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FLAT? FLAT? What the #&@# does FLAT mean?

FLAT means "looks goddam awesome on a retina display", I believe.

The fact that OP described the Newstand icon as a "blotch" says the problem is the OP, it's clearly a small collection of colorful magazine covers.

I hated iOS in the past, it was one reason I avoided it. Everything looked like a Fisher Price toy, all overly shiny and plastic like they were afraid of scaring anyone older than ten. Now it's actually stepped forward and is taking advantage of the sharp displays.
 
I only like iOS 7 because it's different, but really it kinda sucks or perhaps it could be more politically correct to say "they could do much much much better". Unfortunately iOS is pretty good compared to what's out there. If Android can produce something incredible, Apple will up their game. Neither needs to right now though, so this is what we have.
 
C DM said:
I don't think that gradients or shadows or some simpler things of that nature (again, without going overboard) are really just fluff or to cover up something that might otherwise not look great. They are things that give things a little more definition and provide more general and sometimes specific spatial awareness, which makes it cognitively that much more natural for humans. It's not to say that what iOS 7 or other flat designs have done are that much more of a cognitive load, but they are somewhat less natural/native in that sense (even if sometimes only slightly so).
Click to expand...

Don't make me dig up the article explaining that Apple had to use drop shadows and all sorts of silliness to make the crappy resolution icons look better.
 
Armen said:
Don't make me dig up the article explaining that Apple had to use drop shadows and all sorts of silliness to make the crappy resolution icons look better.
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Sorta like how Mario has a hat and mustache because that was the only way to give his face recognizable features with how few pixels they were working with.

Whenever I use an app that has the old iOS 6 keyboard in it I just groan. It looks SO primitive compared to the new version.
 
Armen said:
Don't make me dig up the article explaining that Apple had to use drop shadows and all sorts of silliness to make the crappy resolution icons look better.
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I mean I can believe that to be part of it, but even though they can certainly serve that kind of function too, I would say that they serve a more intrinsic/basic function unrelated to that, as I described in my earlier reply.
 
IOS7 is good and perhaps better than IOS6, I like the notification bar. But IOS7 also sucks big time in a number of other ways.
 
SomeGuyDude said:
Sorta like how Mario has a hat and mustache because that was the only way to give his face recognizable features with how few pixels they were working with.

Whenever I use an app that has the old iOS 6 keyboard in it I just groan. It looks SO primitive compared to the new version.
Click to expand...

You know what makes me groan? Once upon a time not too long ago Apple was the trend setter in pretty much everything they did. Companies and end users would say, holy ***** that's too cool and they would copy Apple. How times have changed. Now Apple sees other peoples stuff and they go copy it.

Flat design is boring and sucks. What's even worse is that iOS 7 has performance issues that not too long ago Apple would not have released because of their rep. My rMini springboarded from just changing the wallpaper.
 
Rodster said:
You know what makes me groan? Once upon a time not too long ago Apple was the trend setter in pretty much everything they did. Companies and end users would say, holy ***** that's too cool and they would copy Apple. How times have changed. Now Apple sees other peoples stuff and they go copy it.

Flat design is boring and sucks. What's even worse is that iOS 7 has performance issues that not too long ago Apple would not have released because of their rep. My rMini springboarded from just changing the wallpaper.
Click to expand...

Two things:

One is that I'm sick of everyone saying Apple looks like Android now. As a long time Android user (as in, I've used android since the Motorola Droid) who only switched over to iOS about a month and a half ago... they are NOT the same. Like... not by a long shot. The keyboards look nothing alike, the UI is different, the icon themes are worlds apart, different toggle styles, everything.

Has iOS taken elements of Android? Absolutely. But why is this bad? It's foolish to suggest that one company is the only one that has good ideas, and bullheaded to claim that a company should never take cues from another. Some of Android's ideas were great, for example the notification drawer is MILES above iOS's. That's not even CLOSE. The iOS notification system is crap in comparison.

Secondly, 7.0.4 is the one that has issues. Everyone said the same thing: 7.0.3 was fine and then 7.0.4 screwed it up. And the 7.1 betas are smooth as silk. So one incremental update had issues and the next version will fix it. Oh noes. Apparently you never saw the absolute disasters that were some of the Android JB updates.
 
