As a statistician, and collector of statistics textbooks, the iPad had made my life (marriage) much better! I can download all the books I want, and have a (typically) better reading experience on the iPad, and I don't need to expand the number of book shelves in my apartment. Big win for me!
The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
191–200 of 617 posts
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#192ipad pro is such a nice device but the iPadOS is still so limited.
if ipadOS is 50% capable as macOS, the ipad pro would be a dream machine for web developer.
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#193Any chance we could get a Ctrl-F type function? I'm enjoying the mental training of learning to scan text for keywords myself, but from time to time this is a feature that I miss ...
You mean the “find on this page” function? Type a word in the search bar on a page then scroll to the bottom of the overlay that pops up.
The advantage of a keyboard-initiated search is that it works in all apps (or damned well should).
Mind: on Android, with a keyboard (bluetooth), poor app support is frustratingly apparent. Even where basic keyboard input is recognised, obvious things don't work as expected.
In Pocket, the backspace/delete keys won't delete tags.
In PocketBook (an eBook reader), hitting space when entering a search term (which cannot be initiated with Ctrl-F) ... scrolls forward in the document.
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#194I managed to snag an iPad Pro (pre USB-C model) last summer and bought the official Apple keyboard for it.
I've been using my MBP less and less ever since. I can cover a good deal of my normal "laptop" activities with the iPad.
- I can put the latest CW DC Superhero show I'm hate-watching on from Plex in picture-in-picture and browse Reddit or Hacker News at the same time - I can use Newsblur to check my RSS feeds, Telegram/Discord/IRCCloud to chat - The battery lasts me all day, from morning to night - I can even use Blink.sh to log in via ssh/mosh to any server to tune some template or adjust script settings
The only time I actually pick up my MBP is when I need to do some Serious Coding with a Big Display (or two).
Even my commutes are more enjoyable with synced Plex media and Netflix downloads, beats looking at a 5" phone screen.
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#195This is a very good take on the subject. I love the iPad, I use it all the time. It's an unbelievably good piece of hardware with a number of really good software applications. It is a surprisingly good thinking and note-taking tool, it's the best tool (period) for reading datasheets (or any large PDF documents), it is a great music workstation if you connect a MIDI keyboard and/or an external USB audio interface. Bu…
Spot on. I've been using an iPad Pro for 3 years now I use it every day and I love it but I still can't reliably get two apps to sit side-by side on the screen.
Maybe if I used the feature more. But the only time I use it is with a somewhat older large iPad that I sometimes use for drawing but which mostly sits in my kitchen to display recipes. I can never remember the right incantations when I try to do the split screen thing. And don't even try on the smaller iPad I use day to day.
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#196Any chance we could get a Ctrl-F type function? I'm enjoying the mental training of learning to scan text for keywords myself, but from time to time this is a feature that I miss ...
Or just press Command-F on the keyboard =)
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#197>By 1994 almost all graphic designers and illustrators were using computers for work. The iPad is a great device but, it isn't essential to anything or anyone. If tomorrow there where no iPads anymore, we would all just get on with our lives.
Now hang on, I use the ipad for creating artwork and it is much much better than any desktop/laptop computer with a wacom (or whatever brand) tablet.
Also, they are tremendous for the elderly. My 97 year old grandmother really struggles with desktop/laptop computers, but has absolutely no trouble using her iPad. It's the main way she stays in touch with her family.
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#198Sad author is sad because interface not like the other interfaces he has historically enjoyed. Bites at valid quirks of what every new style interface inevitably suffers from when different from the norm. Also, people are mad that tightly coupled computing devices are not easily swappable with other software and hardware.
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#199This is excellent. My grandma (89) uses an iPad and iPhone. She can use both these devices exactly because of the simplicity mentioned in the article. 1. Open app by tapping it. 2. Close it by tapping the physical button. (rip) That's it. And that's why my grandma can use it. The first and only device she comfortably uses to this day. People in our (tech) communities tend to overestimate a users ability with technolo…
Let me recount an experience I heard second hand of a researcher developing user interfaces for research tools. Keep in mind the target audiences are people with PhD's and who have to comb through lots of data in order to do their job. They struggled with _double click_ as a concept. How fast, not moving the mouse in-between clicks etc, etc. Some people are really virginial when it comes to anything other than doing things the slowest way possible on a computer.
Re: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
#200Good points in the article. I also find the model names weirdly confusing, how did the iPad become the smaller, less powerful variant when the Air still exists? They did this with MacBooks too, though I think the tiny one may be discontinued now. And why is the iPad peripheral system such a mess? The released the pencil 2 which is a significant usability improvement and had every indication of replacing the pencil 1,…
IIRC, the Pencil 2 requires different (and likely more expensive) support in the screen, as well as docking to the side of the iPad and charging magnetically - both of which raise the costs for the iPad. And then the lower cost models wouldn’t be so lower-cost any more. It does feel like they could have thought ahead a little better on that, though. FWIW, the Pencil 1 isn’t a -bad- stylus - it was hugely praised when…
I bought an Air 3 to replace my Air 1 recently and came the same conclusion as you. I got it for almost the exact price of my original one ($400) but with 4x more storage and the screen is larger (10.5’ instead of 9.7’) and laminated/ bonded this time. I use a tablet for media consumption not creation, so I don’t need the fastest processor or a stylus, and the Air line has been perfect for me.