Editorial: Apple's iOS 7 needs exclusive, distinctive features, not just a flat UI

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  • Reply 141 of 257
    theothergeofftheothergeoff Posts: 2,081member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post



    The entire NeXT Services that are part of OS X and iOS but not remotely as well extended and exposed as it is in NeXTSTEP/Openstep should be available in iOS 7 and OS X 10.9.



    Within DropBox on either platform should be a much richer and deeper public api that allows for a much richer experience of services. On iOS it has to be as unobtrusive as possible. In OS X it must be much more clearly exposed and leveraged across OS X and Apple must show within its own app suites how they are leveraging it to its fullest.



     


    agreed.


     


    This is my common refrain for iOS.. it needs to get back to object level services, where the objects truly polymorphic...  The beauty of nextstep was the consistency of how object handling by the receiving (messaged) service/app was, even with dramatically different sent objects.   That is robustness at it's core.  


     


    I find something so simple like 'I need to call/facetime jeff 7am tomorrow" and Jeff is in my contact list, with a phone number, and Siri will schedule it, but the calendar app doesn't understand 'call jeff' is a 'phone number' and that when I go to my calendar, I should be able to click on the 'object' and message it directly into dialing the number in the phone app.  (analogous:  'meet jeff at his office:' automagically when I click on the object, it starts the maps app.   


     


    This robustness/rich-API is necessary at the core, and then drive it out to the core capabilities of iOS, for both the iPad, the iPhone, and eventually, the iTV(ish solution).    The underlying power of the system should 'guide/option' what you intend for each object, ala Siri, asking "What phone number should I call, Home, office, or facetime?" but also it should make it pervasive across all apps (I grab a 'movie' object from rotten tomatoes, and should be able to 'message' that to anything... calendar, iTunes, netflix, thepiratebay;-), whatever....)

  • Reply 142 of 257
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    No fricking duh you can't send messages when you haven't even proven you're the owner of the device!



    Come on, man.



     


    With no pass code?

  • Reply 143 of 257
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,805member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wakefinance View Post


    I never thought I would see an article like this on AI.  I really hope iOS 7 has modern UI changes and adds features to make it as functional as Android.  Then I might finally be able to give my MBP an Apple companion!



    If you want to Tinker 24/7 and waste time, get Android or Linux, have fun with that.

  • Reply 144 of 257

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GrangerFX View Post



    Apple needs to focus on the current limitations of iOS that prevent it from being a full replacement for a desktop computer. One of these is a real file system or a way for apps to organize, share and store large numbers of documents. As it stands the only way to share a document between apps is to use the "send to" feature which not many apps support or do so inconsistently.



    Apps also need better multitasking and background processing features. Background tasks are currently limited to navigation and music apps and are woefully incomplete even there. Why, for example, can't podcast apps download new episodes in the background so that they are ready to listen immediately when you turn on your iPhone? Power consumption is the main reason Apple does not want apps to run in the background but perhaps if apps were given a power budget that users could control that would prevent badly designed apps from draining the battery. You could also see which apps used the most battery in the foreground or background and know to avoid those or disable their background ability. A properly designed app should use minimal power in the background. For example, my app tracks GPS signals but can do so using a Bluetooth GPS. It can track for 12 hours while my iPod's power remains at 100%.


     


    You could say the same about Xbox or Kindle or iPod. But strangely, no one complains about Xbox and Kindle or iPod not having file systems are "true multitasking" or whatever else you think is missing to turn it into a full fledged computer. I want to know why. You people get what the Xbox is all about: a dedicated, focused machine for doing certain tasks very well. It's not intended to be a general purpose computer. It's locked down, an appliance. You never see or manage a file system, and gamers are PERFECTLY HAPPY with that.


     


    But you bring up iOS and suddenly every geek out there knows exactly what is "missing" from iOS: all the features that make it exactly like Mac OS X. Well GUESS WHAT? It's your LUCKY DAY... Turns out, Apple sells a machine that can run Mac OS X.

