15 ms·

The weird part for me is that everyone I know who tried an iPad for getting work done (ie: PROfessionals) gave up on it. iOS is simply not geared towards produ

by qyv 11y ago

The weird part for me is that everyone I know who tried an iPad for getting work done (ie: PROfessionals) gave up on it. iOS is simply not geared towards productivity nor content creation, it is a consumption device. The surface pro is the exact opposite, it is a machine that works for getting shit done on the go (for some people, not all obviously).

seanmcdirmid 11y ago
The starbucks full of students typing out reports on iPads with bluetooth keyboards begs to differ. I mean, obviousy, you can't do all work on an iPad, but for a certain class of "work" it works fine.
- qyv 11y ago
  Of course. And don't get me wrong, the iPad is far from worthless and Apple is far from Trivial in the space. The point is that Apple is no longer the leader/innovator in the space. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think that a lot of iOS devices get sold on intangibles rather than concrete benefits or capabilities. Apple has created tremendous value in these intangibles by being so awesome/innovative/ahead for the last 8 years, that has created a tremendous amount of loyalty in iOS users and sells a LOT of iOS devices every single generation despite the substantial (to most people) costs. People who depend on tech to make their living (often) require more than intangible benefits, and the competition has now caught/surpassed them as far as tech goes, and usually for a lower price.
  - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
    I don't see where the competition is coming from. Samsung? Google? Xiaomi? Outside of Microsoft (disclosure: MS employee), I don't see much competition for Apple in the innovative premium tablet space. They still execute well in the phone space, watch seems to be shaping up fine, they are still the only PC maker that is known for producing PCs that can last. The costs don't seem too off from the competition, unless we are talking about Xiaomi or Lenovo, but then the tradeoffs are obvious (no longer in the premium space). I do see Apple slowing down a bit in innovation. I mean, if iPad Pro was released last year (stylus, yeh!), I might have bought it, but the Surface 3 came out instead, which is quite decent (I won't go SP3 because of the fan). But Apple is still executing well, they aren't making many mistakes. They have built up a loyal fanbase and haven't done anything to betray them yet. People who depend on tech are usually about the shiny more than normal consumers, who just want to get what they need done. The rabid irrational Apple fanboy isn't grandma, no, it is the young kid working in tech.
    - reilly3000 11y ago
      I'm stoked for the fanless SP4. I wonder if there will be Ubuntu drivers for the pen.
    - wutbrodo 11y ago
      > People who depend on tech are usually about the shiny more than normal consumers, who just want to get what they need done. The rabid irrational Apple fanboy isn't grandma, no, it is the young kid working in tech. This may perhaps reflect the different professional subcultures we're around, but IME "people who depend on tech" are _less_ prone to this (not necessarily the rabid fanboying but the equivalent effect). I think you're underestimating the effect that an unwillingness to do (relatively) in-depth research has on the purchasing decisions of "normal consumers". I.e., "wanting what they need to get done" is a wonderful wish, but it's somewhat meaningless when decoupled from knowing the differences/capabilities of each device. I don't think it's controversial to say that normal consumers put much much more faith in the wisdom of the crowds, and (if they can afford it), Apple products are the beginning and end of their search. The fact that "Android" or even "high-end Android" isn't a cohesive brand to the casual observer means that iPhones seem like a plurality of their cursory data set, even when it's not the majority (which, at least in the US, is pretty often). Even in 2015, I have people asking me in slightly shocked tones why I don't use an iPhone, and their certainty is always based entirely on social proof (they generally have no knowledge about whatever is I happen to be using).
      - computerjunkie 11y ago
        I have people asking me in slightly shocked tones why I don't use an iPhone, and their certainty is always based entirely on social proof I cannot count the amount of times I have experienced this phenomena. A couple of years ago, when I first got an android phone, I remember someone say "Ha, you don't have an iPhone, your poor!"... the content of the comment didn't really disturb me, what did was the reasoning which lead the person to generate such a perspective.
    - jlebar 11y ago
      > Outside of Microsoft (disclosure: MS employee), I don't see much competition for Apple in the innovative premium tablet space. Care to break down Apple vs. Microsoft's revenues in tablets? I can't imagine it's within two orders of magnitude, at which point I'd hardly say that Microsoft counts as competition. But maybe I'm wrong about the numbers. (Granted, you said "pro tablets". I doubt we can get numbers on that, but I think the relevant distinction is "tablets used for work" rather than "tablets with XYZ specs", and in that space too I suspect without data that Apple is far and beyond the leader in terms of revenue.)
  - peteretep 11y ago
    From the top... > iPad is far from worthless and Apple is far from > Trivial in the space Far from trivial doesn't really capture a device that combines being the most expensive with a 75% market share in the US[0] and where US tablet ownership among internet users is 54%[1]. > The point is that Apple is no longer the leader/innovator in > the space Oooh, is there (yet another) new iPhone killer out again this month? > People who depend on tech to make their living (often) require > more than intangible benefits, and the competition has now > caught/surpassed them as far as tech goes Those silver rectanges with the pretty apple logo on them have absolutely dominated every single developer event I've been at in recent memory. [0] https://chitika.com/insights/2014/q4-tablet-update https://chitika.com/insights/2014/q4-tablet-update [1] https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/tablet-ownership-highest-in-north-america https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/tablet-ownership-highest...
