Question about RevMobile

[Richard Gaskin]

rand valentine wrote:
 > I've got a question about implementing anything on an iDevice
 > -- say I write a cute little program using RevMobile, and just
 > want to run it on my own iPad (which I do not presently own :-))
 > -- is this not possible -- surely the only way to get anything
 > on your iPad isn't through the Apple Store? How does this work?
 > You see, while I'd love to get rich writing nifty iDevice apps,
 > I am primarily a researcher, and Rev's boon to my existence has
 > always been its capacity to allow me to rapidly develop killer
 > apps for research that I use and share with a few friends who
 > do similar research. But I'm thinking now that perhaps I was
 > misguided in thinking this way about iDevices PRIOR to Apple's
 > C-change.

An iPad may not be the right device for research.  Even if you can run 
Rev-based apps there (and we'll have to see how that sorts out in the 
coming weeks), you probably won't be able to write scripts there - for 
that you'll need a computer.

Also, Apple forbids you from running the R stats language, Matlab, or 
any of the other popular scripting languages commonly used in research.

FWIW, I picked up a netbook a few months ago and have been very happy 
with it.  It weighs only slightly more than an iPad, cost about $200 
less, has a physical keyboard, the screen is self-supported so I don't 
need to hold it with one hand while typing with the other, it folds up 
nicely so I can stuff it in my shoulder bag without worrying about 
screen damage, and best of all it comes bundled with an entire computer. :)

I can run anything I want on it:  I'm learning R right now and it's nice 
to be able to have it available on every computer I use.  And of course 
Rev runs well there, even though I've set my netbook up with Ubuntu.

I used to use the standard Ubuntu for my netbook until I discovered the 
Ubunutu Netbook Remix, optimized in both architecture and UI for 
netbooks - you can learn more about it here:
<http://www.canonical.com/projects/ubuntu/unr>

You may find Ubuntu more Mac-like than Windows, but there are plenty of 
Windows-based netbooks as well if you prefer, and pretty much all 
netbooks are dirt cheap (usually between US$300 and US$500).

And you can not only run Rev on a netbook, you can use the IDE as well. 
  I've enjoyed many a cappuccino while coding at my corner bakery. :)

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World
  Rev training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
  Webzine for Rev developers: http://www.revjournal.com
  revJournal blog: http://revjournal.com/blog.irv