Well, thats one way to get some press coverage I guess.
There is a problem though, how to keep 'freshness' while not losing the benefit of the simplicity of the springboard. It just does one thing and it does it well.
Android phones confuse with their variety of different numbers of icon bearing views, mixed in with personal views which are somehow different fro the default ones, then you can customise them, add widgets. And with Nexus and Amazon devices there are views selling you stuff you don't necessarily want, you can probably 'configure' them so they don't appear... but I don't have time to mess around with that. It all adds up to a UX dogs breakfast.
I trust that the design wizardry at Apple will find a way to square this apparent circle (maybe change the curve radius subtly, introduce some nice new visual tweak with gradients and fonts) but can retain the simplicity.
I could not agree more. I said that and my feeling is, that people are moving to android because Apple is kind of uncool. The iOS GUI looks simply childish. In many ways Microsoft did a better job with windows 8. On the other hand it will be a bold move to leave all these app icons behind as the whole marketing strategy builds up on these.
He has a point. iOS has the most solidly reliable, visually consistent and widely usable interface out there. And great as those things are, from a modern, flashy, consumer electronics buyer perspective they're quite boring. It's like having a great defensive line, but no offensive players with flair who can run with the ball and get the crowd screaming. It's a perception problem, that right now applies more to nerds than to regular joes, but it's still a problem, and for as long as nerds are able to bleat about it regular joes will increasingly hear their bleating and take notice.
I don't think Apple needs to do something right now to win back market attention, but some headline grabbing features in iOS7 and iPhone 5S/6 would help with a currently middling perception issue that could become a major issue if not checked.
Obviously I have no idea what that would be, I just hope that Apple does. They have a knack for it.
My 19 month old son disagrees. He picked up the iPhone interface concepts 2 months ago (I have the videos). He had the basic concepts down almost immediately. Home-button start and safety escape. Swipe to activate (he loves that). His favorite Sesame Street videos a couple of easy taps away, behind icons he easily recognizes. He *loves* CoverFlow, and the change of function that comes with an orientation switch. His favorite music appears to be Coldplay - he's been playing their Paradise video for months and keeps returning to their album for background music while he plays.
The iPhone interface is amazing and does not need to be changed significantly. Providing it can be extended as new facilities are added, it really is a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
There are so many bogus complaint themes doing the rounds right now. Here's another attempt to create a negative meme about Apple.
Yeah, right. Apple is doomed! (/s, if you could not tell).
Apple has an outdated UI, Blackberry has an outdated company.
The iOS UI is NOT outdated. It's just familliar. I admit to being one of those considering other phones due to this. I don't find anything wrong with iOS, but am considering other phones simply for something different.
The problem is the fanboys of all stripes that insist there's only one best phone. That everything else is dreck. This all or nothing mentality is exhausting. The need to insult others that don't hold the same opinion as you. And you're all idiots if you don't agree with me. !!!
Oh, and I do like what I've seen so far of the BlackBerry Z10. Doesn't sound like native apps will be coming to it any time soon though. It'll be a tough sell.
Heims is a self serving douchebag with a failed business model.
He is a self serving d-bag with a valid point. The iOS interface is dated. I still have hope Apple has been working on something for the past few years and will surprise us this year. Letting another year goes by with a largely static iOS would be very damaging.
I agree. I hear everywhere that it is outdated. But never an example of what they mean by it. It's like political parties. Ask them anything you want, they will answer any question! Of course, they answer the question with a practiced party talking point that, usually, has no relation to the question asked.
So, to those on this forum that think it is outdated, what should they do? Any suggestions/examples?
Aside from a Dashboard like screen/space (as in Mac OS X, which I have turned off), what can they do differently?
The general interface is good in the general working of the device, but the App launcher is visually dull, uninformative, lacks functionality and customisation options. Even when it was introduced it was hardly innovative: the resemblance to Palm OS launchers would make even a Samsung lawyer blush. And one of the most popular App types on the Palm platform was alternative launchers.
The importance of this shouldn't be underestimated - when people try out smartphones in the shop they won't get into the individual Apps in any great depth, but they see and interact a lot with the launcher to see what's on it.
Also the OS should also be smart enough to recognise when Twitter, FaceBook data is not set up. I dislike being presented with these options when I want to 'send' something.
Because its only a matter of time before something better comes out. I think his point is...you should never rest on your laurels or else you'll turn into a Blackberry. Don't think it can't happen to Apple.
