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How widgets can make your life easier, not harder

Hmm the first half of your post disagrees with me but the second half agrees...make your mind up
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I agree that a phone should let you access your most used features quickly. I don't agree that widgets are a requirement for that. I can access my most used features quickly and I don't have any widgets.

It seems that we're just going around in circles here. For some people, widgets are an invaluable tool to make their phones more productive/useful. For others, widgets would serve no practical use.
 
mrochester said:
I agree that a phone should let you access your most used features quickly. I don't agree that widgets are a requirement for that. I can access my most used features quickly and I don't have any widgets.
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Maybe not for you but they are for some people. In my case, one of the most common things I use my phone for is texting or calling my favourite contacts, which widgets allow me to do. The settings toggle widgets also let people access some of their most used widgets quickly.

Even though you dont have a use for them yourself, you can surely see why they'd be useful to some people? You even said it yourself -- "I agree that a phone should let you access your most used features quickly."
 
matttye said:
Maybe not for you but they are for some people. In my case, one of the most common things I use my phone for is texting or calling my favourite contacts, which widgets allow me to do. The settings toggle widgets also let people access some of their most used widgets quickly.

Even though you dont have a use for them yourself, you can surely see why they'd be useful to some people? You even said it yourself -- "I agree that a phone should let you access your most used features quickly."
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I can see why they'd be useful for some people. But so what? What's the point of this thread? Why are you telling us something we already know?
 
Yesterday was a good day to have the espn scorecenter widget if you are a football fan. I could glance at up-to-date scores without leaving the home screen. Really handy if you like multitasking.
 
mrochester said:
It seems that we're just going around in circles here. For some people, widgets are an invaluable tool to make their phones more productive/useful. For others, widgets would serve no practical use.
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Agreed. But nobody is saying that if Apple introduced widgets you would be forced to use them. If you don't use it, you don't need to. If you want to, great! I bring back the stocks app, as an example. I have zero use for it whatsoever. Am I going to say that since there are many people who DON'T use it that Apple wasted their time designing it? Of course not. Widgets would be a wonderful addition to the OS, giving users the choice to use them or not.

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mrochester said:
I can see why they'd be useful for some people. But so what? What's the point of this thread? Why are you telling us something we already know?
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Companies look at what people want and develop for them. What better place to stay vocal than a forum that revolves around the very products that you would like to see made better?
 
Well I'll just say my opinion. I don't really care for widgets but I don't oppose Apple adding them either. For me its: Widgets? Cool. No Widgets? Cool.
 
lordofthereef said:
Agreed. But nobody is saying that if Apple introduced widgets you would be forced to use them. If you don't use it, you don't need to. If you want to, great! I bring back the stocks app, as an example. I have zero use for it whatsoever. Am I going to say that since there are many people who DON'T use it that Apple wasted their time designing it? Of course not. Widgets would be a wonderful addition to the OS, giving users the choice to use them or not.

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Companies look at what people want and develop for them. What better place to stay vocal than a forum that revolves around the very products that you would like to see made better?
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That's going to depend on whether MacRumors is very high up on Apple's list of influential sources or not. I'd suggest you'd be more productive by submitting feedback to Apple directly. Banging on about it here probably isn't going to get very far.
 
mrochester said:
That's going to depend on whether MacRumors is very high up on Apple's list of influential sources or not. I'd suggest you'd be more productive by submitting feedback to Apple directly. Banging on about it here probably isn't going to get very far.
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I am sure it's up there. The community is quite large. Many companies have "scouts" that see what people are talking about regarding their products, services, etc. I would be shocked to hear Apple not doing the same.

As to "banging on"... I guess I disagree. He is bascially just being told by many that he is wrong for wanting this, and I really don't see why. I can respect that people don't want it, and that's fine. Why ask him why he is posting? I have seen way stupider and more pointless threads (or what i would consider stupider and pointless) all over these forums. He wants to discuss. If you do too, awesome. If not, this is also your choice, as is everyone elses.
 
mrochester said:
I can see why they'd be useful for some people. But so what? What's the point of this thread? Why are you telling us something we already know?
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I thought we covered the point of this thread earlier - this is a discussion forum, so I made a thread to discuss widgets and see what people thought about them.

If you think it's a pointless thread you don't have to post in it.
 
lordofthereef said:
I am sure it's up there. The community is quite large. Many companies have "scouts" that see what people are talking about regarding their products, services, etc. I would be shocked to hear Apple not doing the same.

As to "banging on"... I guess I disagree. He is bascially just being told by many that he is wrong for wanting this, and I really don't see why. I can respect that people don't want it, and that's fine. Why ask him why he is posting? I have seen way stupider and more pointless threads (or what i would consider stupider and pointless) all over these forums. He wants to discuss. If you do too, awesome. If not, this is also your choice, as is everyone elses.
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Although the MacRumors community is relatively large, it's a tiny drop in the ocean in comparison to the number of customers Apple has. This is why I doubt anything that transpires here has much of an influence on Apple and why I think submitting ideas to them directly is probably going to be more beneficial in the grand scheme of things.

Even if Apple did consider what was said here, they'd see that some users would like widgets, and some either don't or aren't bothered. I'd suggest that that would mean it wouldn't feature very highly on the 'to-do' list anyway as there's probably other things to be worked on that would reap a greater reward.

I thought we covered the point of this thread earlier - this is a discussion forum, so I made a thread to discuss widgets and see what people thought about them.

