Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

KALLT

macrumors 603
Sep 23, 2008
5,380
3,415
You're right. What you said was that they should only provide basic apps. Still a crap idea, because some people don't want to use third party apps and still want a good experience.

No, that is still not what I said. I’ll elaborate. I see iMessage in iOS 10 as a clear departure from what Apple did before. All other apps target a certain baseline functionality, basically the essentials of what the apps are supposed to do. Podcasts is for subscribing and listening to podcasts, nothing fancy. Music is for organising and listening to music, optional Apple Music is included for subscribers. iMessage, on the other hand, goes way beyond what a decent messaging app needs. They go over the top with fancies and are cramming a lot of functionality into it that is clearly targeted at a particular market, namely that what Snapchat, Facebook Messenger and others are doing. Instead of providing a good baseline experience for all of their users, they get carried away by their desire to compete in a particular market directly. In addition, they encourage developers to embed mini-apps into Messages directly, so that users can do stuff that they would normally do in dedicated non-messaging apps. Messages is becoming an app platform itself, instead of a messaging app. I believe that this is not what Apple should be doing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: linuslh1996

stevemiller

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2008
2,057
1,607
There was streaming music before Apple Music. There was a VoIP client before FaceTime. Podcasts? Developers are doing it. So according to your logic, we might as well gut default apps and just throw third party ones on there.

Some might prefer that ;)

If apple presents a better value proposition than the 3rd party apps then more power to them. For me all the new messenger stuff isn't a better experience, te a me-too experience.

I like some "expressive options" to a point, but throwing confetti all over whenever anyone types congratulations just tips over into obnoxious. Imagine typing "I heard a loud boom!" to describe when your roof collapsed and having fireworks go off. Now that word is reserved just for describing excitement. I know it's a fringe example, but I don't like the precedent of an algorithm embellishing the meaning of your words.
 

Michael Goff

Suspended
Jul 5, 2012
13,329
7,422
No, that is still not what I said. I’ll elaborate. I see iMessage in iOS 10 as a clear departure from what Apple did before. All other apps target a certain baseline functionality, basically the essentials of what the apps are supposed to do. Podcasts is for subscribing and listening to podcasts, nothing fancy. Music is for organising and listening to music, optional Apple Music is included for subscribers. iMessage, on the other hand, goes way beyond what a decent messaging app needs. They go over the top with fancies and are cramming a lot of functionality into it that is clearly targeted at a particular market, namely that what Snapchat, Facebook Messenger and others are doing. Instead of providing a good baseline experience for all of their users, they get carried away by their desire to compete in a particular market directly. In addition, they encourage developers to embed mini-apps into Messages directly, so that users can do stuff that they would normally do in dedicated non-messaging apps. Messages is becoming an app platform itself, instead of a messaging app. I believe that this is not what Apple should be doing.

And I disagree. I think Apple should be trying to provide the best experience in the core apps for the most people.

Some might prefer that ;)

If apple presents a better value proposition than the 3rd party apps then more power to them. For me all the new messenger stuff isn't a better experience, te a me-too experience.

I like some "expressive options" to a point, but throwing confetti all over whenever anyone types congratulations just tips over into obnoxious. Imagine typing "I heard a loud boom!" to describe when your roof collapsed and having fireworks go off. Now that word is reserved just for describing excitement. I know it's a fringe example, but I don't like the precedent of an algorithm embellishing the meaning of your words.

Sometimes, they do need to do catch up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skika

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,666
52,476
In a van down by the river
All the ranting and hate (that many have for the new iMessage) reminds me of the following movie scene. Thank God, we have many calm, lucid individuals here, who are doing their best to counter the angry iMessage protesters.

" 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my old iMessage and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' "

 
  • Like
Reactions: Skika

imaginex20

macrumors 68000
Jun 17, 2009
1,513
720
I don't see what the issue is with the new iMessages app. If you don't like the new features, guess what? You don't have to use it. The way it works now, works just like it did before.
 

Michael Goff

Suspended
Jul 5, 2012
13,329
7,422
Oh yeah cause you can install iOS 10 and remove all the buttons that are in iMessagenow?

Apple already thought of a way to make sure you don't have to use anything in the new iMessage. I even took a screenshot to help out.

IMG_0103.JPG
 

dcp10

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2010
760
595
I like some "expressive options" to a point, but throwing confetti all over whenever anyone types congratulations just tips over into obnoxious. Imagine typing "I heard a loud boom!" to describe when your roof collapsed and having fireworks go off. Now that word is reserved just for describing excitement. I know it's a fringe example, but I don't like the precedent of an algorithm embellishing the meaning of your words.

The full screen effects do not happen automatically. They must be chosen specifically per message.
 

Creek0512

macrumors 6502
Jun 15, 2012
497
450
The full screen effects do not happen automatically. They must be chosen specifically per message.
Actually, "Happy Birthday " automatically triggers the balloons and "Congratulations " automatically triggers the confetti .
 

dcp10

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2010
760
595
Actually, "Happy Birthday " automatically triggers the balloons and "Congratulations " automatically triggers the confetti .

Nope, not with this either. Tried it with two different models. Only the handwriting animation. No confetti. No balloons.
 

dcp10

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2010
760
595
Wow. I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong. I thought this was regarding the new handwritten texts. I can see why some might find that annoying. Hopefully Apple will realize that there being a bit overzealous here and change it to being optional.

That said, I still don't think it's worth all the anger, especially when there are so many text options available
 
  • Like
Reactions: stevemiller

stevemiller

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2008
2,057
1,607
Wow. I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong. I thought this was regarding the new handwritten texts. I can see why some might find that annoying. Hopefully Apple will realize that there being a bit overzealous here and change it to being optional.

