a crammed train. Dangerously so -- indeed, often illegally so.
And this is quite normal, routine and unexceptional at commuter times, and that is not talking about the underground, where it is routine to be packed in to the point that someone's nose is against the window (mine was, yesterday).
I'm sure there are trains elsewhere that are worse. There's nothing I can do about that; it doesn't really change my observation.
(I'm not sure there's a really good point about gratitude here, either, when the people paying for these services where they don't get a seat have to take out substantial loans to afford the annual ticket, whereas you can travel from Cape Town to Johannesburg, with a sleeping car berth, for about 20% more than the amount it costs me to travel an hour into London at off-peak times. But that's a separate point.)
That was the Metra BN line in Chicago when I lived there, at least the rush hour departures at around 5:00pm. I was on a train so full that I could not even fully get into the vestibule, I had to push people in with my body so the door could close behind me. Many times the CTA trains were similarly full.
Generally speaking and especially when compared with trams or buses, mainline trains don't really do "hard" braking, though. Though I concede that the jerk of coming to a full stop with the brakes fully applied (during regular braking drivers and/or the train control system will ease off the brakes before stopping) may be somewhat borderline in terms of keeping your stability.
Also try the Tube in London’s rush hour - more like stuffed in than even crammed in. Full armpit-in-the-face experience.
I've also hung out of Cape Town trains because that's the only way to get on - all doors forced open by commuters so we can get a few more people to work.
That said, I'm going on a few week--mostly recreational--trip in a bit and I'll just take my phone and my iPad. It will be fine for note-taking at the conference I'm attending and I really just want media consumption and a browser on something bigger than my phone for everything else.
An iPad is probably one of my more optional devices but I've gotten almost 10 years out of my current model so it doesn't feel like an unreasonable luxury even if I mostly use it when traveling.
As someone who very much prefers having a physical keyboard, the only workable solution I have found for UK trains is an iPad with the Magic Keyboard, whose cantilever design is relatively shallow, and which provides a firm base for balancing on your legs.
There is no reason this form factor couldn't be achieved with an android tablet, but it feels relatively uncommon. Most keyboard cases I've seen are only really suitable for stable table/desk scenarios.
So cost of an iPad isn't a huge concerns at that point
https://www.thetrainline.com/season-tickets/chelmsford-to-lo...
(Source - worked at Google in Android)
I take the laptop when traveling because who knows what I'll need it for.
Android tablets don’t get any specific APIs or special treatment on Android.
As for the form factor, I do travel with a tablet. More specifically, a 2-in-1 device, with a stylus. An x86 one, though (specifically, Dell Latitude 5290, which has specs like MS Surface, but was 3x cheaper) - because I've learned from experience that iPads and Android tablets are just large phones without the phone call function, and not suitable for any productive use. Meanwhile, my Dell hosts a touchscreen-optimized Windows 10, which hosts a Linux distro, which hosts the actual OS - Emacs.
(I also learned to love the Ribbon. On a 2-in-1, it's very obvious what Microsoft was going for, and why it's a good design - for touchscreens.)
Since then, I've purchased a proper mobile phone, and I transferred my landline home phone over to that SIM card, and it's my main line now. I use my Voice number very rarely.
One of the drawbacks to SIM cards is that you can't really get the phone service mirrored or transferred to a regular computer. Sure, you can "link" the phone if it's nearby, but the service itself stays there.
I've had a number of times where I'd really like to have voice/SMS service on that number available via computer (some people I know are actually creeped out by my having two phone numbers at once), but what can you do.
I haven't traveled since the Before Times anyway, so boarding a plane with devices is the least of my worries.
More for planes than trains though. Most people just read their phone on a train commute.
It’s not a “rich parent” thing, it’s a “this device has actual support from the manufacturer for years” thing. Android tablets are still an afterthought with Samsung the only one bravely attempting to bring large screen support to the OS.
I could similarly just invest in a cheap e-reader device and a physical notepad and it wouldn’t disrupt my studies but I shelled out a little more for a used iPad for the longer than typical device support and because I’m already in the Apple ecosystem.
