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iPad + 4.2 = Nice, but with a caveat...

S

samcraig

macrumors P6
Original poster
Jun 22, 2009
16,786
41,983
USA
I am so happy to finally have folders on my iPad. This was reason alone to upgrade to 4.2

And multitasking HAS come in handy once or twice so far. However, the caveat is - that using the home button on the iPad is not as "user friendly" as it is when using it on the iPhone.

Not that I have a different solution. But I think using the home button to switch apps/bring up the dock works and makes sense on a device where the button is literally just under thumb. But on the iPad it's a bit more "awkward." And while I don't have my iPad on a dock - I can only imagine it being even more so.

my .02.
 
I agree with you on this one (not that I see a better way to do it).

When using the iPad in landscape mode the home button seems to be way out in left field ...
 
SpudGT said:
I agree with you on this one (not that I see a better way to do it).

When using the iPad in landscape mode the home button seems to be way out in left field ...
Click to expand...

Exactly... Obviously the size of the device makes all the difference as I see it as less of an issue on the iPhone.

It was an aspect of multitasking I didn't foresee when I learned that it was coming to the iPad.

As for a solution - I don't really see any better one unless there was a unique gesture - but that could muck up gaming and other apps...
 
Maybe a gesture with the accelerometer? What about a 360 degree spin to activate multitasking? That'd make it the funnest iPad ever :rolleyes:
 
179202 said:
Maybe a gesture with the accelerometer? What about a 360 degree spin to activate multitasking? That'd make it the funnest iPad ever :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

you really want to have to rotate the screen 360 degrees to bring up the dock?

That's a worse solution ;) Not to mention even more of a pain for a docked iPad....
 
SpudGT said:
I agree with you on this one (not that I see a better way to do it).

When using the iPad in landscape mode the home button seems to be way out in left field ...
Click to expand...

Its the opposite for me in landscape mode my left hand thumb is constantly hovering over the button. Now in portrait mode it's a real pain :mad:

Wish there was a finger gesture to multitasking and no I don't mean the middle one :D
 
It would really be nice if they could come up with some gesture/multi-tap or something to get rid of the low tech popper mechanical home button.
 
herbiehancock00 said:
You guys are so lazy.
Click to expand...

Don't you think that given the ultra high tech (star trek) style design of the iPad. With all it's aluminium back, it's glass front and multitouch ability.

Having a popper button that uses the same tech as in a cheap joystick is rather a shame, when something more in keeping with the advanced 2010 design would be more appropriate and in keeping with the latest in design and technology?
 
I suggest a three finger swipe to the left (as most users are righ-handed, so the swipe to the left would be a more "natural" motion) in addition to the Home button.
 
samcraig said:
you really want to have to rotate the screen 360 degrees to bring up the dock?

That's a worse solution ;) Not to mention even more of a pain for a docked iPad....
Click to expand...

I actually meant that you should have to pick it up and actually turn yourself 360 degrees whilst holding the iPad. It knows the difference. It's magical after all ;)
 
I suppose the problem with multitouch gesture to activate multitasking would be the possibility of it clashing with apps that use multitouch.
 
sapporobaby said:
Are you really complaining about a matter of a few inches? Really? Or is there just a need to complain about something no matter how inconsequential?
Click to expand...

Complaining about "a few inches" is nothing new, people have done that since the dawn of time. My problem is that the iPad is too versatile and I never know where the home button is. I mean the iPad rotates the screen swiftly so if I work on it, hand it to someone to look at something and get it back I always end up looking for the home button when I need it. I agree that with multi-touch technology you would think that some touch input could have been used. Being left-handed myself I would prefer something a little more open, maybe a three-finger-swipe up as the graphical animation does lift the currently open screen.
 
Kithe said:
Complaining about "a few inches" is nothing new, people have done that since the dawn of time. My problem is that the iPad is too versatile and I never know where the home button is. I mean the iPad rotates the screen swiftly so if I work on it, hand it to someone to look at something and get it back I always end up looking for the home button when I need it. I agree that with multi-touch technology you would think that some touch input could have been used. Being left-handed myself I would prefer something a little more open, maybe a three-finger-swipe up as the graphical animation does lift the currently open screen.
Click to expand...

You make a great point. To stay "oriented" I tend to use the black antenna band at the top of my iPad to point up. Also, you correctly reminded me that in the Apple commercial they say that there is no right way to hold and iPad or something like that. Not sure if there is a JB hack to do what you want but I am sure someone is working on it as we speak.
 
sapporobaby said:
You make a great point. To stay "oriented" I tend to use the black antenna band at the top of my iPad to point up. Also, you correctly reminded me that in the Apple commercial they say that there is no right way to hold and iPad or something like that. Not sure if there is a JB hack to do what you want but I am sure someone is working on it as we speak.
Click to expand...

You obviously have the 3G model. Us Wi-Fi'ers don't have a visual clue like that ;)
 
what about battery life? are you guys noticing anything or still the same?
i'm hesitant moving from 3.2.2 to 4.2 because of this. i've used my ipad for about 30mins and it's still showing 100% (new ipad bought just last friday)
 
samcraig said:
You obviously have the 3G model. Us Wi-Fi'ers don't have a visual clue like that ;)
Click to expand...

In order to find the home button, I just quickly run my hand along the sides, looking for the dock port or the volume buttons. Once I find them, I flip the iPad so that the home button is to the right (I'm right-handed), and I never have trouble using the home button, at least in landscape. Portrait is another matter, because I find that I need to hold the iPad with the power/sleep button at the top, otherwise it gets inadvertently pressed down when I shift the iPad on whatever surface I'm plopping it up on (my lap, the desktop). But of course that puts the home button at the very bottom of the iPad, which I find hard to reach. Still, the only time when I use the iPad in portrait is when I'm reading a book, so it's not like I'm constantly trying to reach the home button.
 
sapporobaby said:
Are you really complaining about a matter of a few inches? Really? Or is there just a need to complain about something no matter how inconsequential?
Click to expand...

I think that obtaining truly great interfaces (ergonomics) comes down to nailing lots of really small details.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the iPad is an awesome device. Sometimes I lose track of where the home button is, not a big deal. But maybe there is a better way ...
 
Piggie said:
Don't you think that given the ultra high tech (star trek) style design of the iPad. With all it's aluminium back, it's glass front and multitouch ability.

Having a popper button that uses the same tech as in a cheap joystick is rather a shame, when something more in keeping with the advanced 2010 design would be more appropriate and in keeping with the latest in design and technology?
Click to expand...

And when the OS occasionally freezes, and it will, do you really want a software solution as the only way to reset the frozen iPad?
 
I don't know what all the hype is with folders

Apparently I had folders from the very beginning on an iPad bought in June. That's not as important as this though. I just updated my OS to 4.2 and it lost all the dates on my photo albums. Previously each photo album(upload) had the date under it which was rather useful although it did confuse Sep 2009 with Sep 2010 in the ordering. Now however now there are useless numbers and letters which don't seem to signify anything in particular.
eg 1091MPRT is followed by 1101MPRT and 1111MPRT where did these useless numbers come from and can I get my original dates back?

Quite apart from the fact that the update ruined the order of all my apps and even lost a few in the process.
 
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