  • Reply 145 of 257
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post





    When you turn on private browsing you are given this option:







    And like you said, you're given a cookie option (and history is not remembered no matter what). Am I missing something?


     


    That's a first time option for switching to private browsing.  It rightly asks you if you want to carry the tabs you are currently viewing over to the "private" experience.  


     


    Once private mode is enabled however, every single time you open your browser you are presented with the tabs open from the last session.  Given the low memory situation on iOS, if you have more than one tab open, this is a pain and will suck up most of your system memory.  


     


    It's kind of aggressive also, because if you're quick enough you can touch the search field and get half a search entered, before the browser takes over, switches you *out* of the search you were just attempting, and instead attempts to load that page from last week.  So you have to basically sit there and wait for it to load all the old junk, delete the old tabs one by one, and only *then* can you do the search that you opened the browser for.  


     


    Very frustrating.  I'm sure a lot of folks might have even switched to the Google search app simply because opening the browser and searching in mobile Safari can be such a frustrating experience.  

  • Reply 146 of 257
    applesauce007applesauce007 Posts: 1,698member


    It's the platform stupid!


     


    iOS and Mac OS both have awesome architectures not much change needed there.


     


    The only key service Apple needs to bring in house is search.


    Apple needs to gradually move away from Google search and provide it's own.


    A good seamless translation service behind SIRI would also be good.


     


    Other than that, Apple needs to continue to extend and enhance the services it provides.


    I also look forward to more integration of Yahoo services.


     


    iOS and Mac OS X have numerous services that other platforms can only dream about...


     


    PassBook


    iTunes U


    Airplay / Mirroring


    Vehicle integration


    Siri


    iBooks


    Newsstand


    iAD


    iTunes


    iCloud


    Apple Maps


    FaceTime


    Game Center


     


    Looking forward to iRadio, iTelevison and iAD integration.


     


    Apple also controls the whole experience...  Hardware, Software, Look & Feel...

  • Reply 147 of 257
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    gazoobee wrote: »
    That's a first time option for switching to private browsing.  It rightly asks you if you want to carry the tabs you are currently viewing over to the "private" experience.  

    Once private mode is enabled however, every single time you open your browser you are presented with the tabs open from the last session.  
    That's insane!

    I never use PB, but that sounds like a bug.
  • Reply 148 of 257
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    It's the platform stupid!

    iOS and Mac OS both have awesome architectures not much change needed there.

    The only key service Apple needs to bring in house is search.
    Apple needs to gradually move away from Google search and provide it's own.
    A good seamless translation service behind SIRI would also be good.
     
    Other than that, Apple needs to continue to extend and enhance the services it provides.
    I also look forward to more integration of Yahoo services.

    iOS and Mac OS X have numerous services that other platforms can only dream about...

    PassBook
    iTunes U
    Airplay / Mirroring
    Vehicle integration
    Siri
    iBooks
    Newsstand
    iAD
    iTunes
    iCloud
    Apple Maps
    FaceTime
    Game Center

    Looking forward to iRadio, iTelevison and iAD integration.

    Apple also controls the whole experience...  Hardware, Software, Look & Feel...

    Christ, you're some fanboy.
  • Reply 149 of 257
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post

    Christ, you're some fanboy.


     


    No longer asking rhetorically, what in the world is your problem?

  • Reply 150 of 257
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    ecs wrote: »
    If the competitor is Android, iOS doesn't need anything special to beat it, because Android is made by removing from Linux its best strengths, and replacing them with non-consistent and unstable concepts from the Windows world. Add Java to it, unreasonable apps permissions to user private data, and you end up with a system iOS beats in every release.

    So, iOS doesn't need anything special *if* (and note the *if*) the competitor is Android.

    But if some vendor manages to ship a touch-Linux with all the UNIX strengths and features, then, yes, iOS will have a problem. But in the meantime you can be confident you can beat Android even with a Windows-3.1 based system.


