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This seems like an exercise in masochism. Why would you want to code on an OS targeted for smartphones and without any native compiler support? To those who wa

by a-ve 8y ago

This seems like an exercise in masochism. Why would you want to code on an OS targeted for smartphones and without any native compiler support? To those who want LTE connectivity, I don't think you know there's a device called the Thinkpad X1 with this functionality built in. Or is it that coding on tablets is considered "hip" these days?

voltagex_ 8y ago
I dislike Apple, but one thing I'll say in their favour is that I can wander into any Apple store and get a replacement device when it breaks (or maybe even a repair if I'm lucky). Lenovo, on the other hand took weeks to get back to me and then quoted $400AUD to replace the display backlight - with someone else's name on the quote. If I've got LTE connectivity, I'm probably going to remote in to some other box with a lot more processing power, rather than code on a limited laptop/mobile processor.
- subfay 8y ago
  Valid but just look: Good Windows notebooks are so cheap, you can have a second device lying around in case of emergency. IDK if you have the moeny for a second Macbook, whatever model...
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- groby_b 8y ago
  Have you actually brought a device to be repaired within the last few years? They take it in the back to diagnose it, come back with a sad expression and tell you they need to send it in, and you can pick it up in a week. (And that's not even mentioning the fact that most Apple stores are a zoo, and you can easily spend an hour waiting for your 'Genius' appointment)
  - cstejerean 8y ago
    If I was in a hurry I’d buy a replacement device, restore from iCloud, and then return it in a week when my original device is back from warranty.
    - bdcravens 8y ago
      That’s a lot of cash to tie up.
      - GordonS 8y ago
        Sure, but at least it's only tied up temporarily, rather than permanently if you buy a new device. I wonder if it's possible to rent a decent Macbook though?
  - cageface 8y ago
    They wanted to take my 2017 MBP for a week to replace the faulty keyboard. I was forced to buy a new machine because I can’t afford to be unproductive for a week. Having a $3000 machine sidelined for a week by a design flaw that oringinates from Apple’s obsession with making pretty and thin devices over any practical considerations means I will be taking a very serious look at a windows laptop for the first time in over ten years when this MBP is due for replacement.
    - rixrax 8y ago
      Exactly same story here. Second time that 2017MBP went for a repair I drove to a Best Buy and got a 2017 Razer Stealth. Life is suffering: on Razer I replaced Windows 10 with Ubuntu (which at that time wouldn’t work without long list of patches and tweaks; it’s better now with recent kernels), I hate the touch display, I would have preferred 1080p display over 4K, but at least modern Linuxes mostly do display scaling well enough. And then there is the touchpad. Which is several years behind MBP touchpad. And it’s not like it was much cheaper than the MBP. But It runs google docs and Emacs as well as the MBP did. And has the keyboard that works. So I’m just fine. I may in a year or two try MBP again. We’ll see.
- Daneel_ 8y ago
  Lenovo offers a next business day on-site replacement warranty that covers accidental damage. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve used the service a few times over the past five or so years and it’s been excellent. It really wasn’t that much extra, and it’s a no-brainer when you consider how valuable all the lost time from a multi-week replacement.
  - windowsworkstoo 8y ago
    Bang on - all the major PC manufacturers offer this (for a small price of course). you typically get a tech and a part sent out next day, or even within 4 hours on the right plan
- joaomacp 8y ago
  A counter-example: in Portugal, Lenovo's support representative took my yoga 500 and replaced the motherboard for no cost. Don't remember the duration, maybe 1 or 2 weeks
_ph_ 8y ago
One wouldn't currently buy an iPad with the idea of it being your prime development device - you would get a laptop. But the iPad is a beautiful hardware, so if you end up owning one, sooner or later any developer or tinkerer will try to use it as a coding device. And for those, who manage to get around the current limitations, it is a great device to use. This is on the one side a nice hacking challange, on the other side it should document the software gap, Apple needs to address. If Apple would just offer a Unix sandbox app - like Termux - I would upgrade to the latest and greatest iPad pro in a second. APPLE - are you listening? There is easy revenue to pick up, just in case you are looking for extra revenue.
Fnoord 8y ago
> To those who want LTE connectivity, I don't think you know there's a device called the Thinkpad X1 with this functionality built in. Cut out the condescending tone, please. If I want a device with LTE connectivity build-in there are options out there such as my smartphone (USB-OTG, BT, WLAN), a USB stick, or a so-called MiFi (mobile WiFi). The latter is essentially a portable LTE modem utilizing WLAN so any client supporting WLAN can connect with it to the internet.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
akhilcacharya 8y ago
Sidebar - why do people even want built in LTE? It makes no sense to me when tethering is so fast, convenient, and doesn’t require an extra bill!
- SalimoS 8y ago
  I would say energy wise
- vetinari 8y ago
  Laptops with LTE have much better antennas, you don't have to think about charging/discharging two devices and any decent cell operator will give you second (third...) sim on the same bill as your first one. When abroad, you can have your original sim in your phone and local sim with local rates in your laptop. Also, the laptop will get location/gps capabilities, which you do not get with tethered phone.
  - bubblethink 8y ago
    What can you do with GPS on a laptop ? I know it used to be a thing back in the day, but what's the main use case?
    - vetinari 8y ago
      Depends on what do you do with the computer. Some of my colleagues need location out in the field for GIS/WFM purposes.
      - bubblethink 8y ago
        I mean your cell phone's location from which you would otherwise tether the connection would be close enough. I guess no one has written an app to convey that information. The other use case of gps could be a good source of time if you have no network connectivity.
        vetinari 8y ago
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
LyndsySimon 8y ago
I code on my iPad quite a bit. It’s not “native”, though; I use a Digital Ocean VM that I connect to over MOSH. It feels no different from using my MBP at a desk, really, and it’s handy to have it when I’m out running errands and such.