SilverGhost said:
So I have to ask. What Moron decided that they'll take the most advanced graphics tablet/PC available, and remove all the color and imagination from the IOS? Shouldn't someone get fired for letting this out into the world? With several thousand dollars invested in Apple products, I think I have a right to complain! I hear there may be some improvements in the IOS, but am so disappointed in Apple's decision in the graphics that I haven't looked for them. I tried to go back to IOS 6 a day later, only to discover that I waited a day too long! They had removed that capability.
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I feel your pain, but we are entering the new era. An era where people have no taste and love mediocrity. Embrace it or you'll be left behind.
 
SomeGuyDude said:
Sorta like how Mario has a hat and mustache because that was the only way to give his face recognizable features with how few pixels they were working with.

Whenever I use an app that has the old iOS 6 keyboard in it I just groan. It looks SO primitive compared to the new version.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Technology was limited back then so in order to make iOS look good they used drop shadows and gradients to attempt to cover up the fuzzy/blurry/pixelated mediocre screens of the time.

Don't get me wrong I don't exactly agree with every color choice or graphic in iOS 7 but iOS 6 looks so old compared.
 
SomeGuyDude said:
Two things:

One is that I'm sick of everyone saying Apple looks like Android now. As a long time Android user (as in, I've used android since the Motorola Droid) who only switched over to iOS about a month and a half ago... they are NOT the same. Like... not by a long shot. The keyboards look nothing alike, the UI is different, the icon themes are worlds apart, different toggle styles, everything.

Has iOS taken elements of Android? Absolutely. But why is this bad? It's foolish to suggest that one company is the only one that has good ideas, and bullheaded to claim that a company should never take cues from another. Some of Android's ideas were great, for example the notification drawer is MILES above iOS's. That's not even CLOSE. The iOS notification system is crap in comparison.

Secondly, 7.0.4 is the one that has issues. Everyone said the same thing: 7.0.3 was fine and then 7.0.4 screwed it up. And the 7.1 betas are smooth as silk. So one incremental update had issues and the next version will fix it. Oh noes. Apparently you never saw the absolute disasters that were some of the Android JB updates.
Click to expand...
Most of the general/larger 7.0 issues really apply to all 7.0.x versions, not just the latest 7.0.4.
 
SomeGuyDude said:
Two things:

One is that I'm sick of everyone saying Apple looks like Android now. As a long time Android user (as in, I've used android since the Motorola Droid) who only switched over to iOS about a month and a half ago... they are NOT the same. Like... not by a long shot. The keyboards look nothing alike, the UI is different, the icon themes are worlds apart, different toggle styles, everything.

Has iOS taken elements of Android? Absolutely. But why is this bad? It's foolish to suggest that one company is the only one that has good ideas, and bullheaded to claim that a company should never take cues from another. Some of Android's ideas were great, for example the notification drawer is MILES above iOS's. That's not even CLOSE. The iOS notification system is crap in comparison.

Secondly, 7.0.4 is the one that has issues. Everyone said the same thing: 7.0.3 was fine and then 7.0.4 screwed it up. And the 7.1 betas are smooth as silk. So one incremental update had issues and the next version will fix it. Oh noes. Apparently you never saw the absolute disasters that were some of the Android JB updates.
Click to expand...

I also came from Android devices first and migrated to iOS. I much prefer the iOS ecosystem as well as the iPad hardware. First off the reason why taking ideas from Android is not good a) like I said un-Apple like when since the days of Steve Jobs they went in their direction and everyone else followed. It's been like that since the days of the iMac when eMachines blatantly copied the iMac.

Now Apple has done a 180 and is copying other designs. The biggest problem I have with Flat designs is it's lazy. The original iOS design was elegant and had purpose and even in it's early days was refined. iOS 7 from day 1 has been skewered with problems ranging from UI designs and themes to just awful bugs and performance where an A7 still doesn't run it totally smooth.

I'm not a total hater of iOS 7 it's just that APPLE could have done a helluva lot better putting together the latest OS and as member C DM mentioned the performance issues have been around since iOS 7.0

Also like I said I recently bought an rMini and i'm taking it back until I have proof iOS 7.1 has fixed the performance issues. Safari crashing regularly and getting a springboard crash just by changing the wallpaper with a 64 bit CPU is not acceptable.
 
