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Beeplance

macrumors 68000
Jul 29, 2012
1,564
500
At least we have iOS 6.1 to look forward to.


Larger "Report a Problem" button in Maps
New music controls on lock screen when you double-press home button
Siri can now purchase movie tickets via Fandango (USA only)
LTE now works with several European and American carriers
Individual songs can once again be downloaded or deleted when using iTunes Match
New, persistent Passbook pass explaining service functionality.

Nothing in 6.1 is worth looking forward to. Maybe number 4 will matter, but the rest is just very minor stuff. If beta 4 doesn't have anything good, I'll just stay on 6.0.1.
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Apple is stuck between a rock and a hard place. They cannot afford to lose their core audience of people who "just want something that works without learning it" by catering too much to people who want to move forward.

That's normal. It's also exactly why Apple was able to leapfrog everyone else who was in the same position five years ago.

--

As a side note, it's interesting to see even oldtime Apple fans moving to Android. Obviously there's Woz, who uses both because he likes everything.

The most surprising is Guy Kawasaki... the former Chief Evangelist for Apple who was responsible for promoting the Mac, and pretty much invented Apple cultism... has moved completely to Android:

"To me the great irony is that Apple's slogan was 'Think Different,' but today if you think different you're looking at Android." - Kawasaki
 

FlingZXC

macrumors newbie
Dec 14, 2012
16
0
The back button is really useful . "Long press back button to end the application" saves all the trouble . I don't understand why apple doesn't want to introduce this feature on their Idevices . It makes more sense than pressing the home button , pressing home button twice again , long press apps to kill it . Huh? In the end , you will still get a faulty home button on your iphone . On the other hand , you couldn't expect a a-z organization on ios because after so many years of ios development , this feature is still not there . Maybe apple want to make ios "special" by not putting it in . They want to make it simple but yet making life more difficult for us . Android is more "open" by Allowing us to choose default browser , changing launchers etc . So ios is definitely a BORING OS .
 

flameproof

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2011
615
18
Image


Don't get me wrong. The home screen works fine for launching apps and is "simple". But nothing else. They need to let users customize it a lot more than just arranging icons stuck to a grid.

There are a few simple steps Apple could do to improve it:

• Let us change icon names

• Let us change icons

• Folders in folders

• Get rid of the 12 apps per folder limit

• Have the ability to create shortcuts

To the last point, I often toggle my Data and 3G ON/OFF to save on data cost. That needs a number of clicks but I am unable to do a shortcut to the cellular screen - that totally sux - specially since such a shortcut will pop up when I have no internet connection and I get the option to go there directly.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,156
There are a few simple steps Apple could do to improve it:

• Let us change icon names

• Let us change icons

• Folders in folders

• Get rid of the 12 apps per folder limit

• Have the ability to create shortcuts

To the last point, I often toggle my Data and 3G ON/OFF to save on data cost. That needs a number of clicks but I am unable to do a shortcut to the cellular screen - that totally sux - specially since such a shortcut will pop up when I have no internet connection and I get the option to go there directly.

12 app limit per folder is because that's all they can fit on the screen. Apple always seems to choose form over function. Users describe it as elegant lol....
 

flameproof

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2011
615
18
12 app limit per folder is because that's all they can fit on the screen. Apple always seems to choose form over function. Users describe it as elegant lol....

That's probably the reason, silly reason though, the touch screen works very well and we know scrolling from most web pages and many apps, even some Apple apps (mail, contacts, etc)
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
That's probably the reason, silly reason though, the touch screen works very well and we know scrolling from most web pages and many apps, even some Apple apps (mail, contacts, etc)


Yes. This alludes to a larger point that I've been making for a while now. Society more or less now knows how to use touch screens and smart devices, and this is largely due in part to Apple themselves! This is a great credit to the accessibility of iOS.

Apple seems to have this fear that if they throw in more features, people won't get it. It's a ridiculous notion that reeks of some part laziness and lots of part stubborn.

People happily line up to take classes at Apple stores for their shiny new Apple product. I see it all the time when I visit the Apple store (I was in there just yesterday! The classes were jam-packed. And they were not miserable. Many were quite ecstatic).

Whatever new "scary" features Apple introduces, they can easily teach to people. iOS is now so simple it's gotten to a point that it's less usable than the competition, especially since the competition has come up with better/faster ways to do some of the same tasks. The intentional slow game of incremental updates (to both hardware, but especially to software) will get them burned in the long run in the face of faster and more aggressive competition.

----------

As a side note, it's interesting to see even oldtime Apple fans moving to Android. Obviously there's Woz, who uses both because he likes everything.

