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Working on an iPad Pro as my main computer

152 points by gregjor 9y ago

rcarmo 9y ago
Those of you looking for a mouse that works with Remote Desktop on iOS can check out my review of the Citrix X1: http://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2016/11/06/1930 http://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2016/11/06/1930 Otherwise, I'm totally on board with this kind of approach - it works really well, except that I can't really use Blink until it has ssh-agent (and slightly better SSH key handling - it's still a bit clunky, so I use Prompt instead). OTOH, my work machine is now a Surface Pro, which does everything just fine.
monkmartinez 9y ago
The second you want to branch out and try something different, you are going to be stuck as hell on the iPad. No way to run Fusion 360 for example. Try to work on dropbox documents locally? Just simple stuff like downloading MP3 files and playing them can be a pain. Unless you are laser focused on one task (like you seem to be)... sure it looks like you have made the necessary adjustments to make it work. For the general computer where your hobbies, desires and programs vary... there are just too many tradeoffs. I mean... running another OS on my macOS device is stupidly easy. I can manipulate any file in almost any manner. I don't have to paw at my screen for text selection... and so on and on. That all said, I would love an iPad pro with macOS.
- walterbell 9y ago
  Downloading and playing MP3 file: GoodReader Dropbox docs can be opened in local apps.
  - wingerlang 9y ago
    You can share 'MP3' to Dropbox as well, then play them there. It's still a paid, but in dire situations it works.
- threeseed 9y ago
  Fusion 360 for iOS: https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/fusion-360-mobile-ios-android/ https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/fusion-360... I don't think anyone is saying that an iPad is a replacement for all computing tasks. But for many things it could come close.
- goerz 9y ago
  "Laser focused on one task" might be a benefit here ;-)
- coldtea 9y ago
  >No way to run Fusion 360 for example. Actually there is, but how is this relevant? Some obscure CAD package is not exactly the litmus test of how usable an iPad can be.
  - hungerstrike 9y ago
    > ...how is this relevant? How is it not? This entire thread is about comparing iOS to a fully unrestricted desktop operating systems where we all work normally. > Some obscure CAD package is not exactly the litmus test of how usable an iPad can be. Actually, it is in this case. That was the entire point which was clearly stated from the first sentence: > The second you want to branch out and try something different... So the obscure CAD package itself is not the litmus test for how usable something is, no. However trying to use one or more obscure package is the litmus test for how usable the iPad is in its ability to let you branch out and try obscure things. > Actually there is... Well that would have really been some relevant information to reply with. So what's your solution? Running a virtual machine containing a fully unrestricted OS on your iPad? (EDIT: I see someone below pointed out the "Fusion 360" iOS app which seems like a gimped, ahem I mean mobile, version of the full app.)
    - gregjor 9y ago
      I can’t speak about the entire thread, but I didn’t intend to compare iOS to other operating systems. I just wrote that I can “work normally” on an iPad. The kind of work I do allows that. If I want to “branch out” I have the Chromebook Pixel, and I can get another laptop if I need to. I can run a Mac or Windows system in the cloud — I’ve done that when I need to use tools not available on iOS, from POEdit to Eclipse. I didn’t mean to imply that I would force myself to use an iPad for everything and just throw up my arms if I couldn’t get something to work on it.
      - monkmartinez 9y ago
        I would say "great"... but also, "Why bother?" You did compare iPad Pro and iOS to alternatives, no? Main computer and all that? The point is "main computer" means main... not secondary or ancillary to my main computer. Your average person does not have a need for several thousands of dollars worth of screens, and would be much better off with a laptop vs. iPad pro. Furthermore, the premise of this "experiment" is extreme navel gazing. "Hey look at me everybody! I bought a device for almost a thousand dollars then spent a lot more on apps, then wasted a shit pile of time for a gimped UX that sort-of works! You can do it too! Just get your check book out and be prepared to buy another laptop and/or VPS space because you'll need it!"
fipple 9y ago
The author seems to be SSHing most of the time, so it’s more accurate to say that he’s using an iPad Pro as his primary terminal rather than as his primary computer.
- delhanty 9y ago
  Right! Does anyone here who develops on iPad use any of the of the Vim apps, e.g. iVim? [0] > iVim was inspired by and based on 3 projects: > > vim - the official Vim repository > > Vim port from Applidium > > VimIOS - A port of Vim to iOS 9+ > > Without them, iVim wouldn't begin. [0] https://github.com/terrychou/iVim https://github.com/terrychou/iVim
  - goerz 9y ago
    I do, but it's useful mostly with the addition of shell utilities from Nicolas Holzschuch's fork [https://github.com/holzschu/iVim https://github.com/holzschu/iVim]. At the moment, this still requires sideloading (with a paid Apple Dev account). I mostly use it for LaTeX editing; the whole setup is outlined here: https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-with-ivim.html https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-wit...
    - mcny 9y ago
      > In principle, this works with a free developer account. However, the resulting installation of iVim on your iPad will only run for seven days. For this to be actually useful, you will have to pay the 100 dollar yearly membership fee. Thank you for posting this. I often get the "grass is greener" feeling and an urge to check out swift but this tells me I shouldn't bother. Sigh.
      - TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
        I don't understand this attitude. I can think of a litany of things in the past 12 months I've spend $100 or more on that I probably shouldn't have.
nextos 9y ago
I've tried a Surface with NixOS, and a minimalistic setup: XMonad, Emacs, Firefox and URxvt. It's great, except for the fact that most Surfaces are second-class citizens in Linux. I'd like to see an iPad with something closer to macOS.
stfwn 9y ago
Another interesting take on exactly this topic, also using Blink to SSH (Mosh) into a VPS: https://jann.is/ipad-pro-for-programming/ https://jann.is/ipad-pro-for-programming/ I run the set up from that article sometimes, which depends mostly on an app to connect to a VPS and running a Docker container with all your tooling there. In the end, that's all there is to it; Blink is a nice terminal app, and you're using it to do the actual work on a linux machine elsewhere. By the way, I use the the standard wireless magic keyboard instead of the smart keyboard. It has an escape key, which is great for vim, and for me it feels better to type on being a ‘real’ keyboard with some travel and clicky keys.
- n_parks 9y ago
  Thanks for sharing this article. This is exactly what comes to mind for me. I recently came back to this to see if I could set up an old iPad with this setup to see if it would be valuable to buy the iPad Pro. Amazing how much you are limited without multitasking (as is the case with the old iPads).
nimchimpsky 9y ago
prefer a macbook, virtually the same lighweight form factor - none of the downsides.
danbolt 9y ago
Most of the jobs I have worked at required a desktop workstation running Windows 10. While perhaps not a tablet, I’d love to have the sort of work where doing everything over SSH would be possible.
teach 9y ago
Can you not use a bluetooth mouse/touchpad with an iPad? This honestly surprises me.
- dalacv 9y ago
  Sometimes I think that they haven't added this because it would mean less macbook sales.
  - chipotle_coyote 9y ago
    I think it's less that than it is a philosophy; they're still very wedded to the idea that mice = (general purpose) computers, touch = tablets. I wouldn't be surprised if this eventually changes--maybe sooner than we think. Apple also at least claims to be wedded to the idea that the iPad can be an actual laptop replacement; if they mean it, they can't stop where they're at now when it comes to knocking down reasons to prefer a MacBook to an iPad. This is one of the big ones. (And, yes, ultimately I think this will require them allowing users to sideload apps: either the manufacturer gets to dictate how you can use the platform, or it's general purpose, but it can't truly be both simultaneously.) Also, from a purely revenue standpoint, if they added trackpad/mouse support to iOS, I think they'd just sell more expensive mice and trackpads. :)
- pjmlp 9y ago
  You can on Android and W10 tablets, though.
  - iagooar 9y ago
    Nobody wants to use Android or W10.
    - pjmlp 9y ago
      Not everyone wants to use an iPad.
  - wor3q 9y ago
    Such articles would make no sense on in that case. "Install everything you need and it just works" makes little to brag about on your blog...
spraak 9y ago
This tangentially reminds me that when I landed my first software development job I had just a 10in 1gb netbook. It was a remote gig where I supplied my own equipment, so right before I started I got the Acer C720 (4gb ram and added a bigger ssd) and put Ubuntu on it. Luckily I did mostly backend then. Most the frontend devs seemed to need 16gb to spin up Vagrant and all the webpack watch tasks etc. Edit: not to say that was the way they should have been doing things, haha.
jwilliams 9y ago
> Awkward text selection. If I didn’t mainly use vim over ssh I would have given up on iOS for this reason alone. I think this is a really salient point. For those of us still doing Cut and Paste, a tablet isn't going to cut it (pun intentional).
- Someone1234 9y ago
  I'd go one step further and say that any device without mouse support wouldn't cut it outside of a terminal-exclusive programming environment.
  - goerz 9y ago
    The upcoming version of Blink has some pretty awesome keyboard-based selection/copy/paste: you still tap and hold for the initial selection, but then that selection can be expanded with keyboard shortcuts
