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iPad's Orientation Lock Switch Becomes Mute Switch With iOS 4.2
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The screen lock switch was one of those wow-inducing features. I would not have even realized how useful it could be if they had not added it, but it was something I loved. I cannot believe they think iPad needs a mute button more than an orientation lock.
wow, I hope you are not driving even a 1000 miles from where me and my family live, I see a lot of people in the trauma service because they are driving and texting, and now, you tell us that you are watching movies or checking google maps on the iPad while you go over the speed limit on the highway?
I respect deeply all opinions on this forum about this issue, but your rationale for not having the switch is not only flawed, is just dangerous.
You can still lock the screen using the on-screen button.
It was impossible to mute the ipad without turning it on - that was a real problem when your ipad is making noise in a business environment because you forgot to turn it off. Muting is much more likely to be something you need to do in a hurry with the screen turned off. It makes much more sense for muting to be given a dedicated switch.
Nope. Why not just use the volume switch for volume and mute? That would seem to be the logical thing. By the way, muting is already built into that switch (albeit with the iPad on): hold down the volume button all the way for about one second and watch as the volume drops instantly (OK one-secondly) to zero. It would seem, then, that making that switch active when the unit is off/sleeping is not that hard. Probably cheaper to make a new switch than mod the existing.
You say "nope," but you prove my point. Unless the existing volume switch can be made to mute without turning the device on, it doesn't make sense to dedicate the hardware switch to screen lock (after all, you only lock the screen when the device is on, anyway). There is no evidence the switch can be made to do that.
I'll toss it back: is there any evidence that it can't be done with the rocker switch or that it can be done with the screen lock switch? In the absence of an EE degree and a tear-down of my iPad, no matter what avenue you take, it's repurposing one switch completely or repurposing another switch by degree, using some combination of programming or circuitry. Let's let someone else do the cost analysis.
In other cases, press and hold often gets different results than press and release (Mac power buttons, for just one instance) so it's done all the time. In addition having a switch be powered while the unit is powered down doesn't seem exactly insurmountable. We're disagreeing about which switch. I think the volume rocker should be used to control the volume. How about pressing the rocker in the middle to mute?
This is a case of YMMV. I use (and need) the lock all the time, and I don't foresee issues with inadvertent volume that can't be solved in a second. I'd still buy another one regardless of switch function. Have a nice weekend.
I hope you will think more about whether this is a good idea.
It may seem like you have everything under control, but that can change in an instant when you are least expecting it, with catastrophic consequences.
Not a flame, just something to think about. Remember, you are not only risking your own safety, but that of others with no say in the matter.
Mr. Apple himself does not have an iPad yet? Tell me your joking. I am only half the Apple fan you are and I bought one the first day it showed up in stores.
Meh, Apple should let user decide,what he want's with switch.
I would prefer orientation lock. Mute ipad is not something you need to do every day.. But maybe they are preparing it for a smaller ipad version with front camera and facetime enabled, who knows.
But still there should be users choice.
And not to forget,when we finally get rid of those blue "in you face" notification windows? One would say, when ios 4.2 is ready,they will improve it, but It looks like they will keep it for ios 5.0?! This is their last big omission, I'd say.
I would prefer orientation lock. Mute ipad is not something you need to do every day.. But maybe they are preparing it for a smaller ipad version with front camera and facetime enabled, who knows.
But still there should be users choice.
And not to forget,when we finally get rid of those blue "in you face" notification windows? One would say, when ios 4.2 is ready,they will improve it, but It looks like they will keep it for ios 5.0?! This is their last big omission, I'd say.
I would be seriously upset if they change the function of that button. I bought the iPad because I liked the configuration as it is. I use the iPad everywhere and in all orientations: laying, standing, upside down, horizontally, bent... And I use that button all the time.
If they don't give us an option via software to keep it as it is, I will not upgrade. For the love of the lord, I can use the volume buttons to mute that thing. But I won't certainly go down somewhere into the dock to change the lock/unlock.
And I use that button all the time.If they don't give us an option via software to keep it as it is, I will not upgrade. For the love of the lord, I can use the volume buttons to mute that thing. But I won't certainly go down somewhere into the dock to change the lock/unlock.
I would be seriously upset if they change the function of that button. I bought the iPad because I liked the configuration as it is. I use the iPad everywhere and in all orientations: laying, standing, upside down, horizontally, bent...
If they don't give us an option via software to keep it as it is, I will not upgrade. For the love of the lord, I can use the volume buttons to mute that thing. But I won't certainly go down somewhere into the dock to change the lock/unlock.
Well that's why you have a choice to upgrade or not but the volume buttons only work when the screen is off not useful for quickly muting the device if necessary also you have to click the volume rocker multiple times or press and hold for an extended period of time to mute or unmet the device. And unlike posted above you can't press the center of the volume rocker as a dedicated mute switch there is no middle button just up or down. I just don't understand what you guys do with your devices that you need to constantly lock and unlock your orientation. Most people open an app choose an orientation and keep it for a while until they switch apps or want to change their orientation again. If you need to constantly be changing your orientation it's much easier to just keep the device unlocked and let the accelerometer do it's job in deciding the orientation.
The best thing would be, to give the user the option to decide, what he/she wants to do with that button.
Also could the firmware be changed that the volume buttons work all the time, despite screen lock or not.
Also could the firmware be changed that the volume buttons work all the time, despite screen lock or not.
Weird.... I think the iPad needs an orientation lock switch more than a mute button. Oh well... I'm not that familiar yet with the Multitasking features as apart from an iPad, my other handheld is a 1st gen iPod Touch.
I personally will not upgrade to ios 4.2. the ipad is good the way it is.. 20 buck that someone will be in the hospital for getting frustrated on the features
iPhone 4 32GB iPad 64GB iPod touch 4G 64GB
iPhone 4 32GB iPad 64GB iPod touch 4G 64GB
taking away features from customers is a proven way to loose customers. I only see reasons to stay with my original OS. I see no reasons to upgrade to 4/
Folders? Do not need them Multitasking ? I can already multitask I read the morning news while taking a dump on the toilet.
Folders? Do not need them Multitasking ? I can already multitask I read the morning news while taking a dump on the toilet.
Really?
So, just upgraded to 4.2 and then while using the iPad -- after some swiveling -- suddenly realized why my habitual use of the switch to lock the screen didn't seem to work anymore... Mute? WTF??
And no option to set the default function for the switch? Really? Had to google to this forum to figure out what had happened...
Bad move, Apple.
So, just upgraded to 4.2 and then while using the iPad -- after some swiveling -- suddenly realized why my habitual use of the switch to lock the screen didn't seem to work anymore... Mute? WTF??
And no option to set the default function for the switch? Really? Had to google to this forum to figure out what had happened...
Bad move, Apple.
Has even a single post in this thread mentioned the fact that this is not a basic "mute all" switch? What it actually does is mute notifications and other extraneous alert noises... but still allows audio from the current app to proceed uninterrupted.
IOW: if we're listening to the iPod player, or putting on a presentation with Keynote, or playing a game (etc), we can easily tune out other sounds... without needing to remember to turn off notifications first.
IOW: if we're listening to the iPod player, or putting on a presentation with Keynote, or playing a game (etc), we can easily tune out other sounds... without needing to remember to turn off notifications first.
Yeah that very much depends on the app. Fortunately most apps have handled it how I like. That is, VoIP loudspeaker is not muted, and any app that is primarily audio, eg. iPod is not muted either. Most games I have played ARE muted with the switch, which is good. Stops me from getting a scare when I pop it open in a place that's supposed to be quiet.