Dan Bricklin @danb@qoto.org

Cold Spring Park, Newton, MA USA 10:44pm iPhone 15 Pro.

Note: For those who don't know my full background, I co-founded a company called Slate in the early 1990's that made apps for early "pen computers". I even hold some patents for our work on a spreadsheet with special gestures and handwriting recognition. On the iPad, I personally wrote one of the very early notetaking apps (NoteTakerHD).

Reading some comments, I think I wasn't clear enough about the role of the iPad. I was assuming the pen would normally manipulate things you see elsewhere, not under it. Like a mouse. The iPad could add context, but especially to add electronics and computing power to interact with the pen, and an appropriate surface on which to move the pen.

Thoughts after Apple iPad event with implications for #VisionPro: Today, Apple positioned iPad and VisionPro for professional use, including movie production and sound editing (e.g., FinalCut & Logic Pro on the iPad), and training (VisionPro). They also updated the Apple Pencil. Here's an exciting idea:

An issue to some with Vision Pro has been the lack of strong integration of hand controllers, especially compared to more gaming-centric headsets. For serious use of VisionPro's initial major pro app, Excel, I think it helps to use a physical keyboard and trackpad, which it does support. But that's not rich enough for many more advanced uses.

I think in the not-too-distant future we’ll see the iPad integrated with VisionPro like the Mac started, if not more so. You’ll use an iPad, perhaps with a Magic Keyboard, and the new Apple Pencil Pro for professional-level control. Having both a pencil, with squeeze, twirl, haptic-feedback, hover, etc., along with the current full-motion hand and arm movement in 3D-space, gives you the start of a very rich and precise way of interacting with spatial computing. Moving on the hard iPad surface could be quite superior to waving something in the air or using a joystick. The Mac is not for using a pen, but the iPad is. I’m thinking long-term, not just the current headset. The videos they showed of their pro-apps on iPad, and the VisionPro update which included touting a film director using it to oversee the editing and visual effects for an upcoming film, hinted towards this convergence to me. I wonder if it's true.

@shanselman Scott: I've been thinking about your observation that the NYTimes #Connections puzzles can be "sometimes very not fun" because it's "competing" on opinion. I highly value your feelings about things so I was trying to figure out why I'm not as bothered. One thing I thought of was two approaches in software product development, both valuable. One is to figure out a way that works. Any solution is OK. For most under the hood stuff, that's good. In fact, "elegant" clever solutions are often highly valued and are fun. Alternatively, when building an app for others to use, the choice of affordances depends upon understanding those others who may think differently than you. Getting into someone else's head may be where the joy comes from even if it's a odds with your own feelings. Two different types of fun.

In these examples, the cost of the headset is not an issue because if the application is valuable enough to take the users' time, the hardware cost will be a small concern. Software development will be a concern, though, until the right tools are available, I guess.

New long press release from Apple about #VisionPro: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/04/apple-vision-pro-brings-a-new-era-of-spatial-computing-to-business/ with several specific examples of real, serious, productive use of VisionOS. The Porsche engineers following a race in real-time video is an interesting example (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/videos/apple-vision-pro-porsche-race-engineer-app/large_2x.mp4).

Fits with @mimsical WSJ article from March 29th (https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/apples-new-face-computer-is-for-work-788e2750 - paywall) about how knowledge workers are a key audience. "I think I've described using the Vision Pro to other people as like, just having an infinite number of iPads to pull out for work," Steve Caruso is quoted in the article.

I just love doing the NYTimes’ Connections game. When playing it I feel like I’m zigzagging around my brain, looking at so many angles and points of view and enjoying the matches (or potential matches). I feel so clear when it all fits into place. Such an inner- and cerebrally-focused thing in today’s externally messed up and stressful world. (I do “cheat” some at times, though, by looking up definitions…)

Joy of being a grandparent: One of my granddaughters showed me her newest prized possession: A Foxtrot comic by @billamend that he signed in front of her at PAX East. I had introduced her to Sunday comics, and especially Foxtrot, a few years before. She ended up buying lots of Foxtrot books. One reason Foxtrot is special to me is because years ago it had one of the earliest times I saw my creation (VisiCalc and its descendants) being referenced in mass media as something accepted. It was a strip where you needed to know at least something about a spreadsheet to appreciate the humor. (The first time I remember was a WSJ editorial.)

#Apple should make a variety of takes at showing a sport on #VisionPro available with a discussion board for feedback. Involve all us early adopters. Get ideas from lots of sports fans. Do it in public so we all feel part of it. Host Zoom/FaceTime-like discussions or something.