Is the iOS UI starting to seem boring to anybody? The UI hasn't gotten a major refresh ever. Newer Operating Systems like Windows Phone 7, Windows 8, Web OS seem to be just as good as iOS or better. The problem is though the OS doesn't have enough app choice or they just came too late to the smartphone buisness. Do you think apple is getting to comfortable?
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iPad UI
- Thread starter Vincer
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In terms of UI, yes I think Apple is getting too comfortable. We are approaching iOS version 5 and we still have to stare at an immature, confusing grid of apps. There is so much more you can do with that screen space - both on a phone and a tablet. The iOS home screen layout was great when it first came out - nobody was pushing apps that way. But now it's time to dump the grid and give us something that's actually useful.
In my mind, WebOS represents a great marriage between iOS design aesthetics and Android functionality. I hope WebOS becomes a more viable competitor to iOS.
Well, iOS 5 seems more of a functionality overhaul than a UI one. Maybe iOS 5.X will bring what we want to see.
I still like the iOS UI.
You can try a few cydia tweaks to change the UI. My favourites are winterboard and Dreamboard(completly changes your UI, for ex. like HTC or Windows7)
You can try a few cydia tweaks to change the UI. My favourites are winterboard and Dreamboard(completly changes your UI, for ex. like HTC or Windows7)
I don't think it's stale. I think it's simple. And easy. I doubt my mother would really understand WebOS's Cards system, but she certainly understands how to use an iPad.
What would you like them to do? Flashing bits, and wavy thing, and things that go pop? If I want info on the device, I will use it for that. Otherwise it is a photo frame, or off in the charger. I don't particularly see then need for widgets. I don't use dashboard on the mac, and don't see why I'd use it on iPad.
The only thing I may use is a clock with weather, or something on. I don't see a need to bling the home screen, as I don't use it, except when navigating.
The only thing I may use is a clock with weather, or something on. I don't see a need to bling the home screen, as I don't use it, except when navigating.
I never understood why this is the standard for determining a successful user experience, more specifically the UI.
Given the screen real estate, I feel that Apple can take the UI to a slightly more advanced level, without compromising it's balance of form and function. Regardless of how tech savvy the tablet using grandma's are, just about anyone can spend a little time adjusting to a more in-depth interface. It's sooo boring right now.
And to the people that say, "i spend 0 time looking at the home screen"..
well why would you, there's nothing there. It's a portal to different apps. But what if the home screen was both a hub to all your apps, and a information screen that told you your latest emails.. or stocks.. or weather, calendar, download status..
#widgetsbaby
Define "boring".
It is a hub for apps.
I thought the purpose of the apps was to supply the above info.
Last thing I want is to see all those things clamoring for my attention when I turn on the iPad and cluttering up screen. When I want to look at something, I'll "tap the app"
No because I have work to do and am not some slackjaw who thinks this would be anything but eyecandy. I've discussed this in other threads, but if you're watching this info come in, you're either not working or you're wasting your leisure time. It's a @#$% workflow setup.
The iOS UI has gone through 4 almost 5 major releases and the home screen has never changed. Some people want widgets, some don't. I just think Apple would make everyone happy if they're were toggles to turn Flash,Widgets,Themes, and Live Wallpapers. It Would be a choice you're not forced to have them on or off.
- Get rid of snap-to-grid, or at least let me put icons wherever I want (on the grid) without them all shuffling to the upper left. Allow a 2x2 (or 2x3) option for icons that could be somewhat like widgets with live updated info displayed.
- Allow a unique wallpaper for each home page. Might help user keep track of where he/she is. Might lead to some clever "theme" series wallpapers.
- Add a 3D effect to it that shows up when you pan from page to page.
- Make the apps optionally self-sorting. The ones you use more gravitate to the default Home page.
- Add a clean-exit option to the dev kit so apps can be rewritten to close leaving nothing behind. Won't even show up as "recently used".
- Make icons for still-running apps do something to indicate that (they are still running). Pulse/blink/dance/whatever/.