This.
An overhaul would be a huge mistake, but they've been sitting still for too long.
Everyone keeps asking what Apple could improve:
Home screen. It works fine for <50 apps, but when you're up to 200+ it gets really clumsy. You either put in constant effort to keep it rationally sorted (folder size limit and lack of nested folders means re-categorizing as apps get added and deleted), or end up with 8+ unorganized screens like my wife.
Multi-tasking. Which apps are still running? What if there's an app I want to keep running, and others I want killed immediately? Automatic management is great, but the ability to give manual hints would be fantastic. Yes you can manually kill an app but its SLOW to get to. What about a fast way to flick back and forth between a pair of apps rapidly? Currently the double-press on home is really cumbersome. Gestures on the iPad are great but the iPhone needs a parallel.
Rapid access to settings. Ie toggles for bluetooth, wifi, tethering, airplane mode, airplay etc... This has been something people have wanted forever.
Document management. The current system works for now, but it's already starting to get unwieldly. You have to go into the app that "owns" the document, and count on that app to give you a (sometimes very long) list of other apps to open it in. Then each app has its own copy, and you have to remember which is newest. There is no way of picking a default app to handle a document type.
How could these things be improved? (not all ideas are compatible with each other)
Home screen
Add a section (ie half a page, or even a full page) that gets automatically populated with the most used apps, not the most recent apps.
Make the far-right page be all your apps in an automatically-categorized list. Make it so that apps no longer have to live on other pages, this can be the only page they exist on for lesser-utilized apps.
Multi-tasking
Swipe up from the bottom to show the multi-tasking tray. Only show apps that are still running. Add a check to each app icon that means "try to keep me running at the expense of other apps". Change double-press home to "immediately quit the foreground app".
Allow interacting with the foreground app while the multi-tasking tray is still open on "tall" devices. All apps already support the shorter aspect ratio for legacy devices anyways.
Settings
Add a notification center widget for the main toggles.
Make a new splash-page for the main settings app that puts these settings front and center right away
Add a screen that can be popped up at any time without interrupting the current app with access to these toggles, perhaps launched from the multitasking tray or notification center.
Documents
Obviously security is a huge concern here, but you could implement an implied-consent system based on a system-controlled "open file" screen that only grants an app access to a document when a user picks it. Automatic versioning would limit the damage an app could do, since the user could always roll back the document. "Recent documents" for each app could be built into the open file screen, adding convenience while maintaining the consent system.
To keep user friendliness, make it a document library sortable based on document type, name, date saved, saved by app etc... similar to the "Music" interface. No direct filesystem exposure to the user. Only documents openable by the app show up in that app's open dialog. Obviously there would be a master "Documents" app that allows the user to see them all, manage them and perform a "Open With..." and "Share" functions. Apps like Mail could use the same interface to pick attachments.
As Henry Ford didn't say: If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.
Henry Ford's foot dragging on replacing the Model T lost his company the dominance they once had. He knew deep down that the Model T was all anybody would ever need.
Overhauling the UI for an existing and popular platform is the hardest thing to do in UI design, IMO.
It's fairly easy to create a clean and user-friendly UI when you're working from a clean slate. However, as the platform matures, features get bolted on that the original UI designers never envisioned. These new features are often not 100% compatible with the existing UI idioms and compromises have to be made. This happens to every user interface eventually and iOS is no exception.
But even a messy UI is sometimes preferable to a UI overhaul. Microsoft has tried UI overhauls several times with Windows and Office and it's always been a disaster. Legacy apps don't fit the new UI idioms and users, who are often not tech-savvy, have to learn a scary new UI.
If anyone can do it, it's Apple though.
Agree.
There seems to be two camps of opinions. Those who want an updated aesthetic experience and those who want improved UI.
I don't think it's outdated. It just works for me...but there's always room for improvement. I'm just waiting for the next Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion. I could really care less how it looks (except for the fact that there are way too many blue-colored apps on both iOS and OS X), just that it work as well as my first experience on my first iPhone. What irritates me more than words can say is when they start moving around features and functions that i'm so used to tapping that i could do it with my eyes closed.
Personally, if you know anything about how Apple develops anything you'll know that they look at a million-and-one options and tediously scrutinize every little details before an initial release. Jobs even helped develop a better looking set of Fonts for the first Mac. Point is, which this kind of scrutiny over the little details, they really get it right the first time. All that's left are really minor updates and polish. They rarely add anything radically new release over release. They wait until there's something good to contribute, again going over every little detail until they get it right. They're famous for getting it right the first time. However one might say they're not perfect (Mobile Me, etc...).