    - wutbrodo 11y ago
      Note: I'm not taking a position on the actual capability of iPads in the professional space, but this comment is a masterstroke in setting up strawmen and bravely knocking them down. I'm not the parent commenter, but from the top... > Far from trivial doesn't really capture a device that combines being the most expensive with a 75% market share in the US[0] and where US tablet ownership among internet users is 54%[1]. As hinted at by the first part of the sentence you're responding to, this thread is talking about the quality of iOS devices for professional work, not their popularity. > Oooh, is there (yet another) new iPhone killer out again this month? The snark here handily hides the lack of substance: once again, the reason there's no iPhone-killer (and I don't anticipate there being one for some time) is a different question from whether there's an alternative better-suited to professional work.
  - acchow 11y ago
    "The point is that Apple is no longer the leader/innovator in the space" But Apple never created new product categories successfully in the past. People bought Macs in lieu of PC's; iPods in lieu of Discmans/minidisc/other MP3 players; iPhones in lieu of flip phones, candy bars, or blackberries. They tried to create a new product category with the iPad and get people who don't own a computer to buy one (or buy one in addition to their normal computer purchases). It's been mildly successful so far, but sales have been falling. Apple should probably stick with replacing existing product categories with a well-designed, premium alternative.
- ams6110 11y ago
  Thanks to Google Docs/Sheets?
- randyrand 11y ago
  The most annoying bit related to getting real work done on iOS is how long it takes to switch apps. Switching from one app to the other should be 1 click if you want to get serious work done. This is how windows and the surface work. 1 click. A taskbar at the bottom. It works. The current iOS takes 2 clicks, a swipe, and a tap. Unacceptable for multiasking. Now that iIOS has multitasking it changes in an important way. I wonder if it can be a productivity device now. But its still not great when it comes to balancing more than 2 apps.
  - ronyeh 11y ago
    It's a bit of a hidden feature, but for 4 years, iOS has had multitasking gestures. http://www.macworld.com/article/1163019/ios_5_new_gestures.html http://www.macworld.com/article/1163019/ios_5_new_gestures.h... If you swipe with four fingers to the left or right, you can move between your two most recent apps. Hopefully iOS9 will make "multi-tasking" even easier.
    - caipre 11y ago
      *On iPad. This gesture does nothing on my iPhone 5s running iOS 9.
      - simonh 11y ago
        True, it is iPad only. To be fair, it's a bit of a struggle for me to even get 4 fingers on 5s at the same time, let alone swipe them, but it would be handy on my 6+. I use swiping to switch apps on my iPad heavily. It revolutionized how I use the device.
    - e28eta 11y ago
      I find the swipe and pinch gestures essential. I think I heard at WWDC that iOS 9 adds support for command-tab, which goes great with a hardware keyboard.
  - CardenB 11y ago
    You can also alt-tab if you have a keyboard
bobajeff 11y ago
My dad loves his iPad he got one with a keyboard cover. I think he does everything he can on it. Before that he got a bulky Vista laptop that was on sale. He said that he felt silly walking around the airport with it when everyone else had some light tablet.
numbsafari 11y ago
Yeah, I'm with the other commenter. I would still be using my iPad for development, except for the fact that I found the 9.5" screen to be just too limiting. The other reason was that all the bluetooth keyboards require a separate cable for charging, which I hate. The larger screen and the fact that they keyboard cover is powered by the tablet itself makes this super compelling. Not for my "every day development" machine, but for use on road trips or so I can go spend some time in the middle of the woods without a full-sized laptop in tow. Also, the updated screen tech for the pencil hopefully means I don't need to buy a separate Wacom tablet.
- fumar 11y ago
  Interesting to hear a user not interested in the angle of the screen. This is something that is a big concern for productivity focused sessions on any device. Mainly comfort and posture come to mind, but I also think viewability is worth mentioning. It is one of the reasons why monitors tilt. It looks like the the iPad Pro is limited to one angle when the keyboard is in use. I am curious to see how consumers deal with the first-gen and how apple will solve this going forward.
- fillskills 11y ago
  May I ask what kind of development tools are available on the ipad? What is the dev workflow? I am very interested in this and hope this becomes more and more common as tablets evolve to support development. But havent seen anything serious enough yet.
  - tammer 11y ago
    Working Copy[1] is the first app I've seen to come along and really change the situation. A pretty glaring limitation of previous solutions was reliance on SSH for git control. Working Copy provides a great subset of git tools graphically. It's got a great editor, and lets you bounce files into any editor you please to be committed when appropriate. Coda[2] for iOS is also very compelling for a number of tasks, most importantly web development with a live preview. Editorial[3] is worth mentioning as well for it's deep customizability and scriptability. So, the workflow is still pretty reliant on a desktop or VPS somewhere but the tools are becoming much cleaner and more integrated along the newer app communication features of iOS. [1]: http://workingcopyapp.com http://workingcopyapp.com [2]: https://panic.com/coda-ios/ https://panic.com/coda-ios/ [3]: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/editorial/id673907758?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/editorial/id673907758?mt=8
