Just a thought, I'm sure many others have had, but is the home button still necessary? Is it integrated into the software enough to justify the use of space? It seems it could be easily replaced with a gesture a la the notification swipe down. Maybe a down swipe for multitasking and a swipe back up for home. Can anyone think of a remaining justification for this hardware component that can't be done purely with iOS?
I guess I rarely need to use the home button due to app freeze, or rarely notice at least. If this is the remaining justification it could creatively be remedied by use of another hardware button in the event of an app freeze. A double click off the power button?
I guess I rarely need to use the home button due to app freeze, or rarely notice at least. If this is the remaining justification it could creatively be remedied by use of another hardware button in the event of an app freeze. A double click off the power button?
Ah, but how do you distinguish a double click from a normal sleep? Do you compromise the standard sleep experience for that?
You can't beat the simplicity of the Home Button for actions, either. Is a regular person going to remember "pinch with five fingers" or "push this button"? Particularly when "pinch with two fingers" does something else in the first place.
I'm still pretty happy with my iPad 2 and everything I can do with it. But since the question was asked:
1. Multi-tasking/windowing, at least in a limited fashion. Such as being able to play videos in a little window while reading emails or web-browsing. I think Win 8 and Android already do this, but its not nearly enough to lure me away from iOS.
2. Guest accounts where I can limit what can be done/viewed. I doubt this will happen since I think Apple would rather everyone buy their own device. If so, at least let me password-protect the mail app and settings, and allow for separate Safari profiles.
3. A nice-to-have would be a revamp of the home screen. Make it more customizable. Allow apps to publish info to their home screen icons and allow those icons to be resizable. Or add support for 3rd-party home screen widgets like weather, sports scores, news, etc. Let me decide which icons/widgets can be viewed on the lock screen. Also, give customers the choice of keeping their "classic" home screen, or going with the new "Active" one.
I'm sure anything else Apple comes up with will be interesting.
Two technologies ought to be very near market: voice activation of third party apps and language independence of that voice activation. Given the elegant way Apple does things, it makes sense that we be able to control our third party apps with SIRI regardless of the language we speak.
Since SIRI speaks and understands (the meaning and not just the words of) so many languages, wouldn't it be great if developers could make us multilingual apps that run in 50-plus languages? The problem is that the developer doesn't want to have to outsource all of that translation. But if Apple took care of all of that through SIRI, the developers could make us apps following strict coding practices that would give apps a VERY wide reach across the globe. (Hey Apple: give us budding developers a LANGUAGE API!)
And please give us third party apps and complete voice control of our iPod nanos (iWatches). For everyone physically active, it makes sense to have an iWatch that runs third party apps to track our sport of choice. Whether weightlifting, running, hiking, yoga, cycling, users will use friendly, SMALL apps running on a SMALL, WEARABLE device to track performance. This could change the way the world does things just as much as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Syncs our calendar, mini email viewer, voice activated. It just makes sense.
Sprint Nextel style Direct-Connect please, WITH a dedicated (but programmable) button.
I would also like to see seamless Cellular to WiFi and WiFi to Cellular handoffs for ALL types of data including phone calls like T-Mobile offers! Apple also needs to find a way to DRAMATICALLY improve AT&T's voice quality -- make all calls over a non-voice cellular codec or something improved -- today it is hideous compared to FaceTime audio quality! At least T-Mobile is adopting the wideband audio of iPhone 5! http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/09/12Apple-Introduces-iPhone-5.html
Oh, and please FINALLY add the ability to select the audio output for the Phone application! No reason I should not be able to select a dock connector output destination or an AirPlay destination for the phone! This is LONG overdue!!!
The point is: what if I don't want to sit in front of a TV in order to do two things at once with my iPad? For example, I'm taking the train to work and would like to watch live news and get a head start on emails.
Sprint Nextel style Direct-Connect please, WITH a dedicated (but programmable) button.
I would also like to see seamless Cellular to WiFi and WiFi to Cellular handoffs for ALL types of data including phone calls like T-Mobile offers! Apple also needs to find a way to DRAMATICALLY improve AT&T's voice quality -- make all calls over a non-voice cellular codec or something improved -- today it is hideous compared to FaceTime audio quality! At least T-Mobile is adopting the wideband audio of iPhone 5! http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/09/12Apple-Introduces-iPhone-5.html
I don't see how these features are possible without carrier support.
The point is: what if I don't want to sit in front of a TV in order to do two things at once with my iPad? For example, I'm taking the train to work and would like to watch live news and get a head start on emails.
Okay, so why would you ever want to do what you want to do in the first place? You can't compose while watching something. And the brain doesn't operate like that in the first place.
In fact, the "nano as watch" concept came from other sources, was not promoted by Apple and pretty much the only support they ever gave it was the fact that several months after people started using namos as watches, Apple released a few watch faces for it. Other than that, Apple provided no support at all for the concept of a watch and the concept wasn't theirs in the first place.
