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Former Apple TV Engineer Claims New Apple TV Interface Discarded 5 Years Ago [Updatedx2]

Tiles

When I saw the new UI I thought, great, my children can distinguish images, but they couldn't distinguish words. Before they could not understand where Netflix was, because they use the images to associate the program (just like they do on the iPad) and not words. So far they cannot read yet.

I got to admit that this design is better for them, because now instead of me showing them what to click on, they can now do it themselves (a win for me).

I think the question to ask isn't about yourself, but for all users. What makes it easy for you doesn't make it easy for everyone.
 
I actually LIKE the new interface, it's much better than the simple text-based menu we had on the previous home screen. I expected the app icons to have the look and feel of the iPhone/iPad icons, though.

I do wish we had the ability to customize the apps and add/delete at will. I don't need the apps for services to which I don't subscribe.

You can bet that the full-scale, full screen Apple TV is going to have much of the same look and feel, however refined, and hopefully with much more options.
 
klrobinson999 said:
I actually LIKE the new interface, it's much better than the simple text-based menu we had on the previous home screen. I expected the app icons to have the look and feel of the iPhone/iPad icons, though.

I do wish we had the ability to customize the apps and add/delete at will. I don't need the apps for services to which I don't subscribe.

You can bet that the full-scale, full screen Apple TV is going to have much of the same look and feel, however refined, and hopefully with much more options.
Click to expand...

I agree, it's a lot nicer than the old one, but I still don't like the rectangular icons, and I wish I could remove all the stuff I never use (American sports, for example).

Also, no watched/unmatched marker for TV episodes in iCloud? Hmph!
 
What is the point of this front page article?

Steve rejected something that was later approved? How shocking.

It's entirely possible that Steve would approve it or even did approve it. He did tend to change his mind rapidly about thinking something was stupid or great.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the new interface, but this article is pointless. :rolleyes:
 
Wow... 2nd MR update reporting on his further clarification... Someone must have some tired legs from all that 'Walking It Back'!

Of course all this clarification... Me thinks someone might be receiving a lot of MACbeth threats, I wonder... :rolleyes:
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I like the new interface, but that doesn't mean it's perfect.

For consistency's sake, I would've much rather had the grey linen background that is appearing in all of Apple's products instead of the return of brushed aluminum.

Also, the transition from the main apps in the "tray" (I'm assuming that is meant to be the tray since its the only section with the brushed metal) to the black background underneath the rest of the apps is a little strange.

It is an improvement, but it's still just a facade to the old interface. Many of the menus were left untouched and this makes the entire thing feel like a half-baked attempt at an overhaul.
 
Yeah I liked that Apple TV display UI was (albeit sparse) very usable and clean to look at.

It's almost like someone complained about menus and rather than make them more intuitive (could get MUCH more so with iCloud) they slapped everything on the front page like most everyone else does.
 
applefanDrew said:
What does any of that have to do with intuitiveness? And look at your iPhone… Now look at the Apple TV interface. They look almost exactly the same. What's a mess?
Click to expand...

They don't look anything alike. Visually and especially functionally. I thought we'd established that pretty clearly.
 
Saladinos said:
Well, you're getting downvoted (by me at least), but not because of the manufacturer.

I'll admit I was going to upvote you when I saw the picture and expected to see something about how the AppleTV interface is still a billion times easier to use than the competition.

Features mean very little if you can't use them. Talk to the Office team at Microsoft, who were pushed in to thinking about UI seriously when 9/10 of the most requested features were already in Office. The problem was the UI was so bad nobody knew they were there or how to use them.

The AppleTV may be light on features, but at least my mother can use the ones that are there.
Click to expand...

Right off the bat in that screenshot I can see that I can quickly access YouTube, a web browser, videos, music, apps and a few other bits. I'm the last person to want all this stuff, but I'm baffled how you can argue that they are hidden or in any way hard to use. It's pretty obvious how to use them and I've never even seen one of these smart tv's in action.

I'm still on the last Apple TV software, which IMO isnt great. Too many drop-down menus and a really poor UI. The new one doesnt really look any better. You cant beat a tivo style UI, we dont need fancy icons and buttons on a TV, just big text.
 
bretm said:
It matches the iOS less than android. What matches? There's no shelf for main apps- they're just mixed in with the others. There's reflections on some icons, not others instead of a border and shadow. They rectangular, not square. They scroll down, like android, not page by page to the left and right. They don't open categories like folders the way iOS does. There is nothing similar other than a grid. And that's not anything special.
Click to expand...


Also, the only icons without reflections are the top row of "main icons" I guess you could say. All the "apps" have reflections. If you don't see them, you have a poorly calibrated television.
 
