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Think of how woodworkers end up with such a huge number of specialized tools. The difference is that a computer is a computer (whereas woodworking tools are no

Think of how woodworkers end up with such a huge number of specialized tools. The difference is that a computer is a computer (whereas woodworking tools are not interchangeable). Some people (like me) only want one device, because if you use one computer for everything it becomes almost a part of you in a way that wouldn't be possible if you were continuously context-switching between multiple devices. Right now I use a laptop for everything. When smartphones get good enough (real keyboard via bluetooth, built-in mini projector turning any flat surface into a screen), then I'll use one of those for everything and ditch the laptop.

johnrob 16y ago
I like your take on smartphones. People are grossly underestimating their potential due to current limitations of computing power. My prediction is that as the iPhone gets faster, the iPad becomes less desirable.
- glhaynes 16y ago
  These devices are mostly network devices... no amount of added CPU power in the iPhone (which it doesn't really seem to be lacking as-is) is going to make it have a 10" screen. Honest question: what could you do with a phone that had 10x as powerful CPU in it than the iPhone does that you couldn't do with a current smartphone?
Retric 16y ago
I get that you want to have one device to work on, but even a 17" laptop is a huge compromise on screen real estate relative to two (or three) high resolution 24+" monitors. My 15" laptop is somewhat portable and has a high resolution 1900 x 1200, but that just means it's a barley acceptable development environment. Yet, it's still way to large to take snowboarding or just traveling around when I am not expecting to use it. Now chances are I am not going to want to start coding on the slopes, but I may want to double check a weather map check movie times etc. And the simple fact I keep my phone with me all the time means I use it for those casual questions. I could go to my car and boot the laptop, but because I have a more than one tool available I get more options and save time. Think of it in these terms, I rarely want to use GPS so I did not think buying a device would be worth it, but while slightly less useful than a dedicated device I am often really glad I can get basic GPS functionality on my phone. PS: I don't have an iPad but I can see it could be vary useful.

johnrob 16y ago

I like your take on smartphones. People are grossly underestimating their potential due to current limitations of computing power. My prediction is that as the iPhone gets faster, the iPad becomes less desirable.

glhaynes 16y ago
These devices are mostly network devices... no amount of added CPU power in the iPhone (which it doesn't really seem to be lacking as-is) is going to make it have a 10" screen. Honest question: what could you do with a phone that had 10x as powerful CPU in it than the iPhone does that you couldn't do with a current smartphone?

Retric 16y ago

I get that you want to have one device to work on, but even a 17" laptop is a huge compromise on screen real estate relative to two (or three) high resolution 24+" monitors. My 15" laptop is somewhat portable and has a high resolution 1900 x 1200, but that just means it's a barley acceptable development environment. Yet, it's still way to large to take snowboarding or just traveling around when I am not expecting to use it. Now chances are I am not going to want to start coding on the slopes, but I may want to double check a weather map check movie times etc. And the simple fact I keep my phone with me all the time means I use it for those casual questions. I could go to my car and boot the laptop, but because I have a more than one tool available I get more options and save time. Think of it in these terms, I rarely want to use GPS so I did not think buying a device would be worth it, but while slightly less useful than a dedicated device I am often really glad I can get basic GPS functionality on my phone. PS: I don't have an iPad but I can see it could be vary useful.