Got it for free from a relative who had bought a newer model (he always has the latest iShit)
Played around with it for a week
Sure. It’s smooth. That screen was drop dead gorgeous.
… And yet everything I tried to do on the thing felt like I was fighting against it. Everything was restrained and needlessly clunky. It made me think “golly gee, windows cooperates more”
For me it was accessing media on my file server. I ended up having to buy an app and it still sucked. Someone told me apple products let you do that now though so maybe it’s not an issue anymore.
All my android devices have a syncthing service that… Syncs. Things. Between them and my PC/Homeserver.
Now, the only app for Syncthing I could find on the Apple App store was a paid app, but I was actually fine with that: It seems Apple stuff is made for rich people, and I had accepted that everything would be paid for.
Except.
When you use Syncthing on Android it just. Drops things into folders. Like a normal program on a normal computer. And other applications can just access that.
But nope, not here. Everything is in its own cage, and the user has exactly ZERO control over this (unlike, say, the likes of Flatpak on Linux, where it’s just a matter of granting permission manually)
My comic book folder? I had to go through a cumbersome process to manually import all the cbr files into the comic reader app. Same for my video files.
Plus like. Just the lack of options in general. It felt like I was in an airport – Stuck in an, admittedly nice, environment and only having access to whatever overpriced products existed inside that environment.
When using an iPad (or an iPhone) the one thing to keep in mind is it’s NOT a computer. You cannot treat it like a PC, or expect it to behave like one. You cannot apply your decades of experience with PC operating systems, you need to forget what you know.
The iPad is an appliance. It is designed for consuming apps from the App Store. That’s all.
Android has been trying to do the same for years, but the benefit with Android is it’s Linux based, so we can always install a terminal emulator, and a file manager, and other admin tools that allow us to use the familiar PC patterns we’ve become accustomed to.
Not really relevant for an iPad, but it’s a good example:
Have you ever tried putting a custom ringtone on an iPhone?
In Android you just put an audio file in the ringtones folder, either by plugging it into a pc or with an on-device file manager.
For an iPhone you need to either buy the ringtone from the store or put it on the device through iTunes (🤮). Also it can’t be just any format. It needs to be a specific profile of AAC (if I remember correctly), then rename the file to have a specific extension.
There is no way you could do all that without reading a guide.
I don’t even think it’s good for gooning – It’s much heavier than a phone, so you can’t hold it in one hand (unless you have unnaturally strong and dextrous fingers?)
Like sure, that screen is big and pretty, but without something to hold the device up it’s not a comfy experience.
Probably the iPad
Got it for free from a relative who had bought a newer model (he always has the latest iShit)
Played around with it for a week
Sure. It’s smooth. That screen was drop dead gorgeous.
… And yet everything I tried to do on the thing felt like I was fighting against it. Everything was restrained and needlessly clunky. It made me think “golly gee, windows cooperates more”
When I hear stories like these I’m always curious: what were you trying to do?
For me it was accessing media on my file server. I ended up having to buy an app and it still sucked. Someone told me apple products let you do that now though so maybe it’s not an issue anymore.
Man it wasn’t even anything crazy. It’s just.
All my android devices have a syncthing service that… Syncs. Things. Between them and my PC/Homeserver.
Now, the only app for Syncthing I could find on the Apple App store was a paid app, but I was actually fine with that: It seems Apple stuff is made for rich people, and I had accepted that everything would be paid for.
Except.
When you use Syncthing on Android it just. Drops things into folders. Like a normal program on a normal computer. And other applications can just access that.
But nope, not here. Everything is in its own cage, and the user has exactly ZERO control over this (unlike, say, the likes of Flatpak on Linux, where it’s just a matter of granting permission manually)
My comic book folder? I had to go through a cumbersome process to manually import all the cbr files into the comic reader app. Same for my video files.
Plus like. Just the lack of options in general. It felt like I was in an airport – Stuck in an, admittedly nice, environment and only having access to whatever overpriced products existed inside that environment.
Your airport analogy is hitting on the nose. I’m going to
stealborrow that.When using an iPad (or an iPhone) the one thing to keep in mind is it’s NOT a computer. You cannot treat it like a PC, or expect it to behave like one. You cannot apply your decades of experience with PC operating systems, you need to forget what you know.
The iPad is an appliance. It is designed for consuming apps from the App Store. That’s all.
Android has been trying to do the same for years, but the benefit with Android is it’s Linux based, so we can always install a terminal emulator, and a file manager, and other admin tools that allow us to use the familiar PC patterns we’ve become accustomed to.
You can jailbreak it and own it also
I understand.
I even respect the general idea.
… But I will literally never willingly pay for an appliance-like piece of technology. I even sold off the one I got for free.
Android at least lets me sideload stuff and/or install it from F-Droid.
I agree. I’ve never bought an iPhone or iPad myself, but I’ve had old ones given to me.
Not really relevant for an iPad, but it’s a good example:
Have you ever tried putting a custom ringtone on an iPhone?
In Android you just put an audio file in the ringtones folder, either by plugging it into a pc or with an on-device file manager.
For an iPhone you need to either buy the ringtone from the store or put it on the device through iTunes (🤮). Also it can’t be just any format. It needs to be a specific profile of AAC (if I remember correctly), then rename the file to have a specific extension. There is no way you could do all that without reading a guide.
i can’t think of a use for these other than jerking off to porn in bed at 7am to wake yourself up. cum
I don’t even think it’s good for gooning – It’s much heavier than a phone, so you can’t hold it in one hand (unless you have unnaturally strong and dextrous fingers?)
Like sure, that screen is big and pretty, but without something to hold the device up it’s not a comfy experience.