On iPad Getting a Trackpad (learningbyshipping.com) 64
Apple on Wednesday announced the Magic Keyboard, featuring a trackpad, that will work with newly unveiled iPad Pro models and some previous generation iPads. Is this the "convergence" everyone had been waiting for? A "2 in 1" or a tablet or a toaster-refrigerator? Did Apple capitulate? Some context on the evolution of devices, from Steven Sinofsky, former President of the Windows Division at Microsoft. He writes: Hardware evolves just like software but we don't often see it the same way. We're used to talking about the cycle software bundling and unbundling, but hardware does the same thing. Every new generation of hardware begins this cycle anew. Certainly we're used to hardware adding ports or absorbing new technologies over time. Where things get really interesting with hardware is when a new "form" is introduced, often the first step is jettisoning many features from the leader. With the introduction of a form, the debate immediately begins over whether the new form can take over or whether it is a substitute for the old one. Tech dialog is rather divisive over these questions (dodged by marketing). "It can never work" or "It will eventually work." The industry works hard to create these dividing lines. The way it does this is first because usually there are new manufacturers that make the new form.
Second, pundits attach labels to form factors and begin a process of very specific definitions (dimensions, peripherals.) The first one of these transitions I remember is the introduction of portable computers. Out of the gate, these were way less powerful than "PCs." The debate over whether a portable can "replace" a "PC" was in full force. Quickly the form factor of portable evolved and with that came all sorts of labels: luggable, portable, notebook, desktop, sub-notebook, and so on. This continued all the way until the introduction of "ultra-books." If you're a maker these labels are annoying at best. (1987) Quite often these are marketing at work -- manufacturers looking to differentiate an otherwise commodity product create a new name for the old thing done slightly differently. Under the hood, however, the forms are evolving. In fact the way they are evolving is often surprising. The evolution of new forms almost always follows the surprising pattern of *adding back* all those things from the old form factor. So all those portables, added more floppies, hard disks, then expansion through ports/docks, and then ultimately CPUs as powerful as desktop.
Then we wake up one day and look at the "new" form and realize it seems to have morphed into the old form, capabilities and all. All along the way, the new form is editing, innovating, and reimagining how those old things should be expressed in the new one. These innovations can change software or hardware. But this is where hardware devices like USB come from -- the needs of the new form dictate new types of hardware even if it solves the same problem again. The evolution of PCs to become Servers offers an interesting arc. PCs were literally created to be smaller and less complex computers. They eliminated all the complexity of mainframes at every level while making computing accessible and cheap. When first PCs began to do server tasks, they did those in an entirely different way than mainframes that were servers of the day. They used commodity desktop PCs -- literally the same as a desktop running in an office. That was the big advantage -- cheap, ubiquitous, open! Mainframe people balked at this crazy notion. It was an obvious moment of "that is a toy." Then the age of client server computing was before us, starting in the late 1990s. But what followed was a classic case of convergent evolution. PC Servers started to add attributes of mainframes. At first this seemed totally crazy -- redundant power supplies, RAID, multi processors, etc. THAT was crazy stuff for those $1M mainframes. Pretty soon at h/w level telling a PC Server from a MF became a vocabulary exercise. And here we are today where server to stripped the very elements rooted in PC (like monitors and keyboards!) Guess what? That's a mainframe! On Twitter, this would be: "Mainframe, you've invented a mainframe.
Except, the operating system and software platform is entirely different. The evolution was not a copy, but a useful convergence done through an early series of steps copying followed by distinct and innovative approaches that created a new value ... a new form factor. So here we are today with an iPad that has a trackpad. Many are chuckling at the capitulation that the iPad was never a real computer and finally Apple admitted it. Laptop, Apple has invented the laptop. This was always going to happen. From the earliest days there were keyboard cases that turned iPads into "laptops" (w/o trackpads) and these could be thought of as experiments copying the past. It took time (too much?) to invent the expression of the old in the new. The PC server everyone uses in the cloud today is no mainframe. It is vastly cheaper, more accessible, more scaleable, runs different software (yes people will fight me on these in some way, but the pedantic argument isn't the point). Adding a trackpad to iPad was done in a way that reimagined not just the idea of a pointer, but in the entire package -- hardware and software. That's what makes this interesting. To think of it as capitulation would be to do so independent of how computing has evolved over decades.
