Because db follow a logarithmic scale, so a relatively small number of db drop would show a correspondingly large percentage drop. Let's say you're in a good signal area and lose 12 db. Under your system, that would display as 94% signal loss - and most people would panic. Yet they would still get a great connection.
I'm assuming that you're at least as knowledgeable as the average public, so the fact that you didn't understand that is an indication that it's probably a bad idea.
I had the same thought - regrading Log vs Linear.
Maybe a better approach would be this scale:
instead of 5 bars - Awesome!
instead of 4 bars - Better
Instead of 3 bars - Cool
Instead of 2 bars - Depends (trying to find a better one here)
Instead of 1 bar - Eek
Instead of 0 bars - Fail
Which could be abbreviated A - B - C - D - E - F
and maybe even use a plus or minus to indicate either data signal or WiFi as in
BEFORE: death grip would go from 5 bars to NO SIGNAL standing in front of my microcell
AFTER: death grip goes from 5 bars to one bar standing in front of my microcell, and if i try to make a call with that one bar, it constantly says "call failed". MUCH BETTER!
If my gas gauge shows empty I put gas in the tank, if I show no bars, I move my hand. I know, I know, we all want to use the phone any place, any time and any way we hold it with nothing less than 5 bars.
Isn't going to happen, with this phone or any other.
Whatever might be the case but seems like with 4.0.1 update, the death grip on my phone is no more so. I do see the bars dropping when I hold the phone "wrong way", but I can still surf and talk and not seeing the No Service problem prior to update. Maybe there is some truth to for SteveJ said. I guess will find the next step in about an hour.
Right now, dB strength is converted to bars. I'm proposing that we instead convert it to a numerical value between 0-100 percent, which is much easier to read. It works for the battery meter, so why not this?
By 2010, we've been using signal bars forever. We should have moved on by this point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mobility
what does it have to do with 2010? % is actually as bad as linear bars, because the unit itself is logarithmic (dB). If anything, just show the dB loss. However, most users will be thoroughly confused.
I like the bar display, especially the new curved one. It works for me, I'm smart enough to read the actual numbers but don't feel the need to prove it to myself every time I read the screen, bars are fine.
Because db follow a logarithmic scale, so a relatively small number of db drop would show a correspondingly large percentage drop. Let's say you're in a good signal area and lose 12 db. Under your system, that would display as 94% signal loss - and most people would panic. Yet they would still get a great connection.
I'm assuming that you're at least as knowledgeable as the average public, so the fact that you didn't understand that is an indication that it's probably a bad idea.
Yeah, db measures a logarithmic scale, but but it's indicated as db which is the inverse log of the ratio of signal to full signal. In essence it works very well as a percentage indicator (with some adjustments) because it mirrors the way we sense things naturally. The fact that these are digital rather than analog signals makes it somewhat irrelevant though since digital signals have good fidelity until a minimum threshold is reached, then they fail completely (the so called "cliff effect.) I think Apple was trying to indicate this with their original bar calculation algorithm (the one they "goofed up on" and that "stunned" them) which was a good idea, which they should have fessed-up to.
Comments
Because db follow a logarithmic scale, so a relatively small number of db drop would show a correspondingly large percentage drop. Let's say you're in a good signal area and lose 12 db. Under your system, that would display as 94% signal loss - and most people would panic. Yet they would still get a great connection.
I'm assuming that you're at least as knowledgeable as the average public, so the fact that you didn't understand that is an indication that it's probably a bad idea.
I had the same thought - regrading Log vs Linear.
Maybe a better approach would be this scale:
instead of 5 bars - Awesome!
instead of 4 bars - Better
Instead of 3 bars - Cool
Instead of 2 bars - Depends (trying to find a better one here)
Instead of 1 bar - Eek
Instead of 0 bars - Fail
Which could be abbreviated A - B - C - D - E - F
and maybe even use a plus or minus to indicate either data signal or WiFi as in
A+, B- etc.
awesome update.
BEFORE: death grip would go from 5 bars to NO SIGNAL standing in front of my microcell
AFTER: death grip goes from 5 bars to one bar standing in front of my microcell, and if i try to make a call with that one bar, it constantly says "call failed". MUCH BETTER!
If my gas gauge shows empty I put gas in the tank, if I show no bars, I move my hand. I know, I know, we all want to use the phone any place, any time and any way we hold it with nothing less than 5 bars.
Isn't going to happen, with this phone or any other.
By 2010, we've been using signal bars forever. We should have moved on by this point.
what does it have to do with 2010? % is actually as bad as linear bars, because the unit itself is logarithmic (dB). If anything, just show the dB loss. However, most users will be thoroughly confused.
I like the bar display, especially the new curved one. It works for me, I'm smart enough to read the actual numbers but don't feel the need to prove it to myself every time I read the screen, bars are fine.
Because db follow a logarithmic scale, so a relatively small number of db drop would show a correspondingly large percentage drop. Let's say you're in a good signal area and lose 12 db. Under your system, that would display as 94% signal loss - and most people would panic. Yet they would still get a great connection.
I'm assuming that you're at least as knowledgeable as the average public, so the fact that you didn't understand that is an indication that it's probably a bad idea.
Yeah, db measures a logarithmic scale, but but it's indicated as db which is the inverse log of the ratio of signal to full signal. In essence it works very well as a percentage indicator (with some adjustments) because it mirrors the way we sense things naturally. The fact that these are digital rather than analog signals makes it somewhat irrelevant though since digital signals have good fidelity until a minimum threshold is reached, then they fail completely (the so called "cliff effect.) I think Apple was trying to indicate this with their original bar calculation algorithm (the one they "goofed up on" and that "stunned" them) which was a good idea, which they should have fessed-up to.