So what's left to do? My hopes are for improved web-services (iCloud, Maps, Siri) Fix the things that need improvement first, then wrap it up in a nice package. One thing on my wish list would be to treat the spotlight search screen more like Dashboard on the Mac. Put weather, stocks, clock, calc, etc. on that blank screen. Keep the search bar (even though i know no one that actually uses spotlight at all).
Addition: I'd also like to see the Dictionary App from OS X make its way to iOS. I use it all the time as a go-to Wikipedia App on my Mac. The official Wiki app for iOS is nice, but it's painfully slow to load and search. The Wiki on the Dictionary App is like lightning. I'd also like to see some of the Mac Safari Multi-touch gestures make its ways to iOS.
Aesthetically speaking though, they could improve how the app icons look between iOS and OS X. I'd they start with making the icons look the same across platforms. They kind of do already but have minor differences that seem like an obvious quick fix.
Settings App vs. System Preferences
Blue iTunes icon vs. Purple (iTunes store, and podcasts app) and Orange (Music App) in iOS
Mail app envelope vs. Mail app stamp.
Messages app is blue in OS X and the bubbles look too round vs. Green and rounded squares in iOS.
Some UI suggestions which I would like to see on the ipad (some small, some large)
* Kill a program from the tasklist by using a swipe (need to do this too often for the daily challenges in where's my water to work.... he, it's important to me)
* Rich content for the icons, simple-widgets... Now only a number can be shown, but a little bit more info would be nice
* Allow me to remove any icon I want
* Allow groups/folders to hold an infinite number of icons
* Have an auto-organizer which puts newly installed apps in the correct folder (android auto-organizer works like a charm)
* Move settings from the centralized and messy single settings store and allow per application settings to be accessed from the application. (taskbar actually is already app specific, for instance to get airplay streaming from youtube etc.)
* Have quick enable/disable for things like bluetooth/wifi, integrated with the notification bar. Or have other bars available from the top bar depending on the position (dragging the middle = notification bar, dragging from the wifi icons = toggles)
* Have a back button as well as a home button, to allow for a more 'workflow' kind of working. (I know multi-finger swipe does about the same thing)
* Allow for splitscreen in any application, possibly with distinct 'split' rendering, like w8 (20/80 split).
* Stop with the modal dialogs/alert boxes
* Allow for keyboard plugins, the current keyboard/autocorrect is outdated. Or implement the suggestions about 1 year ago (see youtube) with keyboard gestured.
* Have 'dragging from outside the screen into it' gestures instead of double-clicking, holding buttons
Um, other competing platforms? Really? 99.99999999% of the industry uses Android because it's free!!!!! That BB CEO is a joke. Therefore, if what he said was an Eddie Murphy movie it would have been the funniest thing he did in 30 years.
Yup he is correct. It is outdated for him. For me, it works just fine. I am not interested in interfaces that are complex and require me to think about how to make a call or do something.
So thanks for your insight. We Apple fanboi's appreciate your thoughts and ask you to go bankrupt quickly.
Some suggestions: -Speed scroll to bottom of page, not just the top like current. -Mulitiple accounts per device in iOS, people have been asking for years. -Multi-tasking sucks. It barely works and most of the time does not save your apps in the background. -Update the alerts from red circles to actually being within the icon and maybe a red border color to let you know -Some info in the icon (like the calendar) but for more apps
There are many improvements they could make, without changing the whole thing and being disruptive.
As for the stupid argument that if we want change, we need to propose what they should be, it is far dumber than anything BB has ever said or done. The consumer can ask for change without having to do the work the Appld folks are paid millions to do. Besides, when people do come out with design or other ideas Apple rightfully ignores them and does its own thing.
Ok this is a design patent for what? The UI layout on the iPad? The names on the patent aren't familiar to me, not the guys usually on patents with Forstall.
sorry again
UI design and next gen ipad internal design..
It will be a pakka elegant
ios 7 will be the first 64 bit os with next gen 64 bit processor. (guess possibly dual core/quad core)
it is enough powerful to beat all hardware on the market
What would the point of the 64-bit processor be? We are probably 2+ years away from a 64-bit processor being useful in a mobile device
An overhaul would be a huge mistake, but they've been sitting still for too long.