code_sterling 11y ago
If there were a fully functional iTerm2 port with the capability to remap caps to escape on a Bluetooth keyboard, I'd never need a laptop again.
- _Ogre 11y ago
  Coda is very nice and comes very close to being my perfect remote admin app. Keyboard support is arguably the one weak spot though.
- x0 11y ago
  iTerm2, goddamn. It's the reason I use OS X.
- x0 11y ago
  iTerm2, goddamn. It's the reason I use OS X.
cezarywojcik 11y ago
I got a Surface Pro 3 almost exclusively for using OneNote on it. It's pretty great for that, but having Windows in the way was sometimes annoying. The Surface is capable of a lot more than I do with it, but I have my MacBook for everything that isn't handwriting. The iPad Pro is exactly what I wanted - a device for writing down notes, sketching designs, and doing so seamlessly without the "bloat" of a full OS in the way.
- Bjartr 11y ago
  Microsoft tried to make something for that market with their WinRT surface tablets, the market responded with chirping crickets.
  - 72deluxe 11y ago
    True, but I think the problem was that the WinRT looked like ordinary Windows but couldn't run any of the applications that people put on them (x86 binaries). Plus, it was competing against another form of itself (the Pro) in a squashed market anyway (Android gazillion models + iPad), where people typically saw tablets as a consumption device (I could be wrong, but my dad still dislikes my mum's iPad and will go to his laptop to do anything any day). So WinRT and SurfaceRT struggled. My sister bought one and liked it though.
    - dogma1138 11y ago
      X86 wasn't there then it is there now the non-Pro Surfaces don't run WindowsRT anymore and they are very cheap for what they offer and unless you actually run Photoshop then there's also very little reason to get the Pro these days.
- greendestiny 11y ago
  I think this is the angle of attack that Apple is taking here. They want to catch up to the handwriting and sketching abilities of Surface, but they don't want a hybrid OS. In a lot of ways the Surface is a laptop with a detachable keyboard and the OS and eco system is still based on that. Apple wants their eco system to develop from a clean touch OS base into productivity areas. Having said that, they are really lagging in this area and the momentum has shifted well away from iPads in the business world. The Surface might beat the iPad pro, but I do wonder if the either will be the future of productivity compared with a laptop and a tablet.
rayalez 11y ago
I use my iPad for content creation every day and it's fantastic. Editorial is perfect for writing and blogging. Procreate is awesome for painting(of course it's not PS+Wacom, but it is surprisingly good). I can use Recorder to record audio for my videos. And Pinnacle Studio is a surprisingly awesome for editing videos. Maybe they don't exactly compete with pro tools available for mac and pc, but they are amazing. And Pinnacle/Procreate totally crush everything available on Linux(for my purposes).
- osxrand 11y ago
  Editorial is a fantastic app, as is procreate, use both of those constantly. The first iPad mini with editorial took over from all my other computers for writing, well everything. From notes, to scripts for clients servers, it just took over. Being able to quickly sketch, or take a photo of something and add notes too it quickly is super handy.
Spooky23 11y ago
You're the wrong kind of user. I do end user architecture in a large enterprise, we ran into this with a lot of early adopters. People who are mobile (as in floating around an office or travel) whose job tasks are easily attributable to specific applications are very happy with iPads. Ideally, the number of applications they use every day on a traditional PC is less than 5. Examples: Sales, Executives, auditors, policemen, medical professionals, case workers. We had one group of auditors who literally sent my team a $200 fruit basket in appreciation for their iPads. The card said something like "You changed our lives. Thank you!" Executives spend 95% of their day in mail or approving things... again, perfect use case as long as that workflow doesn't require IE6 :) If you're a consultant, whose specific tasks may change day to day, a full-stack devops guy using any of 15 tools, or a professional writer churning out copy, than an iPad doesn't work. That's ok... a $500 nailgun doesn't make sense for hanging a picture. We have the luxury of choosing tools these days... in 1999, mobile == 12 lb laptop with cable!
- bduerst 11y ago
  Have those users also used a surface pro or a chromebook? I'm wondering if they're just happy to have an extra tablet device or if they have a frame of reference.
  - Spooky23 11y ago
    Key parts of our stack(s) won't work with Chromebook, so didn't go that route. I haven't seen anyone, including Microsoft badged people, using a Surface Pro as anything but a nice laptop.
    - aalbertson 11y ago
      neteng where I work uses one with an external wifi adapter to test our wifi infra.
  - Spooky23 11y ago
    Key parts of our stack(s) won't work with Chromebook, so didn't go that route. I haven't seen anyone, including Microsoft badged people, using a Surface Pro as anything but a nice laptop.
jpalomaki 11y ago
Surface Pro is nice since you can run all the existing enterprise apps, but how many of those apps will offer great user experience on tables? Apple is kind of forcing companies to create apps specifically for the tablet use. Obviously there is nothing preventing companies from creating new tablet version of apps for surface as well, but there might be a problem with the corporate "if it works, you won't get a budget to fix it" thinking.

