The fact the iPad superficially looks like a Dynabook makes it even more hollow.

· Bits and Bobs 8/3/26
  • The fact the iPad superficially looks like a Dynabook makes it even more hollow.
    • A fact Alan Kay himself didn't like.
    • Way more compute power than he imagined, applied to a much smaller physical device than he imagined.
    • But it's locked down.
    • It's impossible to build an iPad app on an iPad.
    • That fundamental restriction breaks the generative loop of software.
    • Instead of an infinite self-recursive loop, we have an extractive single loop.
    • We should be angry about that.
    • The Dynabook vision has stayed as a north star for the industry… but accidental architectural decisions made it impossible to reach.
    • We locked ourselves in silos, and so now we can't reach the stars.

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