Benedict Evans:
There’s a pretty common argument in tech that though of course there are billions more smartphones than PCs, and will be many more still, smartphones are not really the next computing platform, just a computing platform, because smartphones (and the tablets that derive from them) are only used for consumption where PCs are used for creation. You might look at your smartphone a lot, but once you need to create, you’ll go back to a PC.
And:
100m or so people are doing things on PCs now that can’t be done on tablets or smartphones. Some portion of those tasks will change and become possible on mobile, and some portion of them will remain restricted to PCs for a long time. But there are another 3bn people who were using PCs (but mostly sharing them) but who weren’t doing any of those things with them, and are now doing on mobile almost all of the stuff that they actually did do on PCs, plus a lot more. And, there’s another 2bn or so people whose first computer of any kind is or will be a smartphone. ‘Creation on PC, consumption on mobile’ seems like a singularly bad way to describe this: vastly more is being created on mobile now by vastly more people than was ever created on PCs.
In a nutshell, Ben argues that there are, and probably always will be, tasks that are best done on a personal computer.
But the newest generation of users are growing up on their phones and tablets, without the experience of using a PC, developing methods and habits that work in the phone/tablet environment. And there are a relatively small number of PC-first folks, and a huge number of PC-never folk coming.
Great argument.
Easing its way surely?
Yeah, saw that, fixed it. Hides head
iPad still has a long way to go to be used as someone’s main computing device. The major drawback with it now is not being able to save files locally, rather than having to save to the cloud. Until this changes iPad will just be a tablet
When I’m not doing Photoshop, I find myself using my iPad more and more, and my laptop and Mac Pro less and less. It’s not either/or but the right tool for the right task.
I think a lot of people use PCs because there was no viable alternative to doing some things such as web browsing, email, books, music. Now there are viable alternatives, and people look at their PCs and wonder if it’s worth the space in the home, and the expense, for what they do.
Development, media creation, processor/GPU-intensive gaming. iPad can’t do that, or is clearly not the best option for these kinds of things.
I assume you’re speaking for yourself and not claiming your use-case is universal. iPad is already the main computer device for a lot of people.
The truck/car analogy still seems to be the key here. Trying to make a Smart car haul freight, no matter how clever the attempt, is not ideal. But the underlying mechanics/technology is shared and adapted to size, needs.
I admire anyone who can get their work done on a mobile screen. For most of my own, iOS is a stopgap until I can get back to my desk. Even when I’m on vacation, many tasks on the iPad feel a little as though I’m looking at a big room through a keyhole.
I know that’s more about personal preferences than available functionality, and I suspect the difference between those two will narrow with my next iPad.
It’s not a laptop however your write it or try to con people into thinking it is. Apple I believe has done a disservice by saying it could be your next computer to prop up their bottom line and share price. If and when they merge the OSX or what ever incarnation they are building now for release in the fall and iOS then we might see an iPad that one can use as a personal computer, but until then an iPad is just that an iPad.
I don’t see your contrived problem as a problem. My mom doesn’t care about where files are saved on her ipad. She’s always in wifi range.
And it’s up to the app dev where the app saves anyway, there is no tablet rule that they must be saved in cloud – so your entire premise is bunk.
You are very confused. Nobody is trying to pretend an ipad is a laptop form factor, because obviously it isn’t. But it is replacing the use cases for many people who used to use a laptop to fulfill them.
Apple has said many times they aren’t merging iOS and macOS. that you bring it up means you haven’t been paying attention.
Your argument is crap because it depends on the bunk notion that a computer has to look like a laptop or PC. which is funny because the old mainframe guys hated on PCs for not being mainframes. Jokes on you (and them).
Wow. Your solipsism is exceeded only by your misunderstanding of the consumer tech market.
No, it’s not a laptop. And a laptop isn’t my “real” computer of choice, either. See what I did there?
Nobody’s trying to con anyone here. You’re simply claiming that your tunnel-visioned, specific view of personal computing is the sole, relevant use-case that should apply to everyone.
You’re just not doing a very good job of it. There are millions of people (if not more) already out there who prove you wrong every day.
“many tasks on the iPad feel a little as though I’m looking at a big room through a keyhole.”
Even more so when I have to connect to my iMac remotely.
I lost my 9.7 inch iPad Air 2 on the way home from Japan, so I bought the iPad Pro and even with the 12.1. size screen, it’s still not the same of course.
What’ll happen eventually is this will all converge.
Moreover, with a cellular iPad, I find it more capable for connected tasks than a laptop. It always gets updated, notifications, etc., which virtually no laptops can do while sleeping.
