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Power users are people who take multiple software tools and play them like the conductor of an orchestra, crafting from them a powerful metatool with the combin

by SiVal 11y ago

Power users are people who take multiple software tools and play them like the conductor of an orchestra, crafting from them a powerful metatool with the combined features of all, often with gap fillers and automators, such as shell scripts, AppleScript, cron jobs, Apple Automation, etc. They tend to apply dynamic subsets of this power tool to "projects", kept in "project folders", containing images downloaded with one tool, edited with another, graphics generated in a third, code edited in another, marketing docs written in yet another, data fetched by a script to be opened by a spreadsheet app, turned into a chart and combined with the marketing doc into a PDF-based presentation.... And Apple builds some hardware that would be great for adding powers to the metatool (quick, finger-drawn sketches turn into useful charts to be merged into some other doc with layout manipulated by hand...) but Apple's position is that their target customers are really far too...limited to be able to understand hard stuff like "folders" or how to even find their files after plugging a thumb drive into a USB port, so no folders, no USB, no confusing "orchestra", just sit back, poke an app button and buy something from one of our nice stores (you understand shopping, don't you? Poke the button), notice how thin it is, poke an app button and watch a nice video, notice what a nice shade of pink, uh, "rose gold" it is, poke an app button and distract yourself with FaceBook, express and opinion about a celebrity and, since we're always adding new ways to buy things, maybe treat yourself and buy something extra.... It has worked wonders for them financially, so I can't fault their logic (bemoan it, yes, but not fault it), but this is no equivalent of a power user OS with a real file system.

moftz 11y ago
If a power user needs to do all of these things, chances are they aren't going to even think of trying to do this all on a tablet ala iPad. People use tablets to do simple tasks (check email, browse web, basic photo/doc editing, etc) that don't require something at least as big as a laptop. It's supposed to be a simple environment for doing simple tasks quickly. It's meant for people wanting a device that Just Works (TM) without getting bogged down in trying to get App A working with App B with App C with App D. This really is a non-issue and will always be one. If you need to do some heavy work, do it on a laptop. You can buy tons of different laptops now that are very thin and don't take up much more room in your backpack than a tablet would. If you need any more power, then rent a compile server. There is always going to be a cost for having a portable device, it's that you won't be able to get all of your work done on it. The real issue is when OS developers try to push this simple, tablet environment to devices that shouldn't need it.
- SiVal 11y ago
  There's no touch, no pen, no direct drawing or manipulation on any Mac laptop or desktop screen, and Apple says there never will be, because nobody wants it.
  - mconzen 11y ago
    Sure, but Apple also said that no one wanted a stylus on a tablet. If the technology and market exist to do it well and make it a success, they'll make it. Touch and pen manipulation on laptop and desktop screens so far have done little to show that this is something any significant portion of the market actually wants. Personally, I have two touch-enabled laptops and the only time I interact with the touch screen is when I try to point at something in conversation and am unpleasantly surprised when it moves the cursor.
dkonofalski 11y ago
Then I guess I just disagree with you. I'm a web developer/designer. I'm very familiar with having different tools, workflows, and project folders. That's not the kind of thing that's useful on a tablet device. Can I probably do some development (or similar work) on a tablet? Sure. Is that really the best place to be doing a multi-tool, multi-pronged task? Definitely no.

by SiVal 11y ago

moftz 11y ago

If a power user needs to do all of these things, chances are they aren't going to even think of trying to do this all on a tablet ala iPad. People use tablets to do simple tasks (check email, browse web, basic photo/doc editing, etc) that don't require something at least as big as a laptop. It's supposed to be a simple environment for doing simple tasks quickly. It's meant for people wanting a device that Just Works (TM) without getting bogged down in trying to get App A working with App B with App C with App D. This really is a non-issue and will always be one. If you need to do some heavy work, do it on a laptop. You can buy tons of different laptops now that are very thin and don't take up much more room in your backpack than a tablet would. If you need any more power, then rent a compile server. There is always going to be a cost for having a portable device, it's that you won't be able to get all of your work done on it. The real issue is when OS developers try to push this simple, tablet environment to devices that shouldn't need it.

SiVal 11y ago
There's no touch, no pen, no direct drawing or manipulation on any Mac laptop or desktop screen, and Apple says there never will be, because nobody wants it.
- mconzen 11y ago
  Sure, but Apple also said that no one wanted a stylus on a tablet. If the technology and market exist to do it well and make it a success, they'll make it. Touch and pen manipulation on laptop and desktop screens so far have done little to show that this is something any significant portion of the market actually wants. Personally, I have two touch-enabled laptops and the only time I interact with the touch screen is when I try to point at something in conversation and am unpleasantly surprised when it moves the cursor.

dkonofalski 11y ago

Then I guess I just disagree with you. I'm a web developer/designer. I'm very familiar with having different tools, workflows, and project folders. That's not the kind of thing that's useful on a tablet device. Can I probably do some development (or similar work) on a tablet? Sure. Is that really the best place to be doing a multi-tool, multi-pronged task? Definitely no.