Atazhaia gets an iPad
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So, I finally decided to get myself an iOS device. And it fell on the new iPad (5th gen) as that's the most fitting for my needs:
- I could use a new tablet.
- I want to actually learn iOS.
- I want to test iOS development.
- Lack of an Android tablet I want atm
- iPad Pro too expensive and iPad mini doesn't feel worth it
- Feels wrong to ridicule something I haven't actually used properly
So here it is. I went all in and got the maxed out 128GB with 4G model, in gold. Apple minimalism in box design causes god-awful product photo to maximize whitespace.
Opening the box reveals the iPad itself (obviously), the cable and charger, SIM card slot tool, quick start guide on a piece of cardboard and to quote Ashens: "The manual is written on a single sheet of toilet paper." Well, the paper tells me where to find the manual at least. It starts well with the opening sentence containing the catch-22 of telling me to read the manual before I start using the iPad, which can be found with the appropriate bookmark in Safari on iPad. At least it also helpfully gives the link so I can type it into the browser on my computer.
Anyway. Stick in SIM card as easy as on any other device. Time to turn on and see what the OOBE offers.
Select language and region. Connect to WiFi. Then... wait. Because apparently the iPad needs to be activated, which on the first attempt failed. May be because of my shitty home network. Oh, well. I connected it to my Mac and activated it through iTunes instead. Let's complete this setup. Found another issue with the iPad failing to connect to the Apple servers before I realized I needed to add it to the allowed device list in my router. cough Would have helped if I figured that earlier...
Successfully set up. I notice that Apple and Google have the same idea about what the background image should be. (Beachline with waves from above.) First order of business is to change the default name, as I hate the Apple standard of naming the device "[Your Name]'s [Device]". Then a system update to get it all up to date.
One thing that trips me up a lot this far is unlocking the iPad. I'm used to just touching the fingerprint scanner on my Nexus 5X to unlock it. On the iPad I have to press it down because Apple has not yet figured that a physical Home button is a relic of the past.
So, yeah. First impression: It feels very Apple. Easy to use, this far. Also, it would have helped if I had remembered to whitelist it in the router to improve the OOBE instead of it taking ages to time out due to lack of connection. I'll try out some apps during the evening and see how they compare to Android.
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
the iPad needs to be activated
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@anonymous234 I think that iDevices actually need to be able to connect to the Apple servers on first boot to allow them to even be used. Why? Because Apple I guess.
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@Atazhaia i think the new iPhone 7 doesn't have a physical home button anymore.
Yup, I was right:
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@anonymous234 I think that iDevices actually need to be able to connect to the Apple servers on first boot to allow them to even be used. Why? Because Apple I guess.
I guess because they need know this in order to start counting your warranty, so that you can get the famous apple experience when turning your device in for warranty covered repair.
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@kt_ So the even newer iPad 5 lacks the improved home button that the iPhone 7 got.
And I thought the receipt was good enough for proving when it was purchased, but I guess not. And I hope I wont need any warranty covered repair, this far my Apple devices at least have worked long enough that even the 3-year warranty was over by the time something broke. (DVD drive in my Mac mini, keyboard controller in my MacBook Air.)
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@kt_ So the even newer iPad 5 lacks the improved home button that the iPhone 7 got.
And I thought the receipt was good enough for proving when it was purchased, but I guess not. And I hope I wont need any warranty covered repair, this far my Apple devices at least have worked long enough that even the 3-year warranty was over by the time something broke. (DVD drive in my Mac mini, keyboard controller in my MacBook Air.)
You won't need the receipt. All you're gonna need is the device. You take it to an authorized shop, you stick it out, they ask you to turn off Find My iPad feature, you give it in, they check it's IMEI and you're done.
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@kt_ Or to be able to patch exploits before running the software for the first time.
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@anonymous234 said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@kt_ Or to be able to patch exploits before running the software for the first time.
no
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@kt_ said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
the new iPhone 7 doesn't have a physical home button anymore
They're still catching up to Android
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@TimeBandit said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@kt_ said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
the new iPhone 7 doesn't have a physical home button anymore
They're still catching up to Android
nope.
see my other thread.
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@Atazhaia So… Why didn't you get a Surface?
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@RaceProUK said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Atazhaia So… Why didn't you get a Surface?
That's actually a valid question. But aren't surface books more expensive?
It wouldn't surprise me if they weren't.
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@kt_ The Surface Book may be more expensive, but the Surface and Surface Pro should be closer in price, if not cheaper than the equivalent iPad.
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@RaceProUK
Because@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
I want to actually learn iOS.
I want to test iOS development.Filed Under: I am a detective!
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Surface costs more and doesn't come with 4G. I'd need the 128GB + 4G iPad Pro to get up to entry-level Surface prices. Besides, I got my work laptop if I want Windows on the go. Although why I dunno, as the laptop works better when booted into Linux and I have little reason to use Windows on it.