by qyv 11y ago

seanmcdirmid 11y ago

The starbucks full of students typing out reports on iPads with bluetooth keyboards begs to differ. I mean, obviousy, you can't do all work on an iPad, but for a certain class of "work" it works fine.

qyv 11y ago
Of course. And don't get me wrong, the iPad is far from worthless and Apple is far from Trivial in the space. The point is that Apple is no longer the leader/innovator in the space. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think that a lot of iOS devices get sold on intangibles rather than concrete benefits or capabilities. Apple has created tremendous value in these intangibles by being so awesome/innovative/ahead for the last 8 years, that has created a tremendous amount of loyalty in iOS users and sells a LOT of iOS devices every single generation despite the substantial (to most people) costs. People who depend on tech to make their living (often) require more than intangible benefits, and the competition has now caught/surpassed them as far as tech goes, and usually for a lower price.
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  I don't see where the competition is coming from. Samsung? Google? Xiaomi? Outside of Microsoft (disclosure: MS employee), I don't see much competition for Apple in the innovative premium tablet space. They still execute well in the phone space, watch seems to be shaping up fine, they are still the only PC maker that is known for producing PCs that can last. The costs don't seem too off from the competition, unless we are talking about Xiaomi or Lenovo, but then the tradeoffs are obvious (no longer in the premium space). I do see Apple slowing down a bit in innovation. I mean, if iPad Pro was released last year (stylus, yeh!), I might have bought it, but the Surface 3 came out instead, which is quite decent (I won't go SP3 because of the fan). But Apple is still executing well, they aren't making many mistakes. They have built up a loyal fanbase and haven't done anything to betray them yet. People who depend on tech are usually about the shiny more than normal consumers, who just want to get what they need done. The rabid irrational Apple fanboy isn't grandma, no, it is the young kid working in tech.
  - reilly3000 11y ago
    I'm stoked for the fanless SP4. I wonder if there will be Ubuntu drivers for the pen.
  - wutbrodo 11y ago
    > People who depend on tech are usually about the shiny more than normal consumers, who just want to get what they need done. The rabid irrational Apple fanboy isn't grandma, no, it is the young kid working in tech. This may perhaps reflect the different professional subcultures we're around, but IME "people who depend on tech" are _less_ prone to this (not necessarily the rabid fanboying but the equivalent effect). I think you're underestimating the effect that an unwillingness to do (relatively) in-depth research has on the purchasing decisions of "normal consumers". I.e., "wanting what they need to get done" is a wonderful wish, but it's somewhat meaningless when decoupled from knowing the differences/capabilities of each device. I don't think it's controversial to say that normal consumers put much much more faith in the wisdom of the crowds, and (if they can afford it), Apple products are the beginning and end of their search. The fact that "Android" or even "high-end Android" isn't a cohesive brand to the casual observer means that iPhones seem like a plurality of their cursory data set, even when it's not the majority (which, at least in the US, is pretty often). Even in 2015, I have people asking me in slightly shocked tones why I don't use an iPhone, and their certainty is always based entirely on social proof (they generally have no knowledge about whatever is I happen to be using).
    - computerjunkie 11y ago
      I have people asking me in slightly shocked tones why I don't use an iPhone, and their certainty is always based entirely on social proof I cannot count the amount of times I have experienced this phenomena. A couple of years ago, when I first got an android phone, I remember someone say "Ha, you don't have an iPhone, your poor!"... the content of the comment didn't really disturb me, what did was the reasoning which lead the person to generate such a perspective.
  - jlebar 11y ago