Everyone keeps asking what Apple could improve:
Home screen. It works fine for <50 apps, but when you're up to 200+ it gets really clumsy. You either put in constant effort to keep it rationally sorted (folder size limit and lack of nested folders means re-categorizing as apps get added and deleted), or end up with 8+ unorganized screens like my wife.
Multi-tasking. Which apps are still running? What if there's an app I want to keep running, and others I want killed immediately? Automatic management is great, but the ability to give manual hints would be fantastic. Yes you can manually kill an app but its SLOW to get to. What about a fast way to flick back and forth between a pair of apps rapidly? Currently the double-press on home is really cumbersome. Gestures on the iPad are great but the iPhone needs a parallel.
Rapid access to settings. Ie toggles for bluetooth, wifi, tethering, airplane mode, airplay etc... This has been something people have wanted forever.
Document management. The current system works for now, but it's already starting to get unwieldly. You have to go into the app that "owns" the document, and count on that app to give you a (sometimes very long) list of other apps to open it in. Then each app has its own copy, and you have to remember which is newest. There is no way of picking a default app to handle a document type.
...
So don't say there's nothing Apple could improve.
I agree with most of those complaints, but not number 2. (And coming up with great solution to those challenges is hard or Apple would have done it already).
Very, very few apps run when they aren't the foremost app. Most apps are completely dormant when not in the front and there is almost never a reason to kill one. Whenever the foremost app needs memory, it asks the OS for some. The OS decides whether it needs to steal it from one of the sleeping apps or not. If you're killing apps to free up memory, then you're just wasting time.
The only time I kill an app is if it's "stuck." For example, an app that spending longer than usual starting up or loading. Sometimes killing that and restarting fixes whatever app-specific problem it was having.
As someone who trains and works with many different clients using computers, tablets, and smartphones , from my experience most users actually use less than 20% of the device features.
I have seen most Android users never set up any widgets or gadgets. They use email, text messaging and web browsing along with their favorite apps the notification screen on the iPad and iPhone is not setup. Notifications setup properly provide a great way to visually see what content is being pushed to the phone,
Siri is another example, once learned is a great tool to handle lots of functions. From sending texts, reading texts, email, calendar, apps, etc...
there are a lot of new additions to the iOS UI , people just have to spend a little time learning them all.
In other news, Blackberry CEO announces that using foot operated pedals to control the speed of a motor vehicle is SOOOOOO 18th century and they are also hard at work on a new and improved version of walking upright, he was quoted as saying, "You wanna talk about antiquated, don't get even get me started, we have so much in the pipeline right now, pretty soon you'll be asking why you were so addicted to oxygen your whole life without even realizing it."
Comments
There is a problem though, how to keep 'freshness' while not losing the benefit of the simplicity of the springboard. It just does one thing and it does it well.
Android phones confuse with their variety of different numbers of icon bearing views, mixed in with personal views which are somehow different fro the default ones, then you can customise them, add widgets. And with Nexus and Amazon devices there are views selling you stuff you don't necessarily want, you can probably 'configure' them so they don't appear... but I don't have time to mess around with that. It all adds up to a UX dogs breakfast.
I trust that the design wizardry at Apple will find a way to square this apparent circle (maybe change the curve radius subtly, introduce some nice new visual tweak with gradients and fonts) but can retain the simplicity.
He has a point. iOS has the most solidly reliable, visually consistent and widely usable interface out there. And great as those things are, from a modern, flashy, consumer electronics buyer perspective they're quite boring. It's like having a great defensive line, but no offensive players with flair who can run with the ball and get the crowd screaming. It's a perception problem, that right now applies more to nerds than to regular joes, but it's still a problem, and for as long as nerds are able to bleat about it regular joes will increasingly hear their bleating and take notice.
I don't think Apple needs to do something right now to win back market attention, but some headline grabbing features in iOS7 and iPhone 5S/6 would help with a currently middling perception issue that could become a major issue if not checked.
Obviously I have no idea what that would be, I just hope that Apple does. They have a knack for it.
The iPhone interface is amazing and does not need to be changed significantly. Providing it can be extended as new facilities are added, it really is a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
There are so many bogus complaint themes doing the rounds right now. Here's another attempt to create a negative meme about Apple.
Yeah, right. Apple is doomed! (/s, if you could not tell).
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlituna
Most common users, which are Apple's focus audience, would agree with you [that iOS's user interface shouldn't be changed].