And as another comment said, iPads are pretty common options here for some people who aren't really power users that essentially want a phone experience, but bigger. I've set up my mom with an iPad + PiHole for home use and she's super happy with it as a video and browsing device that is generally reliable. She does have access to a PC I built as well, but an iPad is much more portable around the house for her (e.g. she needs to follow a recipe while cooking).
That's interesting, for me, any texting (usually via whatsapp or signal) is far, far more convenient on the laptop than on the phone, so far that if I expect a longer response, I'll rather find a place to sit and pull out the laptop than try to type all of it on the phone; and for calling people also videocalls on laptop are more convenient for me than the phone, so again, if it's more than a one-minute conversation, I'll rather put down the phone and call them through the laptop.
But in the US at least, people outside those groups typically don't. I don't think you can (easily) send SMS from a laptop as though it were your phone.
(Yes, it could be argued that the two groups in the first paragraph are actually ONE group, since Apple "texting" is silently-to-the-user shifted to iMessaging, i.e. another app.)
Sure you can--at least with Macs. I do it all the time to both Apple and non-Apple users.
One can do a LOT on Android.
There are days when my phone can do all I need.
I don't know why you'd think that?
I don't want to have to pull out my laptop (or even iPad) for phone calls or to check a quick e-mail.
Obviously there are types of real serious work that can only be done on a laptop.
And then I'm bringing the iPad to read books on, which takes up a lot less space than if the books were physical. It's far nicer reading on the iPad than the other devices.
I have zero complaints. My phone doesn't take space away from anything else, and my laptop+iPad together are slimmer and weigh less than a single laptop did in the pre-Air days. And much less when you consider I no longer bring physical books/magazines.
I used to travel with the first Apple Luggable[0] (and extra lead/acid batteries).
Times have changed.
You make a tradeoff between the extra weight and the convenience of the right tool for the job. None of those devices are all that heavy. It would be very different if they each weighed ten pounds.
I don't want to pull out my iPad or laptop when I need to make a call, or while standing in line.
I don't want to do everything on my phone, I appreciate the larger screen of an tablet or laptop.
When I need to be reachable for work I carry a laptop too -- I'm not allowed to do work on my personal device, but even if I could, I wouldn't, that would mean giving my employer far more control over my personal device than I want to (the same reason I wouldn't use my work laptop for personal use)
I tried to combine both with a Windows tablet, but it was just the worst of both worlds: a slow and needy Windows PC, and a tablet with bad UX, bad apps and poor battery life.
Apple got there by tearing down device barriers. Now …
Carry them all – hardly.
Apple has invested a lot of time and effort into making full continuity across their entire computing ecosystem actually work, which allows the user to pick only one device that is the best poised for the task at hand.
The user can switch devices as they please and carry on on another device from where they left off on the previous one. It is seamless.
Of course, the user can also choose to use all of the devices at the same time if that is what they want or it merely suits them.
Microsoft and Linux ecosystems, however, do not have the same level of completeness and continuity and convenience.
A laptop is a keyboard-oriented device, packing a,lot of computing power. It has the shortest battery life, and requires a desk, or at least a seat, to operate comfortably.
A phone is a handheld device, one which is always on you. It necessarily has a smaller screen, no separate keyboard, and only has a decent battery life because it sleeps most of the time. It can have serious peak performance, but has a hard time sustaining it (ask Ingress players).
An iPad (or another tablet if you feel fancy) is a two-hands device with a good, easy to use touchscreen, and software built around it. It's a natural choice for a graphic artist, for instance. An iPad has a more tolerable onscreen keyboard than a phone. Also its screen is large enough to enjoy movies, etc, so it's a convenient visual media consumption device, more so than a phone. I had laptops with touchscreens; they were fun, but not nearly as handy.
(For the record: I travel with a phone and a Linux laptop.)
A convertible is for sinny days, it has no roof at all, you should use another car on rainy days.
A Smart is a 2 seater for trips to the city, its easy to find parking
And a Hummer is for trips to the countryside, it won't fit into any parking spot in London.
You should buy all three and use the right tool for the job
So why don’t we have a single clothing item that fits every purpose? We had 10 thousands of years to improve on it, yet we use specialized jacket in winter and a swimsuit in the summer for swimming.
Specialization and generalization are fundamental principles we live by, and both can have value, depending on context.
An RV with a bike rack towing a car.
