Federico, The iPad guy, uses MacBook and becomes prolific

I think this bit right here really sums up how weird tech conversations can be. This strange adversarial thing. My tool is the best! Your tool doesn’t do this! Mac, Windows, Android, iOS. Rather than celebrate and enjoy tech it’s this constant competition kinda thing.

The iPad was introduced as an easy to use, simple computer from my granny. She didn’t need or want an iPhone but she also didn’t have a computer on the Internet. So Steve and Apple made her one. Cool. Apple nerds and tech enthusiasts got excited and then resentful. Some of those that got excited stayed excited and those that got resentful got more resentful. Something new to argue about!

As a Mac user that loved his Mac Color Classic (first computer) I went through Mac OS 7.6, 8, 9 (and the various iterations in between). I was super excited about Mac OS X. I became a Mac enthusiast and used one every day. While I had an iPod I skipped the iPhone for a few years but when the first iPad came out I jumped on it. My usage evolved. Everyday, a bit of both Mac and iPad. I loved both and used both. Eventually I started to use the iPad more. Maybe you didn’t. Cool. I feel no need to convince you (being the general you) or be resentful of your preference for the Mac.

It’s seemed to me for a long while that Federico would be better off with a Mac but that was his choice. As some have pointed out, he became known for his iPad use and pushing it. It became his thing and part of his identity and his income as a writer/podcaster. All that said, my granny used her iPad the way she used it. Currently, in my extended family, there are more iPhones being used than any other device. Cool. They are tools. I prefer an iPad, my niece prefers a Mac and my dad prefers his iPhone. But often times my niece uses her iPhone because she’s taking a photo and she tends not to carry around her MacBook Pro to take photos. Sometimes my dad uses his iPad, other times his Mac.

See, the point here is that there is an entire ecosystem of Apple computers that we can all use and enjoy at different times, different purposes. It would be more enjoyable to celebrate how fun and amazing they are rather than spend so much time critiquing others’ choices or the particular short coming of the current version of the OS (that will change in 6 months or a year). I guess my wish for WWDC is that tech enthusiasts would generally be more positive about what they have rather than what they don’t have. And that they would enjoy what they prefer rather than feel the need to complain about others’ choices.

:smiley:

10 Likes

As I’ve articulated elsewhere, the vindication comes from feeling like an idiot when I’ve tried to follow in yours and others’ footsteps only to find the experience frustrating. This piece from Federico, the biggest iPad proponent of all time, is like, “oh, actually, the iPad is kind of frustrating compared to the Mac.” That’s the definition of vindication!

What we’re actually discussing here aren’t personal virtues, but the design theories and principles underlying the tools we’re using. It is impossible to have a productive conversation about those topics without critique, but — as with any good science — that critique should be as focused on the theory and as removed as possible from the theorist. “Vindicated” doesn’t mean “ha Federico’s been a fool all this time.” It means “maybe the iPad is what I thought it is, after all… and the problem isn’t me, it’s the iPad.”

The resentment here is that “iPad influencers” have been arguing the opposite for years. Many of us have tried relying on our iPads to suit, to varying degrees of success. For those of us who haven’t had much success, seeing that perspective flip has to be satisfying.

It’s unfair to characterize this as “complaining about others’ choices.” We’re not commenting on others’ choices. We’re commenting on our own.

14 Likes

It’s vindicating, not in a sense where I’m judging Federico, but where he’s finally using the right tool for his job. And I have always felt like he was making this way too hard on himself, but saying that would get you jeered at by tech Twitter.

So yeah, it is kind of vindicating. And I am kind of being a butt head by saying it. But these are, as you correctly point out, tools. So whatever.

Edit: @ryanjamurphy put it waaaaaay better than me

3 Likes

If one was using tool-x when one needed to be using tool-y, and not having success, would the problem be with the tool or with user?

4 Likes

One might be a bit forgiving of the user if the purveyor of tool-x created a tool-x Pro and also ran an advertising campaign with the theme of, “What’s a tool-y?” :grin:

3 Likes

It’s a neat question, actually. Depends on where in the stack you’re landing with the term “tool.”

Is the tool the device, the app, the feature, or the workflow?

Is the user me? Is it us? Does a device use an app which uses a feature for a particular workflow?