by a-ve 8y ago

voltagex_ 8y ago

I dislike Apple, but one thing I'll say in their favour is that I can wander into any Apple store and get a replacement device when it breaks (or maybe even a repair if I'm lucky). Lenovo, on the other hand took weeks to get back to me and then quoted $400AUD to replace the display backlight - with someone else's name on the quote. If I've got LTE connectivity, I'm probably going to remote in to some other box with a lot more processing power, rather than code on a limited laptop/mobile processor.

subfay 8y ago
Valid but just look: Good Windows notebooks are so cheap, you can have a second device lying around in case of emergency. IDK if you have the moeny for a second Macbook, whatever model...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
groby_b 8y ago
Have you actually brought a device to be repaired within the last few years? They take it in the back to diagnose it, come back with a sad expression and tell you they need to send it in, and you can pick it up in a week. (And that's not even mentioning the fact that most Apple stores are a zoo, and you can easily spend an hour waiting for your 'Genius' appointment)
- cstejerean 8y ago
  If I was in a hurry I’d buy a replacement device, restore from iCloud, and then return it in a week when my original device is back from warranty.
  - bdcravens 8y ago
    That’s a lot of cash to tie up.
    - GordonS 8y ago
      Sure, but at least it's only tied up temporarily, rather than permanently if you buy a new device. I wonder if it's possible to rent a decent Macbook though?
- cageface 8y ago
  They wanted to take my 2017 MBP for a week to replace the faulty keyboard. I was forced to buy a new machine because I can’t afford to be unproductive for a week. Having a $3000 machine sidelined for a week by a design flaw that oringinates from Apple’s obsession with making pretty and thin devices over any practical considerations means I will be taking a very serious look at a windows laptop for the first time in over ten years when this MBP is due for replacement.
  - rixrax 8y ago
    Exactly same story here. Second time that 2017MBP went for a repair I drove to a Best Buy and got a 2017 Razer Stealth. Life is suffering: on Razer I replaced Windows 10 with Ubuntu (which at that time wouldn’t work without long list of patches and tweaks; it’s better now with recent kernels), I hate the touch display, I would have preferred 1080p display over 4K, but at least modern Linuxes mostly do display scaling well enough. And then there is the touchpad. Which is several years behind MBP touchpad. And it’s not like it was much cheaper than the MBP. But It runs google docs and Emacs as well as the MBP did. And has the keyboard that works. So I’m just fine. I may in a year or two try MBP again. We’ll see.
Daneel_ 8y ago
Lenovo offers a next business day on-site replacement warranty that covers accidental damage. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve used the service a few times over the past five or so years and it’s been excellent. It really wasn’t that much extra, and it’s a no-brainer when you consider how valuable all the lost time from a multi-week replacement.
- windowsworkstoo 8y ago
  Bang on - all the major PC manufacturers offer this (for a small price of course). you typically get a tech and a part sent out next day, or even within 4 hours on the right plan
joaomacp 8y ago
A counter-example: in Portugal, Lenovo's support representative took my yoga 500 and replaced the motherboard for no cost. Don't remember the duration, maybe 1 or 2 weeks

_ph_ 8y ago

One wouldn't currently buy an iPad with the idea of it being your prime development device - you would get a laptop. But the iPad is a beautiful hardware, so if you end up owning one, sooner or later any developer or tinkerer will try to use it as a coding device. And for those, who manage to get around the current limitations, it is a great device to use. This is on the one side a nice hacking challange, on the other side it should document the software gap, Apple needs to address. If Apple would just offer a Unix sandbox app - like Termux - I would upgrade to the latest and greatest iPad pro in a second. APPLE - are you listening? There is easy revenue to pick up, just in case you are looking for extra revenue.

Fnoord 8y ago

> To those who want LTE connectivity, I don't think you know there's a device called the Thinkpad X1 with this functionality built in. Cut out the condescending tone, please. If I want a device with LTE connectivity build-in there are options out there such as my smartphone (USB-OTG, BT, WLAN), a USB stick, or a so-called MiFi (mobile WiFi). The latter is essentially a portable LTE modem utilizing WLAN so any client supporting WLAN can connect with it to the internet.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

akhilcacharya 8y ago

Sidebar - why do people even want built in LTE? It makes no sense to me when tethering is so fast, convenient, and doesn’t require an extra bill!

SalimoS 8y ago
I would say energy wise
vetinari 8y ago
Laptops with LTE have much better antennas, you don't have to think about charging/discharging two devices and any decent cell operator will give you second (third...) sim on the same bill as your first one. When abroad, you can have your original sim in your phone and local sim with local rates in your laptop. Also, the laptop will get location/gps capabilities, which you do not get with tethered phone.
- bubblethink 8y ago
  What can you do with GPS on a laptop ? I know it used to be a thing back in the day, but what's the main use case?
  - vetinari 8y ago
    Depends on what do you do with the computer. Some of my colleagues need location out in the field for GIS/WFM purposes.
    - bubblethink 8y ago
      I mean your cell phone's location from which you would otherwise tether the connection would be close enough. I guess no one has written an app to convey that information. The other use case of gps could be a good source of time if you have no network connectivity.
      - vetinari 8y ago

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

LyndsySimon 8y ago

I code on my iPad quite a bit. It’s not “native”, though; I use a Digital Ocean VM that I connect to over MOSH. It feels no different from using my MBP at a desk, really, and it’s handy to have it when I’m out running errands and such.