The most surprising is Guy Kawasaki... the former Chief Evangelist for Apple who was responsible for promoting the Mac, and pretty much invented Apple cultism... has moved completely to Android:

"To me the great irony is that Apple's slogan was 'Think Different,' but today if you think different you're looking at Android." - Kawasaki

Wow. That's very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
 

irDigital0l

Guest
Dec 7, 2010
2,901
0
iOS vs Android

Hardware: iOS > Android

Software: iOS < Android

Really Apple needs to update iOS 7. Its pretty crazy about the things Android 4.2 devices can do compared to iOS 6.1 for iPhone.

Its actually quite sad.
 

Beeplance

macrumors 68000
Jul 29, 2012
1,564
500
Yes. This alludes to a larger point that I've been making for a while now. Society more or less now knows how to use touch screens and smart devices, and this is largely due in part to Apple themselves! This is a great credit to the accessibility of iOS.

Apple seems to have this fear that if they throw in more features, people won't get it. It's a ridiculous notion that reeks of some part laziness and lots of part stubborn.

People happily line up to take classes at Apple stores for their shiny new Apple product. I see it all the time when I visit the Apple store (I was in there just yesterday! The classes were jam-packed. And they were not miserable. Many were quite ecstatic).

Whatever new "scary" features Apple introduces, they can easily teach to people. iOS is now so simple it's gotten to a point that it's less usable than the competition, especially since the competition has come up with better/faster ways to do some of the same tasks. The intentional slow game of incremental updates (to both hardware, but especially to software) will get them burned in the long run in the face of faster and more aggressive competition.

----------



Wow. That's very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Yeah, the Steve Jobs mentality still holds strong in the company. For some reason because many people regard him as a god-like genius... Apple needs to stop being so stubborn and acting as if their products are always superior to others. It's 2012 and it ain't the case anymore.

iOS vs Android

Hardware: iOS > Android

Software: iOS < Android

Really Apple needs to update iOS 7. Its pretty crazy about the things Android 4.2 devices can do compared to iOS 6.1 for iPhone.

Its actually quite sad.

Totally agree. Software-wise, Android has the upper hand in a number of aspects. Hardware-wise, Apple is good, but I think phones like the Galaxy SIII isn't too shabby either, despite many people calling it "cheap plastic".
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Please explain this to me. I see it as a launcher to get me to what I need at the time. I'm not expecting fireworks when I unlock my screen. Android and WP8 are pretty much the same concept launcher wise IMHO. Why would anyone think Android or WP8 as non-boring but iOS boring?

Part of it is that iOS is so simplistic in its idea of usage. Basically, one app at a time, with relatively little integration or flow.

For example, iOS can be quite jarring to me because of its lack of a Back button.

I'll be in a native app on my iPad and click a link in a search result list. Safari opens up. Fine so far.

Now I want to go back to the result list. On Android, I just click the main Back button. With iOS I have to double-click the Home button and remember and find which app I was just using and click on it. And that's best case.

It gets worse, the longer the thought (and app) path you followed. For example, if that linked browser page has a document link or photo to view.

Android respects that I might be moving from app to browser to document viewer to editor, and then quickly back again up the chain to take a different path forward. It's more like using a browser, but with apps available as part of your movement between pages.
 

Tinmania

macrumors 68040
Aug 8, 2011
3,528
1,016
Aridzona
Part of it is that iOS is so simplistic in its idea of usage. Basically, one app at a time, with relatively little integration or flow.

For example, iOS can be quite jarring to me because of its lack of a Back button.

I'll be in a native app on my iPad and click a link in a search result list. Safari opens up. Fine so far.

Now I want to go back to the result list. On Android, I just click the main Back button. With iOS I have to double-click the Home button and remember and find which app I was just using and click on it. And that's best case.

It gets worse, the longer the thought (and app) path you followed. For example, if that linked browser page has a document link or photo to view.

Android respects that I might be moving from app to browser to document viewer to editor, and then quickly back again up the chain to take a different path forward. It's more like using a browser, but with apps available as part of your movement between pages.

I totally agree about the back button, after only using Android for a month. At first I thought it was just an unnecessary button on my Nexus 4. Now that I am used to it I find myself wanting it on my iPad--especially when having to reach all the way up to get to the back button on it.

And your example is best-case indeed. How about those times you didn't want to get yanked out of an app and thrown into Safari, only to have to manually work your way back. Oh, and then finding the app is now refreshing content or whatnot (I'm talking to you news apps). All because of innocently tapping on something like "About" or "Help." If I were king I would rule doing crap like that in an app without asking first is a capital offense. :D

Edit: While I am on a roll... What about those times you get yanked out of an app and thrown into Safari, only to have it ricochet you into the App store? Then if you accidentally go back to Safari instead of your app--since it is now the last app used in the app switcher--you are AGAIN bounced into the app store. Ugh!



Michael
 
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