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- pjmlp 9y ago
  Android and W10 tablets support mices. They even show a little cursor when one is plugged.
  - disordinary 9y ago
    Even the Blackberry Playbook supported a mouse, really surprising that iOS doesn't.
- ahartmetz 9y ago
  Blackberry's BB10 had the only good selection mechanism on a touchscreen I've ever seen, and I think it's patented.
  - dharma1 9y ago
    Sailfish OS also has really good touch selection, where it zooms in. Much better than Android or iOS
VectorLock 9y ago
He has "old eyes" but can work okay for hours on end on a 10" screen? I wonder what font size he runs his terminals at.
- lloeki 9y ago
  The increased rendering accuracy of HiDPI is extremely soothing to my eyes, allowing me to even go with a smaller font (rather, UI scale) than I do on a LoDPI one while improving comfort. I have a 29" 2560x1080 screen in front of me yet I still regularly unplug it and work on the 13" Retina in spite of the reduced real estate.
- gregjor 9y ago
  13 px. The hi-res iPad display really helps.
inertial 9y ago
I've been searching for a light & thin computing device for intermittent travel needs where I can - use SSH - edit & run code (i.e. python / JS etc.) - preferable running Ubuntu - form factor of iPad or iPad Pro - multitask with browser, terminal and editor Your article is the closest thing I've found so far. The list of tools that you use are also useful, thank you ! If it had Ubuntu, it would have been a perfect solution for me.
- nrp 9y ago
  I haven't gotten mine yet, but the Planet Computers Gemini is a modern take on the Psion 5 that probably meets your requirements: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gemini-pda-android-linux-keyboard-mobile-device--2#/ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gemini-pda-android-linux-...
  - kbenson 9y ago
    That's cool, but oof, that price. I think one of those cheap $200 (just over) laptops you can get on Amazon with USB tethering to my phone would be my choice. Maybe a cheap fabric sleeve case to go with it. Even if I lost one, I could completely replace it and still be under the cost of this setup, and while a small laptop/netbook, it's still very usable. I bought 5 to play with for $DAYJOB the other month, and besides being a pain to get the big windows 10 update on because of low free disk space, they work great.
  - inertial 9y ago
    Looks cool, wish the screen was a bit bigger.. around 9"-10"
  - cup-of-tea 9y ago
    I own netbook and before that an actual Psion series 5 and series 7. They all really do seem like a great idea. On the netbook I set the text size tiny so I could still get two columns of 80 char lines. But the problem with all of them is the keyboard. It's just too small. If you're used to typing at a high wpm and use emacs like me then you will feel retarded. I never ended up doing anything productive on any of them.
ams6110 9y ago
I use a chromebook as a portable terminal in the data center. It's awesome. Termux for ssh sessions and common command line utilities, beagleterm if I need a serial console, and chrome for looking up stuff online. About 2 seconds from opening the cover to being usable, and battery that will last the whole workday.
- jasonvorhe 9y ago
  Same here. Best choice I've made in ages.
- ce4 9y ago
  Waiting for this bug to be resolved (termux supports only the US/qwerty keyboard layout) - qwertz/dvorak/etc is broken. https://github.com/termux/termux-app/issues/250 https://github.com/termux/termux-app/issues/250
- onion2k 9y ago
  I use a Chromebook in user mode for development at home. Using Caret for editing and Termux for nodejs stuff actually works quite well, but there are a few slightly annoying things like Chrome refusing to load things from localhost (Firefox for Android will). It's not a replacement for a proper computer but it works for tinkering.
lhuser123 9y ago
Controlling Ubuntu Remote Desktop with an iPad is kind of cool. Maybe not full time.
tuananh 9y ago
even for a terminal only, i still rather use a chromebook. ipad is still very cripple for development purpose.
spc476 9y ago
I don't use my iPad as my main computer, but I do use it when traveling. The work I do is mainly command line (development---Unix is my IDE), so using SSH is fine (vSSHD for iOS). Cut-n-paste is a bit of a chore though. My biggest complaint is the keyboard, but then again, short of an IBM model M I'm always going to complain about the keyboard.
nnq 9y ago
Does anyone have a similar guide but Android oriented?
imroot 9y ago
My biggest issue with an iPad Pro+Apple Keyboard as the main terminal client: - Where the "Control" key should be, is the "International Keyboard" key -- and there's no option to remap it. Control-something brings up the "Emoji" keyboard...or the Spanish keyboard (for me) Everything else? I can live with.
- goerz 9y ago
  Yeah, I've had to disable all keyboards except the main (English) one because hitting the globe key accidentally was so frustrating. For Emoji, I'm using an app called Symbols which allows be to copy/paste them (yay for multitasking with a floating app window on iOS11).
- evgen 9y ago
  The main benefit to me, besides mosh support, of the Blink app mentioned in TFA is that it actually allows you to remap caps lock to be control, because between left shift and tab is where the control key is supposed to live. I have been searching/waiting for half a decade for someone to produce a bluetooth keyboard that allowed me to remap keys the same way I can on my laptop and this software hack in Blink is the closest anyone has come.
- carloscabanero 9y ago
  This is why I started Blink, seriously. I just wanted to have Cmd as Ctrl and Alt as Meta on my iPad, for emacs. I even had to go one night to Grand Central's Apple Store and buy an external BT keyboard to run some tests because I realized the Simulator wasn't working properly with the modifier keys. And fortunately I was right, I could make modifier keys work, and it made sense to continue working on Blink.
nunez 9y ago
I did it two years or so ago. You really notice not having a mouse. Copy and pasting was weird. Local development is off the table; your workload will need to be on another box. Panic handled window resizing and rotations weird.
- shams93 9y ago
  Yeah for tools driven by webpack not having local development is really painful. I tried to make the pixel c my only device and got somewhat further thanks to tmux but ultimately not having chrome developmer tools in the browser made it not work for me.
fredsted 9y ago
The big things that would prevent me from using an iPad for work are: - No window management. No multiple screens. Can't have docs, IDE, browser and Slack open at the same time, for example. Bad crouched-down seating position as a result. - Text selection sucks on tablets in general. - Can't install developer tools locally; you're forced to work over SSH. Can't work on a plane, or wherever there's spotty WiFi - No good IDEs. For PHP, I like PHPStorm, for example. Don't know if web-based IDEs are any good though.
- toomanybeersies 9y ago
  > Can't work on a plane You're now making me imagine setting up a Raspberry Pi as a portable micro-server for your iPad terminal to SSH into, then creating an ad hoc WiFi network on the plane, which you could then connect your iPad Pro to. Of course that's completely backwards, your terminal has more processing power than the server, plus you'd need a battery for the RPi, and a way to sync your micro-server to your real server. It would be completely impractical and stupid, but it would be rather funny.
  - frou_dh 9y ago
    How small can we go? Busybox + SSH running on a wifi-enabled watch or earring?
  - nkristoffersen 9y ago
    It totally works. The PI just needs a regular USB battery which I travel with for my phone. An added bonus is all the fun wifi Linux tools that aren't available on my Mac or iPad.
  - tomcooks 9y ago
    If you mostly use the terminal for sysadmin and coding, I assume the difference between terminal and server is nil. I'm trying to achieve this result with a solar powered rPi and my Android phone (running Termux), for syncing aren't git and rsync enough?
- analogmemory 9y ago
EddieSpeaks 9y ago
This guy could seriously do well with the Surface Pro, none of the negatives he mentioned exist with all the positives but I’m guessing he’s deliberately Windows free
toomanybeersies 9y ago
When I started my first job as a developer a few years back, my boss (non-technical) apparently asked my manager if it was possible for me to do my job on an iPad instead of a Macbook, as iPads are cheaper. Obviously my manager said no. I should've taken it as a sign of things to come. My boss wouldn't even pay for my stationary, I had to buy my own pens and paper, let alone get my any peripherals like a monitor or a keyboard.
- neilmock 9y ago
  this kind of marginal cost-cutting at the expense of medium/long-term productivity is commonplace yet baffling to me. even if it doesn't increase productivity, surely it increases retention to some degree, I just don't get why you wouldn't make a small investment here as an owner/manager.
  - croon 9y ago
    I've had the same recurring thoughts. Surely hardware is such a miniscule cost compared to the bodies using it 8 hours a day. I have never encountered a carpenter whose boss tried to get them to use the cheapest possible tool (especially the wrong kind of tool) for their job. Why would we be different, other than having bosses unfamiliar with the work they are managing.
- tomcooks 9y ago
  With these kind of "cost effective" bosses I suggest offering remote work, it usually works beautifully and you don't have to endure their ridiculous attitude 8+ hours a day.
  - toomanybeersies 9y ago
    Conveniently my "cost effective" boss worked remotely, so at least I didn't have to tolerate him in person more than once a month. Everyone else at the job was super cool, I just really didn't gel with the CEO. I think maybe it was because he never saw us he treated us as some abstract cost centre.
kjullien 9y ago
Why not just go for a Surface Pro and get the best of both worlds ?
- mattnewton 9y ago
  Err, both worlds are there, but in my experience it could hardly be described as the “best of”.
- tonyedgecombe 9y ago
  Or is it the worst of both worlds, I tried one earlier this year but couldn't get on with it, it was just too compromised.
  - izacus 9y ago
