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One good reason NOT to update to 4.2....

I

itsjustmeee

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 28, 2008
603
7
I just bought an ipad for a relative who's a senior citizen with little computer experience. I opted not to update the OS on the ipad when I set it up for her. My thinking was that the whole multi-tasking thing would just be a drain on the battery since I'm sure that she wouldn't always remember to double click on the home button and close the apps. She's basically using only one app at a time anyway. Any real improvements with 4.2 would probably foreshadow having a multitude of open apps going constantly.

I don't think there are any real reasons to update for her ...... is there any reason why I should? (better performance, app compatibility, etc?)
 
No - I agree with you. There are some users that don't need things more complicated than they should be. As an example my 5 year old daughter -she can run wonders around an ipad but getting her to remember to start killing all of the open programs is just futile. Hell, I only do it once a day or so....
 
Lots and lots and lots of security fixes in 4.2.1.

Plus, multi-tasking apps isn't a battery drain. They don't sit in the background doing what they want. Most of them are in a suspended state, so they start up right where you left them (and faster).

I think the relative would benefit from 4.2 in a number of ways, without being hindered/confused by multi-tasking - they don't even have to know it's there.

AppleMatt
 
Most users will never go to the multitasking bar to shut down Apps. Apple realized that, and designed the system so you don't need to.

The system shuts down Apps automatically if it gets low on memory.

And properly written Apps shouldn't have a more than a negligible effect on battery usage when running in the background. (Like going from 10 hours of battery life with no Apps running to 9.5 hours with a "full bar" of Apps...)

If you don't want to get technical, just say, "Double Tap the menu button to see a list of the Apps you recently used. It's a great shortcut when switching Apps."
 
NO, your reasoning is spot on. Keep it simple for her!! . Honestly she really doesn't need multitasking, mute switch moved or folders. Some say multitasking does't use up the battery faster but I'm not totally convinced of that yet.
She'll enjoy iOS 3.2 just fine!!
 
Some apps won't work with 3.2 in the future. Just a heads up. Instapaper is already an example.
 
Again.......apps in the background are NOT actually running. You could have every app on the iPad in the bar (I do) and it does not effect battery life at all. The only apps that actually do anything in the background are the VOIP, GPS, and audio apps. There is task completion, as well, but it is limited to 10 minutes in the background. In the end, 4.2.1 is a good upgrade for security while having no negative effects.
 
I'm waiting on upgrading my parent's iPad for many of the same reasons. Plus I already have seen a couple of the apps they use not work properly with 4.2 yet and many of the others they use haven't been updated to support the new features anyway. As more apps get fixed and/or updated to support multitasking/fast loading then I'll probably upgrade them.
 
I have an elderly acquaintance for whom I maintain his iPhone and iPad, and I've decided not to update his iPad, mostly because I dread trying to explain to him that the lock orientation switch is now a mute switch, but it doesn't mute all sounds, only notifications, which come to think of it, I don't think he ever gets any notifications on his iPad! Anyway, he has very few apps aside from the stock ones, and he only ever uses one app at a time anyway, so he's fine with no multitasking and no folders.
 
Another reason to consider is that at some point, new apps will require iOS 4. I don't see the point in not upgrading. Battery life is still great (the same as before), and as others already pointed out, you don't only get multitasking. Folders is the greatest feature of all.
 
Don't upgrade if:

-You hate multi-tasking
-If you dislike being able to open a PDF in Safari and save it into another application.
-If you don't like being able to quickly adjust the brightness of the display.
-If you don't care if your Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Headphones now works with the iPad with full support to the Multi-Media buttons (Play - Rewind - Forward).
-If you have the unified Inbox feature in Mail.
-If you don't care for the improved Exchange 2007+ support.
 
Night Spring said:
I have an elderly acquaintance for whom I maintain his iPhone and iPad, and I've decided not to update his iPad, mostly because I dread trying to explain to him that the lock orientation switch is now a mute switch, but it doesn't mute all sounds, only notifications, which come to think of it, I don't think he ever gets any notifications on his iPad! Anyway, he has very few apps aside from the stock ones, and he only ever uses one app at a time anyway, so he's fine with no multitasking and no folders.
Click to expand...

Well, all you have to teach him is how to lock Rotation. Muting the sound would be done the same way as always (just hold volume-down button for a few seconds).

The fact that this is an elderly person doesn't make him/her a dumb person. And he iPad is so easy to use that even babies can figure it out without having to read a manual. And it's so appealing that people want to learn how to use it.
 
applefanDrew said:
Again.......apps in the background are NOT actually running. You could have every app on the iPad in the bar (I do) and it does not effect battery life at all. The only apps that actually do anything in the background are the VOIP, GPS, and audio apps. There is task completion, as well, but it is limited to 10 minutes in the background. In the end, 4.2.1 is a good upgrade for security while having no negative effects.
Click to expand...

Even for apps that support multitasking, it's only a section of the app that keeps running, the rest remains dormant until you select the application again.
It's a very good design, and avoids wasting CPU resources.
 
I don't know for the life of me anyone would not want to update the new update is. Great!!!!!!
 
