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Why hasn't apple created a "category" setting on iphone?

Big Jelly

Big Jelly

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 28, 2009
9
0
Honestly I love the iPhone had one since the first launch and I keep trying to keep my phone 100% legit, however once I found out that Jailbreaking would allow me to use the Categories application I descended down the Jailbreak road, and I haven't looked back.

For the life of me I really don't understand why apple doesn't make this part of the OS itself. For those that are un familiar with categories it's a jailbreak application that allows you to make folder on the iphone and assign applications to those folders.

For example I have 51 games on my iphone. I could easily add all of these into a GAMES folder, add all my music based apps to the Music folder and now I have a very clean and organized iphone.

This is the ONLY reason I jailbreak my phone (well I lie backgrounder as well) but if apple really wanted to stop people from Jailbreaking they should be adding these highly sought after features to the core OS!

Has anyone heard of them working on something like this!??, and why would they not offer it!?
 
Considering how many apps there are now I don't think it will be long before apple has to implement something like this, right now the current home screen system is just not good enough once you get enough apps
 
I think the issue of having too many apps is only for a select group of people. You just find more of those people here.
 
Warbrain said:
I think the issue of having too many apps is only for a select group of people. You just find more of those people here.
Click to expand...

I decided to try and get some facts and do the math on it and this is what I found.

Using data provided by apple we can roughly calculate that each iphone/ipod touch user has downloaded an average of 36 apps(1.8b/50m), which only amounts to 2.25 pages of apps plus the default apps. So unfortunately it looks like you may be right, meaning that we probably won't see an update related to this (at least anytime soon), at least we can jail break though.

I guess this could also help to answer the OP's question of why apple hasn't done anything.
 
Slypr said:
I decided to try and get some facts and do the math on it and this is what I found.

Using data provided by apple we can roughly calculate that each iphone/ipod touch user has downloaded an average of 36 apps(1.8b/50m), which only amounts to 2.25 pages of apps plus the default apps. So unfortunately it looks like you may be right, meaning that we probably won't see an update related to this (at least anytime soon), at least we can jail break though.

I guess this could also help to answer the OP's question of why apple hasn't done anything.
Click to expand...
'

Thanks for that information, I guess Im abnormal but than again Im a hardcore iphone user.

But what I dont get is that Apple is always prided themselves on looking clean and pretty (UI) and the iPhone cluttered screens are just horrible.

I will continue to jailbreak until they get it right!
 
Every time I watch an iphone ad and I see that finger sliding through multiple screens for the right app, I cringe.

I know I'm a "power" user and I'm cluttered, but I have filled 11 screens. I have 2+ screens of games (I use a screen's worth regularly), 2+ screens of music/noise-making apps, screens of single-use apps, etc.

coming from Palm land, I'm a fan of categories. I want to see just what I want when I want it.

When I had the 2G I jailbroke it in part for categories, but I ended up not using them because the application was too slow. In order to switch between music apps, I'd have to exit the app, run the categories app, then run the new app. took far too long for a real-time use feature. I haven't jailbroken my 3GS yet, but if I did this would be one of the main reasons.
 
Apple's big thing with the iPhone OS is simplicity.

I realize that to people like us would have no trouble figuring this stuff out but when you get into the older generations the learning curve gets drastically steeper. My mother is still asking me for help with the laptop I gave her almost three years ago.
 
lostprophet894 said:
Apple's big thing with the iPhone OS is simplicity.

I realize that to people like us would have no trouble figuring this stuff out but when you get into the older generations the learning curve gets drastically steeper. My mother is still asking me for help with the laptop I gave her almost three years ago.
Click to expand...

I agree that Apple likes to keep everything simple but they should provide some options for those of us who are more advanced. That's why people jailbreak - they want more options and more functionality.
 
Slypr said:
I decided to try and get some facts and do the math on it and this is what I found.

Using data provided by apple we can roughly calculate that each iphone/ipod touch user has downloaded an average of 36 apps(1.8b/50m), which only amounts to 2.25 pages of apps plus the default apps. So unfortunately it looks like you may be right, meaning that we probably won't see an update related to this (at least anytime soon), at least we can jail break though.

I guess this could also help to answer the OP's question of why apple hasn't done anything.
Click to expand...

? Did you work at AIG or Enron? What ever you did to get those number is pure speculation.

Big Jelly said:
'

Thanks for that information, I guess Im abnormal but than again Im a hardcore iphone user.

But what I dont get is that Apple is always prided themselves on looking clean and pretty (UI) and the iPhone cluttered screens are just horrible.

I will continue to jailbreak until they get it right!
Click to expand...

No your not abnormal, the evolution of the iphone interface is now abnormal. The interface may have been good before the App store got rolling, but no it's a hindrance.

psywzrd said:
I agree that Apple likes to keep everything simple but they should provide some options for those of us who are more advanced. That's why people jailbreak - they want more options and more functionality.
Click to expand...