That said, I still don't think it's worth all the anger, especially when there are so many text options available

Definitely not sky is falling bad, but enough to debate it on a forum ;)

I'm just not a fan conceptually of a system that auto-embellishes your words with animation that may or may not reflect how you want to present yourself.

But I'm also pretty confident that today's "it's fun and expressive you old grouch" will be tomorrow's "dear god get rid of that felt and leather skumorphism!" so I'll just bide my time. :p

I can almost picture the Jony Ive product video where he describes distilling messaging to its core essence and everything is replaced with simple glyphs that convey all meaning. "We call it apple text, and youre going to love it."
 

dcp10

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2010
760
595
Definitely not sky is falling bad, but enough to debate it on a forum ;)

I'm just not a fan conceptually of a system that auto-embellishes your words with animation that may or may not reflect how you want to present yourself.

But I'm also pretty confident that today's "it's fun and expressive you old grouch" will be tomorrow's "dear god get rid of that felt and leather skumorphism!" so I'll just bide my time. :p

I can almost picture the Jony Ive product video where he describes distilling messaging to its core essence and everything is replaced with simple glyphs that convey all meaning. "We call it apple text, and youre going to love it."

Yeah, those Jony videos need to go. At least you can prevent the effects if you add additional words such as a name.
 

applelottery

macrumors member
Oct 4, 2015
57
13
iMessage is becoming less and less interesting for me, don't like the direction they're taking with this new imessage, seems like another messenger for teens.

Imo, a good messaging app should support multiple platforms because not anyone can afford or want an iphone. So yes whatsapp will still be my main messenger.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,666
52,476
In a van down by the river
iMessage is becoming less and less interesting for me, don't like the direction they're taking with this new imessage, seems like another messenger for teens.

Imo, a good messaging app should support multiple platforms because not anyone can afford or want an iphone. So yes whatsapp will still be my main messenger.
In my opinion, Apple is trying to make iMessage such that it is more appealing and interactive to a larger segment of customers, (and potential customers) instead of sticking with the desires of the 'get off my lawn you kids' segment of users.

Every app has features that some people don't like or have a need for, even WhatsApp. One can either go to battle against every single change that happens, or one can realize that change doesn't necessarily resolve around self, nor should it.

I think a lot of people (not speaking of anyone specifically on this forum) on this forum really do believe, that Apple should only add, remove or change only what they think is worthy of such. And if not, they quickly demean and dismiss Apple for being too slow, too fast, too ambivalent or dogmatic when it comes to Apple not walking in step with every single thing that forum member x thinks should be.

And often times, the aforementioned dismissive and demeaning attitude correlates to said member(s) purchasing Android based products that suffer from the same supposed failures, because said products and software doesn't all line up with what previous user of Apple product thinks. But, somehow, the latter isn't as bad as the former, because even though the same core principles and reasoning behind the action of member x is the same, it is now suddenly different. And in that previously unheard of light, the irrational becomes suddenly rational, until the next software or hardware update, when their new beloved Android becomes the harlot of Rome and the throne.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,461
iMessage is becoming less and less interesting for me, don't like the direction they're taking with this new imessage, seems like another messenger for teens.

Imo, a good messaging app should support multiple platforms because not anyone can afford or want an iphone. So yes whatsapp will still be my main messenger.
iMessage is still iMessage that it used to be -- a messaging service that is useful between Apple users and devices -- nothing really about that has changed. Not sure what about that could become "less and less interesting". Are phone calls becoming less and less interesting, or emails becoming less and less interesting? They are just services and basically utilities these days.
 

dcp10

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2010
760
595
There are so many on this board who speak with such authority on what's bad about iOS that I seriously would like to know what they would do if in charge. Imagine yourthe product manager of iMessage watching as both current users and potential new customers flock to competing products such as Facebook Messanger, WeChat etc. Do you make changes, or leave the product alone and hope for the best? The marketing guys meet with you because they feel your product is slipping behind and iMessage is losing market share. Next comes the finance team who's worried cause Wall Street is losing faith and Apple just lost x millions in market cap. All the while the press is hammering on how Apple isn't keeping up and the cycle just keeps repeating.

You go ahead and add a few new features, but you meet with the developers and tell them that some users want to turn off the some of the new features and some want to block them from incoming messages, so could they add a couple of toggles in the settings? Imagine if how they might react and what a mess the OS would be if every product team did that.


What Apple did and every company does is try to make the best product possible for the widest user base. They do that by copying ideas from other products which have been shown to be popular and sometimes add something totally original which they hope will take off. It's not going to be a perfect fit for everyone and yes users will find some parts more useful than others.

Yes this post is silly, but so are lot of comments saying iMessage has been turned into a toy or is only suitable for kids.

I really am interested in what the armchair MBA's and product designers would do, keeping in mind the real life challenges companies such as Apple face.
 

eoblaed

macrumors 68040
Apr 21, 2010
3,088
3,202
Everything added to iMessage would be so appealing to me if I was a teenage girl. As a grown man, i hate all of it.

So don't use them.

As a grown man who's probably been married longer than many of these complainers have been alive, I look forward to some of the increased interaction my wife and I can text while I'm away on business trips, or the ways my university aged kids will use it with me.

This thread is full of grumps, sheesh.
 

dcp10

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2010
760
595
So don't use them.

As a grown man who's probably been married longer than many of these complainers have been alive, I look forward to some of the increased interaction my wife and I can text while I'm away on business trips, or the ways my university aged kids will use it with me.

This thread is full of grumps, sheesh.
Same here. The demo during the keynote didn't really wow me at all. Now that I've used them. I've become a fan, especially for the in-line camera and handwriting. I'm pretty sure I'll use the bubble effects a bit as well. Not so much so for the screen effects, but I have teens, so I'll probably get them
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.