Are you freaking kidding me??? (home button)

[njpodder]

So... My favorite new feature of 1.1.1. is obviously on the video when the guy says "Now, calling from your favorites list is only 3 clicks away... just tap the home button twice and then the favorite you would like to call."

This is so much more convenient than before, when I had to double tap the phone button (since favorites would show up in the same location as the phone icon) then tap the favorite I would like to call.

3 is less than 3 right????

 

[atari1356]

Well, if you were in Safari or the iPod app (or any other app), you'd first have to press the home button, then press the Phone app icon, then favorites, then select the person.

Now if you're in Safari (or whatever), you can press the home button twice, then the person. So, it definitely is an improvement.

(although, I don't use the phone part much so I changed settings to make double tapping the home button to go to the iPod app)

 

[Speedracer04]

So... My favorite new feature of 1.1.1. is obviously on the video when the guy says "Now, calling from your favorites list is only 3 clicks away... just tap the home button twice and then the favorite you would like to call."

This is so much more convenient than before, when I had to double tap the phone button (since favorites would show up in the same location as the phone icon) then tap the favorite I would like to call.

3 is less than 3 right????

It saves a click when your inside of another app. Instead of hitting home->phone->favorites->call

now it is: double click (much faster to access favorites even though same number of clicks IMO)->call

 

[njpodder]

Oh yeah, I know that too. LOL. I was mostly just poking fun at the way they made it sound on the video. It's definately a cool feature. It would be awesome if they set it up to go to any app. For example, I use google maps a lot since I drive in new territory all the time ofr my job. Would be awesome if I could set it to double click home to go to the maps program too... or any of the programs depending on what you use the most.

 

[mpuck972]

Well, if you were in Safari or the iPod app (or any other app), you'd first have to press the home button, then press the Phone app icon, then favorites, then select the person.

Now if you're in Safari (or whatever), you can press the home button twice, then the person. So, it definitely is an improvement.

(although, I don't use the phone part much so I changed settings to make double tapping the home button to go to the iPod app)

(Insert picture of someone grasping at straws here)

If this is an "improvement", I shutter to see what they come up with next. Perhaps they can make the phone do Copy & Paste, but I digress, thats no where near as revolutionary as double tapping the home button!

 

[Doctor Q]

Should double-clicking count as one click or two?

 

[ivi7]

Should double-clicking count as one click or two?

I would take it as one since you don't really have to wait for an action to take place and then click again.

 

[seedster2]

(Insert picture of someone grasping at straws here)

If this is an "improvement", I shutter to see what they come up with next. Perhaps they can make the phone do Copy & Paste, but I digress, thats no where near as revolutionary as double tapping the home button!

I felt the same way when I heard of some of these improvements

 

[Doctor Q]

I would take it as one since you don't really have to wait for an action to take place and then click again.

Then they could turn dozens of functions into convenient "one-click" actions by having you single-click for one function, double-click for another function, triple-click for yet another function, quadruple-click for another, and so on. Want to change some obscure preference setting in a single click? Just 175-click the home button!

OK, I'm being silly, but it IS true that use of single-click, double-click, and even triple-click (the way you select a paragraph in some word processors) can be assigned meanings to give you conveniences beyond your wildest dreams... as long as you can remember them all.

 

[kdarling]

Then they could turn dozens of functions into convenient "one-click" actions by having you single-click for one function, double-click for another function, triple-click for yet another function, quadruple-click for another, and so on. Want to change some obscure preference setting in a single click? Just 175-click the home button!

Yep

This is exactly why having extra and assignable hardware buttons are A Good Thing, despite what Mr Jobs tried to say.

I also like the top of this phone with its player controls and wish iPhone had them too, so you could reach them in a pocket:

Phone with player controls

 

[PhatBoyG]

Well, the double-click favorites isn't my favorite addition.

The fact that I can double-click the home button while the phone is locked, and access the iPod controls without unlocking the phone is very nice.

 

[mdwsta4]

i was hoping you could assign the home button a function when it's asleep other than music. i would much rather have my favorites come up without having to activate the screen. what a waste.

 

[nippyjun]

i was hoping you could assign the home button a function when it's asleep other than music. i would much rather have my favorites come up without having to activate the screen. what a waste.

I agree. Double clicking on the home button when the phone is asleep and bringing you right to your favorites should be an option.

 

[gceo]

The bad side effect is that when using the Home button to go home, there is a noticeable delay. Bummer.

 

[overcast]

The bad side effect is that when using the Home button to go home, there is a noticeable delay. Bummer.

Yep , horrible. I thought I was just seeing things at first until this realization.

 

[cmaier]

Yep , horrible. I thought I was just seeing things at first until this realization.

You can disable double-tap if the pause bothers you. (Frankly, I can't tell if it's there or not. Maybe a slight added delay. I'll have to try my wife's 1.0.2 phone to compare.)

 

[cmaier]

Even if it's 2 clicks vs. 2 clicks, if you factor in Fitt's law, the improvement is even greater (since (1) the old way you had to move your finger from the home button to the phone button, and (2) the home button presents a better target area than the phone button).

Take into account that it's actually 2 clicks vs. 3 clicks (since the old way, unless you were at the home screen you have to press home), and it's a definite user interface improvement.

Now, if your threshold for "improvement" is MMS, cut & paste, etc., then this is not in that league. On the other hand, on another board (phonedifferent.com) there was a ton of whining, when the iphone first came out, about how hard it was to dial. Lots of complaints on other boards about the iphone not being a particularly good phone, partly because getting to the dialing screen is a relative pain. So I do appreciate that they addressed it.

Personally, the thing I like best about the update is rotating email attachments, since I get lots of pdf attachments.