As Henry Ford didn't say: If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OllieWallieWhiskers
Apple has an outdated UI, Blackberry has an outdated company.
The iOS UI is NOT outdated. It's just familliar. I admit to being one of those considering other phones due to this. I don't find anything wrong with iOS, but am considering other phones simply for something different.
The problem is the fanboys of all stripes that insist there's only one best phone. That everything else is dreck. This all or nothing mentality is exhausting. The need to insult others that don't hold the same opinion as you. And you're all idiots if you don't agree with me. !!!
Oh, and I do like what I've seen so far of the BlackBerry Z10. Doesn't sound like native apps will be coming to it any time soon though. It'll be a tough sell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by res08hao
Heims is a self serving douchebag with a failed business model.
He is a self serving d-bag with a valid point. The iOS interface is dated. I still have hope Apple has been working on something for the past few years and will surprise us this year. Letting another year goes by with a largely static iOS would be very damaging.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL
As Henry Ford didn't say: If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.
That was perfect.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by starbird73
I agree. I hear everywhere that it is outdated. But never an example of what they mean by it. It's like political parties. Ask them anything you want, they will answer any question! Of course, they answer the question with a practiced party talking point that, usually, has no relation to the question asked.
So, to those on this forum that think it is outdated, what should they do? Any suggestions/examples?
Aside from a Dashboard like screen/space (as in Mac OS X, which I have turned off), what can they do differently?
The general interface is good in the general working of the device, but the App launcher is visually dull, uninformative, lacks functionality and customisation options. Even when it was introduced it was hardly innovative: the resemblance to Palm OS launchers would make even a Samsung lawyer blush. And one of the most popular App types on the Palm platform was alternative launchers.
The importance of this shouldn't be underestimated - when people try out smartphones in the shop they won't get into the individual Apps in any great depth, but they see and interact a lot with the launcher to see what's on it.
Also the OS should also be smart enough to recognise when Twitter, FaceBook data is not set up. I dislike being presented with these options when I want to 'send' something.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macxpress
Because its only a matter of time before something better comes out. I think his point is...you should never rest on your laurels or else you'll turn into a Blackberry. Don't think it can't happen to Apple.
This.
An overhaul would be a huge mistake, but they've been sitting still for too long.
Everyone keeps asking what Apple could improve:
Home screen. It works fine for <50 apps, but when you're up to 200+ it gets really clumsy. You either put in constant effort to keep it rationally sorted (folder size limit and lack of nested folders means re-categorizing as apps get added and deleted), or end up with 8+ unorganized screens like my wife.
Multi-tasking. Which apps are still running? What if there's an app I want to keep running, and others I want killed immediately? Automatic management is great, but the ability to give manual hints would be fantastic. Yes you can manually kill an app but its SLOW to get to. What about a fast way to flick back and forth between a pair of apps rapidly? Currently the double-press on home is really cumbersome. Gestures on the iPad are great but the iPhone needs a parallel.
Rapid access to settings. Ie toggles for bluetooth, wifi, tethering, airplane mode, airplay etc... This has been something people have wanted forever.
Document management. The current system works for now, but it's already starting to get unwieldly. You have to go into the app that "owns" the document, and count on that app to give you a (sometimes very long) list of other apps to open it in. Then each app has its own copy, and you have to remember which is newest. There is no way of picking a default app to handle a document type.
How could these things be improved? (not all ideas are compatible with each other)
Home screen
Add a section (ie half a page, or even a full page) that gets automatically populated with the most used apps, not the most recent apps.
Make the far-right page be all your apps in an automatically-categorized list. Make it so that apps no longer have to live on other pages, this can be the only page they exist on for lesser-utilized apps.
Multi-tasking
Swipe up from the bottom to show the multi-tasking tray. Only show apps that are still running. Add a check to each app icon that means "try to keep me running at the expense of other apps". Change double-press home to "immediately quit the foreground app".
Allow interacting with the foreground app while the multi-tasking tray is still open on "tall" devices. All apps already support the shorter aspect ratio for legacy devices anyways.
Settings
Add a notification center widget for the main toggles.
Make a new splash-page for the main settings app that puts these settings front and center right away
Add a screen that can be popped up at any time without interrupting the current app with access to these toggles, perhaps launched from the multitasking tray or notification center.