    > Outside of Microsoft (disclosure: MS employee), I don't see much competition for Apple in the innovative premium tablet space. Care to break down Apple vs. Microsoft's revenues in tablets? I can't imagine it's within two orders of magnitude, at which point I'd hardly say that Microsoft counts as competition. But maybe I'm wrong about the numbers. (Granted, you said "pro tablets". I doubt we can get numbers on that, but I think the relevant distinction is "tablets used for work" rather than "tablets with XYZ specs", and in that space too I suspect without data that Apple is far and beyond the leader in terms of revenue.)
- peteretep 11y ago
  From the top... > iPad is far from worthless and Apple is far from > Trivial in the space Far from trivial doesn't really capture a device that combines being the most expensive with a 75% market share in the US[0] and where US tablet ownership among internet users is 54%[1]. > The point is that Apple is no longer the leader/innovator in > the space Oooh, is there (yet another) new iPhone killer out again this month? > People who depend on tech to make their living (often) require > more than intangible benefits, and the competition has now > caught/surpassed them as far as tech goes Those silver rectanges with the pretty apple logo on them have absolutely dominated every single developer event I've been at in recent memory. [0] https://chitika.com/insights/2014/q4-tablet-update https://chitika.com/insights/2014/q4-tablet-update [1] https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/tablet-ownership-highest-in-north-america https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/tablet-ownership-highest...
  - wutbrodo 11y ago
    Note: I'm not taking a position on the actual capability of iPads in the professional space, but this comment is a masterstroke in setting up strawmen and bravely knocking them down. I'm not the parent commenter, but from the top... > Far from trivial doesn't really capture a device that combines being the most expensive with a 75% market share in the US[0] and where US tablet ownership among internet users is 54%[1]. As hinted at by the first part of the sentence you're responding to, this thread is talking about the quality of iOS devices for professional work, not their popularity. > Oooh, is there (yet another) new iPhone killer out again this month? The snark here handily hides the lack of substance: once again, the reason there's no iPhone-killer (and I don't anticipate there being one for some time) is a different question from whether there's an alternative better-suited to professional work.
- acchow 11y ago
  "The point is that Apple is no longer the leader/innovator in the space" But Apple never created new product categories successfully in the past. People bought Macs in lieu of PC's; iPods in lieu of Discmans/minidisc/other MP3 players; iPhones in lieu of flip phones, candy bars, or blackberries. They tried to create a new product category with the iPad and get people who don't own a computer to buy one (or buy one in addition to their normal computer purchases). It's been mildly successful so far, but sales have been falling. Apple should probably stick with replacing existing product categories with a well-designed, premium alternative.
ams6110 11y ago
Thanks to Google Docs/Sheets?
randyrand 11y ago
The most annoying bit related to getting real work done on iOS is how long it takes to switch apps. Switching from one app to the other should be 1 click if you want to get serious work done. This is how windows and the surface work. 1 click. A taskbar at the bottom. It works. The current iOS takes 2 clicks, a swipe, and a tap. Unacceptable for multiasking. Now that iIOS has multitasking it changes in an important way. I wonder if it can be a productivity device now. But its still not great when it comes to balancing more than 2 apps.
- ronyeh 11y ago
  It's a bit of a hidden feature, but for 4 years, iOS has had multitasking gestures. http://www.macworld.com/article/1163019/ios_5_new_gestures.html http://www.macworld.com/article/1163019/ios_5_new_gestures.h... If you swipe with four fingers to the left or right, you can move between your two most recent apps. Hopefully iOS9 will make "multi-tasking" even easier.
  - caipre 11y ago
    *On iPad. This gesture does nothing on my iPhone 5s running iOS 9.
    - simonh 11y ago
      True, it is iPad only. To be fair, it's a bit of a struggle for me to even get 4 fingers on 5s at the same time, let alone swipe them, but it would be handy on my 6+. I use swiping to switch apps on my iPad heavily. It revolutionized how I use the device.
  - e28eta 11y ago
    I find the swipe and pinch gestures essential. I think I heard at WWDC that iOS 9 adds support for command-tab, which goes great with a hardware keyboard.
- CardenB 11y ago
  You can also alt-tab if you have a keyboard

