I am considering getting an ipad or another type of tablet pc for work. I don’t do much heavy development work, but I do need to occassionally change the code and use ftp. I am considering just getting a laptop, but this tablet seems so much more portable. What are your thoughts? I’d need a keyboard and mouse, etc.
My thoughts, get a laptop it’s logical for web dev and you can bring it places. All these touch pads are all accessories, it’s equivalent to you buying a face panel for your monitor, it’s not a logical and that goes for a touch pad for web dev. smart phones are great, but seriously you can waste you whole damn life on a smart phone.
Big downside is browser debugging sucks on the ipad, kinda like rolling the clock back to 2001.
ipad definitely isn’t the device for the task. I’ve got one and like it for casual media consumption, but also have various creative/development apps on it but:
- screen is low res
- keyboard input covers half screen and needs constant shifting to access symbols and numbers (if you reckon on taking an external keyboard…kinda defeats the purpose)
- hard to get files in and out of
- touchscreen means you obscure point of contact e.g for drawing
- no cursor keys or paging to rapidly navigate code
Get a netbook already for what you want, cheaper, equally portable, a lot more usable for your scenario