3 ms·

"All that wasted compute power" has been the story of the iPad for the last 5 years. Very powerful hardware that simply isnt used by the software on it.

Infernal 4y ago
Trying to look at the other side, this is how you still support machines like the iPad Air 2 released in 2014…
- rhn_mk1 4y ago
  I'm not sure if that other side is positive if it means that we need more power to give user the same functionality as before. I imagine that the basic uses haven't really changed since 2014: write to others, video calls, read stuff on the web, watch videos, use web apps where expensive logic is outsourced to a remote server.
- madeofpalk 4y ago
  iPad Air 2 review in 2014 > If the hardware of the iPad Air 2 demonstrates the overwhelming power of small iterative improvements, then the software represents the failings of that approach. The overall experience of using the iPad Air 2 in 2014 is a case study in missed opportunities and untapped potential. Apple has all but stopped adding tablet-specific features to iOS — the minor two-paned mode for landscape apps on the iPhone 6 Plus is a more significant rethinking of how to manage a larger screen size than anything added to the iPad Air 2 this year. > Just consider something as simple as browsing the web. On raw benchmarks the iPad Air 2 is comparable to a 2011 MacBook Air — which, again, is crazy — but the MacBook’s version of Safari is vastly more feature-rich and flexible. That MacBook will also allow me to run multiple apps alongside Safari and be far more productive than the iPad; we’re well past the point when Apple needs to figure out proper multitasking on its tablet. https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/21/7027485/apple-ipad-air-2-review https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/21/7027485/apple-ipad-air-2... The story of the iPad is that Apple is shipping hardware vastly more capable than it's software.
  - Infernal 4y ago
    Both of these pretty much make my point. To the first complaint, no iPad specific improvements: here we are 8 years later, 3 years into enough iPad specific improvements to rename the OS, and with enough computational resources to make use of them without buying a new device. To the second, poor multitasking - this has been constantly improved since the days of iOS 8 and again, due to the spec of the device, those software improvements are available with no waste or additional purchase needed. I’m not sure what alternative you would want here - a device half the initial cost that you have to replace 2-3 times between 2014 and now to use the same software updates? Or is the argument just that 2022 software should’ve already existed in 2014?
_ea1k 4y ago
I was just thinking of this yesterday. The ipad could make a great dev machine if I could run a rooted Linux environment on it. Although a little more RAM would be nice too.
- aiddun 4y ago
  I'd love to be able to use an M1 iPad Pro as a remote compilation server

Infernal 4y ago

Trying to look at the other side, this is how you still support machines like the iPad Air 2 released in 2014…

rhn_mk1 4y ago
I'm not sure if that other side is positive if it means that we need more power to give user the same functionality as before. I imagine that the basic uses haven't really changed since 2014: write to others, video calls, read stuff on the web, watch videos, use web apps where expensive logic is outsourced to a remote server.
madeofpalk 4y ago
iPad Air 2 review in 2014 > If the hardware of the iPad Air 2 demonstrates the overwhelming power of small iterative improvements, then the software represents the failings of that approach. The overall experience of using the iPad Air 2 in 2014 is a case study in missed opportunities and untapped potential. Apple has all but stopped adding tablet-specific features to iOS — the minor two-paned mode for landscape apps on the iPhone 6 Plus is a more significant rethinking of how to manage a larger screen size than anything added to the iPad Air 2 this year. > Just consider something as simple as browsing the web. On raw benchmarks the iPad Air 2 is comparable to a 2011 MacBook Air — which, again, is crazy — but the MacBook’s version of Safari is vastly more feature-rich and flexible. That MacBook will also allow me to run multiple apps alongside Safari and be far more productive than the iPad; we’re well past the point when Apple needs to figure out proper multitasking on its tablet. https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/21/7027485/apple-ipad-air-2-review https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/21/7027485/apple-ipad-air-2... The story of the iPad is that Apple is shipping hardware vastly more capable than it's software.
- Infernal 4y ago
  Both of these pretty much make my point. To the first complaint, no iPad specific improvements: here we are 8 years later, 3 years into enough iPad specific improvements to rename the OS, and with enough computational resources to make use of them without buying a new device. To the second, poor multitasking - this has been constantly improved since the days of iOS 8 and again, due to the spec of the device, those software improvements are available with no waste or additional purchase needed. I’m not sure what alternative you would want here - a device half the initial cost that you have to replace 2-3 times between 2014 and now to use the same software updates? Or is the argument just that 2022 software should’ve already existed in 2014?

_ea1k 4y ago

I was just thinking of this yesterday. The ipad could make a great dev machine if I could run a rooted Linux environment on it. Although a little more RAM would be nice too.

aiddun 4y ago
I'd love to be able to use an M1 iPad Pro as a remote compilation server