<![CDATA[The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy.]]>The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. If you push the reset button on iPad today, developers aren't remotely in the mood to rebuild the kind of unique, bespoke app ecosystem the device had before iOS 7 and the last big reset. If iPad were invented today, it would have a fate much more similar to Vision Pro than anybody wants to think about

https://mjtsai.com/blog/2026/05/04/macbook-neo-and-how-the-ipad-could-be/

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/cdab8965-9b38-43c4-ae94-aa238a1500d2/the-idea-that-we-can-rewind-the-clock-to-when-developers-cared-enough-to-make-high-quality-unique-ipad-apps-like-push-pop-press-did-is-a-complete-fantasy.RSS for NodeFri, 15 May 2026 10:24:28 GMTMon, 04 May 2026 18:32:50 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Tue, 05 May 2026 16:52:53 GMT]]>@amyworrall @stroughtonsmith My second grader is learning about the periodic table, so I just redownloaded the Elements app. It still exists! (And is still pretty awesome.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://vmst.io/users/gregatron5/statuses/116523006269184748https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://vmst.io/users/gregatron5/statuses/116523006269184748Tue, 05 May 2026 16:52:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Tue, 05 May 2026 15:33:17 GMT]]>@stroughtonsmith I had so much fun in that era. This app (Timeline World War 2) was my masterpiece… shame that kind of multimedia app ended up not cost effective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrwLP75njPE

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/amyworrall/statuses/116522693256219304https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/amyworrall/statuses/116522693256219304Tue, 05 May 2026 15:33:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Tue, 05 May 2026 01:10:52 GMT]]>@david @stroughtonsmith There are some reasonable specific ways to use one without a keyboard and depending on the style you're after some extremely practical stands (that don't double as screen covers, sure) that used to be available for well under a tenner

You can also use a BT or USB keyboard, so while Apple will be very happy if you go with theirs, you can use anything from the cheapest thing you could find to something ludicrously customised etc

Meanwhile my Mini mostly just watches stuff, because it's still an improvement on using my phone

So the Neo challenges it for "I wanted a laptop I can draw on", but if you didn't want it to be a laptop you're back to how well the app ecosystem now supports what you want to do. It's not what I use for music personally for example, but any iPad with a camera that does slow-mo and a tripod stand is a excellent training aid for sports etc if a coach wants to use that setup in their classes. Those of us who can comfortably write even glue scripts are inherently a minority and the majority have a lot of use cases like that: "let me use it as my whiteboard over zoom/whatever" has been lovely on the receiving end, for example!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://types.pl/users/flippac/statuses/116519302085097156https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://types.pl/users/flippac/statuses/116519302085097156Tue, 05 May 2026 01:10:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Mon, 04 May 2026 23:33:30 GMT]]>@stroughtonsmith As an aside…the iPad feels like an incomplete product: how useful is it without a stand and keyboard? Apple expects you to shell out another $300 just to make it functional.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sunny.garden/users/david/statuses/116518919246397217https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sunny.garden/users/david/statuses/116518919246397217Mon, 04 May 2026 23:33:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Mon, 04 May 2026 19:55:11 GMT]]>@stroughtonsmith i will just add the following here:

"Ultimately the problem with design refreshes purely for the point of making something old appear new is that they rarely leave any lasting satisfaction beyond an initial “oh that’s new” factor. Any design refresh has to support an enhanced experience in order for it to be time well spent." — Chris Mears, The UX Review.

...shameless plug to my blogposts [1,2] from 2013/2014:
[1] https://www.thetawelle.de/?p=2279
[2] https://www.thetawelle.de/?p=4430

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://chaos.social/users/blazr/statuses/116518060809216428https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://chaos.social/users/blazr/statuses/116518060809216428Mon, 04 May 2026 19:55:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Mon, 04 May 2026 19:40:35 GMT]]>@stroughtonsmith oh, yeah, we think you're right

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://adhd.irenes.space/users/ireneista/statuses/01KQT83DX3MS6DS3ZDHRMNTQNMhttps://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://adhd.irenes.space/users/ireneista/statuses/01KQT83DX3MS6DS3ZDHRMNTQNMMon, 04 May 2026 19:40:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Mon, 04 May 2026 19:40:04 GMT]]>@stroughtonsmith Just East of Moore's Law, is Least.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://c.im/users/numodular/statuses/116518001315292647https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://c.im/users/numodular/statuses/116518001315292647Mon, 04 May 2026 19:40:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Mon, 04 May 2026 18:55:52 GMT]]>@stroughtonsmith I think requiring apps to be resizable below certain sizes (to support compact widths) on iPad was another big detriment to native iPad apps.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/amonduin/statuses/116517827520703065https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/amonduin/statuses/116517827520703065Mon, 04 May 2026 18:55:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Mon, 04 May 2026 18:39:48 GMT]]>@stroughtonsmith It also doesn't help that Apple did nothing but anger developers for the past years.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://norden.social/users/melgu/statuses/116517764375314678https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://norden.social/users/melgu/statuses/116517764375314678Mon, 04 May 2026 18:39:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The idea that we can rewind the clock to when developers cared enough to make high-quality unique iPad apps like Push Pop Press did is a complete fantasy. on Mon, 04 May 2026 18:38:11 GMT]]>iOS 7 effectively wiped out iPad app development. For years after that release, developers were hands-full redesigning for flat design and then flexible layouts. Custom iPad app designs fell by the wayside, and eventually all the unique apps on the platform were replaced with scaled phone apps. Many of the early adopter developers decided enough was enough, so their apps were dropped or abandoned. Today, you'll have a hard time finding apps that support any of the modern iPad features properly

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/stroughtonsmith/statuses/116517757992112101https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/stroughtonsmith/statuses/116517757992112101Mon, 04 May 2026 18:38:11 GMT