This is just revisionist claptrap.
When Steve Jobs introduced the nano, he showed off the watch face and mentioned that one of the board members planned to wear it as a watch. It's true that it wasn't until version 1.2 of the software that they added another 17 watch faces, but the idea was there from the very start, explicitly mentioned and supported by Apple.
Okay, so why would you ever want to do what you want to do in the first place? You can't compose while watching something. And the brain doesn't operate like that in the first place.
Sure it does. You don't watch TV while web-surfing, texting, tweeting, emailing, etc?
No, we work better when doing one task. People who think they're better at "multitasking" are worse than people who think they're not (and who don't try to do 50 things at once). Why should the UI/X be compromised to make room for sub-par crap?
You don't watch TV while web-surfing, texting, tweeting, emailing, etc?
No, we work better when doing one task. People who think they're better at "multitasking" are worse than people who think they're not (and who don't try to do 50 things at once). Why should the UI/X be compromised to make room for sub-par crap?
No.
Who's doing 50 things at once? I just want to do two. If you can't chew gum and walk at the same time, that's your problem. Because you can't see yourself using a feature means that no one should have access to it?
Who's doing 50 things at once? I just want to do two. If you can't chew gum and walk at the same time, that's your problem. Because you can't see yourself using a feature means that no one should have access to it?
We're back to the original argument, wherein this system won't work and there's no reason to ruin the UI/X to provide something that people won't use in the first place.
What everyone means is that with iOS, the letters on the keyboard are always shown in UPPERCASE:
Whereas, on keyboards on other OSes, the letters switch to match the Shifted Case state:
Considering how much Steve Jobs slammed hardcoded keyboards during the iPhone debut as being inferior to software-changeable ones, it's silly that the iOS keyboard does not visually switch cases to help the user.
Couldn't agree more. I love my iPhone but the keyboard could use some major upgrades and functionality... I have had my iPhone 4 about 2 years now, before that I had several Motorola android phones, several because I kept having to replace them... Although I have gotten pretty good at typing on the iPhone because of the great auto-correct Apple has; I do miss Swype typing, I had gotten very fast with it. I wish I could use it on this phone without jailbreaking it.
Sure it does. You don't watch TV while web-surfing, texting, tweeting, emailing, etc?
Nobody does.
You may have the TV ON whilst you're doing those things but you cannot actually engage with it - as in listen to (and perhaps follow plot and) dialog and comprehend it - at the same time as you're actually thinking about and typing what you are composing in a message or what you are actually reading on a web page.
Of course most TV doesn't actually require any attention as it's action, noise and colour and if that's the case and you are concurrently aimlessly surfing the web, flicking from page to page whilst writing emails that have no meaning and plenty of spelling and grammatical errors then I'd allow that it is possible to do them all at once.
Comments
Originally Posted by SignalVelocity
Just a thought, I'm sure many others have had, but is the home button still necessary?
Yep!
Is it integrated into the software enough to justify the use of space?
"Full" integration would still require it.
Can anyone think of a remaining justification for this hardware component that can't be done purely with iOS?
"What happens when your app freezes?"
I guess I rarely need to use the home button due to app freeze, or rarely notice at least. If this is the remaining justification it could creatively be remedied by use of another hardware button in the event of an app freeze. A double click off the power button?
Originally Posted by SignalVelocity
I guess I rarely need to use the home button due to app freeze, or rarely notice at least. If this is the remaining justification it could creatively be remedied by use of another hardware button in the event of an app freeze. A double click off the power button?
Ah, but how do you distinguish a double click from a normal sleep? Do you compromise the standard sleep experience for that?
You can't beat the simplicity of the Home Button for actions, either. Is a regular person going to remember "pinch with five fingers" or "push this button"? Particularly when "pinch with two fingers" does something else in the first place.
Quote:
What features are you wishing for in iOS 7?
I'm still pretty happy with my iPad 2 and everything I can do with it. But since the question was asked:
1. Multi-tasking/windowing, at least in a limited fashion. Such as being able to play videos in a little window while reading emails or web-browsing. I think Win 8 and Android already do this, but its not nearly enough to lure me away from iOS.
2. Guest accounts where I can limit what can be done/viewed. I doubt this will happen since I think Apple would rather everyone buy their own device. If so, at least let me password-protect the mail app and settings, and allow for separate Safari profiles.
3. A nice-to-have would be a revamp of the home screen. Make it more customizable. Allow apps to publish info to their home screen icons and allow those icons to be resizable. Or add support for 3rd-party home screen widgets like weather, sports scores, news, etc. Let me decide which icons/widgets can be viewed on the lock screen. Also, give customers the choice of keeping their "classic" home screen, or going with the new "Active" one.
I'm sure anything else Apple comes up with will be interesting.