You'd think depending on the person, they'd travel with
EITHER their phone OR their iPad OR their laptop
- The iPad works as a second monitor for a Mac laptop. Great for creative/tech people.
- If people are traveling for work, they are bringing their work laptop which may have corporate lockdown/spyware software installed. Therefore they may not want to or may not be able to use their work laptop as an entertainment device. (Not to be crass, but: watching porn in a hotel room is a pretty common use case)
This is not an onerous load for a airplane carry-on bag. Although, a smaller person or somebody with an injury or disability might feel differently.
At least - thanks to the EU - soon they can all share the same USB-C charger.
It charges pretty much every single device I own at max power.
You need to be logged into the same Apple ID, which is a huge hassle for everybody who has a different Apple ID for personal and work use.
There’s tonnes of Apple features that break because of this. Apple’s view is that there’s a 1:1 correspondence between Apple IDs and people, and everything they do is designed around that fact.
> At least - thanks to the EU - soon they can all share the same USB-C charger.
I have a MacBook Pro, an iPhone, an Android phone, an Apple Watch, an iPad, and AirPods Pro; so I have fairly demanding charging needs.
I have the MagSafe Duo Charger and a Minix Neo P3 to plug into the wall. I have a lightning cable to plug the Duo Charger into the Minix. From there, the Duo Charger can charge both phones, the watch, and the AirPods. I have a USB-C cable I can use to charge the laptop and the iPad from the Neo P3. Obviously I can’t charge absolutely everything simultaneously, but I never need to because most of the batteries last days and I don’t use all the devices simultaneously anyway.
So all of those devices but I just need a wall charger, a Duo and two cables. The “oh no, everything is so complex because Apple refuses to use USB-C” hand wringing is massively overblown. Does it really matter that my iPhone, my AirPods, and my watch don’t have USB-C when all I do to charge them is put them down on a pad when I’m not using them? Sure, my Android phone has a USB-C port, but I charge my iPhone and my Android phone the same way – by putting them down on a pad. What is the EU forcing Apple to add a USB-C port on the iPhone actually achieving for me if I never use the Lightning port on the current models?
Ugh, yeah. Good point. Never had a company that made me have a separate AppleID so I didn't think of it.
It would, of course, be a non-issue if Apple allowed multiple users on iPad :-/
> The “oh no, everything is so complex because Apple refuses to use USB-C” hand wringing is massively overblown.
Yeah. It exclusively comes from non-Apple owners. They never seem to notice that it's not a big deal for people actually living it.
> once you are planning to carry a keyboard.
Apple sells you a keyboard cover, Samsung does, Microsoft does. They are ridiculously expensive for what they are (buy a few HHKBs), but seem very popular.
> at that point.
That is the point. After adding all that, you would expect your tablet to do all that. Hardware wise it totally could, but it is not "allowed to" unless you put a linux VM on it or something.
So you're right that these categories of devices and capabilities are completely artificially imposed at this point, but the question is, why have an iPad at all?
it already is one, just with an OS that locks down its ability to function as one
why would you expect the OS to do that when it could also give the user the option to use the general computing platform as a general computing platform?
so, why would you expect the OS to do that when it could also give the user the option to use the general computing platform as a general computing platform? Just because of marketing? Just because that's what they've always done? Neither are good answers imho
"At least - thanks to the EU - soon they can all share the same USB-C charger."
The EU is basically the guy that at 5am declares that the sun must soon rise or else. By the time the EU decided on their USB-C dictum, Apple -- a co-inventor and standards participant of USB-C -- had switched their laptops fully to USB-C, their desktops to USB-C, and half their pad line to USB-C, with the rest coming not long after. Most people fully expected the 14 to be USB-C just because it was starting to be silly, and by the 15 it would be ridiculous if they still had lightning.
Apple was already switching. Which is exactly why the EU could go ahead and faced little resistance. The EU deserves zero credit.
And FWIW, the EU in 2010 dictated that all smartphones use micro-USB. Apple provided an adapter as they moved their entire line to lightning, thankfully, as micro-USB was a garbage connector in every way.
And they saw it coming, so doing prep work doesn't show they wanted to change.
A big part of the reason people thought Apple would change is because everyone knew these rules were coming.
