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You know... I want a large format iOS device... but as a pro user the very last thing I want is a sandboxed jailhouse. Apple is abandoning pro users across the

by rsl7 14y ago

You know... I want a large format iOS device... but as a pro user the very last thing I want is a sandboxed jailhouse. Apple is abandoning pro users across the board. iOS apps are essentially toys because of the limitations of iOS and the app store itself. The promise and the potential is there for something truly incredible, and that's why it's so hard to watch.

Samuel_Michon 14y ago
For (some) developers, I can understand they need full access to the OS, file system, and services. However, many professionals in other lines of work don't need such an open, vulnerable environment. For them it's more important to have a safe, stable system that's easy to use and doesn't require a lot of configuration. That's why I believe the future is in iOS, not OS X. Also, for web development, I find that the iPad works very well (for me). I have all I need with Diet Coda, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, DesignPad, Idea Bucket, Writing Kit, and Photoshop Touch. I just wish for a larger screen.
- MatthewPhillips 14y ago
  Task switching in iOS is pretty horrible, as with most mobile OSes. If you're switching behind that many apps you must have a high tolerance for pain. Also I disagree with you that iOS is good for professionals. The way it attempts to hide the idea of files makes it very inconvenient to work with (coupled with the lack of a compelling alternative). I can't think of any professions where files aren't important.
  - Samuel_Michon 14y ago
    "Task switching in iOS is pretty horrible" Four finger swipe works like a charm. [1] "The way [iOS] attempts to hide the idea of files makes it very inconvenient to work with" It doesn't hide documents, iOS has a different way of presenting and organizing them than you're used to. Instead of putting them all on one pile for you to sort out, iOS takes an app centric approach. You never have to search for that spreadsheet you made last week, you know it's in the file drawer in the Numbers app (and with iCloud, the spreadsheets you made on your Mac will also be there). Of course the standard way iOS handles files doesn't work for everyone. If you have thousands of files you need to sift through, you might prefer using Dropbox or SFTP with an app like GoodReader, or use a web app like Google Docs. [1] http://gigaom.com/2012/04/02/how-to-use-ipad-multitasking-gestures-and-why-you-should/ http://gigaom.com/2012/04/02/how-to-use-ipad-multitasking-ge...
    - MatthewPhillips 14y ago
      The app-centric approach breaks down when you have to share that data out to colleagues who collaborate on it or gasp use it on a non-Apple device. These things can be fixed but as it stands you really have to go out of your way and adapt your own workflow because of the limitations of the platform.
  - tracker1 14y ago
    I found that task switching in webOS was REALLY nice.. and am glad that Android has since adopted a similar switcher. Now the lack of a physical menu button on most android devices is a different issue.
    - rayiner 14y ago
      Task switching in Windows 8 is also really nice (very similar to Web OS). Swipe in from the side to show the task switcher, then click on what you want. Snap a second app to the side of the screen if you want. Very nice balance between keeping the interface simple and offering some flexibility. Too bad it's buggy as fuck.
- rsl7 14y ago
  I use a lot of those same apps, and I agree that they work. But they work the same way on a laptop. The unique properties of the tablet format can't really be taken advantage of with those apps. I do have an issue with the way files are handled, though, but I think it's minor and will be addressed over time. For instance the "horizontal scrolling list of gigantic previews of documents" just doesn't scale to anything a professional can deal with. And the document syncing is all over the map - Omni told me they won't/can't support Dropbox, etc. But again, I feel that is a relatively minor point compared to the bigger issue of using the tablet format to its potential. Apple is limiting it in the most severe and terrible ways in my view. This new format DEMANDS (caps!) experimentation, demands out of the box thinking, demands breaking stuff left and right... but the app store and DRM and content limitations are putting harsh brakes on it.
stcredzero 14y ago
> as a pro user the very last thing I want is a sandboxed jailhouse. Apple is abandoning pro users across the board. I think their take is that non-programmer pro users are where it's at for future touch-enabled apps.
- rsl7 14y ago
  I agree and that's what is so terrible. Paper isn't pro or non-pro. You can go but expensive brushes and paint, or buy cheap stuff, or whatever you want. There are no limitations in the physical world. But in the digital world, you have severe, totalitarian definitions of pro and amateur. You are not free to paint on your typed document. Ever. Unless the developers foresaw and expressly allowed for that event.

