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iPad OS 4.2 'Orientation Lock' to 'Mute Switch' Change Permanent
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"Do you have plans...?"
"Nope."
Doesn't close the door forever on future changes to that. It just means, at present, there are no plans for it. Not really as outrageous a response as many will read it, but whatever.
You all want it? Go to Apple's feedback page and let them know.
"Nope."
Doesn't close the door forever on future changes to that. It just means, at present, there are no plans for it. Not really as outrageous a response as many will read it, but whatever.
You all want it? Go to Apple's feedback page and let them know.
Good point. Jobs continually says that the most requested feature is X and then they add it.
Shouldn't it be "He is being an idiot" rather than "They are being idiots"?
Apple isn't doing anything here that the turtlenecked overlord isn't behind.
This. I don't see the big deal. You flip a switch now. Soon you'll have to double tap the home button to lock orientation. I don't see the big deal. Either way takes a half a second of effort.. No big deal, calm down.
My user scenario. I have the landscape
Marware case so I am almost always in landscape mode. I lock it in because the rotation gets annoying when I don't want it. Trouble is, the desk riser is landscape volume up, whereas the full stand position is landscape buttons down which is how I do my bedside reading. If the iPad is asleep on my desk, when I go to use it in bed I have to enter my four digit code upside down, double tap the home button, slide the dock upside down, then hit the rotation unlock button, let it rotate then hit the rotation lock button again, then tap the home button. Then in the morning a have to do that same dance for the breakfast table for the "desk" position. The whole process used to be a flick of a slider. Whoever thinks that this is better has lost touch with reality.
Marware case so I am almost always in landscape mode. I lock it in because the rotation gets annoying when I don't want it. Trouble is, the desk riser is landscape volume up, whereas the full stand position is landscape buttons down which is how I do my bedside reading. If the iPad is asleep on my desk, when I go to use it in bed I have to enter my four digit code upside down, double tap the home button, slide the dock upside down, then hit the rotation unlock button, let it rotate then hit the rotation lock button again, then tap the home button. Then in the morning a have to do that same dance for the breakfast table for the "desk" position. The whole process used to be a flick of a slider. Whoever thinks that this is better has lost touch with reality.
No. it's less convenient.
Currently:
Flip Switch, Rotate, Flip Switch. Process takes 1/3rd a second.
My finger doesn't move off the switch.
New:
Double tap home button. Flip running applications right to the lock orientation/Play controls - Note that there may be many flips here depending on how many applications you have running. Press on-screen orientation button. Rotate. Press screen button again.
Note that when I rotate, I have to relocate my finger to press the on-screen orientation button, which is in a completely different location.
Process takes 4-5 seconds and could be longer depending on the number of pages of running apps I have to flip through to get to the orientation button.
Envision a TV commercial demonstrating this functionality. you've just wasted 4-5 seconds of time with multiple on-screen hand movements. There's a 1/3 second solution now with no visible hand movements, that works, reliably, every time.
Oh well now that sucks. I use my orientation lock a lot when watching video. I like to keep it in full screen landscape mode no matter where I toss it on the bed.
Is it even possible to lock your device in landscape mode? My iPod Touch 4g doesn't seem able to lock it to anything other than portrait.
Is it even possible to lock your device in landscape mode? My iPod Touch 4g doesn't seem able to lock it to anything other than portrait.
Why not make double-tapping volume down button mute? I use the orientation lock all the time! (though mostly leave the it locked in portrait.)
This is ridiculous, you guys act like it's hard to lock the screen in the tray lol!
It is better this way, it makes more sense. So just get over it people!
As I said above I think it makes more sense this way, but I do think they should change screen locking to stay locked in the position it is in when you lock it so you could choose to lock it in portrait or landscape.
Nice try, good (if albeit overused and tired) example in principle, but wait till all the millions of normal people stick their devices in itunes in a few weeks and then realize that they can't lock the screen as they were able to a few seconds ago. They won't go "meh" and shrug, they ll bombard apple call centers to find out how a simple everyday function as the screen lock has become a convoluted mess involving double clicks of the home screen, swiping left, then touching an on screen button, then touching the screen to get back to where they left off.
Apple prematurely shot their wad on this one and they are going to have a big mess in their hands.
I can count the number of people who 've used the lock switch less than a handful of times in 6 months in one had as well.