Also I don't think micro-USB ever got mandated, and 2010 was before lightning even existed.
And given the pin burnout problems I'm not even sure if micro USB is worse than lightning with USB 2.0
Apple moved their laptops to USB-C in 2015. The iPad started switching in 2018. Thunderbolt 3 & 4, created by Apple and Intel use USB-C.
And yes, the EU dictum before was a voluntary agreement, and Apple provided an adapter and then went from the bad 30-pin to the much better lightning. Which is Apple's resistance to the EU saying "this is it...the eternal connector".
2015 was eight years ago. They were actually pretty early to USB-C, setting it up in a couple years, then they waited another couple years without bringing it to iphone, then another, then another.
The evidence was that they were in no rush at all.
And thunderbolt isn't relevant when their phones are still on USB 2.
> Which is Apple's resistance to the EU saying "this is it...the eternal connector".
That is not what the law says. Stop that.
Given that Apple never included usb-c charger with their iPhone, all Apple had accomplished was creating a bunch of soon to be useless usb-c to lighting cable with this extended timeline
I'm personally not as bothered by the number of devices as much as all the forced redundancy. Like the core devices could have 3 desktop quality processors, 13 microphones, 3 selfie cameras, 2 rear cameras, 2-3 cellular modems, etc.
I'd love a design where the phone is my chip, 5g radio and storage. The camera can be worn as a bodycam (for lifestreaming or personal safety) but also docks to the phone. The phone speakers and mics are a 2nd set of airpods you can cycle in to keep them charged (both sets can be docked at once). The tablet is just a bigger screen with extra battery/storage and the phone docks to that. The watch screen is weaker and monochrome so the battery life is better and it keeps the health functions.
Considering how light the iPad is it’s not a big addition to slip in an ipad in your bag.
It's four now, with the smart watch.
With LTE, the smart watch can conveniently replace the phone a lot of the time. But not ALL of the time, so, again, you'll probably be carrying both.
While many people might work entirely from a tablet, or even a Chromebook, you'll run into so many issues that you're better off carrying a laptop to cover all bases. In a pinch, a watch or tablet can pinch-hit for the device they supplement, but using them as a primary device every day gets old really quick.
But I do want to observe that there is really no such thing as a non-technical creative person, and if there were, they would likely have a laptop, because using an iPad to fully replace a specific workflow on a laptop is, as the article suggests, eventually a more complex challenge than using a laptop. If you have one specific creative application to run that means anything it’s likely to need a traditional desktop/laptop OS scenario, because the iPadOS versions are generally still compromised.
The “non-technical person” is an IT industry trope we should retire. Very few such people really exist; people are just “technical” in ways that IT folk don’t recognise. At best it’s a fiction that IT people use to describe those who have the good sense to not care about the minutiae of computers. But in this day and age, no creative person has the opportunity to know nothing about technology.
> people are just “technical” in ways that IT folk don’t recognise.
yes, perhaps they can work an abacus, or throw a javelin, or arrange Skittles by color. Those are all technical, but they aren't what IT folks mean when they say technical vs non-technical, and are mostly useless technical skills in that context (e.g. if FAANG was looking for "technical person", they likely do not need help arranging Skittles)
The bit about the abacus just underscores what I mean. It's derisive.
the term "non-technical" is used because it is useful (notwithstanding your personal interpretation of it to mean "knows literally nothing about any technology"), so what term do you suggest we IT professionals use which conveys the same information in an equal or shorter length? Consider providing people an alternative they think is better if you personally don't like the language they're using, vs. just feeling upset and complaining.
When I say someone is technical I mean this: I could give them instructions that include the words "open a terminal/command prompt" and they would both know what I mean and not be completely freaked out at the idea. If they are non-technical, then they may use several different devices quite successfully but have only the faintest idea how they work under the hood.
Every industry has to make this distinction: an auto mechanic needs to know whether they're talking to someone who understands cars or someone who just drives them. A plumber needs to know whether they are talking to someone who understands plumbing or just knows how to flush a toilet. They may have different words to describe this distinction, but it's an important distinction for the language to have and the word we've settled on in IT is "technical".
