I’m so torn about stories like this and GTA online. Because on one hand, people play these games, and people won’t switch to Linux if they can’t play them.
But on the other hand, I just cannot give a single fuck about live service trash like this. I struggle to understand how people play games products like these, and I absolutely don’t understand why anyone would waste their time cheating in them. And yet they’re absurdly popular.
Despite gaming being such a big hobby for me, I feel so disconnected from what the average gamer values.
I’m being hyperbolic with that last part, but there’s so much basic computer stuff that the iPad can’t do that it feels like Apple only expects this to be a device to watch Netflix on.
I want to install VS Code (or a comparable IDE) and run/debug some Python scripts, can’t do it.
I want to open a terminal and use basic utilities like ssh, curl, tar, yt-dlp, rclone, rsync, etc, can’t do it. I literally need to install a separate app that lets me ssh into a Linux box so I can do basic stuff there. I’m SOL if I need to work with any data on the iPad’s file system though.
I want to install Godot and continue playing around with game development on the go, can’t do it.
I want to install Steam and play some indie games, can’t do it.
Procreate is pretty good, but I’d rather use Krita.
Which means despite the fact that I want to use it for more, all I do with my iPad Pro (“Pro,” lmao) is watch movies and TV from my Jellyfin server, occasionally draw if I don’t feel like sitting at my desk with a proper Wacom/Krita setup, and write my shopping list.
Their way or no way
The one Apple product I still own is an iPad and I run into this constantly.
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Support for network shares in the files app is barely functional at best (“Just use iCloud!”)
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Mouse support is still super limited (“Just use touch!”)
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You can’t install applications from anywhere but the appstore (“sECuRIty”)
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You can’t install a proper browser or browser extensions (I don’t know even know what Apple’s excuse for this one would be)
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You can’t disable or modify window tiling (“It’s just like an iPhone, because fuck multitasking!”)
Apple sells the iPad as a computer replacement, but basically all its capable of is watching Netflix or basic note-taking. The longer I use this thing the more I want to buy some x86 tablet that I can just install Linux on instead.
I occasionally think back to Rocket League, which I loved in its earlier days. I put close to 100 hours into it, which is a lot for one game for me. Then they added lootboxes, leaned harder into the competitive space, and just completely sucked the soul out of it. And yet it’s still hugely popular.
I just don’t get it.