Since SIRI speaks and understands (the meaning and not just the words of) so many languages, wouldn't it be great if developers could make us multilingual apps that run in 50-plus languages? The problem is that the developer doesn't want to have to outsource all of that translation. But if Apple took care of all of that through SIRI, the developers could make us apps following strict coding practices that would give apps a VERY wide reach across the globe. (Hey Apple: give us budding developers a LANGUAGE API!)
And please give us third party apps and complete voice control of our iPod nanos (iWatches). For everyone physically active, it makes sense to have an iWatch that runs third party apps to track our sport of choice. Whether weightlifting, running, hiking, yoga, cycling, users will use friendly, SMALL apps running on a SMALL, WEARABLE device to track performance. This could change the way the world does things just as much as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Syncs our calendar, mini email viewer, voice activated. It just makes sense.
Originally Posted by Apres587
Such as being able to play videos in a little window while reading emails or web-browsing.
What's the point of that? AirPlay.
…resizable.
That's never happening.
Sprint Nextel style Direct-Connect please, WITH a dedicated (but programmable) button.
I would also like to see seamless Cellular to WiFi and WiFi to Cellular handoffs for ALL types of data including phone calls like T-Mobile offers! Apple also needs to find a way to DRAMATICALLY improve AT&T's voice quality -- make all calls over a non-voice cellular codec or something improved -- today it is hideous compared to FaceTime audio quality! At least T-Mobile is adopting the wideband audio of iPhone 5! http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/09/12Apple-Introduces-iPhone-5.html
Oh, and please FINALLY add the ability to select the audio output for the Phone application! No reason I should not be able to select a dock connector output destination or an AirPlay destination for the phone! This is LONG overdue!!!
Quote:
What's the point of that? AirPlay.
The point is: what if I don't want to sit in front of a TV in order to do two things at once with my iPad? For example, I'm taking the train to work and would like to watch live news and get a head start on emails.
I don't see how these features are possible without carrier support.
Originally Posted by Apres587
The point is: what if I don't want to sit in front of a TV in order to do two things at once with my iPad? For example, I'm taking the train to work and would like to watch live news and get a head start on emails.
Okay, so why would you ever want to do what you want to do in the first place? You can't compose while watching something. And the brain doesn't operate like that in the first place.
When Steve Jobs introduced the nano, he showed off the watch face and mentioned that one of the board members planned to wear it as a watch. It's true that it wasn't until version 1.2 of the software that they added another 17 watch faces, but the idea was there from the very start, explicitly mentioned and supported by Apple.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Okay, so why would you ever want to do what you want to do in the first place? You can't compose while watching something. And the brain doesn't operate like that in the first place.
Sure it does. You don't watch TV while web-surfing, texting, tweeting, emailing, etc?
Originally Posted by Apres587
Sure it does.
No, we work better when doing one task. People who think they're better at "multitasking" are worse than people who think they're not (and who don't try to do 50 things at once). Why should the UI/X be compromised to make room for sub-par crap?
You don't watch TV while web-surfing, texting, tweeting, emailing, etc?
No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
No, we work better when doing one task. People who think they're better at "multitasking" are worse than people who think they're not (and who don't try to do 50 things at once). Why should the UI/X be compromised to make room for sub-par crap?
No.
Who's doing 50 things at once? I just want to do two. If you can't chew gum and walk at the same time, that's your problem. Because you can't see yourself using a feature means that no one should have access to it?
Originally Posted by Apres587
Who's doing 50 things at once? I just want to do two. If you can't chew gum and walk at the same time, that's your problem. Because you can't see yourself using a feature means that no one should have access to it?
We're back to the original argument, wherein this system won't work and there's no reason to ruin the UI/X to provide something that people won't use in the first place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KDarling
What everyone means is that with iOS, the letters on the keyboard are always shown in UPPERCASE:
Whereas, on keyboards on other OSes, the letters switch to match the Shifted Case state:
Considering how much Steve Jobs slammed hardcoded keyboards during the iPhone debut as being inferior to software-changeable ones, it's silly that the iOS keyboard does not visually switch cases to help the user.
Couldn't agree more. I love my iPhone but the keyboard could use some major upgrades and functionality... I have had my iPhone 4 about 2 years now, before that I had several Motorola android phones, several because I kept having to replace them... Although I have gotten pretty good at typing on the iPhone because of the great auto-correct Apple has; I do miss Swype typing, I had gotten very fast with it. I wish I could use it on this phone without jailbreaking it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apres587
Sure it does. You don't watch TV while web-surfing, texting, tweeting, emailing, etc?
Nobody does.
You may have the TV ON whilst you're doing those things but you cannot actually engage with it - as in listen to (and perhaps follow plot and) dialog and comprehend it - at the same time as you're actually thinking about and typing what you are composing in a message or what you are actually reading on a web page.
Of course most TV doesn't actually require any attention as it's action, noise and colour and if that's the case and you are concurrently aimlessly surfing the web, flicking from page to page whilst writing emails that have no meaning and plenty of spelling and grammatical errors then I'd allow that it is possible to do them all at once.