    I don't understand, what's compromised there? He's literally running only ssh client and a browser. What stops you from using the surface in this way?
    - briandear 9y ago
      I’m sure that isn’t all he is doing — who’d want to suffer through Surface for all the other tasks beyond ssh? Also the iPad Pro refresh rate is double that of Surface; the screen is significantly better which matters when you spend 8 hours a day looking at small stuff. iPad Pro is also thinner, lighter and has a far more powerful processor.
      - wor3q 9y ago
        What advantage does faster processor give when you have to offload any dev work to external machine? If you can't install your environment locally, you might as well use a $200 android tablet...
        gregjor 9y ago
        I use the iPad for more than ssh to remote servers. I write a lot, for example. I also use it for watching movies and playing games. I have played with the Surface quite a bit and I know a few developers who use them (or have used them and given up). Partly it comes down to not wanting to use Windows.
benjaminwootton 9y ago
I would switch in a heartbeat if it had a mouse. This stops me working on presentations which is where most of my time is spent. Surely it wouldn’t even be that hard to enable and would fit in without compromising a touch based interface? I don’t understand why they wouldn’t do it?
awiesenhofer 9y ago
I like the iPad Pro but for that kind of workload it seems an Android (or Windows) tablet would be a better fit. You get mouse support for proper text selection and with ie. Termux you can work locally without the need to ssh into a server all the time. I use an old Sony Android tablet with bluetooth mouse+keyboard this way and it has been great while travelling or for any spring time "I want to work in a park" flashes. (It is also water proof which saved it quite an embarrassing number of times already.)
- cm2187 9y ago
  Have you found a screen that enables to work outside? All my previous attempts have been unworkable (screen not visible) when it is sunny.
  - awiesenhofer 9y ago
    Unfortunately no. I would love a large epaper tablet but so far I just cranked the screen brightness up high and brought a battery pack. Works quite well.
- Synaesthesia 9y ago
  Performance wise though, the iPad is totally gonna best any Android tablet out there right now.
  - Drakim 9y ago
    Does that matter in this context? All I see here is talk of SSH and vim.
  - awiesenhofer 9y ago
    Absolutely. Working mostly on CRUD-Apps in php, python and node locally though, I never missed a faster device that much. You are more limited by your input modes or apps than performance really.
  - croon 9y ago
    That would matter if you could do anything performance-dependent on the ipad pro, like run dev services, compile code or run tests.
thestephen 9y ago
Note that the iPad with a keyboard handles non-English languages relatively bad. There are shortcuts in some applications that simply do not work using a non-US layout.
hartator 9y ago
Wonder which iPad size is he using?
- Polyphonie 9y ago
  In the 2nd paragraph of the article: > A few months ago I bought an iPad Pro 10.5” with Apple Smart Keyboard to try to use it as my main work computer.
- reza8802 9y ago
  According to the article it was iPad Pro 10.5”.
qaq 9y ago
If there was some pen optimized IDE might be an interesting option
- gregjor 9y ago
  Yes I am hoping to see Pencil support in developer tools. The Pencil does work for clicking on things and selecting text but unless you need to draw or use handwriting it doesn’t work that much better than a finger.
  - qaq 9y ago
    it would be easier for clicking on [+] to expand code section. With proper infrastructure might actually be usable for writing code.
memsom 9y ago
re: creating iOS Apps on an iPad - I've been using Continuous IDE for doing this. It includes Xamarin Forms, as well as native bindings. I've created a few non trivial apps in it. The benefit is that you can bootstrap the app really quickly in code and if you really want to scale it up, move it to the Mac to clean up. You can also almost take the code from a VS Mac projects and run it directly on an iPad.. it just needs a few hoops to be jumped through at the moment to get the files on the device.
iliaznk 9y ago
Just a tip: it wasn't officially advertised, but with iPads 2 and 3 (and probably 4 as well, those with the wide connector before the lightning connector was released) you could use ANY USB keyboard connected via the so called camera-kit connector (or whatever it was called, basically just a USB adapter). That could still hold true if there any USB adapters out there available for these new connectors).
- AckSyn 9y ago
  Lightning to usb is the "camera" adapter and I use it on an iPad Pro. It definitely still works
tluyben2 9y ago
I am looking for ways to do this: ssh is not enough for my workload so I am building a slew of apps to run on iOS/Android that let me do all my dev work on them. I am very close to that point now; hopefully in the next few months I reach the point where I only have to bring a gdp pocket or Pyra or Gemini and an ipad pro on travels to do everything I need to do. Where 90% happens on the iPad and 10% on the tiny laptop.
regularlanguage 9y ago
I use my iPad Pro for taking note taking during lectures and for reading. I would love to be able to use it for LaTeX too, however ShareLaTeX has a bug [0] making it impossible to navigate text using the arrow keys. For programming and other more technical things I do not see any reason to use the iPad. MacBooks are lightweight and more competent machines – the only thing worrying me is Apple's recent lack of interest for macOS and the Mac overall. [0] https://github.com/sharelatex/web-sharelatex/issues/611 https://github.com/sharelatex/web-sharelatex/issues/611
- briandear 9y ago
  What recent “lack of interest?” MacOS isn’t suffering from “lack of interest.” As far as Mac, according to media reports, Apple is even working to develop their own chips — hardly the hallmark of a “lack of interest.”
- goerz 9y ago
  The (offline) LaTeX situation on the iPad is pretty good, actually. There’s Texpad and Tex Writer, both of which are pretty good. Personally, I use a fork of iVim that contains a Texlive distribution (https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-with-ivim.html https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-wit..., as mentioned in my earlier comment)
blunte 9y ago
I would like to see a series of articles describing/teaching his client communication and organization process. He illustrates that it takes about 50% of his time, and that sounds about right for my experience. However, he clearly has a system for managing his 50% that I don't have (but need).
- gregjor 9y ago
  I have written about it a little bit, in my articles about freelancing, on my site typicalprogrammer.com. I mostly use email because my clients mostly use email. If I can get them to use Slack or report/track issues in GitHub, great, but usually they use email. I have five active customers most of the time. I use Google Inbox for organizing and finding emails, Google Keep for notes and lists, and GitHub issues for tracking bugs and programming tasks. I got into the Google Drive/Keep/Inbox world because I used a Chromebook for three years as my main computer (still use it fairly often) and was on Android before that.
nkkollaw 9y ago
I really don't get it. My mom can use an iPad as her primary computer, and I can use an iPad as my primary computer on the beach on vacation, but why would I hate myself so much to use an iPad as my primary computer? I think Apple's vision is--once again--completely wrong when talking about pro users.
- gregjor 9y ago
  I don’t hate myself. I wanted to try using it for development and I’ve been surprised at how well it works, for my workflow. It wouldn’t work for everyone, but nothing does.
  - nkkollaw 9y ago
    Yes of course, but I'm just amazed that the CEO of a computer company (if you can still call Apple that) can say that he doesn't understand why anyone would buy a computer when there are tablets around. Let's just say that I'm happy to have abandoned the platform.
- wilsonnb 9y ago
  The fact that Apple hasn't released an IDE for iOS that can develop iOS apps is a pretty clear indicator that the iPad is not meant for professional software development, even if some people (myself included) try it anyways just to see how well it works. However, there are plenty of other professional users who could probably use the iPad as their primary computer now. Photographers, graphic designers, visual artists, and musicians could probably make the switch now and iOS will only get better for them in the future. I think that Apple's vision for pro users is correct as long as we consider more than just software developers as pro users.
  - nkkollaw 9y ago
    It still doesn't make any sense to me. Why would I buy an overpriced tablet that is stuck to being a tablet, while there are many two-in-ones that are 1/2 of the price and not only work just as great as the iPad in their tablet form, but can become an actual computer if one needs them to..? Microsoft's Surface Book is absolutely stunning, and can become a tablet with great battery life, or be a perfect laptop if you need to type and want to use a mouse.
blunte 9y ago
I'm not a Windows fan, but the Surface Pro like looks very attractive and super small and light. Unfortunately, I need something that can run Primiere and Illustrator as well as the easy vim and terminals.
- rcarmo 9y ago
  I have an i7 with 16GB of RAM, and an acquaintance with an identical config runs Illustrator on it without complaint.
  - blunte 9y ago
    I wonder why Illustrator performance on my Dell XPS 15 with i7, 32GB RAM, and 1050GX GPU is so much slower scrolling in Illustrator than my old i7 MBP with much older GPU? I assumed that the Surface Pro, which at least through model 4 was Intel GPU only, would be even worse...
    - dawnerd 9y ago
      I tried an xps last year with an i7 and it was slow as well. Turns out it was thermal throttling like crazy. Returned it right away and just stuck with a MacBook Pro. Do miss all that ram though.
      - blunte 9y ago
        Thanks for this tip. I did some digging and found that even on AC power, the thing was set by default to throttle down to 5% CPU power whenever possible. I guess there's some ramp-up latency when demand hits, and that was creating the performance problems I had. After setting the min CPU at 100%, it performs almost as well as my 3 year older MBP.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