There is certainly a lot you can do with an iPad if you have the right apps (I run full-fledged vim, with plugins, inside a-Shell and code Python, Lua, Janet and Guile inside a-Shell or iSH as required). I also dabble in music (plenty of amazingly cheap synth apps), but most people don’t have the patience to try these things out (and Jason Snell’s audio woes are something that runs deeper).
Mine actually has Android on it and had allowed me to leave my iPad at home for some trips.
My Macbook's MagSafe charging cable already plugs into a USB-C charger, so I already only need one charger (but two cables) for my (Android) phone and (Apple) laptop. But, of course, the bureaucrats know better than the customers and engineers.
Btw, from what I've read, Apple is contemplating removing the charging ports from their iPhones completely and going with wireless charging only. So much for banning everything but USB-C charging ports..
You ahve it backwards - you Must include a USB-C chsrging port. No-one is banning you from having additional ports, the EC comission aren't cretins. And so Macbook already complies, I only charge mine from USB-C.
Myself, I've always seen the iPad as a "media consumption device" (despite the amazing Procreate) and never bothered to try to shoehorn it into another role.
My laptop and desktops will remain my primary devices forever I suspect.
This is a white flag in Apple community parlance, not a plea.
I see it that way too, but I also see some confusion in their product line towards "the top". The iPad mini or even a regular iPad makes for a fantastic media consumption device, the only place any other device has those beat is a Kindle for books but that's another conversation. But when it comes to the iPad Pro, I always had a hard time figuring out what Apple's pitch for it was over a Macbook Air. Apple always pitched how portable the iPad Pro was but it's a hard sell when they have the Macbook Air which is smaller. And it's not even a competition in terms of use cases, iPad limits you in some pretty serious ways while the Air (especially with the new M1 processor) can chew through stuff normally reserved for i7's on a desktop. My brother asked me if he should get himself an iPad Pro for work (he's a real-estate agent). I told him outside of the use case of walking around a house and pulling up home plans or something, the Air is kicking the iPad's ass in every single category.
The Air I have is an M1 machine and it is crazy fast and battery frugal.
Fusion 360 is now built for Apple silicon too! Makes the Air a great travel machine!
Nitpick, but I've been using the same usb-c charger for years. Soon they can all share the same cable.
I have a cheap Android tablet but it never leaves my living room. I don't know what people do with tablets while traveling that they couldn't do with their phone just as easily (at least in a non-professional context). The OP certainly didn't get me any closer to an answer!
Other than that, I don't see much extra value for tablets either.
And yet despite the sheer number of USB-C devices I own at all ends of the cost scale, this has only ever happened to my 2017 Macbook Pro.
And on the male side, Apple dutifully makes up for the claimed robustness of the connector by making some of the worst cables.
> And on the male side, Apple dutifully makes up for the claimed robustness of the by making some of the worst cables.
Hahaha
Assuming I know what you are talking about, yes, their cables suck. The plastic/rubber degrades way faster than other cables, turning yellow and eventually splitting open after just a few years.
I’m loving it. It’s been mainly used for video on this trip. Quick web searches and killing time ready a distant second.
It’s a better size for a plane. I’m lucky in that I always have a gentleman in front of me that can pull 2gs pushing his seat back in a seemingly targeted attempt to snap my laptop screen. Not an issue with the middle device. And it is costs hundreds less than my laptop when the flight attendant spills a coffee on it.
That said, you still need a computer to compute. The mid size device is still for consumption. The article makes the case that it’s getting better, but it isn’t there
An iPad + Apple Pencil is amazing for jotting math or CS problems brainstorming, sketching, messing with music ideas, etc. Also great for reading, watching video content on the go, etc.
A laptop is much better at anything typing intensive or coding related.
[0]: https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/13/23507766/apple-app-store...
Apple doesn't have to imagine every use case for their portable devices; they just have to let developers address them. But they don't; Apple BLOCKS any use case it doesn't imagine. When Apple enabled real apps, a lot us expected all kinds of cool applications that involved the phone talking to other devices. I wanted to write a time-lapse controller for cameras.
But NOPE. Apple locked down (and continues to lock down) the I/O port on iOS devices. This will no doubt continue when they finally slap a "USB" port on the rest of their mobile products. It's "USB" because yeah it'll physically be a USB-C and charge through it, but no way are developers going to have access to it.
