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The "I hate Home button" Thread

S

samiznaetekto

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 26, 2009
1,016
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(sorry for the title... I chuckle every time I see "The ... Thread" titles) :D

I'm waiting for my iPad (did try it at the store a few times) and I have an iPhone. One thing I hate about both is the Home button. I think it's just out of place of the "pure software in your hands" paradigm. It's stiff and just plain stupid. Do we really need it? It could be replaced with a simple gesture: touch screen with all 5 fingers and you go to Home screen. Double-click of Home button can be replaced with double tap with 5 fingers. Much simpler and faster than pushing the button that sometimes on the bottom, sometimes at right, left, or top.
 
I think, probably, that the reason for the Home button is simply that it's a guaranteed. Whenever you have a physical button, you know it works. If you needed to reset a crashed iPad etc, you know where you are by holding the Power + Home buttons.

I do agree, though, that the Home button is a stiff, noisy, not easy-to-find button in the dark, especially if you've reoriented the iPad for a movie or game etc.
 
The button is there so that a hardware interrupt can be triggered, something that is nearly impossible with software input. If a program freezes or crashes, without a hardware interrupt, it would just continue to run until the battery died. True there is also the sleep/wake/power button, but that has other uses. TEG
 
Makes sense on the iPhone. Try and quickly do a 5 finger gesture on the iPhone, then try and quickly press the Home button.

I understand what you mean about us being intimately linked with the software, and not have to work our way through peripherals and other hardware... but then do you suggest we get rid of the volume rocker? Screen lock rotation? These things exist as buttons and switches because they make sense. I do use the software volume controls within apps sometimes, but it depends on the situation. I would be really pissed off if the volume rocker was removed and we ONLY had the software option. They can go too far with too many buttons like some of the other mobile phones on the market, but I feel Apple have got the balance just right. We've got the buttons/switches etc that we really need. If anything, we could do with just one more, a camera click button (not on iPad, obviously). The software button for taking a picture can be really awkward. Hell, try and take a picture of yourself! Sometimes, hardware buttons are the way to go. The Home button is always there, it doesn't move or get hidden. And it's pretty obvious. If someone picked up an iPad and didn't know the gesture, they'd be really stuck. I mean, the instructions aren't very clear. They don't tell you about other gestures.
 
Ever heard "Don't put all your eggs in one basket"?

Would you drive a car that was controlled only by software and you had no "home" button to stop the car if the software failed?

Anyway, the home button ROCKS. You know no matter what happens, just press the single button and everything is fine again.

(How is it hard to find in the dark? It's the only concaved part of the iphone/ipad!)


I LOVE THE HOME BUTTON!
 
samiznaetekto said:
(sorry for the title... I chuckle every time I see "The ... Thread" titles) :D

I'm waiting for my iPad (did try it at the store a few times) and I have an iPhone. One thing I hate about both is the Home button. I think it's just out of place of the "pure software in your hands" paradigm. It's stiff and just plain stupid. Do we really need it? It could be replaced with a simple gesture: touch screen with all 5 fingers and you go to Home screen. Double-click of Home button can be replaced with double tap with 5 fingers. Much simpler and faster than pushing the button that sometimes on the bottom, sometimes at right, left, or top.
Click to expand...

who has 5 fingers on one hand? :D
 
gillybean said:
In Need for Speed sometimes when I'm drifting I accidentally hit the home button and it takes me back to the home screen. :mad:
Click to expand...

If you realise quickly enough, keep your finger on the button so you end up holding it rather than pressing it. Hold it for 2-3 seconds and you won't quit.
 
I recall reading somewhere that AT&T was the one to insist there be a physical button on the iPhone. Intereresting if true, and especially since the button made it to the Touch and the iPad, born from a non-Apple idea.
 
Hardware buttons are important. How else are you going to force quit apps and force shutdown the device? Not to mention entering recovery mode when the OS fails.
 
I agree it needs to be there and I actually like the satisfying click feedback compared to the iPhones I've owned. But it does get a bit loud, esp. when you are using it in a quiet setting.
 
mcdj said:
I recall reading somewhere that AT&T was the one to insist there be a physical button on the iPhone. Intereresting if true, and especially since the button made it to the Touch and the iPad, born from a non-Apple idea.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure this is utterly false, considering Cingular/AT&T didn't even know what the iPhone looked like until near the launch as far as I remember.
 
Agree with the OP, I made a thread about the home button on the iPad, and how it will be getting much use.

However, will not iPhone OS 4, with its multitasking, reduce that home button pushing?
 
There will always be a button, especially considering Apple's emphasis on accessibility. 5-finger gestures can't work because some people don't have 5 fingers on a hand. Seems like a silly notion to you, maybe, but there are people without sight using iPhones/iPads. It's silly to nitpick on that one idea for a gesture, but either way, there are specific reasons why Apple researches/tests/builds all of these devices with home buttons.
 
doug in albq said:
Agree with the OP, I made a thread about the home button on the iPad, and how it will be getting much use.

However, will not iPhone OS 4, with its multitasking, reduce that home button pushing?
Click to expand...

Quite the opposite; you'll need to tap the home button twice! ;)
 
Personally I'd rather press the home screen button rather than do an awkward '5 finger tap' on the screen.
 
I don't want to accidently go home, so I suggest a double-elbow half circle curly-q motion.

You need to rest both elbows on the ipad and then you start a half circle counter clock wise, and then angle down and back across and do a squiggle.

This would be the best way to create a home gesture.


pondie84 said:
Personally I'd rather press the home screen button rather than do an awkward '5 finger tap' on the screen.
Click to expand...


Not to mention people with less than 5 fingers would be screwed.
 
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