- cm2187 9y ago
  The main issue I have with Surface Pro (outside of the numerous bugs) is that it behaves more like a laptop in term of waking up. An ipad can be on sleep for a long time and is instantaneously available when woken up, whereas a Surface Pro will take a while to wake up. So it's not the same usage.
_ph_ 9y ago
I have made similar experience with my 13 inch iPad Pro. The hardware is just great - perhaps with an exception for the missing keys on the smart keyboard. But what really holds it back is the software. Working remotely on a Linux box works around some of the restrictions - I have been struggling with various ssh clients, I really have to give Blink a try. But the iPad Pro could be the ultimate mobile device, if Apple would put a stronger emphasis on developers needs. A sandboxed version of termux would just be great - perhaps even a complete virtualisation app, which allows to boot a linux inside the apps container.
jwr 9y ago
I'm a heavy iPad user (I use the 12" pro). I'd be willing to pay $100 for a good, working Emacs. That said, I find that the experience of working on an iPad is less than optimal, because of keyboards. IPad Keyboards almost universally suck, for various reasons. I actually used Apple's aluminum bluetooth keyboard for a while, because it was the least sucky. The Apple smart keyboard is an improvement, but it also sucks in various ways. There is always a problem with remapping caps lock to control, which is essential, and I can't remap other keys and use them because of the limitations of either the keyboard, the OS, or the terminal. I'd like to be able to use Emacs as I do everyday, with a Control, Alt, Command and Super modifiers, but once all the limitations are in place you end up with an Emacs where even Alt (Meta) doesn't work and you have to type esc-something, and you might not even have an esc key.
- whywhywhywhy 9y ago
  With all these downsides to keyboard input on the platform and wanting to use Emacs, I'm just curious what do you actually like about working on the iPad over something like a Macbook, Surface or the small MBP?
  - actsasbuffoon 9y ago
    As someone with a 12 inch iPad Pro, Macbook Pro, and Surface Pro tablet, I can weigh in. A Macbook Pro is significantly more expensive than any of the other options, and frankly, I despise the redesigned MBP. The touch bar hinders my productivity, and the new keyboard tends to malfunction. The key travel is so low that the keys often get stuck. Simply put, I love Apple products, but the new MBP breaks my heart. It sucks. It's one of the worst Apple products I've ever used. Apple urgently needs to put out a new MBP based on the previous design. Get rid of the touch bar, bring back the ports, bring back Mag-Safe, and pretend this terrible laptop never happened. The Surface Pro is interesting. It's almost useless as a tablet. I basically treat it as a very small laptop. I've tried using it without a mouse, but the Windows UI isn't designed for it. I'm constantly struggling to click on UI elements that are way too small. A lot of Windows apps are not prepared for the high DPI screen, and are insanely tiny. You pretty much need a magnifying glass to use them. As an ultra-portable laptop, it's decent. It weighs very little, and the construction quality is decent (though not as good as an iPad). The keyboard for the Surface Pro is pretty good. It's slightly flimsy, so you have to keep it on a semi-solid surface, or the keyboard can start to buckle and cause some issues. The stylus on the previous model wasn't very good, but the new one is great. It's almost as good as the Apple Pencil, which is high praise. As for development, it runs Windows. If you're a C# or Java developer then that's great, otherwise it's not so good. You can run a VM, or the Linux subsystem, but that eats into the Surface's already extremely poor battery life. The iPad Pro (especially the full size version) is just stunning. It has the nicest screen I've ever laid eyes on. I'm not just talking about pixel density. Images pop off the screen. The whole device is really solid, and it feels great in your hands. Battery life is good, usability for daily tasks is superb. The stylus is the best in the business (I strongly prefer it over a Wacom Cintiq). Unfortunately the keyboard is a problem, and the inability to run development software is a showstopper. So I'd say the iPad Pro is the best hardware out there, but it's hampered by software support. In my dreams, I can run Emacs, Ruby, Haskell, and all of my other development tools right on my iPad. Since that's not possible, I use a Surface Pro for Windows related development (working on a 3D indie game), and an MBP for web development.
nkristoffersen 9y ago
For the folks worried about the limited iPad keyboards: You can use most any bluetooth or USB keyboard with the iPad. I use a Code keyboard with cherry switches connected to my iPad via USB if I am doing anything serious. Just need the little Camera -> Lighting adapter.
- whywhywhywhy 9y ago
  At that point why not just use a laptop? You're carrying around an iPad, some way to stand it up, a USB keyboard and a dongle. Just seems to be getting a little silly imho the amount of cruft people are willing to carry around to try and fulfil Tim's vision that the iPad is a laptop replacement.
carlosrg 9y ago
A friendly reminder: there's no reason the iPad couldn't have things like a local shell, emacs or whatever local program you like, only the artificial barriers Apple imposes to limit what you can do with your own device. Until these barriers are lifted, I think I will stick to old and boring laptop computers.
- briandear 9y ago
  You could equally remind people that those “barriers” also carry significant benefit to the vast majority of users.
  - sametmax 9y ago
    You assume you can't have your cake and eat it but it's unproven.
    - walterbell 9y ago
      Yes, see QubesOS which has a shoestring budget compared to Apple.
  - HiroshiSan 9y ago
    Not sure why it has to be one or the other.
    - sbarker 9y ago
      Security yo.
      - lisper 9y ago
        There is no reason Apple could not allow users to install their own certificates, or even to just provide an "easy jailbreak" that was not accessible remotely, without compromising security for users who elected not to use these features.
tr4cefl0w 9y ago
What’s a computer?
ezconnect 9y ago
I once used a Nokia 80 to fix a problem on a website.
- romanovcode 9y ago
  You should write a similar article then!
jpalomaki 9y ago
For those considering iPad for work, I would recommend also testing Macbook. Before switching to Windows I was traveling with Macbook and found it pretty convenient. No need to play with SSH or alternatives as you can run the actual tools. Depending on stuff you do, syncing via Dropbox may make it possible to easily work on a more powerful computer when at home/office. Not perfect of course. In some cases, it would be nice to have the tablet mode, for example reading docs in plane (no need to stash away for takeoff/landing). With Macbook touchpad I did not really miss touch screen. Can't remember how it was with battery life in real life.
elvirs 9y ago
just get a Chromebook then
- gregjor 9y ago
  If you read the article you would know that I have a Chromebook Pixel LS, and that has been my main (only) computer for almost three years. I still use it for things the iPad can’t do, or can’t do well enough.
wffurr 9y ago
The sticking point for me with Android or iOS is always the web browser devtools. I write all my code on a remote server, so a decent terminal emulator is sufficient for that, but without local browser debugging tools, I am way less productive. I don't get why the mobile browsers are crippled versions of the desktop ones in that regard. It's also the greatest thing about Chromebooks. They have real desktop Chrome. I have other gripes with the OS just like I do with Android or iOS in terms of usability vs MacOS, Ubuntu, or Windows, but it's the best "mobile OS" currently.
- gregjor 9y ago
  Yes, I miss Chrome dev tools more than a mouse. I have a Chromebook for the relatively infrequent episodes of HTML/CSS/JS debugging and experimenting, since I don’t do a lot of front-end work.
gregjor 9y ago
Wow, I didn’t expect so many comments. Thanks for the constructive ideas and discussion. I noticed that the skeptical comments fall into two broad categories: 1. I can’t do my work on an iPad because I need to use tools that don’t work on iOS. Therefore I don’t understand how anyone could use an iPad. 2. The iPad seems so obviously unsuited to software development the author must suffer from masochism, or need to prove something, or suffers from Apple fan boy disease. I didn’t write the article to evangelize iPads for development. I described my experience using an iPad Pro for my own work, which just happens to fit pretty well with a tablet and keyboard because I work remotely on code I can’t easily run locally, and I prefer using Unix (actually Linux) as my IDE. That won’t work for everyone. Not everyone needs a pickup truck to do their job, that doesn’t mean people who don’t own a truck made a mistake or want to punish themselves.
- skiman10 9y ago
  Good point. A lot of people are criticizing you for "preaching" about using an iPad for their work, when in fact you are just sharing your dev setup for us to read. It won't work for everyone, but it works for you so who are we to criticize you? Anyway, you have an interesting setup and I want to thank you for sharing! Aside, I also run a Pixel LS with Crouton and love it still.
  - gregjor 9y ago
    I wrote this because I had told a few people I can use an iPad for work and they asked me to write up the details because they would like to do it. A quick Google search shows quite a bit of interest in using tablets instead of laptops. I think I clearly made the point that this won’t work for a lot of people, and iOS gets close to a good developer experience but has some frustrating issues. Haters gonna hate, the subject doesn’t even matter. If I wrote about my favorite work chair I would get replies about better chairs and lectures about how I should stand or walk on a treadmill. If I wrote about my motorcycle a lot of people would tell me what a piece of crap I ride. When I switched from a Macbook to the Chromebook Pixel, after a lot of research, I was told by other developers that I couldn’t work on a Chromebook.

