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IPad thoughts from Ben Fry (creator of Processing)

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Re: IPad thoughts from Ben Fry (creator of Processing)

#61

The iPad will sell like hotcakes and while some preach doomsday for freedom others will make millions developing for it. At the end, pops and moms will be happier than ever with their new computing experience that doesn't crash every day and has to be formatted and reinstalled every other month.

My dad uses his GPS software almost every day (his GPS has Windows software) and likes 1st person shooters. My mom uses her quilting software almost every day. My uncle, a farmer in Iowa, uses QuickBooks for accounting. People have shelves of software that they use/love even if they aren't fans of Windows or OS X. Presuming they buy an iPad and lug their Windows boxes (which neither crash every day nor require reinst…

That's why Apple (so far, at least) talks about iPad exclusively in the context of being an addition to a PC or Mac. In fact, it requires a computer for backup and OS upgrades.

The fact that your mom can't run her quilting software on it (so far) doesn't mean it can't do all the other things well and be a very welcome addition to her life. It just means she has to keep using her PC for quilting. At least until somebody realizes there's an opportunity for a good quilting app.

Re: IPad thoughts from Ben Fry (creator of Processing)

#62
post #3

The worst enemy of freedom in software is not Microsoft, it's Apple. You're pretty free to develop and distribute software as you want on Windows. On new Apple devices, they control the way the software is distributed, they tax you, they make you obey their rules. Imagine a world with appstore as the main way of distributing software for any kind of devices. This would be hell. This is where Apple is going. Stop usin…

You should include Google along with Apple. I understand that Chrome OS won't allow any native apps whatsoever. The only native apps that will run are Google developed apps. So by your logic, Google is even more evil than Apple, right?

Re: IPad thoughts from Ben Fry (creator of Processing)

#63
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, but having worked with both, Visual Studio is miles ahead of Xcode. I even did an app for a client in C++/Qt that wanted it running in OS X ... developed 100% in Visual Studio. That's because at the time (at least) Xcode wasn't even having Intellisense (and Visual C++ does have the best intellisense available). Visual Studio Express is free to use ... and it's enough for almost every need you might have. And b…

> Of course Mono for Apple would be an abomination that had to be destroyed (considering how they sued Psystar and even Wired on publishing an article about hackitoshes) Cocoa is a direct descendent of NEXTStep which is an open spec. Hence the NS prefix on class names. Here's "Mono for Apple": http://www.cocotron.org/ http://etoileos.com/ http://www.gnustep.org/ You mention MS "endorsing" Mono as if that means someth…

Yes it means something ... it shows good will, it shows they are probably not going to sue, and their developers are also contributing/helping out Mono.

> Cocoa is a direct descendent of NEXTStep

Oh please, take any Cocoa app and try running it in Gnustep.

Re: IPad thoughts from Ben Fry (creator of Processing)

#64

  To use an example, if things “just worked” then I'd be able
  to copy music from my iPod back to my laptop, or from one
  machine that I own to another.
True for the first part, as for the second: this feature is built in into iTunes, it even allows you to see the music that's not on your computer and copy it with a simple drag and drop.

  The thing that will be interesting about the iPad is the experience
  of using it — something that nobody has had except for the folks at
  Apple — and as is always the case when dealing with a different type
  of interface, you're always going to be wrong.
Not sure what he has in mind talking about experience. I gather few folks had a chance to try it out after it was presented and all were raving how fast that thing is. Then a lot of folks keep saying "it's just a bigger iPhone", but don't know what the UX will be. Well, if it just a bigger iPhone (it's not) user experience is going to be as good, only better.

Then people cry and predict the end of hacking, tinkering and programming. Folks, don't forget: with iPad also comes out new free SDK. But maybe shouting about freedom is just a tad easier than using it.

Re: IPad thoughts from Ben Fry (creator of Processing)

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My dad uses his GPS software almost every day (his GPS has Windows software) and likes 1st person shooters. My mom uses her quilting software almost every day. My uncle, a farmer in Iowa, uses QuickBooks for accounting. People have shelves of software that they use/love even if they aren't fans of Windows or OS X. Presuming they buy an iPad and lug their Windows boxes (which neither crash every day nor require reinst…

That's why Apple (so far, at least) talks about iPad exclusively in the context of being an addition to a PC or Mac. In fact, it requires a computer for backup and OS upgrades. The fact that your mom can't run her quilting software on it (so far) doesn't mean it can't do all the other things well and be a very welcome addition to her life. It just means she has to keep using her PC for quilting. At least until somebo…

"At least until somebody realizes there's an opportunity for a good quilting app"

I think I just did.

Re: IPad thoughts from Ben Fry (creator of Processing)

#66
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can freely distribute Mac OS X software. Why are you comparing Windows with iPhone/iPad? I'm going to compare games on Mac OS X and Xbox, why can't I make Xbox games and distribute them freely, when I can do that on Mac OS X?

I think he means Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile.

You mean this? http://i.engadget.com/2010/03/15/confirmed-marketplace-will-...
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