- Add a little "back" icon that stays in the same place relative to however the screen is rotated. Simply takes you one-step back to the last thing/page/app you were at.
These are a few of my favorite things.
Watching the videos of Windows 8 for tablets, it's pretty clear that the iOS system will need to improve if it wants to compete in the future. Sure, I know - all people here at MR want an OS that their mom can use and only want an app launcher, but MS has the right idea. There is so much potential being wasted by Apple, but I'm confident that they'll improve things sooner rather than later. The thing is that, if all you want is an app launcher, then thats' fine - just about any OS can run like that. But some of us want more.
This sounds real easy as long as you ignore any unintended consequences. Do you really think it would be easy to implement this with rotation etc., that the user experience would not be compromised (and I'm talking about average users as well as extremes on both ends, not the ideal user who groks this interface right away)?
These are functional changes and have nothing to do with 'boring' (or I should say, the reason for implementing them shouldn't be because someone finds the UI boring).
Some of us think you are wrong. Apple competes in the present, not the future. People have been saying 'in the future Apple will have to step up its game because the other companies are just ready to unleash their Real Good Ideas, bla bla bla' since forever but somehow this future hasn't come to pass yet. Anyway, if I ever get a time machine I know which manufacturer to buy a future tablet from, in the meantime most people are satisfied with iPads and those people aren't all your strawman tech-idiot.
So? What % of iOS devices are jailbroken? How many did it expressly for customizing the UI and not for other reasons? Even if we give your assumptions a pass, that doesn't mean Apple has any incentive to alter the UI.
It's boring to me because, I've seen the grid icon display for almost 4 years now. I feel that there needs to be an evolution in the look. YES it works. YES it's simple. YES anyone can use it, including small children and out of touch people. But there in lies why it's boring. It's just an app launcher without any dynamics behind the OS.
Sometimes, I'll have my ipad there (propped up on the smart cover with my email open OR my music playing) while I'm doing other things like working or watching tv. I think it would be pretty cool if the iPad screen had information displaying on it that I wanted to know, without actually opening an app just to find out 1 single piece of info, then closing it to go into another one.
Someone else just brought up the example of the Windows8 tablet/phone. If you've seen the demo video, you'll know how fluid it is to go from APP to APP and interact with the main home screen. It would be GREAT to have information that is important to you, be shown to you in the manner you want it. Not just opening and closing 4 different apps just to find out bits of information.
It works, it's simple, and anyone can use it. This is like the holy grail of UI! But it's boring! Welp, better change it.
I wonder if anybody's actually bothered to look at the notification system for iOS 5.
What is it about mobile, that folks want a completely new UI every 2 years or so?
The desktop basic UI hasn't changed for 25 years!
The desktop basic UI hasn't changed for 25 years!
I agree the UI is stale. I hear a lot of people say the UI is simple and should remain that way so novices/non-techies will have easier use. If that's the case then fine, but how about having an "advanced user" setting which one can enable which would allow people to change things like UI. How would this be a bad thing? Just let me change some basic things about the UI like icon size and position on the homepage and other tweaks.
Having the same UI on a tablet that was designed for a phone is pretty ridiculous.
Having the same UI on a tablet that was designed for a phone is pretty ridiculous.
Some people say the UI is simple and should remain that way for other reasons, though.
Anyway, an 'advanced user' setting for 'basic things' will have several problems:
- it still won't do what some people want
- implementation isn't easy (Apple doesn't want to scale icons, it could look disastrous; size and position is complicated more than a little bit by orientation swaps; when you turn off 'advanced user settings' do all the icons get redistributed across home screens; what if you turn off only some settings, etc.)
- implementation would have negligible effect on sales or consumer satisfaction
So it's cool that people want these things, but I don't see a big incentive for Apple to spend time including them in the near future.
Because Apple don't want to sell the iPad to just us, a bunch of Mac nerds. They want to sell it to everyone, the same way they sold the iPod to everyone. And that kind of mass adoption only comes about when you have an interface which is idiot-proof.