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
I'd need the 128GB + 4G iPad Pro to get up to entry-level Surface prices
goes to Amazon and does a couple of searches
…huh, the Surface range is more expensive. Well, the Surface Pro, anyway.
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@RaceProUK said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
I'd need the 128GB + 4G iPad Pro to get up to entry-level Surface prices
goes to Amazon and does a couple of searches
…huh, the Surface range is more expensive. Well, the Surface Pro, anyway.
Ha! Sheeple!
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Tried playing Hearthstone. Noticed the speaker placement is... questionable. It has two speakers, however both of them are on the bottom next to the Home button. So if you hold the tablet horizontally the sound will only come from one side of the unit. Because it's not like most continuous sound-causing activities happen in horizontal mode, like watching videos or playing games and stuff. Shockingly, it does have a 3.5mm jack for headphones at least. I guess the new iPad just isn't brave enough!
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@kt_ said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@RaceProUK said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
I'd need the 128GB + 4G iPad Pro to get up to entry-level Surface prices
goes to Amazon and does a couple of searches
…huh, the Surface range is more expensive. Well, the Surface Pro, anyway.
Ha! Sheeple!
ISTR a big criticism of the iPad pro at release was that it was a Surface RT at Surface Pro prices. Point being, the SP is a laptop that works as a tablet and so you'd expect it to be more expensive than just a tablet
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@Jaloopa According to Apple the iPad Pro is "more of a computer than a computer." And the 64-bit A9X CPU supplies it with so much power it can easily handle tasks that used to require a desktop computer or a workstation!
Also, the Apple marketing team may be a tad full of themselves.
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Well, I jumped straight into learning Swift for my commute today, using the official Apple app for the purpose.
https://developer.apple.com/swift/playgrounds/
The first part was way below my level, obviously. Was pretty much a more dull version of the program a robot to walk around maze games where I got to use core programming concepts to solve problems. But Apple kept reassuring me about my awesomeness as I solved the problems, telling me how I was a super programmer for knowing how to use a while loop! Such pro skills!
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
telling me how I was a super programmer for knowing how to use a while loop
Once you master the case syntax, you'll be a Genius™
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Well, I had the first instance of being tripped up by previous programming experience upon starting with the lesson on parameters. As I did the first lesson and then took a break for a couple days I forgot the syntax and I tried experimenting to find out the proper way. After doing a couple fails typing it in the usual way
func test(int param)
I found the "add parameter" option that gave me the proper formatting.func test(param: Type)
So, let's try for the type.
int
gave en error. Ok, let's tryInteger
. A different error. scratches head and then looks it up Ah, it'sInt
. So, the short version but with a capital letter at the start. Maybe Apple just wants to troll Java programmers.Also, for a big , you know what a Type is in Swift? What most other languages call a Class. Because why use terminology consistent with most other languages? deep sigh
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
Also, for a big , you know what a Type is in Swift? What most other languages call a Class. Because why use terminology consistent with most other languages? deep sigh
While you have a point, the terminology does make sense, since a class defines a type
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@RaceProUK said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
While you have a point, the terminology does make sense, since a class defines a type
Ok, I admit that. I'm just not used to having it referred to as a Type like that.
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@RaceProUK said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
While you have a point, the terminology does make sense, since a class defines a type
It's a Venn Diagram thing. All classes are types, but not all types are classes.
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
so much power it can easily handle tasks that used to require a desktop computer or a workstation!
From the 90s, perhaps?
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@Tsaukpaetra said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
so much power it can easily handle tasks that used to require a desktop computer or a workstation!
From the 90s, perhaps?
I really don't know what computers the Apple marketing team are using for their benchmarks, but I would like to see them try and have the iPad Pro compete against my 6 year old i7 Extreme in high-end desktop computing and then try to motivate their marketing bullshit.
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Tsaukpaetra said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
so much power it can easily handle tasks that used to require a desktop computer or a workstation!
From the 90s, perhaps?
I really don't know what computers the Apple marketing team are using for their benchmarks, but I would like to see them try and have the iPad Pro compete against my 6 year old i7 Extreme in high-end desktop computing and then try to motivate their marketing bullshit.
I'd like them to pit it against an original Macbook Pro, for that matter! Same period, right?
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@Atazhaia thing is, they're not trying to pitch it as a replacement for all computing needs. No one sane would program on an iPad. And Apple doesn't expect them to.
You are by definition not part of the market Apple is trying to win with this ad.
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@Arantor said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
No one sane would program on an iPad.
But I would cheat by remoting into a REAL PC... :P
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@Arantor said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
No one sane would program on an iPad. And Apple doesn't expect them to.
And then we have the official learning tool for Swift which is an iPad exclusive. Which I've been trying out on my commute. Writing program code with only the touch keyboard. (At least they do have code autocompletion.)
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@Atazhaia that's just retarded even by Apple standards.