Keeping things simple is one thing, but not in the face of the iphone and all the apps available today. The interface is now strangling the app happy down loader.
 
sinsin07 said:
Keeping things simple is one thing, but not in the face of the iphone and all the apps available today. The interface is now strangling the app happy down loader.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with you here. It is definitely getting a bit tedious to page through 11 pages of apps. The spotlight search is nice, but it's sometimes easier to just scroll to the specific page for the app you need. I would love an overhaul of the interface if it would make it easier to find and launch an app.
 
I do appreciate the spotlight app and I could imagine a way to integrate category listings into it (like tags perhaps), but it's only partially useful. It's useful for finding a particular app, but not so for finding a selection of apps.

I appreciate simplicity, but there's a balance. When things are too simple in terms of options, then the ability to to achieve a simplicity of action suffers.
 
bagelche said:
Every time I watch an iphone ad and I see that finger sliding through multiple screens for the right app, I cringe.

I know I'm a "power" user and I'm cluttered, but I have filled 11 screens. I have 2+ screens of games (I use a screen's worth regularly), 2+ screens of music/noise-making apps, screens of single-use apps, etc.

coming from Palm land, I'm a fan of categories. I want to see just what I want when I want it.

When I had the 2G I jailbroke it in part for categories, but I ended up not using them because the application was too slow. In order to switch between music apps, I'd have to exit the app, run the categories app, then run the new app. took far too long for a real-time use feature. I haven't jailbroken my 3GS yet, but if I did this would be one of the main reasons.
Click to expand...

Categories apparently runs very quick on a 3Gs. I only have a 3G. I tend to just use Spotlight to find my apps that are stuck in a category so I don't have to actually open it. It still keeps my screen looking cleaner.

bagelche said:
I do appreciate the spotlight app and I could imagine a way to integrate category listings into it (like tags perhaps), but it's only partially useful. It's useful for finding a particular app, but not so for finding a selection of apps.

I appreciate simplicity, but there's a balance. When things are too simple in terms of options, then the ability to to achieve a simplicity of action suffers.
Click to expand...

I've heard the idea of Tags for apps thrown around before. It seems like such a simple idea and really easy to implement.

The App Store already has categories! Why can't the app category get saved as keywords in the .plist files or something for Spotlight. I'd love to just search "Games" and have my games all show. Or Utilities, Music or whatever.

sinsin07 said:
? Did you work at AIG or Enron? What ever you did to get those number is pure speculation.
Click to expand...

Actually it's not... It's called an estimate. Of course there are possible sources of error such as the number of apps that are deleted. That's not counted. So we should assume that there would be lower average than calculated. Either way, using this estimate as a max works just fine for our conclusion that there are not enough people with "too many apps"

Also, if you couldn't follow his work... He just took the (Total Apps Downloaded)/(Total iPhone/iPod Touch devices sold) and that would give the Average number of Apps Downloaded per iDevice. This would not include Jailbroken apps (Apple doesn't care if they have too many), or default apps, of which there is less than a page.
 
polobreaka said:
how many stacks can you create? can you rename 'stack' to something else? anybody know when its going to be available?
Click to expand...

With V3 you should be able to make as many as you want. I'm pretty sure they can be renamed too.

I just have no clue when this is going to be available! I've been waiting because it'd be a great Categories replacement.
 
ViViDboarder said:
With V3 you should be able to make as many as you want. I'm pretty sure they can be renamed too.

I just have no clue when this is going to be available! I've been waiting because it'd be a great Categories replacement.
Click to expand...

yea that would be pretty neat if we can create more stacks and put them in the dock with fiveicondock. on the iphone emulator seems to load a lot faster than categories. mine have a slight sec lag when opening folders on my 3gs.
 
polobreaka said:
yea that would be pretty neat if we can create more stacks and put them in the dock with fiveicondock. on the iphone emulator seems to load a lot faster than categories. mine have a slight sec lag when opening folders on my 3gs.
Click to expand...

Slight lag! On my 3G I have a couple second wait. :p
 
The sad thing is that you know eventually they are going to do it. And you know it is already do-able. So I can not understand why they have to hold out.
 
The sooner the better for me. I have tried to put them in order by having all the driving games next to each other, the tower defence ones and so on but its messy and only a temporary solution
 
Big Jelly said:
'

Thanks for that information, I guess Im abnormal but than again Im a hardcore iphone user.

But what I dont get is that Apple is always prided themselves on looking clean and pretty (UI) and the iPhone cluttered screens are just horrible.

I will continue to jailbreak until they get it right!
Click to expand...


Isn't that the exact reason why not. Simple icons for everything without them being buried in various sub menus, ala Symbian S60. Having said that, with the customised home screens I have seen on here, it can look good.
 
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