This observation on the iPad and the future of computing is interesting and a bit ominous:
Apple has declared war on the tinkerers of the world. With every software update, the previous generation of “jailbreaks” stop working, and people have to find new ways to break into their own computers. There won’t ever be a MacsBug for the iPad. There won’t be a ResEdit, or a Copy ][+ sector editor, or an iPad Peeks & Pokes Chart. And that’s a real loss. Maybe not to you, but to somebody who doesn’t even know it yet.
Like this author, I also learned to do BASIC programming on an Apple IIe and I still like to tinker with my current rig, even if it just involves getting an old game to run properly. It’s probably a little early to predict how the iPad and other portable devices will be used, but I’m guessing they will continue to exist side-by-side with computers. Kids may use a tablet to watch a video or play a game, but they will still have computers that are more powerful and flexible. The kids that are inclined to hack (and I use that term in the best do-it-yourself sense) will find a way.