Oh, boy, oh boy, that makes it even more ludicrous. This has got to be one of the simplest things that they've gotten so horribly wrong recently.
Good post. It echoes what I said too. But ui consistensy is not only in that example, think aqua scroll bars in one interface, ios scroll bars in another, and "marble" scroll bars in yet another...don't sweat it os x is full of these inconsistencies everywhere. And that's not a bad thing really. But what's even more funny, and where the consistency argument (or pretext) fails is that not even between iphone and ipad is there that supposed consistency. Case in point (one of the them, there are quite a few), turn screen horizontally on iphone,nothing happens (and how could it, the size doesn't lend itself to an extended dock there...), turn it on the ipad and you have horizontal orientation. So they themselves admit that one device has one way of doing things because it's a different device, and the other another because well they are separate types of devices. So much for going after a consistent mute buttons.
Let's face it, it's stupid decision. Phones have mute buttons, reader/browser/ipods/general purpose tablet devices don't need to have mute buttons and are best served when said switch is used to lock orientation.
I don't agree. A volume button that doubles up as mute after 1/2 a sec of press and hold is ideal for mute. No reason to confuse the user with another button to mute. Make the volume available even when in lock mode and you are set. One button for the much needed orientation lock, and another for volume control. If there would be one extra button that I would find interesting/helpful to have would be screen brightness, that's what I constantly find I want to tweak. And the least one required is of course the actual mute....
Actually if it were me I would scrap the volume altogether (apps give you volume control, who reaches for the actual dial? it's not an iphone where you have it in your pocket say and you want to feel your way to the button to lower the voice, you don't actually make calls with the ipad and hold it in one hand and lower the volume via the buttons...), make it a screen brightness control, leave the orientation switch as is, and put a mute button in software mode. And that would be the perfect solution, let me congratulate myself for thinking it.
And one last thing, to those that claim that a general purpose portable (tablet) computer should have a dedicated mute button? Where is the mute button on our macbook pros and airs? It's not as if we are not getting notifications there, it's not as if we are not facetiming there, so where is it since we all need it so much and we all the time all of a sudden forget to mute during meetings?
Where is the volume button for that matter on the portable macs? Exactly, I didn't think so either. The ipad needs a dedicated mute, as much as mac needs one.
It doesn't make any sense.
The physical sceenlock next to the volume buttons, that we have now, is exactly what we need. It's perfect.
The physical sceenlock next to the volume buttons, that we have now, is exactly what we need. It's perfect.
You underestimate the number of tablet devices due to hit the market over the next year.
Android 7" tabs
WebOS tab
Windows 7 tab
All with built-in cameras, memory expansion slots and a wide-open marketplace for apps.
Watching HP's Slate promo piece I immediately noticed one of the advantages to a Windows 7 tab; the ability to run Skype video, the free open standard I and my contacts already use on our desktops. Compare that to Facetime which is pretty much useless to me because none of my contacts uses an Apple device with this capability.
Why do you think Steve busted in on a conference call for his tirade last week? Apple has marketshare now but that's only because the iPad has been such an uncontested hit this year. By this time next year that can easily erode to the limited Apple fanboy share as competitors ramp up their game.
Consistency across devices that serve different purposes is kind of a silly goal, but if they're bound and determined to do it, this doesn't seem like the greatest approach.
I've used several phones that let you mute just by holding the "down" side of the volume rocker, and every single phone I have ever used allows me to immediately silence an incoming call or text by pressing either side of the rocker. I very seldom found that those buttons got accidentally pressed in my pocket. To me, it would appear to be more consistent to allow the volume buttons to act in exactly this manner, and let the lock switch act as an orientation lock on all iDevices. The orientation lock is such a useful thing to have right there for me, and apparently for quite a few other users, why complicate that bit of functionality? As long as I can quickly silence a call or other alert with the volume rocker, like I've ben able to on every single phone I've ever used, I would be fine with seeing the mute switch on the iPhone becoming orientation lock.
I used the orientation lock quite a bit on the occasions when I've used an iPad - so much so that I can see the device as being kind of annoying without it. I'll probably pass on purchasing one if this happens to be true. Some of you may balk at that, but hey, it's not like owning an iPad is a necessity, so if I find they've changed it in a way that makes it less enjoyable or convenient for me to use in the way I find enjoyable or convenient, there's kind of no point. I already have too many other devices with annoying quirks, so why bother with another?