:eek: OMG! That UI looks so childish like it belongs on a fisher price toy. Seriously, I always prefer minimal design, but that is just hideous. Minimal doesn't mean ugly, plain, and boring. But this UI is just that. Good Gyaaaad! What the hellz Apple? :confused:
 
rmwebs said:
Right off the bat in that screenshot I can see that I can quickly access YouTube, a web browser, videos, music, apps and a few other bits. I'm the last person to want all this stuff, but I'm baffled how you can argue that they are hidden or in any way hard to use. It's pretty obvious how to use them and I've never even seen one of these smart tv's in action.

I'm still on the last Apple TV software, which IMO isnt great. Too many drop-down menus and a really poor UI. The new one doesnt really look any better. You cant beat a tivo style UI, we dont need fancy icons and buttons on a TV, just big text.
Click to expand...

If you saw one in action (I have one), you'd realize real fast that they're junk. They do not work well in reality, are hard to navigate, slow, etc...everything about the user experience is clunky. Only TV I've seen with an interface I like are the higher end LG's with the Wii-like wand remote. Much easier to navigate than any Samsung garbage UI.
 
Timzer said:
:eek: OMG! That UI looks so childish like it belongs on a fisher price toy. Seriously, I always prefer minimal design, but that is just hideous. Minimal doesn't mean ugly, plain, and boring. But this UI is just that. Good Gyaaaad! What the hellz Apple? :confused:
Click to expand...

I think it's not exactly as Steve would have liked (how can I say for sure? I never met the man) but I don't think the presence of icons are the problem. Remember, he's the guy that pushed for icons for things like the Command key, because with his knowledge of typesets there's one thing that becomes an obvious roadblock to design uniformity: What do you do when the titles for objects are different lengths in different languages?

Answer: Organize the gridspace with universal icons. Use text names on hover, instead of as the grid objects themselves.

That said... You want to know how to fix it? Shrink the radius on the rounded corners of the icons.

There's a certain threshold where rounded corners, if the radii are too big, start to make an object look like a toy. But too sharp and the object looks far too industrial. I know this isn't much of a revelation but it's interesting how such small things can affect perception in big ways.

The iPhone 4 has a perfect ratio of size to corner radius. It doesn't look like a toy, but it doesn't look like an Orwellian industrial tool of dread either (I'm being dramatic here, obviously, but you get the idea).

If someone can mock up the difference, I think others will see it and agree.
 
I personally like the new user interface.. I think it looks great, not sure how it compares with the original in terms of usability..
 
It was funny for me to read this story, because after applying the Apple TV update I thought it seemed out of place as well. I'm a HUGE :apple: Fanboy, but I really don't care for this new UI. :rolleyes:
 
AgentElliot007 said:
If you saw one in action (I have one), you'd realize real fast that they're junk. They do not work well in reality, are hard to navigate, slow, etc...everything about the user experience is clunky. Only TV I've seen with an interface I like are the higher end LG's with the Wii-like wand remote. Much easier to navigate than any Samsung garbage UI.
Click to expand...

I think they're GREAT in action, specifically using AirPlay with an iPad.

I haven't updated my UI on the old yet but while it's nothing exemplary, it fits the styling language which is the "outpouring" over this change.

The "new" UI is basically like what most other vendors have been doing and apparently Apple could have come out with a while ago.

I'm about the replace/upgrade mine for the 1080p and will post some feedback.
 
I only have the 1080p TV and can't really complain about/compare this UI versus previous versions. Though, I did use Front Row on my Mac and enjoyed the simplicity of it. Either way, I'm actually fine with this interface. There are things that Apple can improve on but if most users are going to be using the TV with the supplied remote (like I do most of the time), then it's fine.

Margolis' second update to this news adds a little more context to what we know now about the TV. If Jobs were still around and after seeing the success of other iOS devices, I think he might actually be fine with this UI.
 
I don't mind the interface too much and am sure Jobs prob did approve it. I don't think anything will be coming out this year that he didn't already green light. He was way too much of a control freak not to have Apple's roadmap laid out for at least the next releases of all Apple products.
 
Been using apple products since 1981

this is the first time i Have seen an Apple interface and thought it
was horrible. It is just uninviting and ugly?

Who cares who approved it Steve or anyone else it doesn't change the
fact its horrendous!

I view most of Apple's interface a amalgam of Art and ergonomics
Just don't see that here? IMO

To say who is or is not responsible is just is neither here nor there.

I also love how people are making statements and have no idea if they are true or not like "steve approved iPad 3" etc. Bottom line is we have no idea what was approved or not approved by Steve!!
 
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