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I’m looking for a tablet coding solution. I’ve just been hating siting at a desk for any period of time. I can’t figure out what it is about a desk. Maybe it’s

I’m looking for a tablet coding solution. I’ve just been hating siting at a desk for any period of time. I can’t figure out what it is about a desk. Maybe it’s an adhd thing?

freedomben 2y ago
This happens to me periodically as well. I can't explain it, but all the sudden I just hate being at my desk and/or in my office. Luckily I don't use an IDE (just Vim) so my solution has been to take my laptop to different places, sometimes around the house and sometimes outside. A coworking space a couple days a week seems to help a lot too.
shreddit 2y ago
What’s wrong with a laptop, imho the more ergonomic solution…
- znpy 2y ago
  The ipad does things most laptops won’t do. I particularly like goodnotes, for example. And the ipad is pretty light… if i could use a proper terminal (with all the keys working, including F1-F12) i might ditch my laptop… i messed a bit with remote desktop via rdp and it’s quite usable - worked okay when i tried it on a bus driving on a highway at ~110 km/h over a 4g connection). So yeah i could still access a full linux desktop either via ssh (shelly) or via rdp (via the Microsoft rdp client)
  - kbouck 2y ago
    (this comment is about using ipad as a general computer, rather than purely coding) if you're like me and continually open new apps and browser tabs, never closing them, then one benefit of using iPad versus mac is the OS process lifecycle. iPad/iOS processes that are not in focus go into background/suspended state, and don't make your ipad slower and slower - whereas on mac you need to be a bit more disciplined, or else ...
  - al_borland 2y ago
    > And the ipad is pretty light… The 13" MacBook Air is 1.24kg (or 1,240g) according to Apple's tech specs. From what I can find[0] the comparable iPad Pro 13" with Magic Keyboard is 1,246g. So for someone who uses the keyboard all the time, which I expect to be the case for anyone using it for coding, the iPad with Magic Keyboard is heavier than a laptop, technically speaking. Functionally, they are the same weight. I remember seeing that a previous version of the iPad + keyboard was both thicker and heavier than a MacBook Air. Unless someone is going without a case, and only using the Apple Pencil (or their fingers), the iPad is not the thin and light option it's sold as. Going with a form factor that makes sense is the important part. Will the user actually use touch or the pencil? Will the keyboard always be attached? Where and how will it be used? I personally find an actual laptop works much better in a chair or couch than an iPad, if trying to use a keyboard. When using an iPad with a keyboard, I feel like I'm stuck working on a hard flat surface of some kind. [0] https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/13/m4-ipad-pro-magic-keyboard-weight/ https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/13/m4-ipad-pro-magic-keyboard-we...
- layer8 2y ago
  While laptops are slightly less worse than tablets ergonomically (when you need to type a lot), a height-adjustable desktop monitor (or two) with a dedicated keyboard is what you really want.
xnyan 2y ago
If you include a keyboard, you're not going to do much better than a macbook air. A 13" iPad pro with keyboard is actually .3 lbs heavier at 3 lbs than a 13" MBA at 2.7 lbs. The other issue with an ipad and coding is weight distribution. Tablets are too top heavy to work well in a clamshell setup if that's how you're going to use it.

I’m looking for a tablet coding solution. I’ve just been hating siting at a desk for any period of time. I can’t figure out what it is about a desk. Maybe it’s an adhd thing?

freedomben 2y ago

This happens to me periodically as well. I can't explain it, but all the sudden I just hate being at my desk and/or in my office. Luckily I don't use an IDE (just Vim) so my solution has been to take my laptop to different places, sometimes around the house and sometimes outside. A coworking space a couple days a week seems to help a lot too.

shreddit 2y ago

What’s wrong with a laptop, imho the more ergonomic solution…

znpy 2y ago
The ipad does things most laptops won’t do. I particularly like goodnotes, for example. And the ipad is pretty light… if i could use a proper terminal (with all the keys working, including F1-F12) i might ditch my laptop… i messed a bit with remote desktop via rdp and it’s quite usable - worked okay when i tried it on a bus driving on a highway at ~110 km/h over a 4g connection). So yeah i could still access a full linux desktop either via ssh (shelly) or via rdp (via the Microsoft rdp client)
- kbouck 2y ago
  (this comment is about using ipad as a general computer, rather than purely coding) if you're like me and continually open new apps and browser tabs, never closing them, then one benefit of using iPad versus mac is the OS process lifecycle. iPad/iOS processes that are not in focus go into background/suspended state, and don't make your ipad slower and slower - whereas on mac you need to be a bit more disciplined, or else ...
- al_borland 2y ago
  > And the ipad is pretty light… The 13" MacBook Air is 1.24kg (or 1,240g) according to Apple's tech specs. From what I can find[0] the comparable iPad Pro 13" with Magic Keyboard is 1,246g. So for someone who uses the keyboard all the time, which I expect to be the case for anyone using it for coding, the iPad with Magic Keyboard is heavier than a laptop, technically speaking. Functionally, they are the same weight. I remember seeing that a previous version of the iPad + keyboard was both thicker and heavier than a MacBook Air. Unless someone is going without a case, and only using the Apple Pencil (or their fingers), the iPad is not the thin and light option it's sold as. Going with a form factor that makes sense is the important part. Will the user actually use touch or the pencil? Will the keyboard always be attached? Where and how will it be used? I personally find an actual laptop works much better in a chair or couch than an iPad, if trying to use a keyboard. When using an iPad with a keyboard, I feel like I'm stuck working on a hard flat surface of some kind. [0] https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/13/m4-ipad-pro-magic-keyboard-weight/ https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/13/m4-ipad-pro-magic-keyboard-we...
layer8 2y ago
While laptops are slightly less worse than tablets ergonomically (when you need to type a lot), a height-adjustable desktop monitor (or two) with a dedicated keyboard is what you really want.

xnyan 2y ago

If you include a keyboard, you're not going to do much better than a macbook air. A 13" iPad pro with keyboard is actually .3 lbs heavier at 3 lbs than a 13" MBA at 2.7 lbs. The other issue with an ipad and coding is weight distribution. Tablets are too top heavy to work well in a clamshell setup if that's how you're going to use it.