4 ms·

Apple isn't going to turn into Microsoft. And there's a reason why this is the wrong product. iOS is already OS X enough. Running a desktop operating system

by MCRed 11y ago

Apple isn't going to turn into Microsoft. And there's a reason why this is the wrong product. iOS is already OS X enough. Running a desktop operating system on a tablet doesn't make sense. If you want a laptop that's as small and lightweight as the iPad you can get a Macbook Air.

veidr 11y ago
You're sort of right, but laptops with dumb screens that are incapable of understanding touch events also don't make sense in 2015. Even if it only gets used one in a while, every laptop (and desktop) should be able to let you scroll and tap buttons and UI elements with your finger in a pinch.
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  Software here is more expensive than hardware. Apple wouldn't do it unless they can provide a good experience for it, and they really don't know how to do that yet. It isn't just a few gestures, but the whole guerrilla arm thing, which is why you don't see touch being used often on PC laptops that don't have flat tablet configurations.
  - veidr 11y ago
    I totally used to agree with that, but it only took one hour with a touchscreen windows PC to make my MacBooks all feel broken. I still mainly use my MacBook Pro, because overall, Windows just doesn't cut it for what I need to do. And I personally don't really need touch that often -- but every single time I do (on the phone, holding a baby, jerking off with right hand, whatever), it is maddening that it doesn't work. Even if limited to just basic scrolling and tapping, basic touch screen support is still way better than nothing. I think you are right about why Apple doesn't do it yet, but I think Apple is utterly wrong not to do it for that reason. It's a classic case of making the perfect the enemy of the good. Truly awesome touch (and stylus!) support would be great; no touch support at all just feels incorrect.
    - WorldWideWayne 11y ago
      Apple is going to talk down about it right up until the day that they do a 180 and finally catch up or surpass Microsoft in this arena. The nay-saying Apple apologists around here just can't wrap their heads around the fact that Apple are masters of bullshitting people into thinking that they know best, even when they leave out obvious features like a second mouse button. I remember back in the 90's, Apple lovers would actually argue that a single mouse button was somehow better because you had to "think about it less". What a crock of fucking shit! :)
      - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
        And they don't even talk down on them. These days, Apple's silence on the issue is taken implicitly as a dis, when in reality they could be working on it right now, having yet to find something that lives up to their rep.
WorldWideWayne 11y ago
> Running a desktop operating system on a tablet doesn't make sense. Of course it does or else people wouldn't be buying them. Microsoft is doing 4 billion dollars a year in Surface sales. I've been using Windows on tablets for over a year now and nothing beats it. I get way more control over my tablet with Windows than I do with any of the mobile systems.
dragonwriter 11y ago
> Running a desktop operating system on a tablet doesn't make sense. Having a different OS for desktops vs. tablets doesn't make much sense. There may be some things you want to do different from a UI perspective, but that should be alterable within the same OS (and, anyway, with touch increasinging available on desktop and laptop displays and people frequently using tablets with, at least, a keyboard if not a mouse, you probably want desktop and tablet OSs to be able to use the same range of UI capabilities, just with different defaults.)

by MCRed 11y ago

veidr 11y ago

You're sort of right, but laptops with dumb screens that are incapable of understanding touch events also don't make sense in 2015. Even if it only gets used one in a while, every laptop (and desktop) should be able to let you scroll and tap buttons and UI elements with your finger in a pinch.

seanmcdirmid 11y ago
Software here is more expensive than hardware. Apple wouldn't do it unless they can provide a good experience for it, and they really don't know how to do that yet. It isn't just a few gestures, but the whole guerrilla arm thing, which is why you don't see touch being used often on PC laptops that don't have flat tablet configurations.
- veidr 11y ago
  I totally used to agree with that, but it only took one hour with a touchscreen windows PC to make my MacBooks all feel broken. I still mainly use my MacBook Pro, because overall, Windows just doesn't cut it for what I need to do. And I personally don't really need touch that often -- but every single time I do (on the phone, holding a baby, jerking off with right hand, whatever), it is maddening that it doesn't work. Even if limited to just basic scrolling and tapping, basic touch screen support is still way better than nothing. I think you are right about why Apple doesn't do it yet, but I think Apple is utterly wrong not to do it for that reason. It's a classic case of making the perfect the enemy of the good. Truly awesome touch (and stylus!) support would be great; no touch support at all just feels incorrect.
  - WorldWideWayne 11y ago
    Apple is going to talk down about it right up until the day that they do a 180 and finally catch up or surpass Microsoft in this arena. The nay-saying Apple apologists around here just can't wrap their heads around the fact that Apple are masters of bullshitting people into thinking that they know best, even when they leave out obvious features like a second mouse button. I remember back in the 90's, Apple lovers would actually argue that a single mouse button was somehow better because you had to "think about it less". What a crock of fucking shit! :)
    - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
      And they don't even talk down on them. These days, Apple's silence on the issue is taken implicitly as a dis, when in reality they could be working on it right now, having yet to find something that lives up to their rep.

WorldWideWayne 11y ago

> Running a desktop operating system on a tablet doesn't make sense. Of course it does or else people wouldn't be buying them. Microsoft is doing 4 billion dollars a year in Surface sales. I've been using Windows on tablets for over a year now and nothing beats it. I get way more control over my tablet with Windows than I do with any of the mobile systems.

dragonwriter 11y ago

> Running a desktop operating system on a tablet doesn't make sense. Having a different OS for desktops vs. tablets doesn't make much sense. There may be some things you want to do different from a UI perspective, but that should be alterable within the same OS (and, anyway, with touch increasinging available on desktop and laptop displays and people frequently using tablets with, at least, a keyboard if not a mouse, you probably want desktop and tablet OSs to be able to use the same range of UI capabilities, just with different defaults.)