152 points by gregjor 9y ago

Those of you looking for a mouse that works with Remote Desktop on iOS can check out my review of the Citrix X1: http://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2016/11/06/1930 http://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2016/11/06/1930 Otherwise, I'm totally on board with this kind of approach - it works really well, except that I can't really use Blink until it has ssh-agent (and slightly better SSH key handling - it's still a bit clunky, so I use Prompt instead). OTOH, my work machine is now a Surface Pro, which does everything just fine.

monkmartinez 9y ago

The second you want to branch out and try something different, you are going to be stuck as hell on the iPad. No way to run Fusion 360 for example. Try to work on dropbox documents locally? Just simple stuff like downloading MP3 files and playing them can be a pain. Unless you are laser focused on one task (like you seem to be)... sure it looks like you have made the necessary adjustments to make it work. For the general computer where your hobbies, desires and programs vary... there are just too many tradeoffs. I mean... running another OS on my macOS device is stupidly easy. I can manipulate any file in almost any manner. I don't have to paw at my screen for text selection... and so on and on. That all said, I would love an iPad pro with macOS.

walterbell 9y ago
Downloading and playing MP3 file: GoodReader Dropbox docs can be opened in local apps.
- wingerlang 9y ago
  You can share 'MP3' to Dropbox as well, then play them there. It's still a paid, but in dire situations it works.
threeseed 9y ago
Fusion 360 for iOS: https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/fusion-360-mobile-ios-android/ https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/fusion-360... I don't think anyone is saying that an iPad is a replacement for all computing tasks. But for many things it could come close.
goerz 9y ago
"Laser focused on one task" might be a benefit here ;-)
coldtea 9y ago
>No way to run Fusion 360 for example. Actually there is, but how is this relevant? Some obscure CAD package is not exactly the litmus test of how usable an iPad can be.
- hungerstrike 9y ago
  > ...how is this relevant? How is it not? This entire thread is about comparing iOS to a fully unrestricted desktop operating systems where we all work normally. > Some obscure CAD package is not exactly the litmus test of how usable an iPad can be. Actually, it is in this case. That was the entire point which was clearly stated from the first sentence: > The second you want to branch out and try something different... So the obscure CAD package itself is not the litmus test for how usable something is, no. However trying to use one or more obscure package is the litmus test for how usable the iPad is in its ability to let you branch out and try obscure things. > Actually there is... Well that would have really been some relevant information to reply with. So what's your solution? Running a virtual machine containing a fully unrestricted OS on your iPad? (EDIT: I see someone below pointed out the "Fusion 360" iOS app which seems like a gimped, ahem I mean mobile, version of the full app.)
  - gregjor 9y ago
    I can’t speak about the entire thread, but I didn’t intend to compare iOS to other operating systems. I just wrote that I can “work normally” on an iPad. The kind of work I do allows that. If I want to “branch out” I have the Chromebook Pixel, and I can get another laptop if I need to. I can run a Mac or Windows system in the cloud — I’ve done that when I need to use tools not available on iOS, from POEdit to Eclipse. I didn’t mean to imply that I would force myself to use an iPad for everything and just throw up my arms if I couldn’t get something to work on it.
    - monkmartinez 9y ago
      I would say "great"... but also, "Why bother?" You did compare iPad Pro and iOS to alternatives, no? Main computer and all that? The point is "main computer" means main... not secondary or ancillary to my main computer. Your average person does not have a need for several thousands of dollars worth of screens, and would be much better off with a laptop vs. iPad pro. Furthermore, the premise of this "experiment" is extreme navel gazing. "Hey look at me everybody! I bought a device for almost a thousand dollars then spent a lot more on apps, then wasted a shit pile of time for a gimped UX that sort-of works! You can do it too! Just get your check book out and be prepared to buy another laptop and/or VPS space because you'll need it!"

fipple 9y ago

The author seems to be SSHing most of the time, so it’s more accurate to say that he’s using an iPad Pro as his primary terminal rather than as his primary computer.

delhanty 9y ago
Right! Does anyone here who develops on iPad use any of the of the Vim apps, e.g. iVim? [0] > iVim was inspired by and based on 3 projects: > > vim - the official Vim repository > > Vim port from Applidium > > VimIOS - A port of Vim to iOS 9+ > > Without them, iVim wouldn't begin. [0] https://github.com/terrychou/iVim https://github.com/terrychou/iVim
- goerz 9y ago
  I do, but it's useful mostly with the addition of shell utilities from Nicolas Holzschuch's fork [https://github.com/holzschu/iVim https://github.com/holzschu/iVim]. At the moment, this still requires sideloading (with a paid Apple Dev account). I mostly use it for LaTeX editing; the whole setup is outlined here: https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-with-ivim.html https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-wit...
  - mcny 9y ago
    > In principle, this works with a free developer account. However, the resulting installation of iVim on your iPad will only run for seven days. For this to be actually useful, you will have to pay the 100 dollar yearly membership fee. Thank you for posting this. I often get the "grass is greener" feeling and an urge to check out swift but this tells me I shouldn't bother. Sigh.
    - TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
      I don't understand this attitude. I can think of a litany of things in the past 12 months I've spend $100 or more on that I probably shouldn't have.

nextos 9y ago

I've tried a Surface with NixOS, and a minimalistic setup: XMonad, Emacs, Firefox and URxvt. It's great, except for the fact that most Surfaces are second-class citizens in Linux. I'd like to see an iPad with something closer to macOS.

stfwn 9y ago

Another interesting take on exactly this topic, also using Blink to SSH (Mosh) into a VPS: https://jann.is/ipad-pro-for-programming/ https://jann.is/ipad-pro-for-programming/ I run the set up from that article sometimes, which depends mostly on an app to connect to a VPS and running a Docker container with all your tooling there. In the end, that's all there is to it; Blink is a nice terminal app, and you're using it to do the actual work on a linux machine elsewhere. By the way, I use the the standard wireless magic keyboard instead of the smart keyboard. It has an escape key, which is great for vim, and for me it feels better to type on being a ‘real’ keyboard with some travel and clicky keys.

n_parks 9y ago
Thanks for sharing this article. This is exactly what comes to mind for me. I recently came back to this to see if I could set up an old iPad with this setup to see if it would be valuable to buy the iPad Pro. Amazing how much you are limited without multitasking (as is the case with the old iPads).

nimchimpsky 9y ago

prefer a macbook, virtually the same lighweight form factor - none of the downsides.

danbolt 9y ago

Most of the jobs I have worked at required a desktop workstation running Windows 10. While perhaps not a tablet, I’d love to have the sort of work where doing everything over SSH would be possible.

teach 9y ago

Can you not use a bluetooth mouse/touchpad with an iPad? This honestly surprises me.

dalacv 9y ago
Sometimes I think that they haven't added this because it would mean less macbook sales.
- chipotle_coyote 9y ago
  I think it's less that than it is a philosophy; they're still very wedded to the idea that mice = (general purpose) computers, touch = tablets. I wouldn't be surprised if this eventually changes--maybe sooner than we think. Apple also at least claims to be wedded to the idea that the iPad can be an actual laptop replacement; if they mean it, they can't stop where they're at now when it comes to knocking down reasons to prefer a MacBook to an iPad. This is one of the big ones. (And, yes, ultimately I think this will require them allowing users to sideload apps: either the manufacturer gets to dictate how you can use the platform, or it's general purpose, but it can't truly be both simultaneously.) Also, from a purely revenue standpoint, if they added trackpad/mouse support to iOS, I think they'd just sell more expensive mice and trackpads. :)
pjmlp 9y ago
You can on Android and W10 tablets, though.
- iagooar 9y ago
  Nobody wants to use Android or W10.
  - pjmlp 9y ago
    Not everyone wants to use an iPad.
- wor3q 9y ago
  Such articles would make no sense on in that case. "Install everything you need and it just works" makes little to brag about on your blog...

spraak 9y ago

This tangentially reminds me that when I landed my first software development job I had just a 10in 1gb netbook. It was a remote gig where I supplied my own equipment, so right before I started I got the Acer C720 (4gb ram and added a bigger ssd) and put Ubuntu on it. Luckily I did mostly backend then. Most the frontend devs seemed to need 16gb to spin up Vagrant and all the webpack watch tasks etc. Edit: not to say that was the way they should have been doing things, haha.

jwilliams 9y ago

> Awkward text selection. If I didn’t mainly use vim over ssh I would have given up on iOS for this reason alone. I think this is a really salient point. For those of us still doing Cut and Paste, a tablet isn't going to cut it (pun intentional).