Apple even cripples its Bluetooth. And of course there's the lack of a user-accessible file system, and the attendant lack of drag-&-drop file transfer between iOS and computer. I scoff at the arrival of video-editing apps on the iPad, when there's no good way to get gigabytes upon gigabytes of footage onto or off of these things. Not to mention the laughable clumsiness of trying to manipulate tiny controls on a touchscreen with your finger (and hand) blocking your view of what you're trying to work on.
And by the time you're done junking these gimped tablets up with a keyboard and pointing device, you have all of these limitations plus the cost and bulk of a MacBook Air. I'd argue you have more "bulk," in that you have a loose collection of crap that you have to carry around (and charge) instead of a tidy computer.
What Apple should have done is enable the Pencil to work on the (defectively) giant trackpads on its computers. Its failure to do so is baffling and unfortunate.
Good luck with that... I've a very nice dell laptop a client gave me to access their network. It uses USB-C (90W) for charging. Recently I had another dell laptop shipped to me by another client for the same purpose. This one too uses USB-C charger, but a 130W one.
A 130W charger had a broken plug so I attempted to use the 90W charger to charge the 130W laptop. You knew w what happened? It started charging and in under a minute it detected this as a "wrong" charger. It stopped charging and it would not boot with the 90W charger plugged in.
So if we can't use USB-C to swap chargers between two very similar devices made by the same manufacturer, what hope is there for having a truly "universal" charger? Yes, the 130W laptop couldn't possibly pull 130W from the 90W charger, but why couldn't it throttle, the cpu? Set the built in gpu to the igpu mode (yes it has both a igpu and another nVidia one)? Sad.
As for travelling with devices. I have been travelling with a laptop + cellphone forever. Few years ago I bought a little "convertible" laptop. I think it originally run windows 7. I installed Linux on it (with xfce desktop). It is essentially a tablet with a power of a laptop and detachable keyboard. I expected the keyboard interface to fail very quickly, but it hasn't. This way I have the convenience to browse the Web on a tablet, or plug the keyboard in and do actual work.
Still quite sad that I couldn't find a "real" replacement for my Fujitsu Stylistic ST-4110 and its transflective display --- the Samsung Galaxy Book 12 was close (but I had to roll it back to 1703 twice, and it lacked a daylight viewable display --- repeat after me, trying to outbright the sun on a battery-powered device is stupid).
When it was time to replace my GB12 I bought Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, which unfortunately is too large for my sling bag, and still doesn't have a daylight viewable display, but it has a stylus (which I have to toggle between modes depending on which program I'm using).
I feel like at least some of these can be consolidated and the only reason they're not is because of arbitrary limits. I don't see any reason the ipad can't be more open like a laptop as well as operate as a phone (some android tablets can). You could use the watch as your "notifications and reach me asap" device.
But overall I always end up overpacking just because of being afraid of needing something I don't have.
I do try to buy the lightest and smallest version of every device. The steamdeck is honestly the most unwieldly device I carry around. Everything else fits without a problem in my messenger bag.
> This is the fundamental difference between the Mac (a platform that basically lets developers and users do anything they want) and the iPad (where if Apple doesn’t specifically allow it, it can’t be done).
Apple (since Lisa/Mac, after Apple II, which had an open architecture) likes appliances and to control the user experience, so the iPad is "more Apple" than Macs are.
Whenever I am waiting at airports, I have to grin at how much stuff people are carrying nowadays: it's not 2, it's 3 full-blown computing devices. First there was the mobile phone (which then just a device to call), then came the laptop, then the mobile phone became a computer with the iPhone and Android, and finally, the iPad appeared to fill a middle position. You'd think depending on the person, they'd travel with EITHER their phone OR their iPad OR their laptop, depending on whether they are private people, non-technical "creatives" or IT/technical/dev folks, but instead, everybody appears to be travelling with ALL THREE devices instead. That's because - as stated in the article - there are known limit, or people are worried that they may need all devices for particular use cases or data kept on them.
At least - thanks to the EU - soon they can all share the same USB-C charger.
I tried working with an iPad (and later iPad Pro) but eventually got back to a Ubuntu Linux laptop (ThinkPad X1 Nano), which at 970 grams is also lighter than my iPad Pro 10".