iPad OS 4.2 'Orientation Lock' to 'Mute Switch' Change Permanent

[Ciclismo]

Look, there's a simple and correct rationale for making the switch a mute switch.

There is NEVER any reason to lock the orientation if the screen is off. Never. Not a single justifiable use case.

There IS a reason to mute the sound with the screen off (since the device can make sounds even when the screen is off). You may choose to blame the victim for "forgetting" to mute the device, but the simple matter is that the number of people who find themselves in situations where they need to quickly mute the sound with the screen off is X. The number of people who find themselves in situations where they need to quickly lock the orientation when the screen is off is 0.

And X>0.

FFS, how often does it need to be said? YOU CAN ENGAGE THE MUTE BY HOLDING DOWN THE VOLUME BUTTON FOR 1.5 SECONDS, EVEN WHEN THE SCREEN IS LOCKED, THEREFORE HAVING A MUTE SWITCH IS REDUNDANT AS YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO MUTE USING THE VOLUME ROCKER IN 4.2, GIVING YOU TWO HARDWARE SWITCHES FOR MUTE.

Replacing the rotation lock switch with a 4 step process is inefficient no matter how you try and sell it as it comes in handy when reading whilst lying on you back, as the iPad continually flips rotation when held parallel to the ground, or when handing it to someone unfamiliar with the auto-rotation feature, which also happens very often.

Could we please restrict responses to this issue to those who actually have and use an iPad? Because if you haven't used one, then you do not posess the exeperience to make informed and rational comments.

 

[SpinThis!]

Whats wrong with making that a user selectable option?

Yeh, it's one thing to change the default, which I would completely understand. It's another when users get used to a certain behavior and a software update completely changes the way that particular piece of hardware works.

Next thing they'll do is invert the volume up and down buttons and tell you that inverted is better.

 

[cmaier]

cases arent a part of this conversation. as to the rest -- your scenario is based on an event, turning it off for some reason (for ex at nite). fine but thats *one* event, so giving you an extra step or two (going into software) is less painful than asking users to do that for a dozen or more events a day -- which is how often one can typically desire to lock and then unlock-and-rotate the screen, as when browsing various website layouts during a reading session.

Why are cases not part of the conversation? Do not most people use them with their iPads?

And why is it "one" event? Many people mute and unmute many times a day. I don't know if the number of times people mute and unmute is more or less than the number of times people lock orientation (I, for one, have NEVER locked orientation), but I'm not arrogant enough to assert it one way or the other.

What I do assert is that the consequences of not muting can be far more damaging than the consequences for having screen orientation mistakenly enabled.

People don't crash their cars the vast majority of the time, but they should still wear seatbelts - it's not just the frequency of the event that matters, it's the damage the event causes.

FFS, how often does it need to be said? YOU CAN ENGAGE THE MUTE BY HOLDING DOWN THE VOLUME BUTTON FOR 1.5 SECONDS, EVEN WHEN THE SCREEN IS LOCKED, THEREFORE HAVING A MUTE SWITCH IS REDUNDANT AS YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO MUTE USING THE VOLUME ROCKER IN 4.2, GIVING YOU TWO HARDWARE SWITCHES FOR MUTE.

Replacing the rotation lock switch with a 4 step process is inefficient no matter how you try and sell it as it comes in handy when reading whilst lying on you back, as the iPad continually flips rotation when held parallel to the ground, or when handing it to someone unfamiliar with the auto-rotation feature, which also happens very often.

Could we please restrict responses to this issue to those who actually have and use an iPad? Because if you haven't used one, then you do not posess the exeperience to make informed and rational comments.

I've owned an iPad longer than you. And you cannot change the volume if the screen is OFF. There's a difference between the device being off and the screen being locked.

 

[Ciclismo]

I can, do it all the time. You must be holding it wrong.

 

[cmaier]

I can, do it all the time. You must be holding it wrong.

Right now, with the screen off, I can hold the volume button down for an hour and it won't mute. And when I press the power button and slide to unlock I am greeted with a nice loud click to reward me for my efforts.

Also right now, if I am on the lock screen and do the same, the volume stays maxed out.

I suppose mine is just broken?

 

[pondosinatra]

Completely retarded design change without any merit whatsoever...

