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The Venue 8 looks like a decent tablet for the money, I'd consider one of those for my daughter in place of a proper laptop for things like school.

I've gotten more use out of my iPad since I got it about a month ago than I ever got out of the Android tablet over the past 2 years, quite a bit of that is due to having cell data.

There are still 3 Windows devices in this house and I can't wait until they all finally die, I can't stand dealing with the random issues with Windows and keeping them all up-to-date and protected.
 
Imagine if car manufacturer started changing up the core UI. Hey, let's put the accelerator on the left and the brake on the right! That whole steering wheel is pretty stale, let's change the direction so turning it clockwise makes turns the car to the left!

Just kidding, of course.
Logical reasoning is not appreciated by the majority of MacRumors readers.

Please stop it immediately.

:D
 
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What does "dated" mean in terms of a UI, particularly in terms of enhancing vs impeding workflow?

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The current home screen for the ipads is just the iphone interface, blown up. A bunch of icons in a grid. Apple keeps talking about "tablet" apps, when the home screen is not taking advantage of the extra screen space.

Other tablets besides ipad have widgets. IOS7 almost did it with that clock showing the time in the icon but not the weather in the weather icon.
 
The current home screen for the ipads is just the iphone interface, blown up. A bunch of icons in a grid. Apple keeps talking about "tablet" apps, when the home screen is not taking advantage of the extra screen space.

Other tablets besides ipad have widgets. IOS7 almost did it with that clock showing the time in the icon but not the weather in the weather icon.

Personally, I like that the iPad doesn't have a 10-by-8 grid of icons because "well, they fit". However, I would like the option to position them without the top-left stickiness.

Widgets sounds nice. However, I don't see myself using them. I mean, the weather widget on Android is nice but is it necessary? Do you constantly need to know the temperature outside? Widgets are also used to stream live-content like a twitter-feed, but is that really that much more efficient than bringing the app to the foreground? With that said, I do see some form of potential in the feature.

What I would like is better multi-tasking. I like how the YouTube app handles videos. We should have the ability to shrink a video into a small, movable, thumbnail.
 
iOS on the iPad is not dated in terms of the UI design, but it definitely is more limited in functionality than Windows 8 Pro tablets or even Android tablets.

iOS is great as a phone OS. But for a tablet sometimes you want more flexibility with it in terms of multitasking, home screen layout, multiple user accounts, file manager, etc instead of just an enlarged version of the phone interface.

iPad still has the best library of 'tablet-specific' apps, but the benefits of increased functionality of the latest windows and android tablets will start to outweigh that as people move even more away from laptops/desktops and use tablets as their main computing device.
 
I like a number of Apple's design elements in iOS, but I do agree that they seem very outdated when compared to other products. I don't like how I can't have multiple windows open at the same, this is especially annoying for things like Skype, where if you switch to another app, the video call mutes as you attempt to look something up quickly, or there's a chat app I use very regularly, and it constantly disconnects after a few minutes because I can't have it open for so long due to the way that iOS handles "multitasking". Basically I want to open multiple apps and have them side by side or wherever I want to place them.
 
I like a number of Apple's design elements in iOS, but I do agree that they seem very outdated when compared to other products. I don't like how I can't have multiple windows open at the same, this is especially annoying for things like Skype, where if you switch to another app, the video call mutes as you attempt to look something up quickly, or there's a chat app I use very regularly, and it constantly disconnects after a few minutes because I can't have it open for so long due to the way that iOS handles "multitasking". Basically I want to open multiple apps and have them side by side or wherever I want to place them.

Get a Windows tablet and all of your problems will be solved. IPads are toys designed for kiddies and grannies.
 
I've been messing with the Dell Venue Pro 8, and the Modern UI has impressed me. I recall some discussions about how widgets were useless, but the tiles are very elegant. It makes the iPad UI seem very dated.

What do you think? Apple likes to keep things simple, but is it time for the old icon and folder arrangement to get refreshed? How would you change it without copying Android or Windows? Or does it need changing at all?

I must admit I do like the modern UI of windows. I think it looks very nice on a tablet. I also like google+ layout on iPad. I wonder if apple will move to design something fresh for tablets as they seem to have put a lot of effort into the touch areas on iPad mini. Maybe stage II of iOSt is coming soon.

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I like a number of Apple's design elements in iOS, but I do agree that they seem very outdated when compared to other products. I don't like how I can't have multiple windows open at the same, this is especially annoying for things like Skype, where if you switch to another app, the video call mutes as you attempt to look something up quickly, or there's a chat app I use very regularly, and it constantly disconnects after a few minutes because I can't have it open for so long due to the way that iOS handles "multitasking". Basically I want to open multiple apps and have them side by side or wherever I want to place them.

