İpad pro— What's a computer– Apple
Why Hacker News recommends it
Cited as evidence that Apple markets the iPad as a general-purpose computer, especially in debates about platform openness.
What it is
Apple's short ad for the iPad Pro with iOS 11, pitching it as a computer and suggesting a post-PC world.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2022 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Cites Wowfunhappy · 2022-11 · on “November 2022 Progress Report”
> On their computers they have never prevented it before "What's a computer?" [this video] I really don't know what to call iOS devices other than computers. Unless one of your requirements for "computer" is "ability to boot third party OSs"; I don't entirely disagree with that but it's a bit circulatory in this context.
Cites NotPractical · 2024-10 · on “Google must open Android for third-party stores, rules Epic judge”
Smartphones are special, since they're practically mandatory at this point, are the primary gateway to the Internet and digital platforms for a lot of people, and are specifically designed to be general purpose computing devices (even if unnecessary restrictions on who gets to write apps for them are placed on top of that). I mean heck, even Apple all but advertises the iPad Pro (an iOS device) as a computer [*]. I don't care if Nintendo locks down their gaming console. Nobody needs a gaming console. The Nintendo Switch's OS was made solely to run games and has very limited functionality by design. (I'm also overjoyed when I see people hack it, but that's a bonus and I have no expectation of
Cites Apocryphon · 2025-03 · on “Apple has locked me in the same cage Microsoft's built for Windows 10 users”
Apple's actual marketing postures the iPad as a general computing device [this video] “with iPad Pro + iOS 11, a post-PC world may be closer than you think.” [LINK]