Which leads to a general theory, reinforced by informal observation of hipsters with iPads in coffee shops: a tablet is, crucially, a more shareable computer. A laptop, with its fragile hinge-ware and space-gobbling keyboard, is just not comfy to share. A tablet is easier to bring to the café, easier to hand across the table or along the sofa, easier to seize in the heat of the moment, easier to hold up in triumph, easier to set aside when you need to meet someone’s eyes.

—Tim Bray on tablets

The problem with this is that currently, iOS and Android devices are built under the assumption that they are Very Personal Computers. If you pass your phone to someone, you have no idea what the hell is going to pop up in terms of texts or facebook notifications while someone is looking at it, it’s always kind of nerve-racking.

The iPad is in this weird spot where you absolutely want to pass it around, or leave it lying on a coffee table for whoever to use, but you swipe off the lock screen and then all your noise is right there. The current design of iOS is like gluing your diary to the back of a photo album. Besides Mark Zuckerberg, who wants that passed around?

My main feature wish for iPad’s iOS is some way to share some of it without sharing all of it.

rebarbative |rəˈbärbətiv|

adjective formal

unattractive and objectionable : rebarbative modern buildings. ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from French rébarbatif, -ive, from Old French se rebarber ‘face each other “beard to beard” aggressively,’ from barbe ‘beard.’