Your problem could be solved by using FaceTime.
 
I've been messing with the Dell Venue Pro 8, and the Modern UI has impressed me. I recall some discussions about how widgets were useless, but the tiles are very elegant. It makes the iPad UI seem very dated.
I think the metro interface for win8 is quite different but I wouldn't say its showing the inadequacies of iOS' UI.

I was playing with a surface at a microsoft store and I was mildly impressed with it, but being over a 1,000 dollars (for the pro version), there's no way I'd be willing to buy it. The tablet is like 800 to 900 plus since its the pro flavor I'd need to buy office too.
 
I think the metro interface for win8 is quite different but I wouldn't say its showing the inadequacies of iOS' UI.

I was playing with a surface at a microsoft store and I was mildly impressed with it, but being over a 1,000 dollars (for the pro version), there's no way I'd be willing to buy it. The tablet is like 800 to 900 plus since its the pro flavor I'd need to buy office too.

Then buy a Dell Venue 11 it's very similar to Surface Pro but costs much less.
 
Then buy a Dell Venue 11 it's very similar to Surface Pro but costs much less.

I looked at it, but I still like my iPad :D It all boiled down to how would I use it and the truth is for my needs the iPad is a better fit
 
I bought the Dell because it was $307 for a 64GB. The 11" is $499 for a 64GB, and it comes with MS Office. Its a deal. The higher priced configs use Intel Core i3 and i5 instead of Atom. I was curious about the Atom quad processor, and it is a LOT snappier than I expected. I am a veteran of the original Atom netbooks, and those were dogs.

I have to say the iPad is definitely no slouch compared. Price is a big factor here, which is why Android is so popular. If Windows provides a decent tablet experience and undercuts Apple on price, things will get dicey. I think ultimately the competition is healthy.
 
Unless Apple either VASTLY improves ios usability to make it comparable to OS X or creates a touch version of OS X I can't see them being competitive in the tablet market in a few years. Having an idiot proof OS with zero functionality may be OK for a phone, but won't fly for long on a tablet.
 
Imagine today's iPod with the original iPod interface.

I think this statement says it all. Today's iPod doesn't have the original iPod interface. If it did, it would most definitely be stale and dated, wouldn't you say?

But instead, significant changes have occurred on the interface. Depending on which iPod you're using, it hardly bears any resemblance at all to the original.

Likewise, holding an iPhone 5s next to an original iPhone, or even any device running iOS 6, and you'll notice very significant changes. No way has the interface stood still. The changes however, have been done with a conscious effort to add specific features and actions, while giving just enough visual refresh (without forcing people to learn all new things), that most people aren't bored.

I think the adjective you're actually looking of is that the Windows interface is different. Some people like radical differences in their interfaces from time to time. There's nothing wrong with that.

Others, however, have actual things to do on their mobile devices, and while evolutionary and functional changes are appreciated, we really would just rather that the thing work. Given the massive amount of backlash that the Windows 8 series has gotten, I'd say the former camp is in the minority.

The original iPod interface was very functional, but this is not cars or buildings we are talking about.

On the contrary: smart devices are becoming nearly essential utilities for certain people, who require them for communication and to get their jobs done. Change for change's sake means downtime while the new interface is learned, with no functional benefit in the end. It CAN be justified if there's a noticeable betterment to how a person does things, but so far, not a single person has been able to articulate in this thread WHY the Metro interface is functionally better and a measurable improvement, other than "I haven't seen this before," or "it looks cool," or "look, I can move these tiles around."

Just thought I'd throw it out there. When I played with Windows 8 originally it was on a laptop, and their Metro (now called Modern) UI is not well suited for laptops. But playing with it on a tablet was a very pleasant surprise. And hiding a full blown OS behind that pretty interface makes for a very compelling device.

It's compelling, until you realize the limitations. Like having more than half the advertised capacity of the device taken up by the operating system. Or that despite how badly Microsoft wants the reality to be otherwise, most windows software either expects to be entirely touch, or entirely mouse based, and never the twain shall meet. Meaning all the advantages Microsoft claims you get out having both in one is really not there.


But hey, they say you can get used to hanging by your thumbs. And some people might actually like this, rather than be trying to convince themselves they do. To me though, it seems a lot like the netbook fad: people wanted really badly to like netbooks, and then they realized how badly they did at just about everything.


Imagine an iPad with an iOS interface where you could swipe and get OS X under the covers..... Yum.

As appealing as that may sound, again, the issues are going to be readily apparent. This app wants a touch screen... that app wants a mouse. To get all my data on this neat all in one device, I'm going to need either really expensive internal SSD storage, or be tethered to an external 1+ TB drive, limiting mobility. And will I really have to use launchpad now? Yuck.
 