I’m being cheeky, but also sincere. The true answer is that these things are “systems,” in that there is no standalone tool, nor is there a standalone user.

“We use our iPads, and they use us,” as Churchill put it.

As a result, the problem is tool+user. In my cases, I could’ve not listened to the influencers every time I tried to rely on an iPad and then “I” would’ve been the solution. At the same time, as I argued on MPU episode 636, if Apple had a less paternalistic approach to designing iPadOS, many of us would be able to use the iPad to do our most complex work with aplomb. Then the “tool” would’ve been the solution.

See also Latour, human-computer interaction research, design science… I have readings if you want 'em!

1 Like

Perhaps where some vindication is needed is that Frederico has influence. His influence has led some to state that all you need is an iPad citing his articles. This has led to unhappy purchases as they trusted his supposition that iPad only is possible. It is of course possible, but not possible for all. They where then stuck with an iPad, but unable to do the work they needed. Yes you can argue that they should have researched properly, etc, but when I respected voice says something which is then amplified it influences decisions massively.

I purchased an iPad pro 12.9 on such a venture. I’d never used one as my main tool. It led to utter failure and not enough in the bank to rectify, so I had to make do. This has made me a lot more cautious of tech superstars and their opinions.

A positive note is that I now rarely read these blog articles, preferring to chat things through with you lot on this forum! :grin: This forum has been far more helpful than any blog articles I read on tech and software. Many a decision I make is based on conversations here and the large number of different perspectives really helps in showing edge case uses and majority cases.

Just hoping now that Apple will contact to offer me a free M1 Macbook Pro! :grin:

10 Likes

A fun conversation for sure. :slight_smile:

I think that advertising campaign missed the mark, but perhaps not in the way most people think.

It wasn’t that the iPad replaces a computer, but rather for the things that the protagonist used the iPad for, a computer in the traditional sense was not required.

I think the message from Apple has been pretty clear that Macs are Macs and iPads are iPads, and never the two shall meet. (Until of course, they do. :slight_smile: )

There is certainly overlap, just as there is with bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and trucks. But they are different things. That a bicycle met my wheeled transportation needs when I lived in a city, but not now when I live in the wilderness, is not a reflection on the bicycles nor bicycle makers. I would be the problem if I tired to force the bicycle to be something it is not.

But they didn’t. I fully understand the frustration at that. As I noted above I would love a Mac-like system in an iPad form factor. But that device doesn’t exist. So why do people keep trying to make iPads something they are not?

6 Likes

I think my reaction, in part, is that just as you point out “iPad influencers”, there is the flip side for those of us that enjoy using the iPad is constantly seeing the message “You can’t get real work done with an iPad.” I’ve seen it countless times. Or variations such as “The iPad’s only good for consumption.” It’s frustrating to always see variations of Oh, well, you’re using an iPad, you must not be doing real work or you’re using an iPad to get work done, that’s a bad choice of a tool, just use a Mac, that’s the right choice.

The whole discussion as it exists on forums, Twitter, etc, is just gotten repetitive and seems to not be very constructive because it feels like there are “sides” that are set on proving that this or that tool is the wrong choice for others. I’m not going to go back and read all of Federico’s stuff to make a point but early on it read to me as someone that was proving a point because he felt backed into a corner. Then maybe it morphed into his identity… or some sort of mixing of the two.

I don’t think I’ve ever gone out of my way to suggest to people using a Mac that they shouldn’t or that what they’re doing isn’t work or valuable. That is very much the kind of thing that was said 25 years ago about Mac users by Windows users when the larger tech community often referred to Macs as toys.

In any case, it just doesn’t seem like the conversation, on the whole, has been all that constructive or helpful.

2 Likes

This.

And when you see this happening it is time to leave the conversation. Because as you said it is not constructive. There are forums I no longer frequent and ‘pundits’ I choose to ignore because the argument is that what is right/wrong for them is right/wrong for you.

And there is enough of that in the ‘real’ world, I don’t need it in my hobbies/work as well.

:slight_smile:

(The fact that I continue to engage on this site speaks volumes for the quality of the conversion.)

4 Likes

I very much agree with you.