by rsl7 14y ago

Samuel_Michon 14y ago

For (some) developers, I can understand they need full access to the OS, file system, and services. However, many professionals in other lines of work don't need such an open, vulnerable environment. For them it's more important to have a safe, stable system that's easy to use and doesn't require a lot of configuration. That's why I believe the future is in iOS, not OS X. Also, for web development, I find that the iPad works very well (for me). I have all I need with Diet Coda, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, DesignPad, Idea Bucket, Writing Kit, and Photoshop Touch. I just wish for a larger screen.

MatthewPhillips 14y ago
Task switching in iOS is pretty horrible, as with most mobile OSes. If you're switching behind that many apps you must have a high tolerance for pain. Also I disagree with you that iOS is good for professionals. The way it attempts to hide the idea of files makes it very inconvenient to work with (coupled with the lack of a compelling alternative). I can't think of any professions where files aren't important.
- Samuel_Michon 14y ago
  "Task switching in iOS is pretty horrible" Four finger swipe works like a charm. [1] "The way [iOS] attempts to hide the idea of files makes it very inconvenient to work with" It doesn't hide documents, iOS has a different way of presenting and organizing them than you're used to. Instead of putting them all on one pile for you to sort out, iOS takes an app centric approach. You never have to search for that spreadsheet you made last week, you know it's in the file drawer in the Numbers app (and with iCloud, the spreadsheets you made on your Mac will also be there). Of course the standard way iOS handles files doesn't work for everyone. If you have thousands of files you need to sift through, you might prefer using Dropbox or SFTP with an app like GoodReader, or use a web app like Google Docs. [1] http://gigaom.com/2012/04/02/how-to-use-ipad-multitasking-gestures-and-why-you-should/ http://gigaom.com/2012/04/02/how-to-use-ipad-multitasking-ge...
  - MatthewPhillips 14y ago
    The app-centric approach breaks down when you have to share that data out to colleagues who collaborate on it or gasp use it on a non-Apple device. These things can be fixed but as it stands you really have to go out of your way and adapt your own workflow because of the limitations of the platform.
- tracker1 14y ago
  I found that task switching in webOS was REALLY nice.. and am glad that Android has since adopted a similar switcher. Now the lack of a physical menu button on most android devices is a different issue.
  - rayiner 14y ago
    Task switching in Windows 8 is also really nice (very similar to Web OS). Swipe in from the side to show the task switcher, then click on what you want. Snap a second app to the side of the screen if you want. Very nice balance between keeping the interface simple and offering some flexibility. Too bad it's buggy as fuck.
rsl7 14y ago
I use a lot of those same apps, and I agree that they work. But they work the same way on a laptop. The unique properties of the tablet format can't really be taken advantage of with those apps. I do have an issue with the way files are handled, though, but I think it's minor and will be addressed over time. For instance the "horizontal scrolling list of gigantic previews of documents" just doesn't scale to anything a professional can deal with. And the document syncing is all over the map - Omni told me they won't/can't support Dropbox, etc. But again, I feel that is a relatively minor point compared to the bigger issue of using the tablet format to its potential. Apple is limiting it in the most severe and terrible ways in my view. This new format DEMANDS (caps!) experimentation, demands out of the box thinking, demands breaking stuff left and right... but the app store and DRM and content limitations are putting harsh brakes on it.

stcredzero 14y ago

> as a pro user the very last thing I want is a sandboxed jailhouse. Apple is abandoning pro users across the board. I think their take is that non-programmer pro users are where it's at for future touch-enabled apps.

rsl7 14y ago
I agree and that's what is so terrible. Paper isn't pro or non-pro. You can go but expensive brushes and paint, or buy cheap stuff, or whatever you want. There are no limitations in the physical world. But in the digital world, you have severe, totalitarian definitions of pro and amateur. You are not free to paint on your typed document. Ever. Unless the developers foresaw and expressly allowed for that event.