 

[dejo]

FFS, how often does it need to be said? YOU CAN ENGAGE THE MUTE BY HOLDING DOWN THE VOLUME BUTTON FOR 1.5 SECONDS, EVEN WHEN THE SCREEN IS LOCKED, THEREFORE HAVING A MUTE SWITCH IS REDUNDANT AS YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO MUTE USING THE VOLUME ROCKER IN 4.2, GIVING YOU TWO HARDWARE SWITCHES FOR MUTE.

Riddle me this then: how do I easily restore the volume to the previous setting without having to know what that setting was?

 

[pr5owner]

what i dont get is, why dont you let the users choose? have an option under the settings menu "hardware switch maps to.... " even in windows mobile you can change your hardware button mappings out of the box.

 

[cmaier]

Riddle me this then: how do I easily restore the volume to the previous setting without having to know what that setting was?

I still can't figure out how to mute without making a sound in the process (w/o the switch), since on my iPad (admittedly running 4.2, but that's how I remember it working on the old iOS) I need to unlock (thus making a sound) to mute with the rocker switch.

what i dont get is, why dont you let the users choose? have an option under the settings menu "hardware switch maps to.... " even in windows mobile you can change your hardware button mappings out of the box.

While I agree with your argument, citing Windows Mobile is hardly the best support for your position. "Even Windows Mobile" lets you do lots of things - how's that working out for them?

 

[JKP]

I really rely on the aspect lock when I'm laying in bed reading. This would suck.

Who cares about mute, you hold the volume down and it mutes.

The speaker is hardly loud enough anyway to bother muting.

 

[NikeTalk]

MacRumors!

Where anything Apple does CAN and WILL be jusitified!

They could kill your own mother and many of you would say.....oh well she was old anyway or hey there's one more monkey off my back!

Point is Apple makes a lot of idiotic mistakes that aren't really jusitified and can't be. #Random, if one more person tries to return their iPhone because of the proximity issue my head is going to explode. It's a hardware issue VERY far from software and cannot and will not be fixed with an update......maybe a product redesign!

 

[MacKeeperFanMod]

Yeah, that's why I changed my car's gas pedal to operate the brake and the brake pedal to operate the gas. It's so much fun to loan my car to people and watch the antics ensue. Screw the accepted paradigm!

 

[rmwebs]

I can, do it all the time. You must be holding it wrong.

Sounds like something Steve would say after the iPhone 4 came out

As every iPad owner has said in here: Its a stupid change. I wouldnt mind so much if we have the CHOICE to CHOOSE what the button does.

I'll say this for the final time:

IF YOU DO NOT OWN AN IPAD
YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO PUT YOUR VIEWS ACROSS IN THIS DISCUSSION.​

Why? Because the 'Who cares' comments are pathetic.

 

[MattG]

This sucks, and it should be selectable. I use this feature all the time.

 

[dejo]

As every iPad owner has said in here: Its a stupid change.

Not every iPad owner has said that.

 

[Celtic-moniker]

Apple changes switch on side of iPad

Mac users go to war with apple

Film at 11....

Oh come on! I'm currently typing this on my iPad, and you know what... I really don' care about the switch changing. It'll take you 30 minutes to re-learn this... And... Viola. There's no real problem.

In all honesty, I'm glad it's changing to a mute switch. It means I can turn on my iPad at anytime, knowing I won't wake the person next to me with the sound.

Why can't they make it switchable, you might ask? Well... Why continue with this behavior that's now going to be standard with every future iPad. You're just kidding yourselves about this. This sulking is the biggest load of crap I've hear in months. Seriously, if you use your ipads as often as I do, the half second you spend switching the orientation (no matter which way you do it) is really a big load of nothing compared to the amount of time spend using your iPad.

Get over it. Future users will be looking at you with a blank look every time you bring this up. You'll just look stupid.

To me, a mute switch next to the volume makes sense. And from a professional standpoint, it's a hell of a lot more useful than having the orientation lock there.

And don't give me that 'hold the down button' crap. In meetings or lectures, you've already annoyed others around you turning your iPad on in the quiet, just so you can volume it down.

Like it or not, the mute button is a good idea. And I'll be using it far more than I use the orientation lock, which at the moment is about once or twice a day.

 

[Celtic-moniker]

So quit your complaining, and spend the time getting a girlfriend.

Mine's thankful for a muted iPad.

 

[Spiritgreywolf]

Sorry Steve...

But you're wrong to do this.

For the record - I have 3 iPads - all 64GB WiFi/3G where I gave one to my in-laws, one to my dad, and well, one for me when I get the support calls

I think this is a dumb idea - at least insofar as there not being a user-selectable option in a menu to determine its behavior.