bobajeff 11y ago

My dad loves his iPad he got one with a keyboard cover. I think he does everything he can on it. Before that he got a bulky Vista laptop that was on sale. He said that he felt silly walking around the airport with it when everyone else had some light tablet.

numbsafari 11y ago

Yeah, I'm with the other commenter. I would still be using my iPad for development, except for the fact that I found the 9.5" screen to be just too limiting. The other reason was that all the bluetooth keyboards require a separate cable for charging, which I hate. The larger screen and the fact that they keyboard cover is powered by the tablet itself makes this super compelling. Not for my "every day development" machine, but for use on road trips or so I can go spend some time in the middle of the woods without a full-sized laptop in tow. Also, the updated screen tech for the pencil hopefully means I don't need to buy a separate Wacom tablet.

fumar 11y ago
Interesting to hear a user not interested in the angle of the screen. This is something that is a big concern for productivity focused sessions on any device. Mainly comfort and posture come to mind, but I also think viewability is worth mentioning. It is one of the reasons why monitors tilt. It looks like the the iPad Pro is limited to one angle when the keyboard is in use. I am curious to see how consumers deal with the first-gen and how apple will solve this going forward.
fillskills 11y ago
May I ask what kind of development tools are available on the ipad? What is the dev workflow? I am very interested in this and hope this becomes more and more common as tablets evolve to support development. But havent seen anything serious enough yet.
- tammer 11y ago
  Working Copy[1] is the first app I've seen to come along and really change the situation. A pretty glaring limitation of previous solutions was reliance on SSH for git control. Working Copy provides a great subset of git tools graphically. It's got a great editor, and lets you bounce files into any editor you please to be committed when appropriate. Coda[2] for iOS is also very compelling for a number of tasks, most importantly web development with a live preview. Editorial[3] is worth mentioning as well for it's deep customizability and scriptability. So, the workflow is still pretty reliant on a desktop or VPS somewhere but the tools are becoming much cleaner and more integrated along the newer app communication features of iOS. [1]: http://workingcopyapp.com http://workingcopyapp.com [2]: https://panic.com/coda-ios/ https://panic.com/coda-ios/ [3]: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/editorial/id673907758?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/editorial/id673907758?mt=8

code_sterling 11y ago

If there were a fully functional iTerm2 port with the capability to remap caps to escape on a Bluetooth keyboard, I'd never need a laptop again.

_Ogre 11y ago
Coda is very nice and comes very close to being my perfect remote admin app. Keyboard support is arguably the one weak spot though.
x0 11y ago
iTerm2, goddamn. It's the reason I use OS X.
x0 11y ago
iTerm2, goddamn. It's the reason I use OS X.

cezarywojcik 11y ago

I got a Surface Pro 3 almost exclusively for using OneNote on it. It's pretty great for that, but having Windows in the way was sometimes annoying. The Surface is capable of a lot more than I do with it, but I have my MacBook for everything that isn't handwriting. The iPad Pro is exactly what I wanted - a device for writing down notes, sketching designs, and doing so seamlessly without the "bloat" of a full OS in the way.

