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It's quite bizarre that Apple just released an iPad Pro with a CPU that is more powerful than the desktop CPU in my workstation, but then cripples the device by

It's quite bizarre that Apple just released an iPad Pro with a CPU that is more powerful than the desktop CPU in my workstation, but then cripples the device by severely restricting what kind of software you can run on it. I mainly use Linux but was looking for a secondary laptop/tablet hybrid for my office needs. I considered getting an iPad but ultimately went for a Surface Pro, which was the right choice I think. The device and UI (just Windows 10) is not nearly as polished as iPadOS, but at least I can just install normal FOSS software like KeepassXC instead of downloading some proprietary app from the store, hoping it won't exfiltrate my data. I can even play the occasional round of SimCity 2000 in DOSBox. iOS & iPadOS devices are great for media consumption, but I would never consider them for any type of "serious" office work.

bluedino 5y ago
I can't run whatever I want on a Tesla's FSD unit.
- ThePhysicist 5y ago
  Yeah but a Tesla isn't marketed as a computing device for "pros", while an iPad arguably is.
  - wil421 5y ago
    Pro hasn’t meant Pro for like 10 years. Not sure it ever meant what HN considers a Pro, meaning a development machine. Pro also meant Professional as in Artists, Photographers, Musicians, and content creators. They have sweet hardware so us developers always wanted then. We always were the last use case; everyone machines, content creators, and then developers.
  - Spivak 5y ago
    I feel like our definition of "pro" is different from Apple's. Apple has always marketed to professional creatives who need specialized software for content production. Developers are a completely different user-story. The ideal machine for a programer looks absolutely nothing like the ideal machine for a digital artist.
tempodox 5y ago
I remember several articles from the time the iPad came out that phantasized about how the iPad could replace PCs (as in “Personal Computer”) one day, even from Steve Jobs. Today that idea looks nothing but ludicrous. It was Apple themselves that nipped that notion in the bud, no competition required. If you want to do anything other than gaming and media consumption, don't buy an iDevice.
- ubermonkey 5y ago
  Your bias is showing, as is your blinkered view of what's possible on an iPad. For many, many people, the iPad absolutely DOES replace having a traditional computer. The prediction came true. I rarely bother traveling with a laptop anymore unless I need to present or run demos. My iPad pro + the fancy keyboard case gives me insane portability and battery life plus access to all my files (via Dropbox), native Office, etc. Whining that "you can't do anything but game and consume in iOS" in 2021 is just hilariously wrong.
  - sumtechguy 5y ago
    That is what many people do with their computers. It fits what they do. I personally was very excited about the iPad right up until the point I found out it had been 'downgraded' to use the iPhone interface. It went from 'shut up take my money' to 'meh, i will get something else' pretty much instantly. I have bought a few for family members. They use it for gaming, watching videos, and some light web surfing. I personally just use a nice light laptop. You can extend it like you have. But many people do not. If I had to 'do over' I might go down the route you have. But as is I am pretty sunk into my work flow.
  - alerighi 5y ago
    To me a PC is a device that runs whatever software you need, and that you can program to do the stuff that you need. iOS imposes limitations on that, you cannot run third party applications that are not on the store, you can't write your own programs or scripts, or you can with 100 limitations that makes it in practice impossible to do so. And I'm not talking about the hardware, it's powerful, probably more powerful by a lot of computers, but in the end the stuff that you can do on an iPad is far less than the stuff that you can do with a Raspberry Pi, a 35$ computer, but with Linux on it, and that lets you do whatever you want.
swiley 5y ago
This. Everyone grumps about the Pinephone having a slow CPU but it outruns the iPhone for most things I do because the iPhone ha to run anything usefull in an interpreter. Also there are lots of old apps that have found homes on Linux (like gEDA) that don't run on iOS because Apple makes things so hard.
- als0 5y ago
  > because the iPhone ha to run anything usefull in an interpreter. What do you mean? Unlike Android, most apps on iPhone are native code.
  - swiley 5y ago
    Most apps I use don't get approved by Apple and have to run in eg iSH.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

bluedino 5y ago

I can't run whatever I want on a Tesla's FSD unit.

ThePhysicist 5y ago
Yeah but a Tesla isn't marketed as a computing device for "pros", while an iPad arguably is.
- wil421 5y ago
  Pro hasn’t meant Pro for like 10 years. Not sure it ever meant what HN considers a Pro, meaning a development machine. Pro also meant Professional as in Artists, Photographers, Musicians, and content creators. They have sweet hardware so us developers always wanted then. We always were the last use case; everyone machines, content creators, and then developers.
- Spivak 5y ago
  I feel like our definition of "pro" is different from Apple's. Apple has always marketed to professional creatives who need specialized software for content production. Developers are a completely different user-story. The ideal machine for a programer looks absolutely nothing like the ideal machine for a digital artist.

tempodox 5y ago

I remember several articles from the time the iPad came out that phantasized about how the iPad could replace PCs (as in “Personal Computer”) one day, even from Steve Jobs. Today that idea looks nothing but ludicrous. It was Apple themselves that nipped that notion in the bud, no competition required. If you want to do anything other than gaming and media consumption, don't buy an iDevice.

ubermonkey 5y ago
Your bias is showing, as is your blinkered view of what's possible on an iPad. For many, many people, the iPad absolutely DOES replace having a traditional computer. The prediction came true. I rarely bother traveling with a laptop anymore unless I need to present or run demos. My iPad pro + the fancy keyboard case gives me insane portability and battery life plus access to all my files (via Dropbox), native Office, etc. Whining that "you can't do anything but game and consume in iOS" in 2021 is just hilariously wrong.
- sumtechguy 5y ago
  That is what many people do with their computers. It fits what they do. I personally was very excited about the iPad right up until the point I found out it had been 'downgraded' to use the iPhone interface. It went from 'shut up take my money' to 'meh, i will get something else' pretty much instantly. I have bought a few for family members. They use it for gaming, watching videos, and some light web surfing. I personally just use a nice light laptop. You can extend it like you have. But many people do not. If I had to 'do over' I might go down the route you have. But as is I am pretty sunk into my work flow.
- alerighi 5y ago
  To me a PC is a device that runs whatever software you need, and that you can program to do the stuff that you need. iOS imposes limitations on that, you cannot run third party applications that are not on the store, you can't write your own programs or scripts, or you can with 100 limitations that makes it in practice impossible to do so. And I'm not talking about the hardware, it's powerful, probably more powerful by a lot of computers, but in the end the stuff that you can do on an iPad is far less than the stuff that you can do with a Raspberry Pi, a 35$ computer, but with Linux on it, and that lets you do whatever you want.

swiley 5y ago

This. Everyone grumps about the Pinephone having a slow CPU but it outruns the iPhone for most things I do because the iPhone ha to run anything usefull in an interpreter. Also there are lots of old apps that have found homes on Linux (like gEDA) that don't run on iOS because Apple makes things so hard.

als0 5y ago
> because the iPhone ha to run anything usefull in an interpreter. What do you mean? Unlike Android, most apps on iPhone are native code.
- swiley 5y ago
  Most apps I use don't get approved by Apple and have to run in eg iSH.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]