Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

I hate the soft lock switch less than I thought I would.

Crosbie

Crosbie

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 26, 2010
613
12
Brighton, UK
It's not so difficult to use, and even a little more convenient for some purposes.

I just wonder why I now have an utterly pointless button on the side of my iPad.

Next iteration of iPad to be switch-free?
 
Mmm I feel the same way. Took me a couple of days to retrain myself but after that all good. Seriously who needs a mute switch? It's easier to hold the down vol button than getting a nail in to the case to use the switch.
 
aimee25 said:
Mmm I feel the same way. Took me a couple of days to retrain myself but after that all good. Seriously who needs a mute switch? It's easier to hold the down vol button than getting a nail in to the case to use the switch.
Click to expand...

If you're watching a movie or playing music flipping the switch will silence all notifications but leave the sound of the video/music playing. Holding down the volume button will silence all sound.
 
I don't see the need of a mute button either. It's not like iPod touch, which you have to keep holding down the volume button to get it mute, but iPad automatically mutes it when you hold the volume for 1 second.
 
I miss the orientation lock, but I use a silicone case that makes it difficult to use so going to software lock isn't as bad. The mute switch only seems to mute email sounds and push sounds.
 
I hate the software switch. A simple flick of a button is now replaced by a dubble tap on the home button, a swipe, a tap on the switch and then a tap to close the toolbar... silly and stupid :confused:
 
I couldn't figure out why I had no sounds, my orientation lock was on when I updated from 3.2.2 to 4.2
 
anjinha said:
If you're watching a movie or playing music flipping the switch will silence all notifications but leave the sound of the video/music playing. Holding down the volume button will silence all sound.
Click to expand...

This post is why the switch is a mute button.
 
The new mute button, if I flip it, while listening to Pandora, the sound is still there. But not in Angry Birds. If I flip the mute button in that game, no sound. I thought the mute button is supposed to mute ALL sound, no???
 
iPagan said:
The new mute button, if I flip it, while listening to Pandora, the sound is still there. But not in Angry Birds. If I flip the mute button in that game, no sound. I thought the mute button is supposed to mute ALL sound, no???
Click to expand...

The mute switch is supposed to mute sounds like notifications (maybe game sounds too, I'm not sure). The reason it works like that is so that you can watch a video or listen to music without having stuff like Mail or Push notifications beeping over it. Particularly with AirPlay this is very useful.
 
Anjinha is right.

The Human Interface Guidelines say that games sounds and alerts are silenced, but user initiated sound, like music, and movies continue to play. This lets users play games or use apps with their own music in the background.

That is why the hardware mute switch is different than just holding the volume button down for a few seconds.
 
I thought the mute switch is most used by (rich) teens - whenever they need to quickly silence the device like when their parents come to check on them.

I still darn hate the software button and miss the lock switch very much.
 
anjinha said:
The mute switch is supposed to mute sounds like notifications (maybe game sounds too, I'm not sure). The reason it works like that is so that you can watch a video or listen to music without having stuff like Mail or Push notifications beeping over it. Particularly with AirPlay this is very useful.
Click to expand...

Okay, and I see that. But this seems very much like it should be a software feature rather than the job of a switch on the side of a device like the iPad.

It's such a nonsensical change that the only reason I can think of for making it is that they've now fixed the design for iPad v.2, and they've cut the switch from it.

@Kobra: Yep, pretty silly. But that sequence isn't all that difficult to do, and it isn't that much of a sacrifice. It's just patently pointless given the current hardware.
 
This seems like it will be confusing to the general user. For instance, you start a video playing and need to mute for a second to listen to someone or something, so you hit the "mute" switch. Why doesn't the sound go quiet? Shouldn't that be the entire point of a "mute" switch?

Really wish Apple would just let us configure the switch in settings. In fact, I would like if the switch could toggle between using the current volume switch for either volume and brightness.
 
BrennerM said:
This seems like it will be confusing to the general user. For instance, you start a video playing and need to mute for a second to listen to someone or something, so you hit the "mute" switch. Why doesn't the sound go quiet? Shouldn't that be the entire point of a "mute" switch?
Click to expand...

Exactly. Not to mention that, if someone doesn't keep up with tech news, which would be, like, the majority of users, and one day they get a pop-up in iTunes saying there's a firmware update, they install it, and all of a sudden the lock orientation switch seemingly does... nothing! I can see a flood of tech support calls and genius appointments.
 
What we could use most is a "Push Notification" Switch. A way to quickly turn off all push notifications and popups.
This is necessary when showing a presentation, watching a movie or giving a lecture, etc.
 
Night Spring said:
Exactly. Not to mention that, if someone doesn't keep up with tech news, which would be, like, the majority of users, and one day they get a pop-up in iTunes saying there's a firmware update, they install it, and all of a sudden the lock orientation switch seemingly does... nothing! I can see a flood of tech support calls and genius appointments.
Click to expand...

Well, not nothing... rather, a misleading graphic of the volume symbol with a cross through it - very much indicating full mute!

Incidentally, if you then push volume up, it displays exactly as it does when you 'unmute' - but of course the device is still 'muted' and the switch still switched!
 
Crosbie said:
Well, not nothing... rather, a misleading graphic of the volume symbol with a cross through it - very much indicating full mute!

Incidentally, if you then push volume up, it displays exactly as it does when you 'unmute' - but of course the device is still 'muted' and the switch still switched!
Click to expand...

Oh, dear. That's a nightmare. Is that how it works on the iPhone too? Is this somehow less confusing when it's on a phone?
 
Night Spring said:
Oh, dear. That's a nightmare. Is that how it works on the iPhone too? Is this somehow less confusing when it's on a phone?
Click to expand...

Just looked at my gf's iPhone: the symbols are different (a bell for the notifications, with a strikethrough for when you're muting them); and the word 'ringer' appears above the volume icon when you change volume using the rocker switch whilst at the home screen, to indicate what volume setting you're changing. Considerably clearer. And so much for 'consistency'...
 
Crosbie said:
Just looked at my gf's iPhone: the symbols are different (a bell for the notifications, with a strikethrough for when you're muting them); and the word 'ringer' appears above the volume icon when you change volume using the rocker switch whilst at the home screen, to indicate what volume setting you're changing. Considerably clearer. And so much for 'consistency'...
Click to expand...

Yup! The iPad isn't a phone, and obviously that part of its OS wasn't designed with phone functions in mind. Oh, well...
 
Personally I never used this swtch with 3.2 or 4.2 GM.... BUT my opinion is they should have left it as a screen lock.
 
Nobody has yet commented on my assertion that this can only mean they're preparing for a switchless v2 iPad.

I'm not saying it's imminent, just that when it comes, it'll be like the iPod Touch: no switch.

Amirite?
 
I hated it at first, but now That I know it mutes notification sounds, I love it! Now I cam listen to music without a stupid sound dimming the music. Although I would like it to be switched in the multitasking bar with the rotation lock, but I'll get used to it...
 
I like the mute switch. It's hard to fall asleep when you're hearing push notifications every few minutes. I used to have to unlock the iPad to shut it up.
 
I will take interface consistency any day.

That and the volume down thing always bugged me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back