I'd like to add that I use Vim in two main ways on the iPad 3. Most often, I log into a remote Mac using either iSSH or iTeleport. No iPad text editor conserves keystrokes the way Vim does, so that's my main motivation.
iSSH has the option of a translucent keyboard so that I can see a much larger terminal if I don't use a Bluetooth keyboard---and I don't usually use a Bluetooth keyboard, even though I have two. The iPad is just too convenient to pull out in situations where a keyboard is impractical. Another advantage of iSSH is that, if someone else in my household is using the Mac, my session does not interfere with their use. The Mac must be set to allow remote login from System Preferences > Sharing > Remote Login. When I check the Remote Login box, a message appears telling you to type ssh [email protected] to login. In iSSH, I enter this info into some dialog boxes, leaving the default port box empty. I have also done using Amazon's servers or my University's servers when in public. In these cases I usually use gnu screen at the remote end so that, if I am disconnected, my running copy of Vim on the remote machine is not affected. I believe many people use tmux for the same purpose. iTeleport gets much more use from me than iSSH. It requires me to check the box marked "Screen Sharing" on the Mac and to run iTeleport Connect on the Mac. It has the disadvantage that my session requires a physical screen on the Mac (you can buy a dongle that makes a Mac think it has a screen plugged in to overcome that). On my home Mac there are two screens, one of which is often in use as a TV, so I usually use the other one. The iPad really shines with iTeleport because I can resize and reshape the window so effortlessly. Also, if I have a network problem my copy of Vim continues to run on the remote Mac without loss. At my office, I leave my Mac on my desktop and take the iPad to meetings, logging in to the Mac using iTeleport. There is a potential security risk here in that I can't lock the screen on my desktop Mac while I'm using it from a remote location. I can turn the display off so that it is not obvious that it is available but that constitutes "security by obscurity" and is never recommended as a replacement for security. iSSH, of course, overcomes the security objection because it does not use the display on the Mac. I also have Vim on the iPad from the app store. It is actually being developed as far as I can tell. You simply have to download it from github and compile it yourself to get new features, such as the iPhone 5 screen adjustment. I believe that a number of people have modified the code for their own use and described their patches on mailing lists. It's not as convenient as it would be to update the app store version, of course. I used to carry a Bluetooth keyboard but found that I rarely used it except when sitting at tables in the library for long periods. If I expect to use the iPad for less than half an hour, I can't justify even the extra few seconds to dig out the Bluetooth keyboard. I have used Vim on various Android tablets and found it wanting for the most part. I have yet to find a single Android device I like as a daily driver, despite the unique advantages of some Android devices. On the other hand, the Nexus 10 with Ubuntu Unity may make a better daily Vim platform than the iPad. I would not give up the iPad 3 for it but it would be far easier for me to carry the Nexus 10 and the iPad 3 than the iPad 3 and a laptop. I'm impressed by the video at http://youtu.be/fNYgevHf9EI where the Canonical representative shows the use of a search function to find features in a photo app. He begins to type the word crop when he wants to crop a picture and the crop menu appears. I would like to find features this way because I remember features more easily by words than by menu location. As a contrast, the video at http://youtu.be/GKBy6PgOors shows an antagonistic attitude toward this initiative but the reviewers appear to thrive more on snark than insight. Finally, I would like to add that there are two main reasons why I would not give up the iPad. The first is Apple hardware quality. I'm not talking about specifications here, just quality. Apple is very hard to beat and will remain so for some time. Finally, since the original poster mentioned pdfs, I should add that my favorite use of the iPad is to read pdfs with Goodreader. I have not found a better pdf reader on any platform, including Android, X11, and Mac. I'm also really intrigued by iNib, a rough but brilliant handwriting app on the iPad with no rival on any platform. I have to guess that I use about a dozen apps on the iPad, and I would not want to give them up, but I do occasionally buy Android devices and hope to find a keeper there eventually. -- -- You received this message from the "vim_use" maillist. Do not top-post! Type your reply below the text you are replying to. 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