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Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
11–20 of 47 posts
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#12At a family event recently, my 13 y.o. cousin was playing with his new iPod Touch. So I started asking him questions about it, and he tells me about how he's going to root it, going into some decent detail. I was pretty impressed! It just goes to show, Apple engineers can't keep kids from learning about their iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad, no matter how hard they try.
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#13Apple IIgs opened the programming world to me back then. I have to give a big thanks to Apple
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#14[deleted]
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#15I initially thought the same thing, but then I realized that the iPad may actually inspire more kids to become hackers and programmers.
They may start with the iPad because it's the number one tablet but that doesn't mean they will stay with the iPad.
Future hackers will probably be inspired by the iPad and want to figure out how it works and how to program for it. Then these hackers may get tired of Apple's tightly controlled platform and may move to an open platform like Android to hack on.
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#16No - because they are expensive.
It's like claiming that Mercedes is destroying the hot-rod industry because kids can't get the engine management codes.
Macs were never for hackers now iApple isn't - so what?
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#17The iPad isn't going to destroy tinkering. The whole "oh no one will tinker and no one will want to be a software engineer" complaint is getting old. If closed platforms abound, tinkerers will create an open and adaptable one. There is a wealth of tools and systems available to tinkerers today. Widespread adoption of the iPad is not going to change that. iPads aren't going to destroy the hobbyist electronics market.…
280atlas.com
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#18I've always believed the biggest single moment of destruction of future programmers is when Microsoft stopped shipping BASIC (plus the full source code of the games GORILLA.BAS and NIBBLES.BAS) with DOS/Windows.
I loved Gorillas. But Windows ships with .NET, including a C# and VB.Net compiler. I'd rather have hacked on that than BASIC, nostalgia value notwithstanding.
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#19As far as operating systems go, MS-DOS did more to encourage my technical knowledge than Windows ever did, and I stopped using DOS around the time Windows 98 came out. But people who are drawn to tinkering probably wind up with better uses for their mental energy when they have easy-to-use operating systems. Pretty much everyone who has an iPad also has access to a machine they can do development on.
"Pretty much everyone who has an iPad also has access to a machine they can do development on."
For now.
To be honest - it feels ridiculous that the iPhone seems to need a computer so much. And I would imagine the iPad (or perhaps the iPadHD/iPadCamera/iPadNextGeneration) will feel slightly the same way.
Re: Is Apple destroying a generation of tech whizzes?
#20This is honestly one of the most poorly-written 'articles' I've ever read: "The process of simplification of consumer goods in response to demand is what has delivered the enormous productivity gains that generate much of the wealth of modern life."
What does that even mean? How about this: "Think about light switches, for example. Homebuilders, these days, put all the wiring inside the walls where you can't see it, and power is generated miles away from sources. Most people couldn't generate a current if their life depended on it; they just know that if you flick the switch the light turns on and if it doesn't you change the bulb or check the circuit breaker (the equivalent of hitting restart) before calling in the experts."
I know that dumbing ideas down to the point of meaninglessness is sorta the status quo of mainstream journalism, but at least have a little respect for your readers...