In any case, this is orthogonal; Barry’s missing Benedict Evans’ point, which is, power laptop users assume a narrow set of use cases define computing, and therefore a laptop is the only option. That set of use cases in fact constitutes a tiny minority of what is computing today.
I used to feel like this, but the 12.9″ 2nd-gen iPad Pro changed my opinion on this completely. The screen is large enough to do many laptop tasks, and the A10X processor means iPad’s Safari is super fast and keeps up with me. This means that for 98% of my home stuff, I don’t need to keep my laptop on anymore.
It’s amazingly liberating, and I think people who assume the 10.5″ is the only option is missing out.
Like I said, I admire—and even envy—anyone who can get their work done on a mobile screen. I find laptop screens too restrictive as well.
While at work we keep getting Macbooks in to repair and I could get one super cheap with excellent specs that I tested myself and know will work great, I’m still thinking it’s time to go full-time iPad. I’ll upgrade my iPad Pro 9.7 to the new iPad Pro 12.9 and be set when iOS 11 comes out. With its new inclusion of web recording so some webapps will work for me, the opening of MP3 and the Files app for handling podcast files via Ferrite, and some other things I already have, I’ll only have to go to the Mac Mini for emergencies. I barely use it now; that’s mainly my wife’s system for her design work now.
Oh, I don’t work on a laptop screen, I have a 32″ 4K monitor at work attached to a trashcan 🙂
But personal stuff… 12.9″ and Split View is plenty.
I have an iMac at home, which my wife has taken over 95% of the time. The few instances I need a desktop at home, I use that.
I know a lot of people who think the 10.5″ is the right size, but I went 12.9″ and haven’t looked back. I find it the ideal size for the ability to replace a laptop to, e.g. put a spreadsheet with bills on one side and a web browser to pay them on the other side.
I don’t permanently attach a keyboard, so the weight and slimness is fantastic.
My new iPad Pro is quickly becoming my favourite device ever. Asking if it will replace my laptop is like asking if my MacBook Pro will replace my AWS servers.
I grew up using PC, even “built” PC myself. Nowadays I’m doing 90% of my computing time on iPad. It’s the one I grab when I want to browse internet, checking email & news, checking Twitter and Facebook. Now I touch my MacBook only when I have to deal with files. Everything else iPad just feels much better.
So it’s not only the millennium generation.
Most people don’t haul freight, they simply go from one point to another. There will always be a need for freight hauling (desktop/laptop computers) but quite a few people won’t ever experience them because this other category is all they need.
<
blockquote>Google is paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! !pa367:
On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $8752 this last four weeks.. Its the most-financialy rewarding I’ve had.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it
!pa367:
➽➽
➽➽;➽➽ http://GoogleFinancialJobsCash367GroupMoneyGetPay$97Hour… ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★:::::!pa367..,.
“…I could get one super cheap with excellent specs that I tested myself and know will work great”
Hm. Do tell.
Barry seems a bit nervous about being neglected in some way. Perhaps he feels that if he disparages mobile devices enough, he can somehow protect the desktop hegemony that helps him feel secure about a non-issue.
Barry reminds me of hardcore gamers who disparage casual gamers.
Kids, don’t be like Barry.
My iPad isn’t my laptop. My iPad is an iPad. And the iPad is my primary computer. I think that’s what you were getting at.
People like you remind me of the command-line nerds that tried to resist the concept of a GUI. After the Macintosh (and later Windows) came out, the die-hard nerds called it a “toy” and not suitable for “real work.” Now you guys are saying desktop GUIs are the ONLY way to do “real work.” Make up your mind.
Maybe we should just all go back to mainframe terminals. Because everyone knows that’s the TRUE way to get real work done.
<
blockquote>Google is paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! !pa112d:
On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $8752 this last four weeks.. Its the most-financialy rewarding I’ve had.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it
!pa112d:
➽➽
➽➽;➽➽ http://GoogleFinancialJobsCash112ShopCorpGetPay$97Hour… ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★:::::!pa112l..,..
😀
Employees get a little extra off the price already cut due to them being used/refurbished. We’ve got some 2015 models in I was eyeing, including at least one maxed to 16GB of RAM, but I think I’m going iPad Pro for mobile and the home Mac Mini when necessary (which is less and less now).
Very nice.
<
blockquote>Google is paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! !pa372d:
On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $8752 this last four weeks.. Its the most-financialy rewarding I’ve had.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it
!pa372d:
➽➽
➽➽;➽➽ http://GoogleFinancialJobsCash372ShopLinksGetPay$97Hour… ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★:::::!pa372l..,…..