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Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

theregister.com

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Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#261

Post by lolinder »

p0w3n3d wrote: post #225
p0w3n3d wrote: post #223

I dub the distinction between a tablet and a laptop fake. Tbh they are running the same hardware. I started with Android and first things I did on my phones was to install terminal and ssh. Later it became impossible, because of the changes that were being imposed by Google ("for the sake of my safety"). What I valued Android over IOS was to have access to my files (like DVD-dumped futurama) that I could watch on the…

so apparently I've witnessed a new device category being born. Not a mobile, not a laptop. Which has neither the rights and obligations of real computer nor of the mobile phone. It is something new (A TABLET) and will not let me handle my photos on it as I could handle them on my phone, it wouldn't let me browse pages as if this was laptop (even though I put it in the orientation the same as my laptop had) etc. etc.…

Don't most browsers have a "Desktop site" option you can turn on to tell websites you want the desktop version? It seems weird to blame your device for websites' bad decisions, especially when your device goes out of its way to allow you to force websites to correct their mistake.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#262

Post by ghaff »

basisword wrote: post #248
davemp wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let’s not pretend that Apple could come up with some sort of dual windowing system (or just dual boot) scheme. We’re not limited by drive space anymore. They don’t because it would hurt macbook sales.

Do you mean dual-booting macOS and iOS? If so, they probably don't because it would work like crap. The tablet is a touch based device and macOS isn't optimised for touch. Unless they want to release something very janky they'd need to invest a lot of time making macOS more touch-optimised and I think the number of people that would care about that or use it is miniscule. The tablet and laptop are completely differen…

I do think there will be better convergence over time. The magnetic keyboard for the iPad is definitely a step towards that although I'm still debating whether to take that or my old MacBook on an upcoming month-long trip.

I also don't really disagree with your basic point. And I don't write it off (just) to Apple wants to sell more hardware. A lot of people like essentially a plus-sized iPhone and don't want a laptop. Probably hard to believe for many people on this forum but I heard people at work tell me that they have kids that don't want a laptop and are fine with just using their phones, much less a tablet.

Microsoft really tried to converge the different form factors from an operating system perspective and it never really clicked with people. Would I like a device that really a converged a 13-14" laptop and a tablet in the same general size range? Probably, in part because I wouldn't travel by air with both. But I don't think we're really there today outside of very casual tablet use outside of a browser or watching media.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#263

Post by ghaff »

ben_w wrote: post #203
reverius42 wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But they could absolutely replace 2005 or even 2015 MacBook Pros in terms of hardware capability.

Or even 2024. Nobody is disputing the hardware. Just software. Kinda odd, given how much more interest there is in iOS app development than in Mac OS app development; but it is what it is.

Outside of probably Adobe apps in particular (and a variety of utilities) along with dev tools for the relative niche that does that sort of thing and local AI these days, most Mac OS users basically live in the browser.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#264

Post by selectodude »

DidYaWipe wrote: post #211
Zardoz84 wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Windows 10/11 it's a shit show. The last good Windows was 8.1. And the last great Windows was 7.

No; the last great Windows was XP. 7 started the regression in earnest, especially in the GUI.

XP was just an ugly skin on top of the magnificent Windows 2000.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#265

Post by dade_ »

Back in the 90s John C Dvorak wrote an article calling a Mac a Cuisinart. It was a criticism of Apple that they had created an appliance, not a general purpose computer. Granted the guy hated Macs at the time, but I think it’s a reasonable way to describe an iPad.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#266

Post by ghaff »

0_____0 wrote: post #216
DidYaWipe wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty much nailed it. Touchscreen devices are not for creating; they're for taking what you're given. They require big fat buttons for big fat fingers, which you poke like a trained pigeon to get your food pellet.

Largely true, although I'm still blown away when I read about someone who has written whole pieces of software from their phone, on their bus ride to work or something.

I think it's somewhat of a generational thing. I'm still somewhat blown away when I hear stories of kids writing school papers on their phones. I want to turn to a laptop for even more extensive searching or longer emails.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#267

Post by pjmlp »

hsbauauvhabzb wrote: post #51
pjmlp wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My Samsung tablet replaced my dead netbook, it is perfectly fine for the occasional computing needs I had during travel, that I originally bought the netbook for. I get to watch hardware accelerated videos, that the Linux distros on the netbook never managed to after Flash was gone never managed to get VAPI working. I get to play games, designed for Android, without needing to translate Windows/DirectX on the go, bec…

Care to share your preferred e book reader application that supports notes?

My ebook reader app is Moon+ Reader.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flyersoft....

You misunderstood the notes part, it is in general, not tied to ebooks.

I use mostly Google Keep.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#268

Post by HPsquared »

lolinder wrote: post #258
Yizahi wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's wrong with terminal on Android? I'm regularly using Termux and it works. Don't use ssh there, but it offers to install openssh for me.

I use ssh on Termux pretty regularly. It's about as smooth as I can imagine a touchscreen terminal being, and took about zero effort to set up.

It's really nice with a phone stand and a folding Bluetooth keyboard. All fits in the pocket!

Can even run desktop environments with VNC server in Termux and Android VNC client on localhost.

Full local desktop apps on a phone, and yes Bluetooth mouse also works.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#269

Post by Robotbeat »

basisword wrote: post #247

This was all over the place. The article itself seemingly bares no relation to the headline. Replacing your laptop with a tablet and then complaining that the tablet cannot do the same things as the laptop was a slightly interesting take in 2010. The iPad has now been around for 15 years. A tech journalist being surprised it doesn't have a terminal with root access at this point is baffling.

It’s not “being surprised,” it’s being frustrated with the user hostile decisions of a multi-trillion dollar profit maximizing machine.

Re: Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users

#270

Post by Robotbeat »

walterbell wrote: post #256
basisword wrote: post #247

This was all over the place. The article itself seemingly bares no relation to the headline. Replacing your laptop with a tablet and then complaining that the tablet cannot do the same things as the laptop was a slightly interesting take in 2010. The iPad has now been around for 15 years. A tech journalist being surprised it doesn't have a terminal with root access at this point is baffling.

Google Pixel tablet now has a Debian Linux terminal VM that is isolated from the host Android OS. Apple iPad had VM capability three years ago, but removed it. They could restore that functionality in 2025 to compete with Pixel tablet, which has weaker hardware.

Wait, they HAD VM capability but removed it?? That’s somehow so much worse…
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