Someone1234 9y ago
I'd go one step further and say that any device without mouse support wouldn't cut it outside of a terminal-exclusive programming environment.
- goerz 9y ago
  The upcoming version of Blink has some pretty awesome keyboard-based selection/copy/paste: you still tap and hold for the initial selection, but then that selection can be expanded with keyboard shortcuts
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
pjmlp 9y ago
Android and W10 tablets support mices. They even show a little cursor when one is plugged.
- disordinary 9y ago
  Even the Blackberry Playbook supported a mouse, really surprising that iOS doesn't.
ahartmetz 9y ago
Blackberry's BB10 had the only good selection mechanism on a touchscreen I've ever seen, and I think it's patented.
- dharma1 9y ago
  Sailfish OS also has really good touch selection, where it zooms in. Much better than Android or iOS

VectorLock 9y ago

He has "old eyes" but can work okay for hours on end on a 10" screen? I wonder what font size he runs his terminals at.

lloeki 9y ago
The increased rendering accuracy of HiDPI is extremely soothing to my eyes, allowing me to even go with a smaller font (rather, UI scale) than I do on a LoDPI one while improving comfort. I have a 29" 2560x1080 screen in front of me yet I still regularly unplug it and work on the 13" Retina in spite of the reduced real estate.
gregjor 9y ago
13 px. The hi-res iPad display really helps.

inertial 9y ago

I've been searching for a light & thin computing device for intermittent travel needs where I can - use SSH - edit & run code (i.e. python / JS etc.) - preferable running Ubuntu - form factor of iPad or iPad Pro - multitask with browser, terminal and editor Your article is the closest thing I've found so far. The list of tools that you use are also useful, thank you ! If it had Ubuntu, it would have been a perfect solution for me.

nrp 9y ago
I haven't gotten mine yet, but the Planet Computers Gemini is a modern take on the Psion 5 that probably meets your requirements: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gemini-pda-android-linux-keyboard-mobile-device--2#/ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gemini-pda-android-linux-...
- kbenson 9y ago
  That's cool, but oof, that price. I think one of those cheap $200 (just over) laptops you can get on Amazon with USB tethering to my phone would be my choice. Maybe a cheap fabric sleeve case to go with it. Even if I lost one, I could completely replace it and still be under the cost of this setup, and while a small laptop/netbook, it's still very usable. I bought 5 to play with for $DAYJOB the other month, and besides being a pain to get the big windows 10 update on because of low free disk space, they work great.
- inertial 9y ago
  Looks cool, wish the screen was a bit bigger.. around 9"-10"
- cup-of-tea 9y ago
  I own netbook and before that an actual Psion series 5 and series 7. They all really do seem like a great idea. On the netbook I set the text size tiny so I could still get two columns of 80 char lines. But the problem with all of them is the keyboard. It's just too small. If you're used to typing at a high wpm and use emacs like me then you will feel retarded. I never ended up doing anything productive on any of them.

ams6110 9y ago

I use a chromebook as a portable terminal in the data center. It's awesome. Termux for ssh sessions and common command line utilities, beagleterm if I need a serial console, and chrome for looking up stuff online. About 2 seconds from opening the cover to being usable, and battery that will last the whole workday.

jasonvorhe 9y ago
Same here. Best choice I've made in ages.
ce4 9y ago
Waiting for this bug to be resolved (termux supports only the US/qwerty keyboard layout) - qwertz/dvorak/etc is broken. https://github.com/termux/termux-app/issues/250 https://github.com/termux/termux-app/issues/250
onion2k 9y ago
I use a Chromebook in user mode for development at home. Using Caret for editing and Termux for nodejs stuff actually works quite well, but there are a few slightly annoying things like Chrome refusing to load things from localhost (Firefox for Android will). It's not a replacement for a proper computer but it works for tinkering.

lhuser123 9y ago

Controlling Ubuntu Remote Desktop with an iPad is kind of cool. Maybe not full time.

tuananh 9y ago

even for a terminal only, i still rather use a chromebook. ipad is still very cripple for development purpose.

spc476 9y ago

I don't use my iPad as my main computer, but I do use it when traveling. The work I do is mainly command line (development---Unix is my IDE), so using SSH is fine (vSSHD for iOS). Cut-n-paste is a bit of a chore though. My biggest complaint is the keyboard, but then again, short of an IBM model M I'm always going to complain about the keyboard.

nnq 9y ago

Does anyone have a similar guide but Android oriented?

imroot 9y ago

My biggest issue with an iPad Pro+Apple Keyboard as the main terminal client: - Where the "Control" key should be, is the "International Keyboard" key -- and there's no option to remap it. Control-something brings up the "Emoji" keyboard...or the Spanish keyboard (for me) Everything else? I can live with.

goerz 9y ago
Yeah, I've had to disable all keyboards except the main (English) one because hitting the globe key accidentally was so frustrating. For Emoji, I'm using an app called Symbols which allows be to copy/paste them (yay for multitasking with a floating app window on iOS11).
evgen 9y ago
The main benefit to me, besides mosh support, of the Blink app mentioned in TFA is that it actually allows you to remap caps lock to be control, because between left shift and tab is where the control key is supposed to live. I have been searching/waiting for half a decade for someone to produce a bluetooth keyboard that allowed me to remap keys the same way I can on my laptop and this software hack in Blink is the closest anyone has come.
carloscabanero 9y ago
This is why I started Blink, seriously. I just wanted to have Cmd as Ctrl and Alt as Meta on my iPad, for emacs. I even had to go one night to Grand Central's Apple Store and buy an external BT keyboard to run some tests because I realized the Simulator wasn't working properly with the modifier keys. And fortunately I was right, I could make modifier keys work, and it made sense to continue working on Blink.

nunez 9y ago

I did it two years or so ago. You really notice not having a mouse. Copy and pasting was weird. Local development is off the table; your workload will need to be on another box. Panic handled window resizing and rotations weird.

shams93 9y ago
Yeah for tools driven by webpack not having local development is really painful. I tried to make the pixel c my only device and got somewhat further thanks to tmux but ultimately not having chrome developmer tools in the browser made it not work for me.

fredsted 9y ago

The big things that would prevent me from using an iPad for work are: - No window management. No multiple screens. Can't have docs, IDE, browser and Slack open at the same time, for example. Bad crouched-down seating position as a result. - Text selection sucks on tablets in general. - Can't install developer tools locally; you're forced to work over SSH. Can't work on a plane, or wherever there's spotty WiFi - No good IDEs. For PHP, I like PHPStorm, for example. Don't know if web-based IDEs are any good though.

toomanybeersies 9y ago
> Can't work on a plane You're now making me imagine setting up a Raspberry Pi as a portable micro-server for your iPad terminal to SSH into, then creating an ad hoc WiFi network on the plane, which you could then connect your iPad Pro to. Of course that's completely backwards, your terminal has more processing power than the server, plus you'd need a battery for the RPi, and a way to sync your micro-server to your real server. It would be completely impractical and stupid, but it would be rather funny.
- frou_dh 9y ago
  How small can we go? Busybox + SSH running on a wifi-enabled watch or earring?
- nkristoffersen 9y ago
  It totally works. The PI just needs a regular USB battery which I travel with for my phone. An added bonus is all the fun wifi Linux tools that aren't available on my Mac or iPad.
- tomcooks 9y ago
  If you mostly use the terminal for sysadmin and coding, I assume the difference between terminal and server is nil. I'm trying to achieve this result with a solar powered rPi and my Android phone (running Termux), for syncing aren't git and rsync enough?
analogmemory 9y ago

EddieSpeaks 9y ago

This guy could seriously do well with the Surface Pro, none of the negatives he mentioned exist with all the positives but I’m guessing he’s deliberately Windows free

toomanybeersies 9y ago

When I started my first job as a developer a few years back, my boss (non-technical) apparently asked my manager if it was possible for me to do my job on an iPad instead of a Macbook, as iPads are cheaper. Obviously my manager said no. I should've taken it as a sign of things to come. My boss wouldn't even pay for my stationary, I had to buy my own pens and paper, let alone get my any peripherals like a monitor or a keyboard.

neilmock 9y ago
this kind of marginal cost-cutting at the expense of medium/long-term productivity is commonplace yet baffling to me. even if it doesn't increase productivity, surely it increases retention to some degree, I just don't get why you wouldn't make a small investment here as an owner/manager.
- croon 9y ago
  I've had the same recurring thoughts. Surely hardware is such a miniscule cost compared to the bodies using it 8 hours a day. I have never encountered a carpenter whose boss tried to get them to use the cheapest possible tool (especially the wrong kind of tool) for their job. Why would we be different, other than having bosses unfamiliar with the work they are managing.
tomcooks 9y ago
With these kind of "cost effective" bosses I suggest offering remote work, it usually works beautifully and you don't have to endure their ridiculous attitude 8+ hours a day.
- toomanybeersies 9y ago
  Conveniently my "cost effective" boss worked remotely, so at least I didn't have to tolerate him in person more than once a month. Everyone else at the job was super cool, I just really didn't gel with the CEO. I think maybe it was because he never saw us he treated us as some abstract cost centre.

kjullien 9y ago

Why not just go for a Surface Pro and get the best of both worlds ?