I also think that for the most part, the vast majority of iPad users are just fine with how the device works and don’t care at all about “pro” features. Most of the dissatisfaction is being expressed by enthusiasts/pros, which is what the population of people who have the means to express things broadly tend to be. Most of us here are also in the category of enthusiasts and pros, so we tend to also have very strong opinions about the (perceived) shortcomings of tech.

Unfortunately, that campaign was picked up by the enthusiast community even if it wasn’t targeted toward us.

4 Likes

Amen to that!! I only hope I don’t diminish the quality! :slightly_smiling_face:

20………

These threads remind me of the “AI will replace . . . “ conversations that have been going on lately. Or some that happen some years earlier, “For milk and kindred deliveries the automobile is a poor substitute for the horse.”

Maybe Steve Jobs was wrong about the iPad. Maybe some people are just using it wrong. :grinning:

Sounds like that’s on Federico!

:stuck_out_tongue:

1 Like

I have two thoughts regarding Federico. I listen to all of the Connected episodes and most of the other podcasts he is on. I thoroughly enjoy listening to him; he is delightful.

I’ve listened closely to recent podcasts where he talks about migrating to the Mac. One of his key points is he loves the modularity of the iPad—that is, it can morph into different computer devices based on use case and accessories. I agree wholeheartedly with this. I would love to see the iPad OS develop so that it becomes a more robust laptop WHEN USED IN THAT MODE-LANDSCAPE WITH KEYBOARD while maintaining its strengths as a tablet. During the last hour I’ve used it both ways. I used it in tablet mode with the pencil to draft out my top strategic priorities for next year and I used it in laptop mode to draft a devotional on holiness. I’m using it now to write this post while sitting outside under a tree in beautiful weather. :slightly_smiling_face: I can’t do that with the Mac because there is no Wi-Fi where I am. I’ll go back to tablet mode to read the news.

I too have noticed what sometimes comes across as a dismissive attitude about the ability of the iPad to do “real work.” I find one of the greatest strengths of the iPad is distraction free writing. While one can write distraction fee on the Mac, it takes more effort to do so. The iPad is a “natural” for this. Good writing, regardless of purpose and audience, is by definition real work and often real hard work at that! Writing is the most powerful medium for both creating and communicating ideas and ideas have profound consequences for every aspect of human existence, including seeking to plumb the most consequential questions. Any tool that facilitates good writing is a “power tool.”

To borrow from the analogy used by Steve Job, if the Mac is a truck then my iPad is a versatile SUV. The iPad can do much of what the truck can do but not everything but it is often the easier vehicle to drive and often the more pleasant one to drive.

6 Likes

Haven’t read it yet but @iPersuade just posted this, I’d say this was timely.

1 Like

Yeah, saw that and was about to comment there. Then saw this pop up. Had a moment of, oh no, where do I reply!

Whatever they do I hope they don’t screw it up. Which is to say, I hope they don’t push it to far into Mac-like windowing. There’s a line there somewhere… Also, do they introduce a 15" iPad Pro at some point? If they are going to increase the complexity of iPadOS and keep the hardware in step with the Mac then it would seem that a larger size iPad Pro would be a thing. I’ve been happy with the 13" just as I found my old 12" PowerBook ideal back in the day. But I can imagine that a larger size would be beneficial especially with more complex windowing.

I’ve generally been happy with split screen and a side over. Not used the Quick notes much. I guess we’ll find out in a few days.

2 Likes

No-one has mentioned a couple of the biggest changes which made a significant difference to Federico’s use of the MacBook Pro. Firstly, the M1 Chip is massively efficient and has significantly increased the battery life of the Macbook, often exceeding the iPad, secondly, Federico can run some of his iPadOS apps on the Macbook.

2 years ago, that article would have been very different and I’m not so sure that Federico would have stuck with the Macbook, he may have been seriously tempted to return to the iPad.

Now if Apple were to add a Mobile capability to the MBP, it may be the complete machine.

4 Likes

No. My memory is the iPad came along for Viticci at just the moment when he needed it. He was sick and not sure what was going to happen next. :thinking: But the iPad happened, he is better now, and the rest is podcast/blog/review history! :sunglasses:

4 Likes

On that point, Shortcuts specifically.

4 Likes