Documents
Obviously security is a huge concern here, but you could implement an implied-consent system based on a system-controlled "open file" screen that only grants an app access to a document when a user picks it. Automatic versioning would limit the damage an app could do, since the user could always roll back the document. "Recent documents" for each app could be built into the open file screen, adding convenience while maintaining the consent system.
To keep user friendliness, make it a document library sortable based on document type, name, date saved, saved by app etc... similar to the "Music" interface. No direct filesystem exposure to the user. Only documents openable by the app show up in that app's open dialog. Obviously there would be a master "Documents" app that allows the user to see them all, manage them and perform a "Open With..." and "Share" functions. Apps like Mail could use the same interface to pick attachments.
So don't say there's nothing Apple could improve.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL
As Henry Ford didn't say: If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.
Henry Ford's foot dragging on replacing the Model T lost his company the dominance they once had. He knew deep down that the Model T was all anybody would ever need.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL
Overhauling the UI for an existing and popular platform is the hardest thing to do in UI design, IMO.
It's fairly easy to create a clean and user-friendly UI when you're working from a clean slate. However, as the platform matures, features get bolted on that the original UI designers never envisioned. These new features are often not 100% compatible with the existing UI idioms and compromises have to be made. This happens to every user interface eventually and iOS is no exception.
But even a messy UI is sometimes preferable to a UI overhaul. Microsoft has tried UI overhauls several times with Windows and Office and it's always been a disaster. Legacy apps don't fit the new UI idioms and users, who are often not tech-savvy, have to learn a scary new UI.
If anyone can do it, it's Apple though.
Agree.
There seems to be two camps of opinions. Those who want an updated aesthetic experience and those who want improved UI.
I don't think it's outdated. It just works for me...but there's always room for improvement. I'm just waiting for the next Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion. I could really care less how it looks (except for the fact that there are way too many blue-colored apps on both iOS and OS X), just that it work as well as my first experience on my first iPhone. What irritates me more than words can say is when they start moving around features and functions that i'm so used to tapping that i could do it with my eyes closed.
Personally, if you know anything about how Apple develops anything you'll know that they look at a million-and-one options and tediously scrutinize every little details before an initial release. Jobs even helped develop a better looking set of Fonts for the first Mac. Point is, which this kind of scrutiny over the little details, they really get it right the first time. All that's left are really minor updates and polish. They rarely add anything radically new release over release. They wait until there's something good to contribute, again going over every little detail until they get it right. They're famous for getting it right the first time. However one might say they're not perfect (Mobile Me, etc...).
So what's left to do? My hopes are for improved web-services (iCloud, Maps, Siri) Fix the things that need improvement first, then wrap it up in a nice package. One thing on my wish list would be to treat the spotlight search screen more like Dashboard on the Mac. Put weather, stocks, clock, calc, etc. on that blank screen. Keep the search bar (even though i know no one that actually uses spotlight at all).
Addition: I'd also like to see the Dictionary App from OS X make its way to iOS. I use it all the time as a go-to Wikipedia App on my Mac. The official Wiki app for iOS is nice, but it's painfully slow to load and search. The Wiki on the Dictionary App is like lightning. I'd also like to see some of the Mac Safari Multi-touch gestures make its ways to iOS.
Aesthetically speaking though, they could improve how the app icons look between iOS and OS X. I'd they start with making the icons look the same across platforms. They kind of do already but have minor differences that seem like an obvious quick fix.
Settings App vs. System Preferences
Blue iTunes icon vs. Purple (iTunes store, and podcasts app) and Orange (Music App) in iOS
Mail app envelope vs. Mail app stamp.
Messages app is blue in OS X and the bubbles look too round vs. Green and rounded squares in iOS.
Etc, etc., etc....
Some UI suggestions which I would like to see on the ipad (some small, some large)
* Kill a program from the tasklist by using a swipe (need to do this too often for the daily challenges in where's my water to work.... he, it's important to me)
* Rich content for the icons, simple-widgets... Now only a number can be shown, but a little bit more info would be nice
* Allow me to remove any icon I want
* Allow groups/folders to hold an infinite number of icons
* Have an auto-organizer which puts newly installed apps in the correct folder (android auto-organizer works like a charm)
* Move settings from the centralized and messy single settings store and allow per application settings to be accessed from the application. (taskbar actually is already app specific, for instance to get airplay streaming from youtube etc.)