I've used several phones that let you mute just by holding the "down" side of the volume rocker, and every single phone I have ever used allows me to immediately silence an incoming call or text by pressing either side of the rocker. I very seldom found that those buttons got accidentally pressed in my pocket. To me, it would appear to be more consistent to allow the volume buttons to act in exactly this manner, and let the lock switch act as an orientation lock on all iDevices. The orientation lock is such a useful thing to have right there for me, and apparently for quite a few other users, why complicate that bit of functionality? As long as I can quickly silence a call or other alert with the volume rocker, like I've ben able to on every single phone I've ever used, I would be fine with seeing the mute switch on the iPhone becoming orientation lock.
I used the orientation lock quite a bit on the occasions when I've used an iPad - so much so that I can see the device as being kind of annoying without it. I'll probably pass on purchasing one if this happens to be true. Some of you may balk at that, but hey, it's not like owning an iPad is a necessity, so if I find they've changed it in a way that makes it less enjoyable or convenient for me to use in the way I find enjoyable or convenient, there's kind of no point. I already have too many other devices with annoying quirks, so why bother with another?
Maybe so, but there's always the possibility that some people from the team pushed for that and Steve doesn't want to clash with the and said ok (see the all things d. discussion with Steve where he says that you can't veto down smart people's decisions within your company because they are not going to have the incentive to work then on, and I believe he is telling the truth).
But let me ask you this, if the existence of a turtlenecked overlord is something you find distasteful to say the least, can't you just ignore him and post in fora of companies with no turtlenecked overlords? Or do you just love to hate him?
Because as much as I think it's not the best idea to abide by a turtleneck overlord, I think it's more problematic to project your anti authoritarianism to a very controlling (but stiil very intelligent and visionary) ceo instead of the thousands of real tyrants out there costing immense grief to the world everyday. Or even better the internalized tyrants within...now that's a challenge.
Think about it for sec adrian, you are smart guy, unlike some here.
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The one thing unique to the iPad... They should make the silent software and the orientation physical. Or maybe 2 switches? Something different than this. Plus on my touch why can't I lock it in landscape? That's the only reason I would use it. > : ( FIX IT APPLE
The one thing unique to the iPad... They should make the silent software and the orientation physical. Or maybe 2 switches? Something different than this. Plus on my touch why can't I lock it in landscape? That's the only reason I would use it. > : ( FIX IT APPLE
And one last thing, to those that claim that a general purpose portable (tablet) computer should have a dedicated mute button? Where is the mute button on our macbook pros and airs? It's not as if we are not getting notifications there, it's not as if we are not facetiming there, so where is it since we all need it so much and we all the time all of a sudden forget to mute during meetings?
The ipad needs a dedicated mute, as much as mac needs one.
The macbooks do not have a mute switch because when they are closed and in sleep mode they do not emit audible notifications like the iPhone and iPad do.
Yes, very easily, just like the ipod did. If you knew anything or had bothered to read any informed opinion on this issue you 'd know that not only will it not erode to the "limited apple fanboy share" but it will be extremely hard for anyone to even compete with apple.
For six months they haven't even been able to come up with device that would at least match the specs at the same price, and they still can't without compromising in every way be it in battery, screen size, cpu etc. etc. Let alone matching the tons of developers apple have on their side and the evolved eco system of ios.
Let me break it to you. The ipad is going the ipod way, everyone from now on will be also runs. The ipad is a cultural phenomenon.
As for facetime, I 'd hate to break that to you as well, but the much inferior skype protocol is a closed source black box process, facetime is an open standard so expect a pc type application really soon if you are not one of the few hundreds of millions of people who own either a mac, an ipod or an iphone.
Apple can be downright idiotic about a lock switch but others have been idiotic about their whole strategies for years and years, and they are paying now very very dearly.
Doble click home, and you have orientation lock as on iPhone! useless to have a button for that.
I've tried the Samsung one, cost as much as the iPad 16GB wifi, it sucks hard time and 7" monitor... sorry Steve is right, just a toy.
I've tried the Samsung one, cost as much as the iPad 16GB wifi, it sucks hard time and 7" monitor... sorry Steve is right, just a toy.