Second, pundits attach labels to form factors and begin a process of very specific definitions (dimensions, peripherals.) The first one of these transitions I remember is the introduction of portable computers. Out of the gate, these were way less powerful than "PCs." The debate over whether a portable can "replace" a "PC" was in full force. Quickly the form factor of portable evolved and with that came all sorts of labels: luggable, portable, notebook, desktop, sub-notebook, and so on. This continued all the way until the introduction of "ultra-books." If you're a maker these labels are annoying at best. (1987) Quite often these are marketing at work -- manufacturers looking to differentiate an otherwise commodity product create a new name for the old thing done slightly differently. Under the hood, however, the forms are evolving. In fact the way they are evolving is often surprising. The evolution of new forms almost always follows the surprising pattern of *adding back* all those things from the old form factor. So all those portables, added more floppies, hard disks, then expansion through ports/docks, and then ultimately CPUs as powerful as desktop.
Then we wake up one day and look at the "new" form and realize it seems to have morphed into the old form, capabilities and all. All along the way, the new form is editing, innovating, and reimagining how those old things should be expressed in the new one. These innovations can change software or hardware. But this is where hardware devices like USB come from -- the needs of the new form dictate new types of hardware even if it solves the same problem again. The evolution of PCs to become Servers offers an interesting arc. PCs were literally created to be smaller and less complex computers. They eliminated all the complexity of mainframes at every level while making computing accessible and cheap. When first PCs began to do server tasks, they did those in an entirely different way than mainframes that were servers of the day. They used commodity desktop PCs -- literally the same as a desktop running in an office. That was the big advantage -- cheap, ubiquitous, open! Mainframe people balked at this crazy notion. It was an obvious moment of "that is a toy." Then the age of client server computing was before us, starting in the late 1990s. But what followed was a classic case of convergent evolution. PC Servers started to add attributes of mainframes. At first this seemed totally crazy -- redundant power supplies, RAID, multi processors, etc. THAT was crazy stuff for those $1M mainframes. Pretty soon at h/w level telling a PC Server from a MF became a vocabulary exercise. And here we are today where server to stripped the very elements rooted in PC (like monitors and keyboards!) Guess what? That's a mainframe! On Twitter, this would be: "Mainframe, you've invented a mainframe.
Except, the operating system and software platform is entirely different. The evolution was not a copy, but a useful convergence done through an early series of steps copying followed by distinct and innovative approaches that created a new value ... a new form factor. So here we are today with an iPad that has a trackpad. Many are chuckling at the capitulation that the iPad was never a real computer and finally Apple admitted it. Laptop, Apple has invented the laptop. This was always going to happen. From the earliest days there were keyboard cases that turned iPads into "laptops" (w/o trackpads) and these could be thought of as experiments copying the past. It took time (too much?) to invent the expression of the old in the new. The PC server everyone uses in the cloud today is no mainframe. It is vastly cheaper, more accessible, more scaleable, runs different software (yes people will fight me on these in some way, but the pedantic argument isn't the point). Adding a trackpad to iPad was done in a way that reimagined not just the idea of a pointer, but in the entire package -- hardware and software. That's what makes this interesting. To think of it as capitulation would be to do so independent of how computing has evolved over decades.
tfs has too many words (Score:2)
It's really not worth that many words. Touch-screen has many great uses, but it isn't the best. Both is better.
Marketing can continue to jerk itself off over "what it all means", but that's the bottom line.
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Agreed. Options are a good thing.
As you get people using an iPad as their primary computing device, they're going to sometimes want to do computer-type things with it. Like typing, which absolutely sucks on a screen. Or drawing,etc. that requires precise cursor control - partially addressed by a "real" stylus, but not everything benefits from having you hand blocking part of the screen.
Myself, I'm waiting for "docking hubs" for tablets, etc. to catch on. Especially with USB-C (I know, not Apple's thi
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Now if Samsung would allow dual sim on US phones, I would buy one and use pne of those nextdock laptop docks for laptop use and then use my usb-c dock for home use.
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Agreed. Options are a good thing.
As you get people using an iPad as their primary computing device, they're going to sometimes want to do computer-type things with it. Like typing, which absolutely sucks on a screen. Or drawing,etc. that requires precise cursor control - partially addressed by a "real" stylus, but not everything benefits from having you hand blocking part of the screen.
Myself, I'm waiting for "docking hubs" for tablets, etc. to catch on. Especially with USB-C (I know, not Apple's thing right now), you could plug in a single cable to your portable device of choice to simultaneously charge and and connect standard USB keyboards, mice, external storage, etc. As well as a large 4k screen. A full PC-flexible interface that each user can assemble to fit their needs - and then you unplug your computer and pop it back in your pocket until the next time you're doing something that calls for a "proper" computer interface
Watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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Yep, lots of stuff can be plugged in - I've been (occasionally) using mouse, keyboard, storage, etc. on Android for years. That's why a single graceful hub would seem to me a natural option as these devices become more cpable, especially with the possibility of piping hi-res HDMI over USB-C. Plug in all your "PC" stuff with one plug - monitors, keyboard, mouse, mass storage, printers, scanners, etc. Then unplug and go.