I too lay in bed reading and having that switch as a rotation lock is indispensable. Thank you Steve, you just ruined something else with your incessant uber-micro management. "Thinking you know best" in this case is decidedly incorrect and is just plain arrogance on your part.

Both my in-laws and my father think holding down the rocker works perfectly fine to mute the device. They use the rotation lock switch and find it quite handy. You've just now made the volume bar for mute redundant and eliminated the usefulness of the switch - at least for myself and the other two people I purchased iPads for.

Anyone who disagrees, fine - at least let me point out that it was just plain dumb to not allow it be a software option, then.

 

[andrewbecks]

This is retarded. I hate the software orientation lock, and I find myself using it extremely frequently. Meanwhile, the mute button is completely useless for someone like me, especially since it's easy to mute by simply holding down the volume button until it's off.

I couldn't agree more. It seems like making it user-configurable would've been super easy and it bugs me to think that I'm not going to be able to easily lock/unlock the orientation. I've never considered jailbreaking my iPad before, but if a suitable hack comes along, I'd consider it just for this.

 

[Spiritgreywolf]

And don't give me that 'hold the down button' crap. In meetings or lectures, you've already annoyed others around you turning your iPad on in the quiet, just so you can volume it down.

Like it or not, the mute button is a good idea. And I'll be using it far more than I use the orientation lock, which at the moment is about once or twice a day.

That's precisely the crap I am going to give you. How about you hold down the rocker to mute it and turn yo crap down BEFORE you trundle into the meeting, okay Fonz?

And there is nothing wrong with making it an option. It would make (most) everyone happy and wouldn't be that difficult to do.

So - good for you in using it as a mute button - I would be happy for you and can only expect the same courtesy from you about others who CHOOSE to use it a DIFFERENT WAY than YOU do.

It's all about choices, my brutha from anutha mutha. Allowing me to make my own choices without taking away any of yours is a good thing. Learn to love diversity...

...oh, and making sure all your noisy bits are muted is your responsibility. Don't make me suffer for your "lack of planning"

 

[Ciclismo]

I still can't figure out how to mute without making a sound in the process (w/o the switch), since on my iPad (admittedly running 4.2, but that's how I remember it working on the old iOS) I need to unlock (thus making a sound) to mute with the rocker switch.

Hmm, looks like I need to eat humble pie - I could do it on my iPad, but I just did a restore and now it won't. Modern day Monopoly card - "Software error in your favour"?

But I can still do it if I am listening to something (radio or iPod) both with or without headphones.

 

[cmaier]

Hmm, looks like I need to eat humble pie - I could do it on my iPad, but I just did a restore and now it won't. Modern day Monopoly card - "Software error in your favour"?

But I can still do it if I am listening to something (radio or iPod) both with or without headphones.

So all you people in favor of keeping the switch the way it is think it's reasonable that the only way to mute the thing is to allow it to make a noise first?

 

[dmmcintyre3]

To those arguing about FaceTime, there is not any camera on a iPad to use for it.

 

[Ciclismo]

So all you people in favor of keeping the switch the way it is think it's reasonable that the only way to mute the thing is to allow it to make a noise first?

Nope, and I never said that either. I would like for the rocker to function as a volume switch/mute at all times though because then it would support having the selector switch as a rotation lock and not as a mute. The former is more often used by me as the latter by a factor of 5 or 6, and the large number of posts in this thread and the similar threads in the iPad sub-forum suggest that I am not alone. Considering that the iPad is seldomly transported without some form of protection (be it a case or a sleeve of some sort) I doubt that this would pose an issue either as accidental activation of the volume rocker is nowhere near as likely as with a small device such as the iPhone that is kept in tighter quarters.

 

[cmaier]

Nope, and I never said that either. I would like for the rocker to function as a volume switch/mute at all times though because then it would support having the selector switch as a rotation lock and not as a mute. The former is more often used by me as the latter by a factor of 5 or 6, and the large number of posts in this thread and the similar threads in the iPad sub-forum suggest that I am not alone. Considering that the iPad is seldomly transported without some form of protection (be it a case or a sleeve of some sort) I doubt that this would pose an issue either as accidental activation of the volume rocker is nowhere near as likely as with a small device such as the iPhone that is kept in tighter quarters.

I would be fine with the rocker switch as mute if it worked even when the ipad was off or the screen is off. But that's not how it works. And since it doesn't work that way, it's assinine that the only way to mute right now is to first make a noise.