Bjartr 11y ago
Microsoft tried to make something for that market with their WinRT surface tablets, the market responded with chirping crickets.
- 72deluxe 11y ago
  True, but I think the problem was that the WinRT looked like ordinary Windows but couldn't run any of the applications that people put on them (x86 binaries). Plus, it was competing against another form of itself (the Pro) in a squashed market anyway (Android gazillion models + iPad), where people typically saw tablets as a consumption device (I could be wrong, but my dad still dislikes my mum's iPad and will go to his laptop to do anything any day). So WinRT and SurfaceRT struggled. My sister bought one and liked it though.
  - dogma1138 11y ago
    X86 wasn't there then it is there now the non-Pro Surfaces don't run WindowsRT anymore and they are very cheap for what they offer and unless you actually run Photoshop then there's also very little reason to get the Pro these days.
greendestiny 11y ago
I think this is the angle of attack that Apple is taking here. They want to catch up to the handwriting and sketching abilities of Surface, but they don't want a hybrid OS. In a lot of ways the Surface is a laptop with a detachable keyboard and the OS and eco system is still based on that. Apple wants their eco system to develop from a clean touch OS base into productivity areas. Having said that, they are really lagging in this area and the momentum has shifted well away from iPads in the business world. The Surface might beat the iPad pro, but I do wonder if the either will be the future of productivity compared with a laptop and a tablet.

rayalez 11y ago

I use my iPad for content creation every day and it's fantastic. Editorial is perfect for writing and blogging. Procreate is awesome for painting(of course it's not PS+Wacom, but it is surprisingly good). I can use Recorder to record audio for my videos. And Pinnacle Studio is a surprisingly awesome for editing videos. Maybe they don't exactly compete with pro tools available for mac and pc, but they are amazing. And Pinnacle/Procreate totally crush everything available on Linux(for my purposes).

osxrand 11y ago
Editorial is a fantastic app, as is procreate, use both of those constantly. The first iPad mini with editorial took over from all my other computers for writing, well everything. From notes, to scripts for clients servers, it just took over. Being able to quickly sketch, or take a photo of something and add notes too it quickly is super handy.

Spooky23 11y ago

You're the wrong kind of user. I do end user architecture in a large enterprise, we ran into this with a lot of early adopters. People who are mobile (as in floating around an office or travel) whose job tasks are easily attributable to specific applications are very happy with iPads. Ideally, the number of applications they use every day on a traditional PC is less than 5. Examples: Sales, Executives, auditors, policemen, medical professionals, case workers. We had one group of auditors who literally sent my team a $200 fruit basket in appreciation for their iPads. The card said something like "You changed our lives. Thank you!" Executives spend 95% of their day in mail or approving things... again, perfect use case as long as that workflow doesn't require IE6 :) If you're a consultant, whose specific tasks may change day to day, a full-stack devops guy using any of 15 tools, or a professional writer churning out copy, than an iPad doesn't work. That's ok... a $500 nailgun doesn't make sense for hanging a picture. We have the luxury of choosing tools these days... in 1999, mobile == 12 lb laptop with cable!

bduerst 11y ago
Have those users also used a surface pro or a chromebook? I'm wondering if they're just happy to have an extra tablet device or if they have a frame of reference.
- Spooky23 11y ago
  Key parts of our stack(s) won't work with Chromebook, so didn't go that route. I haven't seen anyone, including Microsoft badged people, using a Surface Pro as anything but a nice laptop.
  - aalbertson 11y ago
    neteng where I work uses one with an external wifi adapter to test our wifi infra.
- Spooky23 11y ago
  Key parts of our stack(s) won't work with Chromebook, so didn't go that route. I haven't seen anyone, including Microsoft badged people, using a Surface Pro as anything but a nice laptop.

jpalomaki 11y ago

Surface Pro is nice since you can run all the existing enterprise apps, but how many of those apps will offer great user experience on tables? Apple is kind of forcing companies to create apps specifically for the tablet use. Obviously there is nothing preventing companies from creating new tablet version of apps for surface as well, but there might be a problem with the corporate "if it works, you won't get a budget to fix it" thinking.