mattnewton 9y ago
Err, both worlds are there, but in my experience it could hardly be described as the “best of”.
tonyedgecombe 9y ago
Or is it the worst of both worlds, I tried one earlier this year but couldn't get on with it, it was just too compromised.
- izacus 9y ago
  I don't understand, what's compromised there? He's literally running only ssh client and a browser. What stops you from using the surface in this way?
  - briandear 9y ago
    I’m sure that isn’t all he is doing — who’d want to suffer through Surface for all the other tasks beyond ssh? Also the iPad Pro refresh rate is double that of Surface; the screen is significantly better which matters when you spend 8 hours a day looking at small stuff. iPad Pro is also thinner, lighter and has a far more powerful processor.
    - wor3q 9y ago
      What advantage does faster processor give when you have to offload any dev work to external machine? If you can't install your environment locally, you might as well use a $200 android tablet...
      - gregjor 9y ago
        I use the iPad for more than ssh to remote servers. I write a lot, for example. I also use it for watching movies and playing games. I have played with the Surface quite a bit and I know a few developers who use them (or have used them and given up). Partly it comes down to not wanting to use Windows.

benjaminwootton 9y ago

I would switch in a heartbeat if it had a mouse. This stops me working on presentations which is where most of my time is spent. Surely it wouldn’t even be that hard to enable and would fit in without compromising a touch based interface? I don’t understand why they wouldn’t do it?

awiesenhofer 9y ago

I like the iPad Pro but for that kind of workload it seems an Android (or Windows) tablet would be a better fit. You get mouse support for proper text selection and with ie. Termux you can work locally without the need to ssh into a server all the time. I use an old Sony Android tablet with bluetooth mouse+keyboard this way and it has been great while travelling or for any spring time "I want to work in a park" flashes. (It is also water proof which saved it quite an embarrassing number of times already.)

cm2187 9y ago
Have you found a screen that enables to work outside? All my previous attempts have been unworkable (screen not visible) when it is sunny.
- awiesenhofer 9y ago
  Unfortunately no. I would love a large epaper tablet but so far I just cranked the screen brightness up high and brought a battery pack. Works quite well.
Synaesthesia 9y ago
Performance wise though, the iPad is totally gonna best any Android tablet out there right now.
- Drakim 9y ago
  Does that matter in this context? All I see here is talk of SSH and vim.
- awiesenhofer 9y ago
  Absolutely. Working mostly on CRUD-Apps in php, python and node locally though, I never missed a faster device that much. You are more limited by your input modes or apps than performance really.
- croon 9y ago
  That would matter if you could do anything performance-dependent on the ipad pro, like run dev services, compile code or run tests.

thestephen 9y ago

Note that the iPad with a keyboard handles non-English languages relatively bad. There are shortcuts in some applications that simply do not work using a non-US layout.

hartator 9y ago

Wonder which iPad size is he using?

Polyphonie 9y ago
In the 2nd paragraph of the article: > A few months ago I bought an iPad Pro 10.5” with Apple Smart Keyboard to try to use it as my main work computer.
reza8802 9y ago
According to the article it was iPad Pro 10.5”.

qaq 9y ago

If there was some pen optimized IDE might be an interesting option

gregjor 9y ago
Yes I am hoping to see Pencil support in developer tools. The Pencil does work for clicking on things and selecting text but unless you need to draw or use handwriting it doesn’t work that much better than a finger.
- qaq 9y ago
  it would be easier for clicking on [+] to expand code section. With proper infrastructure might actually be usable for writing code.

memsom 9y ago

re: creating iOS Apps on an iPad - I've been using Continuous IDE for doing this. It includes Xamarin Forms, as well as native bindings. I've created a few non trivial apps in it. The benefit is that you can bootstrap the app really quickly in code and if you really want to scale it up, move it to the Mac to clean up. You can also almost take the code from a VS Mac projects and run it directly on an iPad.. it just needs a few hoops to be jumped through at the moment to get the files on the device.

iliaznk 9y ago

Just a tip: it wasn't officially advertised, but with iPads 2 and 3 (and probably 4 as well, those with the wide connector before the lightning connector was released) you could use ANY USB keyboard connected via the so called camera-kit connector (or whatever it was called, basically just a USB adapter). That could still hold true if there any USB adapters out there available for these new connectors).

AckSyn 9y ago
Lightning to usb is the "camera" adapter and I use it on an iPad Pro. It definitely still works

tluyben2 9y ago

I am looking for ways to do this: ssh is not enough for my workload so I am building a slew of apps to run on iOS/Android that let me do all my dev work on them. I am very close to that point now; hopefully in the next few months I reach the point where I only have to bring a gdp pocket or Pyra or Gemini and an ipad pro on travels to do everything I need to do. Where 90% happens on the iPad and 10% on the tiny laptop.

regularlanguage 9y ago

I use my iPad Pro for taking note taking during lectures and for reading. I would love to be able to use it for LaTeX too, however ShareLaTeX has a bug [0] making it impossible to navigate text using the arrow keys. For programming and other more technical things I do not see any reason to use the iPad. MacBooks are lightweight and more competent machines – the only thing worrying me is Apple's recent lack of interest for macOS and the Mac overall. [0] https://github.com/sharelatex/web-sharelatex/issues/611 https://github.com/sharelatex/web-sharelatex/issues/611

briandear 9y ago
What recent “lack of interest?” MacOS isn’t suffering from “lack of interest.” As far as Mac, according to media reports, Apple is even working to develop their own chips — hardly the hallmark of a “lack of interest.”
goerz 9y ago
The (offline) LaTeX situation on the iPad is pretty good, actually. There’s Texpad and Tex Writer, both of which are pretty good. Personally, I use a fork of iVim that contains a Texlive distribution (https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-with-ivim.html https://michaelgoerz.net/notes/editing-latex-on-the-ipad-wit..., as mentioned in my earlier comment)

blunte 9y ago

I would like to see a series of articles describing/teaching his client communication and organization process. He illustrates that it takes about 50% of his time, and that sounds about right for my experience. However, he clearly has a system for managing his 50% that I don't have (but need).

gregjor 9y ago
I have written about it a little bit, in my articles about freelancing, on my site typicalprogrammer.com. I mostly use email because my clients mostly use email. If I can get them to use Slack or report/track issues in GitHub, great, but usually they use email. I have five active customers most of the time. I use Google Inbox for organizing and finding emails, Google Keep for notes and lists, and GitHub issues for tracking bugs and programming tasks. I got into the Google Drive/Keep/Inbox world because I used a Chromebook for three years as my main computer (still use it fairly often) and was on Android before that.

nkkollaw 9y ago

I really don't get it. My mom can use an iPad as her primary computer, and I can use an iPad as my primary computer on the beach on vacation, but why would I hate myself so much to use an iPad as my primary computer? I think Apple's vision is--once again--completely wrong when talking about pro users.

gregjor 9y ago
I don’t hate myself. I wanted to try using it for development and I’ve been surprised at how well it works, for my workflow. It wouldn’t work for everyone, but nothing does.
- nkkollaw 9y ago
  Yes of course, but I'm just amazed that the CEO of a computer company (if you can still call Apple that) can say that he doesn't understand why anyone would buy a computer when there are tablets around. Let's just say that I'm happy to have abandoned the platform.
wilsonnb 9y ago
The fact that Apple hasn't released an IDE for iOS that can develop iOS apps is a pretty clear indicator that the iPad is not meant for professional software development, even if some people (myself included) try it anyways just to see how well it works. However, there are plenty of other professional users who could probably use the iPad as their primary computer now. Photographers, graphic designers, visual artists, and musicians could probably make the switch now and iOS will only get better for them in the future. I think that Apple's vision for pro users is correct as long as we consider more than just software developers as pro users.
- nkkollaw 9y ago
  It still doesn't make any sense to me. Why would I buy an overpriced tablet that is stuck to being a tablet, while there are many two-in-ones that are 1/2 of the price and not only work just as great as the iPad in their tablet form, but can become an actual computer if one needs them to..? Microsoft's Surface Book is absolutely stunning, and can become a tablet with great battery life, or be a perfect laptop if you need to type and want to use a mouse.

blunte 9y ago

I'm not a Windows fan, but the Surface Pro like looks very attractive and super small and light. Unfortunately, I need something that can run Primiere and Illustrator as well as the easy vim and terminals.

rcarmo 9y ago
I have an i7 with 16GB of RAM, and an acquaintance with an identical config runs Illustrator on it without complaint.
- blunte 9y ago
  I wonder why Illustrator performance on my Dell XPS 15 with i7, 32GB RAM, and 1050GX GPU is so much slower scrolling in Illustrator than my old i7 MBP with much older GPU? I assumed that the Surface Pro, which at least through model 4 was Intel GPU only, would be even worse...
  - dawnerd 9y ago
    I tried an xps last year with an i7 and it was slow as well. Turns out it was thermal throttling like crazy. Returned it right away and just stuck with a MacBook Pro. Do miss all that ram though.
    - blunte 9y ago
      Thanks for this tip. I did some digging and found that even on AC power, the thing was set by default to throttle down to 5% CPU power whenever possible. I guess there's some ramp-up latency when demand hits, and that was creating the performance problems I had. After setting the min CPU at 100%, it performs almost as well as my 3 year older MBP.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
cm2187 9y ago
The main issue I have with Surface Pro (outside of the numerous bugs) is that it behaves more like a laptop in term of waking up. An ipad can be on sleep for a long time and is instantaneously available when woken up, whereas a Surface Pro will take a while to wake up. So it's not the same usage.