* Have quick enable/disable for things like bluetooth/wifi, integrated with the notification bar. Or have other bars available from the top bar depending on the position (dragging the middle = notification bar, dragging from the wifi icons = toggles)
* Have a back button as well as a home button, to allow for a more 'workflow' kind of working. (I know multi-finger swipe does about the same thing)
* Allow for splitscreen in any application, possibly with distinct 'split' rendering, like w8 (20/80 split).
* Stop with the modal dialogs/alert boxes
* Allow for keyboard plugins, the current keyboard/autocorrect is outdated. Or implement the suggestions about 1 year ago (see youtube) with keyboard gestured.
* Have 'dragging from outside the screen into it' gestures instead of double-clicking, holding buttons
99.99999999% of the industry uses Android because it's free!!!!!
That BB CEO is a joke. Therefore, if what he said was an Eddie Murphy movie it would have been the funniest thing he did in 30 years.
So thanks for your insight. We Apple fanboi's appreciate your thoughts and ask you to go bankrupt quickly.
-Speed scroll to bottom of page, not just the top like current.
-Mulitiple accounts per device in iOS, people have been asking for years.
-Multi-tasking sucks. It barely works and most of the time does not save your apps in the background.
-Update the alerts from red circles to actually being within the icon and maybe a red border color to let you know
-Some info in the icon (like the calendar) but for more apps
There are many improvements they could make, without changing the whole thing and being disruptive.
As for the stupid argument that if we want change, we need to propose what they should be, it is far dumber than anything BB has ever said or done. The consumer can ask for change without having to do the work the Appld folks are paid millions to do. Besides, when people do come out with design or other ideas Apple rightfully ignores them and does its own thing.
What would the point of the 64-bit processor be? We are probably 2+ years away from a 64-bit processor being useful in a mobile device
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluefish86
This.
An overhaul would be a huge mistake, but they've been sitting still for too long.
Everyone keeps asking what Apple could improve:
Home screen. It works fine for <50 apps, but when you're up to 200+ it gets really clumsy. You either put in constant effort to keep it rationally sorted (folder size limit and lack of nested folders means re-categorizing as apps get added and deleted), or end up with 8+ unorganized screens like my wife.
Multi-tasking. Which apps are still running? What if there's an app I want to keep running, and others I want killed immediately? Automatic management is great, but the ability to give manual hints would be fantastic. Yes you can manually kill an app but its SLOW to get to. What about a fast way to flick back and forth between a pair of apps rapidly? Currently the double-press on home is really cumbersome. Gestures on the iPad are great but the iPhone needs a parallel.
Rapid access to settings. Ie toggles for bluetooth, wifi, tethering, airplane mode, airplay etc... This has been something people have wanted forever.
Document management. The current system works for now, but it's already starting to get unwieldly. You have to go into the app that "owns" the document, and count on that app to give you a (sometimes very long) list of other apps to open it in. Then each app has its own copy, and you have to remember which is newest. There is no way of picking a default app to handle a document type.
...
So don't say there's nothing Apple could improve.
I agree with most of those complaints, but not number 2. (And coming up with great solution to those challenges is hard or Apple would have done it already).
Very, very few apps run when they aren't the foremost app. Most apps are completely dormant when not in the front and there is almost never a reason to kill one. Whenever the foremost app needs memory, it asks the OS for some. The OS decides whether it needs to steal it from one of the sleeping apps or not. If you're killing apps to free up memory, then you're just wasting time.
The only time I kill an app is if it's "stuck." For example, an app that spending longer than usual starting up or loading. Sometimes killing that and restarting fixes whatever app-specific problem it was having.
As someone who trains and works with many different clients using computers, tablets, and smartphones , from my experience most users actually use less than 20% of the device features.
I have seen most Android users never set up any widgets or gadgets. They use email, text messaging and web browsing along with their favorite apps the notification screen on the iPad and iPhone is not setup. Notifications setup properly provide a great way to visually see what content is being pushed to the phone,
Siri is another example, once learned is a great tool to handle lots of functions. From sending texts, reading texts, email, calendar, apps, etc...
there are a lot of new additions to the iOS UI , people just have to spend a little time learning them all.
In other news, Blackberry CEO announces that using foot operated pedals to control the speed of a motor vehicle is SOOOOOO 18th century and they are also hard at work on a new and improved version of walking upright, he was quoted as saying, "You wanna talk about antiquated, don't get even get me started, we have so much in the pipeline right now, pretty soon you'll be asking why you were so addicted to oxygen your whole life without even realizing it."