I agree multitasking can be bothersome. I often close the Tom Tom navigation app (to make a pit stop en route) and put my iPhone in my pocket. And then a few minutes later - in the restroom - the app starts talking :)

It's the same with streaming audio. You hit the home button and the app disappears (seemingly ending) but the sound continues in a disembodied sort-of way. How do you turn it off now, when there's no visual manifestation of the app to interact with?

Maybe Apple could make multitasking an on/off switch in Settings?
 
AppleMatt said:
Lots and lots and lots of security fixes in 4.2.1.

Plus, multi-tasking apps isn't a battery drain. They don't sit in the background doing what they want. Most of them are in a suspended state, so they start up right where you left them (and faster).

I think the relative would benefit from 4.2 in a number of ways, without being hindered/confused by multi-tasking - they don't even have to know it's there.

AppleMatt
Click to expand...

+1 to this.

The update is almost totally transparent to non-tech types.

And who knows? Maybe the Aged Parent will dig folders. I know my mom is a stickler for organization.
 
As far as I have noticed most apps don't noticeably use the battery up any faster than if they were closed. An exception would be Skype and iRun in my case. So as others have said; messaging like Skype, VoIP, GPS and of course music playing as others have said.
 
Double clicking actually IS complicated in my opinion for senior citizens who have basically no experience with computers and it's not that they are "dumb", it's just why give them more info on something if their "magical experience" is not going to be benefitted by it. To explain an elderly person who has trouble enough just finding the home button that they just need to tap it twice quickly, hold down the icon until it wiggles, press it again to make it shut down is more info than needed. Folders aren't a big deal breaker in this instance and she only has one email account.

If and when an app that she uses regularly becomes incompatible with the older operating system, then I'll update.
 
Amazing Iceman said:
Well, all you have to teach him is how to lock Rotation. Muting the sound would be done the same way as always (just hold volume-down button for a few seconds).

The fact that this is an elderly person doesn't make him/her a dumb person. And he iPad is so easy to use that even babies can figure it out without having to read a manual. And it's so appealing that people want to learn how to use it.
Click to expand...

I certainly don't think he's dumb, he's a very successful lawyer, in fact, but his memory just isn't what it used to be. I'm afraid "double tap, then swipe, then tap this button, then tap somewhere else to return to home screen" is more than he can reliably remember on first or second try. He could learn it if we repeat it often enough, but really, why go through the bother? The iPad works fine for him as it is.
 
itsjustmeee said:
Double clicking actually IS complicated in my opinion for senior citizens who have basically no experience with computers and it's not that they are "dumb", it's just why give them more info on something if their "magical experience" is not going to be benefitted by it. To explain an elderly person who has trouble enough just finding the home button that they just need to tap it twice quickly, hold down the icon until it wiggles, press it again to make it shut down is more info than needed.
Click to expand...

Note the bit i've highlighted in your quote above - that part of what you said is exactly right, it is more info than needed. It's a completely redundant thing to do, iOS is designed so that you don't need to do that. The only exception i've come across is one app for which you load files via iTunes, and that app needs to close and restart to make it look for the new files - but in that case the specific instructions are included with the app.

David
 
Amazing Iceman said:
Well, all you have to teach him is how to lock Rotation. Muting the sound would be done the same way as always (just hold volume-down button for a few seconds).

The fact that this is an elderly person doesn't make him/her a dumb person. And he iPad is so easy to use that even babies can figure it out without having to read a manual. And it's so appealing that people want to learn how to use it.
Click to expand...

I'm curious what is considered elderly. Even my 95 yr old mother, who learned to use a computer at 86, is able to adapt to changes. She would love an Ipad but has macular degeneration and has software that allows her to use a cursor that magnifies up to an unbelievable 32x LOL. Right now she is at 3x but that's considerably larger than anything possible on the Ipad. I have to handle maintenance but she has dealt with OS changes, etc. Just explain the changes which are minimal for the mute button.

I have a lot of apps in my MT bar but have no battery or memory issues so far with my 64GB wifi. OTOH, my husband, with a 32GB wifi, hasn't even tried it (or made folders) but his use of the Ipad is very different from mine. He doesn't use the orientation lock either LOL. I seem to mainly use mine when reading in bed. I don't mind the change to the button at all, may even prefer it to be truthful.
 
Amazing Iceman said:
Well, all you have to teach him is how to lock Rotation. Muting the sound would be done the same way as always (just hold volume-down button for a few seconds).

The fact that this is an elderly person doesn't make him/her a dumb person. And he iPad is so easy to use that even babies can figure it out without having to read a manual. And it's so appealing that people want to learn how to use it.
Click to expand...
Agreed. My 2 year old son knows how to unlock my iPhone, get to the Netflix app (it's in a folder) and play a show he likes. Seriously.
 
I agree with the OP. I bought my 70 yr old non-techie mother an iPad and have no intention of updating it to 4.2. She knows exactly where all her apps are finally and can switch to them that way (quicker than I could by double-clicking swiping then tapping). If it ain't broke I'm not going to fix it for her. I think it depends on how "techie" they are. Because even when I'm 70 I'm going to want to know how things work under the surface & control them. But even way back when my mother was 40 she didn't want to know HOW things worked, she just wanted them to. The Steve Jobs mindset.
 
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