
For i: Code Editor for the iPad - MaysonL
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/for-i/id363493710?mt=8
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jcromartie
This isn't really anything to write home about. It's just a syntax-colored
text editor. Let me know when someone rolls out an expression tree editor
designed for touch screens; or I'll let you know when I finally get around to
it...

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jsolson
I've got another project I'm working on at the moment, but I expect that to go
stable/released soon.

This idea has been _very_ interesting to me for some time now. Drop me a line
if you actually start working on this and are looking for a collaborator.

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d_r
Might be obvious, but would love to see the code displayed with a monospaced
font.

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jrockway
Why an iPad + For i when a netbook + emacs is cheaper, has longer battery
life, can have built-in 4G networking, and so on?

If you want to do real work with a computer, get a real computer, not an
overpriced novelty.

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qwzybug
Which netbooks have better battery life? I have trouble getting 2 hours out of
my Eee. I guess you can lug around a 9-cell battery, but damn.

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jrockway
I have an Eee 1005PE. I've never run out of battery before, so I don't know
what the actual life is, but the indicator says 12 hours. That's with 3G/4G
and the backlight reasonably bright. Without radio or bright backlighting,
it's more like 16. (And it's not a 9-cell battery, either.)

(One problem with netbooks is that they cut corners to be cheap. I would like
to see what a non-corner-cutting netbook could do. The Macbook Air is pretty
close.)

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sorbus
Huh. I have the same model, and I generally get around eight hours, albeit on
Arch, not the included Windows 7. Are you using Windows 7? If so, it might be
a good idea to reinstall it ...

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jrockway
Yes, I'm using Windows. Because there are no 4G drivers for Linux yet. (OK,
Intel has drivers, but there are no products that include Intel's chipset...
so...)

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kennu
Sounds cool, but how does it access the files? Does it support SFTP to edit
files on a server?

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drewcrawford
I was really hoping for drop box or git integration...

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dredge
Just don't do any work with it:

"(ii) You shall be authorized to use the Products only for personal,
noncommercial use."

<http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/terms.html>

~~~
mikeklaas
I'm pretty sure that that's meant to apply to music/video bought from iTunes,
not the use of boughten apps

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dredge
That's not what Apple say (if you believe this blog):

[http://ursecta.com/wp/2009/08/anything-but-games-are-
illegal...](http://ursecta.com/wp/2009/08/anything-but-games-are-illegal/)

A quote from one of the linked articles (The Register) at the bottom:

"Apple is reminding customers that applications sold through the iTunes store
are strictly for non-commercial use: business use is forbidden, which makes
one wonder what that section of the store is for."

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jcromartie
Notice that the Apple rep makes _absolutely no mention_ of applications. I
feel that there is a big misunderstanding going on here.

~~~
dredge
Oh, possibly. The entire conversation with Apple was based around the author
of the post purchasing an application though. He repeats that point several
times.

Perhaps the situation has been clarified since then.

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Zev
Aside from the custom keyboard (which seems to not always be on screen? See:
the third image.) and syntax highlighting that looks rather ugly, for i is
rather sparse on features. Not something that I'd pay $10 for yet.

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benofsky
Looks very unpromising, there is however huge potential for a text editor on
the ipad. Don't think we're quite there yet.

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Yaggo
I was actually considering getting an iPad + bluetooth keyboard for remote
(web) coding. Ditched the idea because the available "IDEs" are not yet very
matured (bought a MacBook instead). I'm sure this will change in future. An
IDE for web coding could be even implemented as a browser app, as long as you
do the sftp stuff in server side. Full keyboard support (shortcuts for
everything) is major requirement, because you want to keep your fingers on
your bluetooth keyboard. Not a problem for web app, though.

Oh, and you won't really need integrated development environment if Apple
enabled multitasking for every app + makes possible to switch application on
external keyboard (i.e. support for cmd+tab). Then separate apps would do
fine.

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minalecs
when you start having to carry around the ipad and a keyboard.. whats the
difference between that and a netbook now.. where you will have a much easier
time running applications.. example most of us would probably like a browser
and ide at the same time... on an ipad this is a major PITA.

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Yaggo
A netbook? Apple doesn't make one :-) The point is that I'm going to have the
iPad anyway and was thinking if it could replace a laptop, because I avoid
carrying multiple devices.

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davidedicillo
Not impressed at all. We started looking into building one ourselves and we
started working on the ftp part of it, but then we got slammed with clients
stuff so it ended up in the back burner. I'm waiting to see a Coda for iPad,
that would be awesome.

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fierarul
What does it do besides being a text editor with a sytax highlighter ?

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ivanzhao
seriously need to do something about the logo

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thomasreggi
I can help make a better logo.

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ryan-allen
I can't see how this is useful at all, you can't run the code, so who cares?

I'd be more interested in a code editor that you can _run_ code in.

