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I’ve been at home and injured — with lower-back spasms, which are
excruciating but getting better today — which explains my string of snarky
tweets during the Apple event today. (Also the pain medication might have
something to do with it.)
But there was one tweet I wanted to explain:
By precious I mean, as an old version of Webster’s has it: “Particular; fastidious; overnice; overrefined.” Think of precious as high-end, high-emotion kitsch.
Apple events are sugar pills with a sugar coating. Me, I prefer a sugar pill with a bitter coating (as in the British version of The Office), or a bitter pill with a sugar coating (any Kurt Vonnegut novel). (Note: I stole this metaphor from Vonnegut.)
Which is to say: I’m as cheap and sentimental as the next person, but I think my sweets taste better with some peppers.
However — and this is important — the way Apple does these events is utterly appropriate. For me to criticize it from a personal taste perspective is ridiculous, given that my personal tastes would work against Apple’s success.
So I was just being a jerk, in other words.
My back hurts.
I’m a Mac developer — I’ve done my time with iOS, and don’t have any wish to return to it. Except… except that the iPad Pro is sneaking up on being a Mac. Or on being the thing that replaces Macs in the long term. (Or on being the thing Macs turn into, or something.)
I love writing productivity apps. Not games, not diversions, but apps where you get work done. And the iPad Pro looks like the first iOS device designed for productivity apps.
I keep thinking, though, that if I could plug in my old Apple Extended Keyboard II, my Magic Mouse, and a 27" display, then I could get real work done on it. Well, if I could run Terminal and BBEdit and Xcode. And if there was something like AppleScript.
All right, so it’s not a Mac, and isn’t supposed to be — but it’s some steps closer.
And that’s intriguing. I don’t expect to go back to writing iOS apps again (unless, of course, at Omni I’m asked to) — but, gosh, it would be fun to write for iPad Pro.
I wonder if it’s possible to write apps that run only on iPad Pro. That might tempt me more. Obviously, in that case, I wouldn’t be writing for money but for love.
(That said, it’s always possible that at Omni I could end up working on anything, which is fine, but so far I’ve been on Mac apps and I’m happiest that way.)
P.S. Looks like the El Capitan ship date is September 30. I’ve been happily using the betas.
But there was one tweet I wanted to explain:
Apple events always give me the near-overwhelming urge to go outside and roll around in the dirt.That’s the lyrical version of “I find Apple events to be more precious than I’d like.”
By precious I mean, as an old version of Webster’s has it: “Particular; fastidious; overnice; overrefined.” Think of precious as high-end, high-emotion kitsch.
Apple events are sugar pills with a sugar coating. Me, I prefer a sugar pill with a bitter coating (as in the British version of The Office), or a bitter pill with a sugar coating (any Kurt Vonnegut novel). (Note: I stole this metaphor from Vonnegut.)
Which is to say: I’m as cheap and sentimental as the next person, but I think my sweets taste better with some peppers.
However — and this is important — the way Apple does these events is utterly appropriate. For me to criticize it from a personal taste perspective is ridiculous, given that my personal tastes would work against Apple’s success.
So I was just being a jerk, in other words.
My back hurts.
* * *
Apple announced some great things today. Of particular interest to me is the
iPad Pro.I’m a Mac developer — I’ve done my time with iOS, and don’t have any wish to return to it. Except… except that the iPad Pro is sneaking up on being a Mac. Or on being the thing that replaces Macs in the long term. (Or on being the thing Macs turn into, or something.)
I love writing productivity apps. Not games, not diversions, but apps where you get work done. And the iPad Pro looks like the first iOS device designed for productivity apps.
I keep thinking, though, that if I could plug in my old Apple Extended Keyboard II, my Magic Mouse, and a 27" display, then I could get real work done on it. Well, if I could run Terminal and BBEdit and Xcode. And if there was something like AppleScript.
All right, so it’s not a Mac, and isn’t supposed to be — but it’s some steps closer.
And that’s intriguing. I don’t expect to go back to writing iOS apps again (unless, of course, at Omni I’m asked to) — but, gosh, it would be fun to write for iPad Pro.
I wonder if it’s possible to write apps that run only on iPad Pro. That might tempt me more. Obviously, in that case, I wouldn’t be writing for money but for love.
* * *
I don’t have plans or interest in writing for Apple Watch or Apple TV. It’s
nice, for once, to enjoy platforms where I’m just a user. I like my TV and my
watch, and it’s fun to use them without knowing anything about their respective
SDKs. Like a regular person.(That said, it’s always possible that at Omni I could end up working on anything, which is fine, but so far I’ve been on Mac apps and I’m happiest that way.)
* * *
This event shows, again, that the Mac is at the back of the bus. But I like
that — we can horse around a bit back there.P.S. Looks like the El Capitan ship date is September 30. I’ve been happily using the betas.
Yesterday 10:05
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