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I really need to look into how Swift works more. Because some parts seem a bit y. Like setting and accessing variables in
classestypes directly like they're all declared aspublic
feels wrong from my experience.greenPortal.isActive = false
Yeah. Typing that out makes me feel dirty in a bad way, like having unprotected sex with a hooker. But there may be some perfectly valid reason as to why it's done that way and I'm just used to the C++/Java way of things. I'll give them the benefit of doubt, for now.
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
I really need to look into how Swift works more. Because some parts seem a bit y. Like setting and accessing variables in
classestypes directly like they're all declared aspublic
feels wrong from my experience.greenPortal.isActive = false
Yeah. Typing that out makes me feel dirty in a bad way, like having unprotected sex with a hooker. But there may be some perfectly valid reason as to why it's done that way and I'm just used to the C++/Java way of things. I'll give them the benefit of doubt, for now.
So it sounds like .Net properties (though I'm sure it's not exclusive). Unless there's really no code behind any you're actually addressing the actual field directly...
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@Tsaukpaetra In recent versions of swift you can do properties:
var foo : Int { get { return _somePrivateVariable; } set { _somePrivateVariable = value; } }
or something like that. However, the default is sorta-public (really assembly-level visibility). There is a
fileprivate
modifier, but it's not the default. So yes, most of the time you're directly manipulating fields.Overall, swift isn't the worst language, but it is a bit weird in places, mainly due to early attempts for transparent bridging with Objective-C ( ). Apples APIs are pretty bad though. And the toolchain is awful. Errors from deep inside the call stack that point at assembly with cryptic codes and no usable error messages. And Xcode. <triggers PTSD flashbacks>
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@Arantor Seen that. It's eerily true. <PTSD flashbacks continue>
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Arantor Seen that. It's eerily true. <PTSD flashbacks continue>
Careful, lest you get stuck with the beach ball of doom!
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@Tsaukpaetra said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Arantor Seen that. It's eerily true. <PTSD flashbacks continue>
Careful, lest you get stuck with the beach ball of doom!
AAAAAAAAAGGGHH triggered!
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Well, I'm done with block 2 of the iPad Swift training app. Doing it on a bus not the most optimal I have noticed, as it gets a bit heavy to hold and all the careful stroking and prodding until the desired results hurts my wrists after a bit.
Apple's array out of bounds lesson teaches bad practice. To check if the index variable for the array was out of bounds it used
==
which is in my book, even if the variable is only being incremented by 1. Also, I read that they actually removed++
and the like from Swift, making me use+= 1
to increment integer by one.I also jumped ahead and used something not used in lessons this far by giving a method a return type. Is a good thing the helper adds the proper way to write, because I would have needed to look that up.
func myMethod(param: Int) -> Bool
And also upon reading the documentation I noticed that it does use class to refer to classes. Then why does not the training app refer to what's obviously a class as a class?
Oh, well. At least I have got through the basic code lessons now as block 3 will be more of iOS-specific stuff.
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
func myMethod(param: Int) -> Bool
A function named myMethod taking a parameter called param that is an Int giving back a Bool?
Well, not the most obtuse way of writing it I suppose...
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@Tsaukpaetra I'm not impressed by the way it's called.
myMethod(param: 4)
Typing out the name of the parameter when calling the function. Hmm...
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@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Tsaukpaetra I'm not impressed by the way it's called.
myMethod(param: 4)
Typing out the name of the parameter when calling the function. Hmm...I think you can technically do that in .Net too, I guess if you wanted to give the parameters out of order or something...
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@Tsaukpaetra said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Tsaukpaetra I'm not impressed by the way it's called.
myMethod(param: 4)
Typing out the name of the parameter when calling the function. Hmm...I think you can technically do that in .Net too, I guess if you wanted to give the parameters out of order or something...
It was actually introduced to make COM Interop easier to write, given some COM methods can have 20, 30, or even 40 parameters.
No, I'm not kidding.
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@RaceProUK said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
It was actually introduced to make COM Interop easier to write, given some COM methods can have 20, 30, or even 40 parameters.
Also when a lot of them are optional.
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@RaceProUK said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Tsaukpaetra said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Atazhaia said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
@Tsaukpaetra I'm not impressed by the way it's called.
myMethod(param: 4)
Typing out the name of the parameter when calling the function. Hmm...I think you can technically do that in .Net too, I guess if you wanted to give the parameters out of order or something...
It was actually introduced to make COM Interop easier to write, given some COM methods can have 20, 30, or even 40 parameters.
No, I'm not kidding.
Those were from the dark days when developers had yet to discover that you could indeed pass the address of a
struct
containing those values as well as a version signature to the function instead of fumbling around with 40 optional parameters. Maybe they'll fix it inCreateWindowExExSuperPro
.
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@Groaner said in Atazhaia gets an iPad:
Maybe they'll fix it in
CreateWindowExExSuperPro
.Maybe… but probably not. Or they'll fix it in a way that just happens to break the use case that you really needed. BTDT.