Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 5th Nov 2012 23:40 UTC
Another Apple-to-switch-Macs-to-ARM post. "Apple engineers have grown confident that the chip designs used for its mobile devices will one day be powerful enough to run its desktops and laptops, said three people with knowledge of the work, who asked to remain anonymous because the plans are confidential. Apple began using Intel chips for Macs in 2005." No idea when Apple will make the switch, but they will do it. I'm thinking 5-10 year timeframe.
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Member since:2008-07-15
Are we really to stick with Mac OS X for another ten years because Apple cannot reconcile their own competing platform that by nature abhors a keyboard?
Oh, I hope OS X sticks around and I think it'll have to. Why? iOS is too limiting, and Apple wants at least a small foothold in business. One of two things has to happen: Either OS X has to stick around, or Apple has to relinquish a little of its control over iOS. I'm betting it'll be the former, that way there's still a definitive line (as far as Apple is concerned) between the various products.
Member since:2006-05-30
I code a lot in Codea, an IDE and development system for iOS/iPad. It has an emphasis on creating graphical apps, such as games, uses Lua as programming language, has full 2d/3d graphics access, and has a vibrant community. There's also a route to the App store by using a Mac based SDK. So, really I'm in a good position to answer this question.
The IDE will work with the on-screen and a Bluetooth keyboard. I go both routes. At a desk, I use my bluetooth keyboard (it's a targus model - pretty nice, though not on a par with the Apple version) and on the train, I tend to use the on-screen one. I develop code. Others develop amazing stuff. I can do 100% of the things I need on the iPad.. nothing requires an external app at all. The only thing you'd need the desktop for is the App Store, but nothing stops me from sharing the code with others - this doesn't require the App store. If there was an IDE that compiled native iOS apps on the iPad, I can't say that I'd ever touch a Mac again for iOS development.
On a side note - on my Nexus 7, I have AIDE - this is a full IDE and compiler for Android. It create a fully installable APK and lets one run it on the device natively. Couple that with the Bluetooth keyboard, and the experience is actually more pleasant than using a desktop machine and the super slow Android emulator.
Edited 2012-11-06 12:26 UTC
Member since:2005-07-06
The wave of smartbooks that were promised in 2008 were never launched because of a perceived negative bias from consumers over the lack of Flash for ARM.
Was it really about Flash or maybe fears about confusion with Windows-running netbooks, about software in general? (also poor choice of OS for such a machine)
Kinda like Linux-running netbooks mostly disappeared... (and they did support Flash)
That said, I can't reconcile the mouse problem. If a smartbook has a keyboard, then where goes the touch? Reaching to the screen is bad for the arms, and a touch-pad / magic trackpad detaches you from being able to touch the content. It's the only reason I can think of why Apple has not released such a product yet.
So... the display ~mirrored (with lower fidelity) on on a 2nd display ...build into the keyboard half, largely also on keys themselves? (yes, you've heard it first here!
...except, that would be really "just" Optimus keyboard done proper & for a laptop)
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.More Features »
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Member since:
2005-11-10
Are we not forgetting smartbooks?
Only Apple could pull this off simply because of the iOS library of apps. iOS is Apple's 25-year platform just as Mac OS was.
The wave of smartbooks that were promised in 2008 were never launched because of a perceived negative bias from consumers over the lack of Flash for ARM.
I perceive that Apple would pre-announce a 'smartbook' device (basically iOS + keyboard), allow developers to register to receive a prototype so as to get serious app development for a serious machine ready before it hit the shelves.
That said, I can't reconcile the mouse problem. If a smartbook has a keyboard, then where goes the touch? Reaching to the screen is bad for the arms, and a touch-pad / magic trackpad detaches you from being able to touch the content. It's the only reason I can think of why Apple has not released such a product yet.
Are we really to stick with Mac OS X for another ten years because Apple cannot reconcile their own competing platform that by nature abhors a keyboard?