Re:iPad, Surface, Ultrabook: Are we there yet?
by rayiner on Saturday January 05, 2013 @09:47AM
(#5012738)
I recently tried an experiment in downsizing everything to an iPad. On one hand, an iPad + good keyboard cover (e.g. Zagg Keys Pro) makes for a very capable machine. You have to adopt a less schizophrenic workflow, but the basics are all there: e-mail correspondence, reading documents, light composition/editing of documents, etc.
On the other hand, it's not a super enjoyable platform for programming just yet. Emacs-ing into an AWS account works great, but the 10" isn't big enough for two buffers side-by-side. A 13" screen is just perfect for two 80x25 buffers.
I ended up getting an Air to supplement. It doesn't replace my iPad--reading and marking up PDF's (which I do a lot while researching cases) is just a joy on an iPad between the Retina display and touch manipulation.
This arrangement doesn't achieve the dream of consolidation, but: 1) together they're no heavier than my 13" MBP; 2) it's super handy to have the second screen.
I'm not thrilled about the combo devices. They all involve substantial compromises, which is why I assume Apple has stayed away so far. And as a practical matter, I think a 3 pound MBA + 1.5 pound iPad, with a combined 16+ hours of WiFi-enabled battery life, is more manageable in practice than a 3.5 pound convertible with 4-5 hours of battery life.
Out of the combo devices, I think the dockables actually have the most promise, though there isn't a good one yet. I'd love to see something like the Asus TF810C (dockable Clovertrail Windows 8 machine), except without the garish spun metal backing and with a Retina-class display: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/en_US/pd/ThemeID....
On the other hand, it's not a super enjoyable platform for programming just yet. Emacs-ing into an AWS account works great, but the 10" isn't big enough for two buffers side-by-side. A 13" screen is just perfect for two 80x25 buffers.
I ended up getting an Air to supplement. It doesn't replace my iPad--reading and marking up PDF's (which I do a lot while researching cases) is just a joy on an iPad between the Retina display and touch manipulation.
This arrangement doesn't achieve the dream of consolidation, but: 1) together they're no heavier than my 13" MBP; 2) it's super handy to have the second screen.
I'm not thrilled about the combo devices. They all involve substantial compromises, which is why I assume Apple has stayed away so far. And as a practical matter, I think a 3 pound MBA + 1.5 pound iPad, with a combined 16+ hours of WiFi-enabled battery life, is more manageable in practice than a 3.5 pound convertible with 4-5 hours of battery life.
Out of the combo devices, I think the dockables actually have the most promise, though there isn't a good one yet. I'd love to see something like the Asus TF810C (dockable Clovertrail Windows 8 machine), except without the garish spun metal backing and with a Retina-class display: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/en_US/pd/ThemeID....