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As you get people using an iPad as their primary computing device, they're going to sometimes want to do computer-type things with it.
Such as building and testing computer programs locally, especially in countries whose cellular providers assess a surcharge for tethering. Let me know when the iPad Pro gets anything like Xcode.
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It's really not worth that many words. Touch-screen has many great uses, but it isn't the best. Both is better.
Marketing can continue to jerk itself off over "what it all means", but that's the bottom line.
I thought the same thing. Way too much blah blah blah for something that really isn't extraordinary.
You have this super capable tablet. But tablets suck for some things. Add a keyboard, pointing device, and maybe an external screen, now it doesn't suck.
If anything, it was more like "why don't they offer this".
Welcome addition for mouseover events (Score:4, Interesting)
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For once, Apple makes a change that adds functionality, rather than taking things away. That's got to be a step in the right direction. I can only hope this encourages UI "designers" to remember that mouseover events exist. If this trend keeps up, we'll get to teach them about context menus and discoverability.
Re:Welcome addition for mouseover events (Score:4, Insightful)
By "discoverability" do you mean stuff that's hidden and that you need to search to use? Because that's the worst kind of thing you can do to a UI.
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What?!?
If there's anything old point-and-click adventure games taught us it's that people LOVE to search the screen for that one single-pixel spot that, when you hover over it, reveals an essential element that you had no idea even existed. Modern UIs just bring that joy to the masses!
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By "discoverability" do you mean stuff that's hidden and that you need to search to use? Because that's the worst kind of thing you can do to a UI.
I don't know what you're talking about, but I like that with a mouse UI you do not need a confirmation for every stupid item because location and activation are separated. That means you can display more useful information based on the location of the cursor alone.
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By "discoverability" do you mean stuff that's hidden and that you need to search to use? Because that's the worst kind of thing you can do to a UI.
Agreed.
"Discoverability" is shit, pure and simple. No one should have to search or mouse around aimlessly trying to figure out a UI.
Menus were popular and useful, and then some dumbfuck design-hipster decided that it would be cool to make the UI a mysterious treasure hunt. Fuck that guy.
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Menus were popular and useful, and then some dumbfuck design-hipster decided that it would be cool to make the UI a mysterious treasure hunt. Fuck that guy.
This Slashdot comment has officially become my favorite ever.
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By "discoverability" do you mean stuff that's hidden and that you need to search to use? Because that's the worst kind of thing you can do to a UI.
See what I mean, people don't even know what "discoverability" means any more. No, if you have to hunt for it, that's the opposite of discoverable.
Functionality is "discoverable" in a UI to the extent that the user can easily discover it when he wants to use something new. Context menus are great for this: if the user already does simple tasks by a context menu, then having the other stuff the user could do right there in the place he's already looking is discoverable. When he's been doing X for weeks,
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There are many ways to do discoverability. The way Apple is doing it on iOS right now is the wrong way—you're forced to do things like long-press on every UI element to see if it does something.
The right way is something like having the keyboard shortcut prominently displayed next to the item in the menu. When you go to do that action in the menu, you immediately learn another way to do it, if you want.
To a certain extent, right-click functionality is also the 'right' way. At this point, everyone expe
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Usable only through an add-on that costs hundreds of dollars. Sounds great.
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Usable only through an add-on that costs hundreds of dollars. Sounds great.
You can get any number of aftermarket iPad cases with Bluetooth Keyboards. Some even have Trackpads.
Available from Amazon from about $35 to just under $99.
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Hey, if you don't like giving Apple hundreds of dollars for no reason, you won't have an iPad in the first place. Give Apple credit for knowing their customers.
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I just hope it requires a dongle or two and that they cost a shitload of money. That's the only thing that will make the Apple devotees scream with joy.
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I just hope it requires a dongle or two and that they cost a shitload of money. That's the only thing that will make the Apple devotees scream with joy.
Sorry to disappoint. Aftermarket cases with Keyboards (some even have Trackpads) are available from Amazon from about $35 to $99.
USB-C Docks (same as you can use with any USB-C equipped laptop) are available from about $15 and up, again from Amazon.
