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0 pointsAckSyn10y ago0 comments

Tablets aren't really a problem when it comes to education. It's only a shift in how we do computing vs what we do it in.

They've built tablets. We (developers) need to build the software that does more than consume our time, but allow us to create the content for others. Sadly, it's not there yet, but in time it will be. I don't doubt the computing capacity is there for a company to create a 3D modeling program for a tablet that's either touch driven, or a combo that includes a mouse and/or keyboard. There are already suites out there for image manipulation, music and video creation etc.

If I could purchase a tablet and then a full (3D) CAD or other modeling software for it, I'd drop the money in a heartbeat.

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om4210y ago· 2 in thread

I don't really do much CAD but have lots of friends who do. Wouldn't you end up needing a keyboard and a mouse to be productive CADing on the tablet? Which would defeat the form factor of the tablet. There does seem to be a market for CADing on tablets as seen in Onshape. But I have never seen any of my friends use it (Mechanical engineering students and industry tends to favor SOLIDWORKS and sometimes CREO)

AckSynOP10y ago

If the design of the CAD software were designed around the usage of a touch screen, and I don't think one would have to be constrained to require its use. I'm not saying they'd have to use the on-screen keyboard but build the interface to work well with a touch screen using what's already established in most programs (pinch, twist, tap and drag an item off a pallet or adjust its size etc).

jimjimjim10y ago

I've spent a bit of time working on an imaging application (not CAD but building plans) and whenever desktops vs tablets comes up everybody eventually realizes just how huge their fingers are and the meeting moves on to another topic.

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