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Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

perpetualstudent.net

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Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#21

Post by krainboltgreene »

blasdel wrote: post #18
krainboltgreene wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

God I hope not. I hope some day I wont have to use HTML, CSS, Javascript, and a serverside language just to write an app. I'd like to just use one language and hit all platforms.

You don't necessarily have to touch the markup directly, your app can essentially be pure JS (or compiled to pure JS) that paints it all into the DOM dynamically (see http://cappuccino.org/ ) You don't need a server-side language if the app doesn't really need to communicate with your server. You can do everything client-side with LocalStorage (SQLite) and cached assets. If the page has the right metadata on it, "Add…

I don't want to use Javascript. I want to use to be able to use any language to write web applications. Any one language. :/

I think we're really choking ourselves as hackers if we let Browsers either end up as completely JS or the hacked together combination of (poorly enforced) HTML, (ugly syntax) CSS, and Javascript

Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#22

Post by chaostheory »

MrRage wrote: post #9
chaostheory wrote: post #8

Years ago there was a time when I used to be a big MS Windows fanboy. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best combination of everything that worked right at the time... The frequent blue screens, freezes, and constant virus & trojan cleaning was getting old, but Windows was still doable overall. Then something MS did, totally pissed me off enough to start trying desktop alternatives: MS started to ensure that Windows…

I've frequently upgraded and changed parts in my PCs over the past few years an only once has Windows refused to activate. It was fixed with a 15 minute phone call to Microsoft. I find it hard to believe this is a serious issue unless you're reinstalling or changing parts every week or something. Edit: And by upgrading parts I mean things as big as upgrading the CPU and/or motherboard.

why should I have to call MS for permission to upgrade my PC? It's the principle. Besides it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Crashes and freezing were fine when I was a kid, and Windows was primarily used for video games. Once I grew up and started using it for work, that was no longer acceptable.

Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#23

Post by al_james »

Well, I intend to buy my mum a iPad and keyboard so I can prop the iPad up on her desk, and she can use it just like a normal desktop PC. She will be able to do all the things she does normally, but with many orders of magnitude less tech support calls to me! So yes, a iPad laptop would be even better.

Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#24

Post by mithaler »

jeremymcanally wrote: post #3

Say this with me: iPad is not a laptop. Once people understand that it is a consumer device, an appliance like an iPod or a DVD player, that just happens to do a lot of extra stuff, we can start talking about what it can do and how people will use it.

I think you missed the point.

Yes, the iPad is not a desktop, and it's not expected to do the same things. What the post is positing is that Apple may release a laptop similarly locked down, and if they did, would it be an appliance like an iPod or DVD player?

Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#25

Post by mooism2 »

krainboltgreene wrote: post #21
blasdel wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't necessarily have to touch the markup directly, your app can essentially be pure JS (or compiled to pure JS) that paints it all into the DOM dynamically (see http://cappuccino.org/ ) You don't need a server-side language if the app doesn't really need to communicate with your server. You can do everything client-side with LocalStorage (SQLite) and cached assets. If the page has the right metadata on it, "Add…

I don't want to use Javascript. I want to use to be able to use any language to write web applications. Any one language. :/ I think we're really choking ourselves as hackers if we let Browsers either end up as completely JS or the hacked together combination of (poorly enforced) HTML, (ugly syntax) CSS, and Javascript

Well, that's easy: just write a compiler for your favourite language that outputs javascript (plus glue to integrate with jQuery/MooTools/whatever).

Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#26

Post by martinp »

krainboltgreene wrote: post #16
blasdel wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course not, but the future will continue to be visited primarily using a web browser.

God I hope not. I hope some day I wont have to use HTML, CSS, Javascript, and a serverside language just to write an app. I'd like to just use one language and hit all platforms.

GWT (Google Web Toolkit) lets you write webapps using only Java, the GWT compiler compiles/translates the code to optimized and cross-browser compatible JavaScript. If you also use Java on the serverside, you're down to one language. There's also a plugin that integrates nicely with Eclipse.

Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#27

Post by pedalpete »

chaostheory wrote: post #22
MrRage wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've frequently upgraded and changed parts in my PCs over the past few years an only once has Windows refused to activate. It was fixed with a 15 minute phone call to Microsoft. I find it hard to believe this is a serious issue unless you're reinstalling or changing parts every week or something. Edit: And by upgrading parts I mean things as big as upgrading the CPU and/or motherboard.

why should I have to call MS for permission to upgrade my PC? It's the principle. Besides it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Crashes and freezing were fine when I was a kid, and Windows was primarily used for video games. Once I grew up and started using it for work, that was no longer acceptable.

I completely agree with you on this, though I'm still a big fan of Microsoft over Apple.

Any company that treats their customers as criminals (or assumes they are stealing) doesn't deserve and clearly appreciate their customers.

Re: Would you buy a laptop locked down like the iPad?

#28

Post by chaostheory »

pedalpete wrote: post #27
chaostheory wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why should I have to call MS for permission to upgrade my PC? It's the principle. Besides it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Crashes and freezing were fine when I was a kid, and Windows was primarily used for video games. Once I grew up and started using it for work, that was no longer acceptable.

I completely agree with you on this, though I'm still a big fan of Microsoft over Apple. Any company that treats their customers as criminals (or assumes they are stealing) doesn't deserve and clearly appreciate their customers.

MS does the same thing. They started that practice before Apple which I said in my above post =)
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