    I personally don't share your views on Android but I agree about a intuitive Linux mobile OS. Ubuntu Touch is looking pretty good in this regard, it's still too far off to know but I have high hopes. The ability to plug in a smartphone into a dock that's connected to a monitor, mouse, keyboard and have a full working desktop is still one my biggest wishes. Especially a full working Ubuntu distro.
  • Reply 151 of 257
    christophbchristophb Posts: 1,482member
    mstone wrote: »
    On iPhone you just use the search box and at the bottom of the suggested search terms you should see "search term found on this page"

    It is similar on iPad but there it also gives you another search box to "Find on Page"

    --Thanks to Dick Applebaum for pointing this out to me when I could not find that feature either.

    Thanks to you both. Sheesh, it was staring me in the face for how many versions?
  • Reply 152 of 257
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post



    That's a first time option for switching to private browsing.  It rightly asks you if you want to carry the tabs you are currently viewing over to the "private" experience.  



    Once private mode is enabled however, every single time you open your browser you are presented with the tabs open from the last session.  


    That's insane!



    I never use PB, but that sounds like a bug.


     


    I don't think that's a bug. You would not want a situation where simply switching from Safari to another app during private browsing closes all your tabs, and so that does not constitute closing the session. The correct way to get rid of the tabs is to close them, and the correct way to close the session is to exit private browsing, at which point the choice to keep or discard existing tabs is presented again.

  • Reply 153 of 257
    ronboronbo Posts: 669member
    Color, gradients, textures... they're all simply kinds of information. Sometimes they can be clutter. But you can go too far the other way in trying to expunge them as well. I hope Sir Ive keeps that in mind. Because the one thing that zealotry never is, is fun. I'm worried he's going to create something totally sterile. Losing gradients on buttons worries me more than most everything I've read so far. Interfaces need cues. Grayscale pictures sacrifice 3/4 of the visual info, but that's what happened to my damned Finder sidebar. Is it an improvement? Not really. It's harder to distinguish things, and the increased difficulty is not paid for by any countervailing benefit that I can see, other than as tribute at the alter of dictum. Oh well. We'll just have to wait and see, and trust that he does actually remember that some of us don't want a stark, sterile UI.
  • Reply 154 of 257
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by Ronbo View Post

    Losing gradients on buttons worries me more than most everything I've read so far.


     


    Is there any indication that this would happen? That's gorgeous stuff right there.

  • Reply 155 of 257
    ronboronbo Posts: 669member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Is there any indication that this would happen? That's gorgeous stuff right there.



     


    I sure don't have any info, but the 9to5 guys say they do, and they're making that claim. And that's what I'm commenting on -- frankly, I haven't read a Dilger article in years ;) . I just tend to find this forum a bit better.

  • Reply 156 of 257
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,178member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post





    New software!? Like what?


    Quite a lot of new tools created for developers, including Android Studio. Most here couldn't care less so rather than detail it here's a link that intimately describes the new software if you're really interested. A pretty good platform move on Google's part even tho they took too long to get serious about making life easier for small developers IMO.


    http://readwrite.com/2013/05/23/monetizing-android-new-tools-in-google-play

  • Reply 157 of 257
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post





    New software!? Like what?


    Quite a lot of new tools created for developers, including Android Studio. Most here couldn't care less so rather than detail it here's a link that intimately describes the new software if you're really interested. A pretty good platform move on Google's part even tho they took too long to get serious like this IMO.


    http://readwrite.com/2013/05/23/monetizing-android-new-tools-in-google-play



     


    I don't think that's the kind of software that was under discussion, since it was in the context of what new user features might be announced at the WWDC.

  • Reply 158 of 257
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    No longer asking rhetorically, what in the world is your problem?

    You going to answer why it makes sense to not allow options for photos from the lock screen with no pass code?
  • Reply 159 of 257
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    I disagree.
  • Reply 160 of 257
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member
    ireland wrote: »
    You going to answer why it makes sense to not allow options for photos from the lock screen with no pass code?

    Maybe Apple can borrow Yahoo Weather's concept - lockscreen can be a photo from the local scene. Makes sense given, "everyday, more photos are captured using the iPhone than any other camera."
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