4 ms·

A moment of silence for the guys working on the MS Surface devices. There are still reasons to get the Surface instead of an iPad, but the M1 in an iPad sounds

A moment of silence for the guys working on the MS Surface devices. There are still reasons to get the Surface instead of an iPad, but the M1 in an iPad sounds like a hit.

jrockway 6y ago
Apple needs to do something about the software situation. You can write computer programs on a Surface. You can do CAD and play AAA games on a Surface. Windows, for all its flaws, does have a lot of software that targets it. Big things, and the long tail. iPad OS is rather limited. I have an older iPad Pro and I like it better than any laptop I've had. It doesn't have any configuration to tune, it doesn't require a 2 hour update every time you turn it on (like my Surface Pro did). But, you can't deny that it is limited; you have to SSH somewhere to do real work, and its hardware isn't exposed to web applications. (For example, it has a 120Hz display, but web apps can't use it.) Even with these limitations, it's still my favorite mobile device. For $20/month I have unlimited 4G anywhere in the country, and so sshing somewhere to do real work is no problem. (The whole pandemic thing really killed my desire to travel, though, so it just sits on a table until I use it to read a book or something.) But, there's no need to upgrade it; it's fast and the battery lasts forever. Only better software would make me want to upgrade, and it's not there yet. People still treat the iPad like a toy. I'm willing to treat it as a computer, but people that make software I use aren't quite there yet ;)
georgeecollins 6y ago
Wow, as a Surface and an iPad owner I really disagree. The M1 is great. But iOS means that the iPad is mostly a device for media consumption and maybe writing or drawing. It had all the power you need to do that with the A12. The surface can run JetBrains, Godot, Blender, a bunch of IDEs that make it useful as productivity device for a person in tech. Most people don't need that, so I am sure the iPad will sell great. But there is still a need for laptops/ tablets (whatever weird hybrid that is becoming) that are not locked down.
paxys 6y ago
Until the iPad Pro gets a real desktop OS there will always be reason to buy a Surface.
- FearlessNebula 6y ago
  Yep. M1 changes nothing for iPad, it has been limited by software not CPU for years now.
monkmartinez 6y ago
No moment of silence needed. I have a iPad Pro 12.9 and its awesome for consuming content and drawing. For everything else there is a real computer. I can't use the iPad to program my Drone, or Run a CNC, or Play steam games, or link to the Oculus, or run VS Code, or use Fusion 360, or Run Linux or Windows VM's. Or, or... or ... I love my iPad, but it is very, very far from a good computer interface right now.
- Toutouxc 6y ago
  > program my Drone, or Run a CNC, or Play steam games, or link to the Oculus, or run VS Code, or use Fusion 360, or Run Linux or Windows VM's But you don't have to use (and pay extra for) a Surface for that. I'm not saying the iPad is a computer. I'm saying that iPad is a touch+ink device superior to the Surface (most models of which are kinda mediocre computers IMO).
  - monkmartinez 6y ago
    You are right that I don't need a surface to perform general computing tasks. All I am saying is that, I could do those things with a Surface. I can not do those things with an iPad. The Surface line is is DEAD once you can run a desktop OS on an iPad. Heck, I would go so far to say that would be a redefining moment for computing in general.
fareesh 6y ago
When you can play DOTA2 on an iPad I'll be impressed
- FearlessNebula 6y ago
  That seems very feasible

A moment of silence for the guys working on the MS Surface devices. There are still reasons to get the Surface instead of an iPad, but the M1 in an iPad sounds like a hit.

jrockway 6y ago

Apple needs to do something about the software situation. You can write computer programs on a Surface. You can do CAD and play AAA games on a Surface. Windows, for all its flaws, does have a lot of software that targets it. Big things, and the long tail. iPad OS is rather limited. I have an older iPad Pro and I like it better than any laptop I've had. It doesn't have any configuration to tune, it doesn't require a 2 hour update every time you turn it on (like my Surface Pro did). But, you can't deny that it is limited; you have to SSH somewhere to do real work, and its hardware isn't exposed to web applications. (For example, it has a 120Hz display, but web apps can't use it.) Even with these limitations, it's still my favorite mobile device. For $20/month I have unlimited 4G anywhere in the country, and so sshing somewhere to do real work is no problem. (The whole pandemic thing really killed my desire to travel, though, so it just sits on a table until I use it to read a book or something.) But, there's no need to upgrade it; it's fast and the battery lasts forever. Only better software would make me want to upgrade, and it's not there yet. People still treat the iPad like a toy. I'm willing to treat it as a computer, but people that make software I use aren't quite there yet ;)

georgeecollins 6y ago

Wow, as a Surface and an iPad owner I really disagree. The M1 is great. But iOS means that the iPad is mostly a device for media consumption and maybe writing or drawing. It had all the power you need to do that with the A12. The surface can run JetBrains, Godot, Blender, a bunch of IDEs that make it useful as productivity device for a person in tech. Most people don't need that, so I am sure the iPad will sell great. But there is still a need for laptops/ tablets (whatever weird hybrid that is becoming) that are not locked down.

paxys 6y ago

Until the iPad Pro gets a real desktop OS there will always be reason to buy a Surface.

FearlessNebula 6y ago
Yep. M1 changes nothing for iPad, it has been limited by software not CPU for years now.

monkmartinez 6y ago

No moment of silence needed. I have a iPad Pro 12.9 and its awesome for consuming content and drawing. For everything else there is a real computer. I can't use the iPad to program my Drone, or Run a CNC, or Play steam games, or link to the Oculus, or run VS Code, or use Fusion 360, or Run Linux or Windows VM's. Or, or... or ... I love my iPad, but it is very, very far from a good computer interface right now.

Toutouxc 6y ago
> program my Drone, or Run a CNC, or Play steam games, or link to the Oculus, or run VS Code, or use Fusion 360, or Run Linux or Windows VM's But you don't have to use (and pay extra for) a Surface for that. I'm not saying the iPad is a computer. I'm saying that iPad is a touch+ink device superior to the Surface (most models of which are kinda mediocre computers IMO).
- monkmartinez 6y ago
  You are right that I don't need a surface to perform general computing tasks. All I am saying is that, I could do those things with a Surface. I can not do those things with an iPad. The Surface line is is DEAD once you can run a desktop OS on an iPad. Heck, I would go so far to say that would be a redefining moment for computing in general.

fareesh 6y ago

When you can play DOTA2 on an iPad I'll be impressed

FearlessNebula 6y ago
That seems very feasible