Rodster said:
I also came from Android devices first and migrated to iOS. I much prefer the iOS ecosystem as well as the iPad hardware. First off the reason why taking ideas from Android is not good a) like I said un-Apple like when since the days of Steve Jobs they went in their direction and everyone else followed. It's been like that since the days of the iMac when eMachines blatantly copied the iMac.

Now Apple has done a 180 and is copying other designs. The biggest problem I have with Flat designs is it's lazy. The original iOS design was elegant and had purpose and even in it's early days was refined. iOS 7 from day 1 has been skewered with problems ranging from UI designs and themes to just awful bugs and performance where an A7 still doesn't run it totally smooth.

I'm not a total hater of iOS 7 it's just that APPLE could have done a helluva lot better putting together the latest OS and as member C DM mentioned the performance issues have been around since iOS 7.0

Also like I said I recently bought an rMini and i'm taking it back until I have proof iOS 7.1 has fixed the performance issues. Safari crashing regularly and getting a springboard crash just by changing the wallpaper with a 64 bit CPU is not acceptable.
Click to expand...

I have an rMini and never had anything crash from a wallpaper change, so if we're just going to play the "my anecdotal experience is evidence of widespread problems" game then I'd say you and I cancel each other out. It's on 7.1b4 currently, but I never had any problems on 7.0.4, nor did I have any on my iPhone 5s.

And as for UI design, that's fairly subjective. I will take to the grave that iOS7 looks infinitely more professional than iOS6 and before. I hated old versions of the OS because it looked like a toy. Everything was covered in drop shadows and big outlines basically to mask the low resolution and still keep things recognizable. On the retina display it looks FAR smoother. "Refined"? Suuuuuure.

Besides... why is it terrible to take cues from elsewhere? Only the stubborn and ignorant shell themselves off and refuse to admit that sometimes someone else had a better idea than you did. I feel like the only people who hate iOS7 from a design standpoint are people who just stamp their feet and refuse to admit that Apple doesn't always have the best ideas.
 
SomeGuyDude said:
I have an rMini and never had anything crash from a wallpaper change, so if we're just going to play the "my anecdotal experience is evidence of widespread problems" game then I'd say you and I cancel each other out. It's on 7.1b4 currently, but I never had any problems on 7.0.4, nor did I have any on my iPhone 5s.

And as for UI design, that's fairly subjective. I will take to the grave that iOS7 looks infinitely more professional than iOS6 and before. I hated old versions of the OS because it looked like a toy. Everything was covered in drop shadows and big outlines basically to mask the low resolution and still keep things recognizable. On the retina display it looks FAR smoother. "Refined"? Suuuuuure.

Besides... why is it terrible to take cues from elsewhere? Only the stubborn and ignorant shell themselves off and refuse to admit that sometimes someone else had a better idea than you did. I feel like the only people who hate iOS7 from a design standpoint are people who just stamp their feet and refuse to admit that Apple doesn't always have the best ideas.
Click to expand...

You and I both see things the same way. I swear iOS 6 looks like it was designed by Fisher Price. I don't know why so many users want to cling to it so badly like a childhood blankey.
 
I'm sorry man but it was time for a makeover already. I know you are new to Apple products but some of us have been staring at the same interface since the first iPhone in 2007. In my opinion iOS 7 is awesome, modern, trendy, simple.... Every time I see an iphone running pre-iOS 7 it just looks so old and antiquated to me.

Anyway the point is that for every person like you who hates it there are 2 people who love it and 10 people who dont really care either way and just need their phone to work.
 
bigjnyc said:
Anyway the point is that for every person like you who hates it there are 2 people who love it and 10 people who dont really care either way and just need their phone to work.
Click to expand...

This is the key here. I'd wager that for all the posters on here, we're a drop in the bucket compared to the ones who just care if they can send texts and play Candy Crush and are more concerned about a nice case that has a football team logo on it.
 
SomeGuyDude said:
I have an rMini and never had anything crash from a wallpaper change, so if we're just going to play the "my anecdotal experience is evidence of widespread problems" game then I'd say you and I cancel each other out. It's on 7.1b4 currently, but I never had any problems on 7.0.4, nor did I have any on my iPhone 5s.