_ph_ 9y ago

I have made similar experience with my 13 inch iPad Pro. The hardware is just great - perhaps with an exception for the missing keys on the smart keyboard. But what really holds it back is the software. Working remotely on a Linux box works around some of the restrictions - I have been struggling with various ssh clients, I really have to give Blink a try. But the iPad Pro could be the ultimate mobile device, if Apple would put a stronger emphasis on developers needs. A sandboxed version of termux would just be great - perhaps even a complete virtualisation app, which allows to boot a linux inside the apps container.

jwr 9y ago

I'm a heavy iPad user (I use the 12" pro). I'd be willing to pay $100 for a good, working Emacs. That said, I find that the experience of working on an iPad is less than optimal, because of keyboards. IPad Keyboards almost universally suck, for various reasons. I actually used Apple's aluminum bluetooth keyboard for a while, because it was the least sucky. The Apple smart keyboard is an improvement, but it also sucks in various ways. There is always a problem with remapping caps lock to control, which is essential, and I can't remap other keys and use them because of the limitations of either the keyboard, the OS, or the terminal. I'd like to be able to use Emacs as I do everyday, with a Control, Alt, Command and Super modifiers, but once all the limitations are in place you end up with an Emacs where even Alt (Meta) doesn't work and you have to type esc-something, and you might not even have an esc key.

whywhywhywhy 9y ago
With all these downsides to keyboard input on the platform and wanting to use Emacs, I'm just curious what do you actually like about working on the iPad over something like a Macbook, Surface or the small MBP?
- actsasbuffoon 9y ago
  As someone with a 12 inch iPad Pro, Macbook Pro, and Surface Pro tablet, I can weigh in. A Macbook Pro is significantly more expensive than any of the other options, and frankly, I despise the redesigned MBP. The touch bar hinders my productivity, and the new keyboard tends to malfunction. The key travel is so low that the keys often get stuck. Simply put, I love Apple products, but the new MBP breaks my heart. It sucks. It's one of the worst Apple products I've ever used. Apple urgently needs to put out a new MBP based on the previous design. Get rid of the touch bar, bring back the ports, bring back Mag-Safe, and pretend this terrible laptop never happened. The Surface Pro is interesting. It's almost useless as a tablet. I basically treat it as a very small laptop. I've tried using it without a mouse, but the Windows UI isn't designed for it. I'm constantly struggling to click on UI elements that are way too small. A lot of Windows apps are not prepared for the high DPI screen, and are insanely tiny. You pretty much need a magnifying glass to use them. As an ultra-portable laptop, it's decent. It weighs very little, and the construction quality is decent (though not as good as an iPad). The keyboard for the Surface Pro is pretty good. It's slightly flimsy, so you have to keep it on a semi-solid surface, or the keyboard can start to buckle and cause some issues. The stylus on the previous model wasn't very good, but the new one is great. It's almost as good as the Apple Pencil, which is high praise. As for development, it runs Windows. If you're a C# or Java developer then that's great, otherwise it's not so good. You can run a VM, or the Linux subsystem, but that eats into the Surface's already extremely poor battery life. The iPad Pro (especially the full size version) is just stunning. It has the nicest screen I've ever laid eyes on. I'm not just talking about pixel density. Images pop off the screen. The whole device is really solid, and it feels great in your hands. Battery life is good, usability for daily tasks is superb. The stylus is the best in the business (I strongly prefer it over a Wacom Cintiq). Unfortunately the keyboard is a problem, and the inability to run development software is a showstopper. So I'd say the iPad Pro is the best hardware out there, but it's hampered by software support. In my dreams, I can run Emacs, Ruby, Haskell, and all of my other development tools right on my iPad. Since that's not possible, I use a Surface Pro for Windows related development (working on a 3D indie game), and an MBP for web development.

nkristoffersen 9y ago

For the folks worried about the limited iPad keyboards: You can use most any bluetooth or USB keyboard with the iPad. I use a Code keyboard with cherry switches connected to my iPad via USB if I am doing anything serious. Just need the little Camera -> Lighting adapter.

whywhywhywhy 9y ago
At that point why not just use a laptop? You're carrying around an iPad, some way to stand it up, a USB keyboard and a dongle. Just seems to be getting a little silly imho the amount of cruft people are willing to carry around to try and fulfil Tim's vision that the iPad is a laptop replacement.

carlosrg 9y ago

A friendly reminder: there's no reason the iPad couldn't have things like a local shell, emacs or whatever local program you like, only the artificial barriers Apple imposes to limit what you can do with your own device. Until these barriers are lifted, I think I will stick to old and boring laptop computers.

briandear 9y ago
You could equally remind people that those “barriers” also carry significant benefit to the vast majority of users.
- sametmax 9y ago
  You assume you can't have your cake and eat it but it's unproven.
  - walterbell 9y ago
    Yes, see QubesOS which has a shoestring budget compared to Apple.
- HiroshiSan 9y ago
  Not sure why it has to be one or the other.
  - sbarker 9y ago
    Security yo.
    - lisper 9y ago
      There is no reason Apple could not allow users to install their own certificates, or even to just provide an "easy jailbreak" that was not accessible remotely, without compromising security for users who elected not to use these features.

tr4cefl0w 9y ago

What’s a computer?

ezconnect 9y ago

I once used a Nokia 80 to fix a problem on a website.

romanovcode 9y ago
You should write a similar article then!

jpalomaki 9y ago

For those considering iPad for work, I would recommend also testing Macbook. Before switching to Windows I was traveling with Macbook and found it pretty convenient. No need to play with SSH or alternatives as you can run the actual tools. Depending on stuff you do, syncing via Dropbox may make it possible to easily work on a more powerful computer when at home/office. Not perfect of course. In some cases, it would be nice to have the tablet mode, for example reading docs in plane (no need to stash away for takeoff/landing). With Macbook touchpad I did not really miss touch screen. Can't remember how it was with battery life in real life.

elvirs 9y ago

just get a Chromebook then

gregjor 9y ago
If you read the article you would know that I have a Chromebook Pixel LS, and that has been my main (only) computer for almost three years. I still use it for things the iPad can’t do, or can’t do well enough.

wffurr 9y ago

The sticking point for me with Android or iOS is always the web browser devtools. I write all my code on a remote server, so a decent terminal emulator is sufficient for that, but without local browser debugging tools, I am way less productive. I don't get why the mobile browsers are crippled versions of the desktop ones in that regard. It's also the greatest thing about Chromebooks. They have real desktop Chrome. I have other gripes with the OS just like I do with Android or iOS in terms of usability vs MacOS, Ubuntu, or Windows, but it's the best "mobile OS" currently.

gregjor 9y ago
Yes, I miss Chrome dev tools more than a mouse. I have a Chromebook for the relatively infrequent episodes of HTML/CSS/JS debugging and experimenting, since I don’t do a lot of front-end work.

gregjor 9y ago

Wow, I didn’t expect so many comments. Thanks for the constructive ideas and discussion. I noticed that the skeptical comments fall into two broad categories: 1. I can’t do my work on an iPad because I need to use tools that don’t work on iOS. Therefore I don’t understand how anyone could use an iPad. 2. The iPad seems so obviously unsuited to software development the author must suffer from masochism, or need to prove something, or suffers from Apple fan boy disease. I didn’t write the article to evangelize iPads for development. I described my experience using an iPad Pro for my own work, which just happens to fit pretty well with a tablet and keyboard because I work remotely on code I can’t easily run locally, and I prefer using Unix (actually Linux) as my IDE. That won’t work for everyone. Not everyone needs a pickup truck to do their job, that doesn’t mean people who don’t own a truck made a mistake or want to punish themselves.

skiman10 9y ago
Good point. A lot of people are criticizing you for "preaching" about using an iPad for their work, when in fact you are just sharing your dev setup for us to read. It won't work for everyone, but it works for you so who are we to criticize you? Anyway, you have an interesting setup and I want to thank you for sharing! Aside, I also run a Pixel LS with Crouton and love it still.
- gregjor 9y ago
  I wrote this because I had told a few people I can use an iPad for work and they asked me to write up the details because they would like to do it. A quick Google search shows quite a bit of interest in using tablets instead of laptops. I think I clearly made the point that this won’t work for a lot of people, and iOS gets close to a good developer experience but has some frustrating issues. Haters gonna hate, the subject doesn’t even matter. If I wrote about my favorite work chair I would get replies about better chairs and lectures about how I should stand or walk on a treadmill. If I wrote about my motorcycle a lot of people would tell me what a piece of crap I ride. When I switched from a Macbook to the Chromebook Pixel, after a lot of research, I was told by other developers that I couldn’t work on a Chromebook.