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Unless Apple ... I can't see them being competitive in the tablet market in a few years.

Let's not forget that the "tablet market" essentially didn't exist less than four years ago.

I'd be surprised if Apple didn't do just what they need to do to continue to rake in the revenue "in a few years". There's always the chance of a black-swan event of course, or changes to leadership/culture that lead them astray.

What will be interesting to watch are the ecosystem network effects of the different platforms balanced against the premium vs commodity product positioning.
 
Let's not forget that the "tablet market" essentially didn't exist less than four years ago.

I'd be surprised if Apple didn't do just what they need to do to continue to rake in the revenue "in a few years". There's always the chance of a black-swan event of course, or changes to leadership/culture that lead them astray.

What will be interesting to watch are the ecosystem network effects of the different platforms balanced against the premium vs commodity product positioning.

Apple hasn't changed much in 7 years. Ios 7 has a new UI but it's still far behind in functionality compared to Android let alone ios.
 
Windows 8.1 >>>>>OS X and that's coming from a huge OS X fan.

The Windows 8 adoption figures definitely support that. After all, 1.72% of computer users can't be wrong!

Get a Windows tablet and all of your problems will be solved. IPads are toys designed for kiddies and grannies.

Toys, right. I'm sure all the people using them for content creation, for looking at anatomy in ORs etc. would completely agree with you.

Unless Apple either VASTLY improves ios usability to make it comparable to OS X or creates a touch version of OS X I can't see them being competitive in the tablet market in a few years. Having an idiot proof OS with zero functionality may be OK for a phone, but won't fly for long on a tablet.

Yes, because having a full desktop OS on a tablet has worked really well previously. I mean, look at all those tablet PCs that sold brilliantly before the iPad came out. Also, look at how well the current Windows tablets / tablet-PC hybrids are selling. Oh, wait...

BTW, iOS is the touch version of OSX. They're both based on Darwin...

Apple hasn't changed much in 7 years. Ios 7 has a new UI but it's still far behind in functionality compared to Android let alone ios.

Maybe if you keep trolling eventually someone will get annoyed?
 
Apple hasn't changed much in 7 years.

Neither has Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream. :D


Ios 7 has a new UI but it's still far behind in functionality compared to Android let alone ios.

Functionality and Usability are not necessarily the same. I've owned some incredibly functional devices that were an utter PITA to use.

Remember Apple's target market and consider the typical choice drivers for that segment. Usability trumps Functionality for most of the general public. Hint: the people who hang out on MR are not really Apple's mobile device bread & butter market.

There's a substantive difference in philosophy when a company owns the whole platform soup-to-nuts such as Apple vs a company that must compete against others within the same platform space such as HTC and Samsung do on Android.

In the latter instance you'll see a lot more features/bells/whistles as each manuf. tries to differentiate their products from others on the same platform. Whether those features translate to usable benefits to the consumer is another matter entirely, and depends on whether they solve a problem people actually have as well as whether the feature works simply/easily/consistently.

This will all be very interesting to watch in the coming years. Especially so considering that both Microsoft and Google now own Moto & Nokia and can attempt to benefit from tighter OS/hardware integration.
 
Dated, classic, retro, forward thinking are for the most part different for each person. For me I prefer a Ui that gets out of the way and lets me get to the app I want. iOS works for what I want to do.

I have JB each of my phones, for some additional functionality (BiteSMS, Infinidock & Lock Info), but most of that was to improve the app I use or to make access to them quicker.

I played around with Windows 8 on my son’s laptop and I did not like the tiles at all, but that is just me YMMV.

You said it best with your comment about the UI getting out of the way. I like how iOS looks and feels. I can easily get to where I want and love the app folders. The interface is slick and smooth. That's what counts to me.

I don't personally see the problem with something that works well staying the same for a very long time. But that's just me.
 
Windows 8 pathetic adoption rates illustrates the problem with overhauling the UI too much. Most people do not want to learn how to use their computers all over again. iOS May seem a little dates and lacking in functionality, but that's because the apps are the main attraction and not the OS. To change the basic UI too much would be to alienate millions who've grown accustomed to it.
 
Windows 8 pathetic adoption rates illustrates the problem with overhauling the UI too much. Most people do not want to learn how to use their computers all over again. iOS May seem a little dates and lacking in functionality, but that's because the apps are the main attraction and not the OS. To change the basic UI too much would be to alienate millions who've grown accustomed to it.

This is a very good point. People freak out when things change too much too fast. Microsoft's RT release strategy was an unmitigated disaster.
 
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