Funny how most of the answers to this post boil down to "remote into another $2k machine to do your work on a $2k machine that would be extremely capable of doing it by itself".
I write C# code by remoting to a $2k machine, however, iPadOS 16 got me hyped for the fact that I can take my old Mac Mini give it to my mom and just use my M1 iPad on my 43 inch 4k monitor to do mundane stuff as logging into work via VPN, run RDP, run Teams and use it as my "desktop".
All I need now is a decent terminal for iPad OS AND some kind of USB-C hub to allow charging AND display out the same time.
That sounds like a strange setup for C# unless I'm missing something.
C# is basically "built for IDEs", even VS code can't hold a candle to Rider or Visual Studio - vim and friends are a joke in comparison.
I like iPad form factor and would love the idea of using it as a thin client for development, but unless JetBrains come up with iOS client for remote development (which I doubt) it's a non-starter for me.
Also what's stopping you from charging form USB-C monitor and using it as a hub ?
I have a C# project which I can work with in either VS 2022 or VS Code. I find myself almost always using VS Code. I mean to blog about why, but performance is better and it is nicer for the non-C# parts like TypeScript.
> JetBrains come up with iOS client for remote development
It wouldn’t be stupid if they would, especially that they are moving towards an architecture of a thin client communicating with the extracted intellij core, even selling remote cloud offerings. Actually, it would likely bring lots of money to them if they come up with a seriously good ipad client.
I don't know about C#, it's not an ecosystem I swim in at all, but there are multiple python options (including Pyto, the venerable Pythonista and jupyter notebook hosts like Juno & Carnets). There are js environments like Scriptable and Play.js. And it's not Xcode but Swift Playgrounds offers, of course, swift including swift.ui and the ability to redistribute those projects (with some limitations) including submitting directly to the App Store.
I get it; I use an iPad a lot for a great many things. It's not perfect - I have a long list of things I would like to see addressed. Low effort complaints like "let me know when I can code on it" are just that though; low effort. So those who complain "how to code on it?" or about how it exactly match the workflow they use on a completely different platform etc just sound.... whiney.
Low effort noise when some basic infrastructure could enable so many other workflows. I like my iPad, I use it every day, I hope to use more with less friction soon-ish. Yup, same thing every June.
I mean, on the other hand, there's plenty of other things I could code on. I have a Nintendo Switch with root access, but that doesn't make it an appealing device to write code with. Hell, SSH could run on Apple Watch with a Bluetooth keyboard. Once again though, there's simply no point. You may as well get a laptop, it sounds like you only intend to use it with a keyboard anyways.
I do primarily use it as a laptop... but ~30% of the time it comes off the case and gets carried for data input. Then it's the best tablet I can spend money on, has a very responsive stylus and weighs about the same as a clipboard and pad.
It's the most flexible computer I own. It could be even more so, which I would appreciate, but that depends largely on apple.
For the work I do I can code *locally* but I *don't have to*. Comparing it to a Switch is completely missing what makes them different. Even an attempted reductio ad absurdum should be a little more rigorous than that.
If your monitor can supply power over USB-C it can charge the iPad. There are many options for dongles though. Or even Apple's $350 keyboard has a second charging only port built into the keyboard stand which leaves the main port available for other stuff.
except for the answers that boil down to "buy a $5 app."
this isn't about not being able to code on an iPad. that's easy and people having been doing it for about a decade.
this is just about some people still being mad that they don't get root on a machine they buy. I can understand being mad about that, but just say what you mean. don't pretend you can't code on it when people have been doing that basically since day one.
When the code I write runs at 2% speed it would run natively at on my $2k machine, that's definitely not acceptable and not very useful, I've tried. If your workflow is compatible with that, that's great. If it's web/CI driven, I could imagine that working.
Still not entirely sure what you actually do with it beyond light editing, even with your $5 apps.
No. I've tried coding on these machines. All your tools must run in an interpreter so they're ridiculously slow and the thing gets uncomfortably hot and you can't look at anything else or the app will get closed. It's actually fucking terrible.
Thirding Working Copy here, I've used it for yonks as a core part of my iPad workflow. That and Blink get me super far, and iPadOS 16 is going to get me even further now we have proper external screen support!
I've just been using iSH. It has regular iOS file providers and you can just use regular ol git. No need for weird software you have to pay for, just permissive open source software all the way down :)
I don’t miss root on my device, like having all-encompassing root access is not a goal worth pursuing from a modern security standpoint. But one should absolutely be able to install any app they deem worthy into the existing sand box environment, like put a huge ass scary banner saying it is dangerous and hide it 4 pages down in settings, but let me use my device as I deem fit.