Using one of those gives you, depending on the particular Dock, USB-A, SD/TF, HDMI, GigE, Audio I/O, etc. About the only 2 things that don't seem to work (at least for now) are Printers and Optical Drives. Heck, you can even mount SMB Shares over Ethernet!
Seems like a simple problem to solve (Score:2)
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Re: Welcome addition for mouseover events (Score:2)
Itâ(TM)s not a failure because the trackpad doesnâ(TM)t allow you do anything you couldnâ(TM)t do already. It just makes them easier.
What's it for? (Score:3, Interesting)
I know quite a few people that have replaced their laptops with phones and or iPads. They live in either browser-based or native apps. Their traveling life got lighter and their battery life improved and their ability to do e-mail improves with every new peripheral. But I write programs. I run things from a command line. I edit in emacs. An iPad isn't in my future, no matter the keyboard.
Seems like emacs is a good match. (Score:3)
But I write programs. I run things from a command line. I edit in emacs. An iPad isn't in my future, no matter the keyboard.
I am in the same spot, but I don't see why an iPad could not be useful for that, given the right tooling.
Especially emacs, there's not reason that cannot be just as good on an a iPad, especially with a trackpad to move the cursor. As long as the keyboard has enough meta keys, but you can use any bluetooth keyboard on an iPad... just hoping they include a full complement on the key ke
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The "right tooling" would be the tooling that exists on development machines and not on iPads. You've literally said nothing, which is no surprise considering the source. Somehow I don't think you're in the "same spot" since it seems that your profession is troll and tribalist, not developer.
What would the "shell" do if there's nothing to run "via command line"? Do you even understand what this means? NONE of the infrastructure that evolved over time that emacs grew to automate exists in an iPad.
But hey
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I am in the same spot, but I don't see why an iPad could not be useful for that, given the right tooling.
I'd never use an iPad for development work because it's just not the right platform. Adding all the stuff to make it the right platform only exposes the fact that it's not the right platform.
Tablets (be they iPads or whatever) are good for consuming media, not creating it. I really can't imagine coding or doing serious graphics work on an iPad or any tablet. It feels limiting, like taking a shower with your raincoat on.
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I am in the same spot, but I don't see why an iPad could not be useful for that, given the right tooling.
I'd never use an iPad for development work because it's just not the right platform. Adding all the stuff to make it the right platform only exposes the fact that it's not the right platform.
Tablets (be they iPads or whatever) are good for consuming media, not creating it. I really can't imagine coding or doing serious graphics work on an iPad or any tablet. It feels limiting, like taking a shower with your raincoat on.
Agree. Even though most of my work is over thin client, I need two big screens, a full keyboard, and a mouse with left/right click buttons.
Anything else is just for consuming, and even then it's like reading through a straw.
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Anything else is just for consuming, and even then it's like reading through a straw.
For me, watching a movie on a phone is like watching the world through the gun slit of a tank.
Apple Pulls C64 Emulator From the App Store (Score:2)
I don't see why an iPad could not be useful for that, given the right tooling.
The strict W^X policy that has been in iOS and iPadOS since day one is evidence that Apple is unwilling to come near creating the right tooling. Do you remember BASICgate [slashdot.org] a decade ago, where a classic video game got pulled from the App Store for the sole reason that the player could reset the emulated computer to the BASIC REPL? Since then, Apple has significantly reversed course on this with things like Swift Playgrounds on iPadOS, but nowhere near the depth that one gets from a typical Emacs environment o
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Basically, touchscreens are fine for content consumption. But inadequate for content production.
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But I write programs. I run things from a command line. I edit in emacs. An iPad isn't in my future, no matter the keyboard.
I dunno: the iPad is a whole lot more portable than the VT-100 I started out on. If you're using text based utilities anyway it's pretty usable with Blink (a mosh client) when you're doing the actual business of programming on a remote server somewhere. Especially now that keys can be remapped on Apple's existing external keyboard; emacs is usable without trying to undo 25 years of muscle memory.
Programming isn't why I bought the iPad — stage management is, and in that space it's a game changer
Renting time on a mainframe (Score:2)
I dunno: the iPad is a whole lot more portable than the VT-100 I started out on.
I guess it depends on whether people can afford to rent time on a cloud server the way you used to rent time on a mainframe or midrange when Digital's VT100 terminals were popular. It also depends on paying for a cellular data plan in order to be useful outside Wi-Fi coverage, especially if the present pandemic ever ends. Some people like to own their computers and use them without a recurring payment to a cloud host or a cellular ISP.