And as for UI design, that's fairly subjective. I will take to the grave that iOS7 looks infinitely more professional than iOS6 and before. I hated old versions of the OS because it looked like a toy. Everything was covered in drop shadows and big outlines basically to mask the low resolution and still keep things recognizable. On the retina display it looks FAR smoother. "Refined"? Suuuuuure.

Besides... why is it terrible to take cues from elsewhere? Only the stubborn and ignorant shell themselves off and refuse to admit that sometimes someone else had a better idea than you did. I feel like the only people who hate iOS7 from a design standpoint are people who just stamp their feet and refuse to admit that Apple doesn't always have the best ideas.
Click to expand...
Armen said:
You and I both see things the same way. I swear iOS 6 looks like it was designed by Fisher Price. I don't know why so many users want to cling to it so badly like a childhood blankey.
Click to expand...
And then plenty of people think the exact opposite, that iOS 7 is more childish and pre-iOS 7 is actually more professional. But that is essentially exactly what essentially defines that part of it all: dealing with just the aesthetics it's purely subjective and can be (and often is) different for different people--there is really no right or wrong, or good or bad really.

Pure looks aside, dealing with other aspects like actual usability, performance, functionality, etc., that's where at least some if not a lot of objectivity comes into play.
 
MacDawg said:
Apology accepted
Now that you have it off your chest you will just have to accept it and move on
Click to expand...

Thank you the intelligent response. Some of the responses were downright insulting, which surprised me since I'm a first time poster to this forum.

You're right, of course - time to move on. I also agree with the post that said "Beats Windows". I used Windows for years, MS-DOS before that. Since my career with IBM was IT-related, that was the choice I had. I never understood that tiny crowd of folks at the Apple booth. A decade ago, I bought an Apple iPod for music. Then discovered the iPod Touch, which not only played music, but had almost unlimited apps available for free or a couple bucks. I thought the first iPad was very tempting, but a bit of a brick. The next generation solved that. Once I saw the Retina screen, I was hooked.

There must a dozen old iPods around the house, including 2 of the latest generation (The wife doesn't really want to upgrade, but I do it anyway). Also 2 of the latest generation iPads, and my MacBook Pro Retina. The Windows Dell machine sits in my home office desk. I sometimes get 'stuff' that I can't figure out how to see/use on the Apple OSs.

I've started using some of ios 7 new functionality. Wow, lots of improvements and totally new capabilities! I'm hoping Apple will take pity on us who struggle with some of the optics, and perhaps have optional keyboards, etc. I'll follow this forum for a while - it seems to be in the know regarding what to expect. I'm a big fan of Apple now - would never go back to the Darkside, no matter how flat (unimaginative) they get.

Thanks again for the (mostly) friendly initiation into this forum.
 
C DM said:
And then plenty of people think the exact opposite, that iOS 7 is more childish and pre-iOS 7 is actually more professional. But that is essentially exactly what essentially defines that part of it all: dealing with just the aesthetics it's purely subjective and can be (and often is) different for different people--there is really no right or wrong, or good or bad really.

Pure looks aside, dealing with other aspects like actual usability, performance, functionality, etc., that's where at least some if not a lot of objectivity comes into play.
Click to expand...

iOS 6 in a nutshell. Tell me I'm wrong.

M20001222532_2.jpg
 
CarlosQG said:
Flat means absence of clutter and tacky ornamentations (artificial borders, shadows; all skeumorphic stuff) and makes everything as clean and minimalistic as possible, which in my opinion -as you have yours- is an enduring beauty that survives the test of time.
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lol. Wanna talk tacky? I'll show you tacky - How about the bright colors? How about the parallax effect? How about the misguided Web 1.0-esque gradients on the icons? How about unnecessarily thin fonts and lack of drop shadow where needed?

iOS 7 is the epitome of tacky.
 
pickaxe said:
lol. Wanna talk tacky? I'll show you tacky - How about the bright colors? How about the parallax effect? How about the misguided Web 1.0-esque gradients on the icons? How about unnecessarily thin fonts and lack of drop shadow where needed?

iOS 7 is the epitome of tacky.
Click to expand...
Exactly! And I'm tired of the iOS7 download taking up valuable space on my iPhone 4 without giving me a way to delete it. Apple has essentially made my iPhone useless for anything more than a basic phone and browser, since nothing else will fit in the remaining memory.
 
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