If you think it's a pointless thread you don't have to post in it.
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I believe it has been discussed, but now the same points are just being repeated. Unless there's anything new to add, there's really no point in continuing the discussion. We've established that for some people, widgets are very useful, and for others, not. Is there anything else to add?
 
mrochester said:
Although the MacRumors community is relatively large, it's a tiny drop in the ocean in comparison to the number of customers Apple has.
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It's where Apple consumers seem to be the most vocal. It may be a tiny drop in the bucket, but there sure is a lot of feedback flowing through here IMO. Anyway, another point we disagree on. I will let it be. You seem to just want to be here to prove your point and state there is nothing else to discuss here. That's fine too, I guess. You have just as much right to post as the OP does. Beauty of such boards. :)
 
mrochester said:
I believe it has been discussed, but now the same points are just being repeated. Unless there's anything new to add, there's really no point in continuing the discussion. We've established that for some people, widgets are very useful, and for others, not. Is there anything else to add?
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Who knows? Other people might post if you stop derailing the thread.
 
lordofthereef said:
It's where Apple consumers seem to be the most vocal. It may be a tiny drop in the bucket, but there sure is a lot of feedback flowing through here IMO. Anyway, another point we disagree on. I will let it be. You seem to just want to be here to prove your point and state there is nothing else to discuss here. That's fine too, I guess. You have just as much right to post as the OP does. Beauty of such boards. :)
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Who knows? Other people might post if you stop derailing the thread.
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By all means, add something new to the thread and the discussion can continue :)
 
Can anyone post a reason why widgets would be practical on a phone, something an app doesn't do already? For me, widgets are gimmicky. They serve no real purpose other than taking up space. I don't use them on my PC or my DVR/TV. I doubt seriously I would use them on my phone. Again, any practical application for them?

Seems people only want them for doing quick things - turning wifi/bt on/off. Feed updates, weather and other bogus stuff.

Again, please give me a practical application other than "fluff". :confused:
 
Dmunjal said:
Yesterday was a good day to have the espn scorecenter widget if you are a football fan. I could glance at up-to-date scores without leaving the home screen. Really handy if you like multitasking.
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Honest question: How is it handy? (I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.) :)

If you're multitasking on the phone don't you have to go to the home screen anyway, or are you multitasking on something else and the the phone is sitting there next to you?
 
AbSoluTc said:
Can anyone post a reason why widgets would be practical on a phone, something an app doesn't do already? For me, widgets are gimmicky. They serve no real purpose other than taking up space. I don't use them on my PC or my DVR/TV. I doubt seriously I would use them on my phone. Again, any practical application for them?

Seems people only want them for doing quick things - turning wifi/bt on/off. Feed updates, weather and other bogus stuff.

Again, please give me a practical application other than "fluff". :confused:
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I think it depends on what you call practical and what you call fluff. A widget, generally speaking, isn't going to innately do something the app doesn't already do. The point od a widget is to give you access to things you use frequently. For me, personally, it's the use of bluetooth and wifi (more so bluetooth). I turn them on and off multiple times a day. I would like a simple toggle to be able to turn them on and off rather than have to go into settings. To me, that is not fluff, because I can do in two taps what it would take 3-5. Luckily, as soon as the 4s is jail busted I will have something close enough. Jailbreak is always giving me functionality where I feel Apple has fallen short.
 
lordofthereef said:
I think it depends on what you call practical and what you call fluff. A widget, generally speaking, isn't going to innately do something the app doesn't already do. The point od a widget is to give you access to things you use frequently. For me, personally, it's the use of bluetooth and wifi (more so bluetooth). I turn them on and off multiple times a day. I would like a simple toggle to be able to turn them on and off rather than have to go into settings. Luckily, as soon as the 4s is jail busted I will have something close enough.
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Why do you turn wifi/bt off/on multiple times a day?
 
AbSoluTc said:
Why do you turn wifi/bt off/on multiple times a day?
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There are some wifi connections I don't want to automatically be connecting to (the net at work can be terrible and it's nice to drop to 3G which is often faster). Likewise, when I am driving, I have bluetooth on (Ford Sync). When I am not, I would rather not have the battery drain.
 
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matttye said:
What do you think I use my calendar widget for? Productivity. Its not there to sit and look pretty, but I wouldn't expect you to understand. You have a one track mind.
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I'm not talking about a calendar app. But since you're so caught up in the widget thing, I'm talking about a PRODUCTIVITY app.

You have a one track widget mind.

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lordofthereef said:
I think it depends on what you call practical and what you call fluff. A widget, generally speaking, isn't going to innately do something the app doesn't already do. The point od a widget is to give you access to things you use frequently. For me, personally, it's the use of bluetooth and wifi (more so bluetooth). I turn them on and off multiple times a day. I would like a simple toggle to be able to turn them on and off rather than have to go into settings. To me, that is not fluff, because I can do in two taps what it would take 3-5. Luckily, as soon as the 4s is jail busted I will have something close enough. Jailbreak is always giving me functionality where I feel Apple has fallen short.
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You are aware that the iPhone can toggle things on and off, right?
 
sk1wbw said:
Yes, you can make your life just as easy without widgets. It's amazing, isn't it? I can use the Settings app to do everything.

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I'm not so sure that works with the latest 5.0.1 update... :confused:
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Works fine on 5.0.1 here, I've just tried it.
 
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