Or how well does Mosh tolerate interruptions in connectivity that last mi
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Oh sure. I was struck by the use case that I quoted because it's one of the things I very much do with an iPad. I don't think there's one solution for everyone. Nor do I buy into the canard that tablets are only for consumption. Mileage varies!
Mosh will resume indefinitely long interruptions. It's pretty slick.
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Mosh will resume indefinitely long interruptions. It's pretty slick.
Let's say I'm editing a source code file that makes up part of a computer program, and the vehicle I'm riding in moves away from Wi-Fi coverage. Does the editor continue to let me edit the document? Or is there a good way to remain productive for several minutes until I arrive at my destination with Wi-Fi coverage?
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This has existed since iOS 6.1:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/... [apple.com]
At least that pretty much takes care of the editing...
This claims to be Emacs and OCaml on iPad:
https://fullstackfeed.com/emac... [fullstackfeed.com]
Is this the answer? :
https://www.reddit.com/r/emacs... [reddit.com]
I know nothing about this; but it looks interesting:
https://github.com/tbodt/ish [github.com]
And there is also this:
https://termius.com/ [termius.com]
In fact, there are several SSH/Terminal alternatives:
https://www.noupe.com/inspirat... [noupe.com]
And you might want to read this. Keep in mind that it is
Summary (Score:2)
summary /sm()ri/
Learn to pronounce
noun
noun: summary; plural noun: summaries
a brief statement or account of the main points of something.
Features withheld to train and drive adoption... (Score:2)
I think sometimes people forget that features of products are commonly withheld to force adoption of new paradigms. The iPhone and iPad had a revolutionary interface and multi-touch display. If they'd thrown a mouse in back then people might not have adopted that new paradigm as quickly.
My only real gripe was that it took this long for Apple to pull its head out and finally add it. We all knew it was headed here.
Blah blah blah (Score:2, Troll)
... and Apple capitulated.
It always takes a thousand words to tell a lie when the truth takes a single sentence. It's what people who believe marketing like an ideology must do constantly. Let's make them more uncomfortable:
They capitulated on fans in chassis. They capitulated on mice with more than one button. They capitulated on being a "PC". They capitulated on apps on the smartphone. They capitulated on skeuomorphism.
Don't worry, they were right about the floppy drive. You'll always have that.
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They capitulated on mice with more than one button.
You sure about that?
Is it really a laptop? (Score:2)
Unless the keyboard portion is several times heavier and rigidly connected to the tablet it's hardly a laptop.
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Am I the only one who hates trackpads? (Score:1)
I greatly prefer the pointing stick. Guess I'm stuck with ThinkPads.
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I greatly prefer the pointing stick.
I hate trackpads, but I hate pointing sticks even more. Give me a mouse any day.
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Finger slips off TrackPoint stick onto B key (Score:2)
I have never run into any issues with accidentally moving [a pointing stick]
I own a ThinkPad X61. Holding the middle button and moving its TrackPoint pointing stick acts as the mouse wheel. But while scrolling through a long document, I have had often felt my finger slip off the down end of its pointing stick onto the B key, which is likely to either change the scroll position (if an editable text area was focused) or activate a keyboard shortcut in whatever native application or web application is focused.
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Wall of text. All I can say, is: Get a life. (Score:2)
Nothing of this is in any way worth wasting brain power over.
Especially if you have so little, that you need an iDevice computing walking frame.
Continuation of Apple's Design Process (Score:2)
Where is TFS? (Score:2)
The text of this "summary" represents probably upwards of 90% of TFA. Editors please note: being an editor doesn't consist of simply choosing articles and copying all or most of them. There's, you know, editing involved. I see more and more stories here that are TL;DR - if I want to read the full article I'll follow the link and read it where the formatting is better.
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TL;DR (Score:2)
too many caps, ok then lets see.
Field tested iPad Air 8mos. (Score:2)
Touchpad does nothing to resolve iPad usability other than making you think it is a laptop now. It is not.
Keyboard does nothing to address UI/ architecture or UE flow other than give you your big old desktop experience back.
I liked the iPad Air I tested (7 Gen).
I'd like files fixed so its not a cluster fuck to use
I'd use iPad as a daily driver if the UI for multitasking irons out its idiosyncrasies, convoluted interface and lack of developed interface clues
I have both (Score:3)
iPad Pro and MacBook Pro. The iPad Pro is not even close to being a laptop, even the upcoming one, unless drastic changes happen to iPad OS. Want to make a tablet to replace the laptop, Apple? Snap the keyboard off the MacBook Pro and treat it like Microsoft treats the Surface. Stick with MacOS and add a tablet mode to it that will be the closest you can come to replacing the laptop.