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agkm800

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 18, 2009
672
4
The huge spaces between app icons bother me more than the fat bezel.

My preference would be 5 x 5 + 5 or perhaps even more apps on one screen.

OR

At least, make them all gather in the middle; reduce all the dumb spaces.
 

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sassenach74

macrumors 65816
May 3, 2008
1,171
28
Spain
I'm not overly bothered myself. I admit it does seem a little sparse on the home screen. Would have been nice to see a different approach to managing pages of apps, how they could have done it, I have no idea. 4X4 or 5X5, both seem ok to me.
 

Cyberguard

macrumors member
May 21, 2008
35
2
My guess is it will either something you can customize or changed in a later update of the OS once it ships...

It does have an unfinished look to it...
 

vertigo78

macrumors regular
Oct 2, 2008
100
0
i think it provides a clearer view of the desktop. which is why the iphone doesn't have custom wallpaper on the springboard. it would look too busy.
 

FrankieTDouglas

macrumors 68000
Mar 10, 2005
1,554
2,882
Not really. I would much prefer 5 x 5 + 5 but it might look too cluttered on the screen.

I had 5X4 on a JB iPhone. Didn't look cluttered at all. And on a Mac, I use the 16x16 icon size with a dock shrunk to the smallest size. Big icons only take up space and offer no additionally functionality.

These icons just make the iPad look like a clunker.
 

fobfob

macrumors 6502
Oct 15, 2008
318
0
i think it provides a clearer view of the desktop. which is why the iphone doesn't have custom wallpaper on the springboard. it would look too busy.

I agree that this is most likely what Apple is thinking.

I think the "gap" problem is mainly caused by our experience from the iPhone. If there was no iPhone, we would not be having this conversation.

Having said that, IMO both the iPhone and the iPad should have a much smarter app organisation system than presently exists. The multi-page flat icon grid structure we have now is just simply lame. Apple have chosen simplicity over usability. I guess this mimics the form over function design philosophy in hardware.

A better approach would be a hierarchical system, where you can organise, say games, productivity apps etc in folders or whatever you want to call them. But even that is old-school. I'm sure some smart people could think of a way cool new interface that incorporates advanced jestures? How about that each of the "folders" are actually floating bubbles, and you can flick them around and expand them to reveal icons like the photo galleries on the iPad, so you don't have to fully open them to see what's inside... etc
 

wolfpackfan

macrumors 68000
Jun 10, 2007
1,547
16
Cary, NC
I was thinking the SDK showed you could have six icons on the dock. As far as the screen itself, I plan on just having one icon on the screen (probably Safari) and move all the rest to screen 2. I don't like a lot of clutter on my desktop.
 

trssho

macrumors 6502
May 24, 2009
410
38
I would definitely like to see a desktop that is better organized. Some type of Win 7 or OS X style would be appropriate with custom widgets. The pages of apps for the iPhone is"ok", but I expect more with all that real estate.
 

marksman

macrumors 603
Jun 4, 2007
5,764
5
I want 2 x 2 and then one in the dock for 5 total spots per screen with 100 screens.

Plus make the icons about 350% bigger each to help fill up the screen.
 

Niiro13

macrumors 68000
Feb 12, 2008
1,719
0
Illinois
Hmm, the layout to me is good.

I was just thinking that maybe they could enlarge the icons a bit. Course it might get a little fuzzy considering they limit the icon size when you submit an app.
 

vertigo78

macrumors regular
Oct 2, 2008
100
0
I was thinking the SDK showed you could have six icons on the dock. As far as the screen itself, I plan on just having one icon on the screen (probably Safari) and move all the rest to screen 2. I don't like a lot of clutter on my desktop.

im also going to keep my springboard clear except for the dock. i wish i could put some widgets on there but apple in all their wisdom says no. maybe 4.0 will solve this. if not im definitely jailbreaking when that is possible.
 

mackmgg

macrumors 68000
Nov 2, 2007
1,660
572
Yeah, you can have 6 apps on the dock:
 

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wolfpackfan

macrumors 68000
Jun 10, 2007
1,547
16
Cary, NC
Yeah, you can have 6 apps on the dock:

Whoa. Did you do this? If so, how did you get it so there are no icons on the screen itself? I was thinking, from playing with my iPhone that you always had to have at least one icon on a screen or it disappeared. What you show is exactly what I want.
 

4DThinker

macrumors 68020
Mar 15, 2008
2,033
2
If Apple has made one mistake, it will be their failure to rethink the UI (just a little) for the big screen and one holds/one handed use. If you're holding the ipad in your left hand it will take considerable movement across the screen to pick the upper left icon with your right hand, for example. On my little Archos tablet I've moved all the icons and the task bar to the right edge. Most I can tap with my right thumb now, the same way I use my iPod Touch.
 

wolfpackfan

macrumors 68000
Jun 10, 2007
1,547
16
Cary, NC
You know I was thinking about this. Apple had to know there would be a big uproar from everyone complaining the iPad didn't run OS X. It seems to me that it would had been very easy to change the UI so that it mimics the OS X UI as far as the screen and dock go. Allow an applications folder on the dock and perhaps even have a folder on the dock for iWorks documents. Allow icons on the home screen for documents, etc.
 
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