Who's disappointed with iOS 5?

[aricher]

You see that worries me (i know its paranoia) that Apple is trying too hard to hide the computer from the user. Sure it makes it all pretty and magical but thats just it. Newer generations shouldn't be growing up thinking computers are magical, they should know at least about the filesystem structure and I even think every person should have a basic knowledge of a programming language. I feel like hiding the computer from people is making them less computer literate. A majority of my friends and family don't know even HTML or how the internet works and thats a scary thought to me. Computers shouldn't be "magic".

Forget about newer generations, how about older generations. My 87 year old grandmother has never even touched a computer, despite my mom having worked for IBM for almost 25 years, they scare the hell out of her. She's never emailed, surfed the web, skyped, etc. until this year. Due to the fact that she suffers from macular degeneration leaving her partially blind and reading was getting to be very difficult for her we bought her an iPad. Initially the pinch to zoom was a revelation to her, "I can read it!!" A few months have gone by and now she's surfing the web, reading books, using cookbook apps, listening to worldwide radio, sending email and skyping with relatives overseas, etc. For a nearly blind octogenarian technophobe I'd say that's pretty darn magical.

Some people don't want or care to be computer literate and still somehow manage to lead fulfilling lives. That said, my 2 1/2 yr old is an iPad pro but I still plan on teaching him the basics of coding, file systems, creative apps, etc. as he matures.

 

[Carouser]

[grandmother story]

That's awesome. As for the point about having to know computers, it's a moving goalpost. 'Everybody' knows how a computer works, you turn it on and type. But then everybody should know how it really works, in terms of filesystems. But then everyone should know how it really works, in terms of programming and hardware. But then everyone should know how it really works, in terms of electricity. But then . . . .

People don't need to know how they work, they need to know enough to use them and maintain them. Like your grandmother does.

 

[henchman]

EDIT: I am a Very Important Person. I have to check my calendar and the weather simultaneously, while keeping an eye on my inbox. If I get a message, I need to know right away by looking at the mail feed (but I can't open my Mail program to actually answer the message because then I might miss the stock fluctuations or the sports scores, and I have to see all this Important Information at a glance right away all at once together). My calendar updates in real-time split-second action. You never know when an appointment will pop-up at the last second just when I might have been distracted by my RSS news, which also gives me mission-critical data I need to execute my desktop maneuvers. Also, I am Tony Stark.

Seriously, I can get why people might like to be able to do this, but it's not a big deal especially in comparison to what iOS 5 actually does. Widgets 'puked' on the desktop does nothing for productivity (and if staring at all your Important Information on your home screen counts as leisure, not work . . . )

Actually, yes, I do need to be able to see at a glance what messages I am getting.
As a freelance re-recording mixer, not getting back to an inquiry of availability quickly, can cost me literally 10-15k.

And being able to see this information easily without interupting a session with producers behind you who are paying upwards of $300 an hour, is actually quite important for me. It doesn't make me important. It's simply about my livelihood.
And there are a lot of people out there like me, not working regular 9-5 jobs.

So yes, these are pretty important things to have.

 

[vrDrew]

The big one s not having every single app on the desktop. This s the absolute most retarded concept ever..

Being such a genius, has it occured to you that you can put Apps inside folders?

I'm sure that doesn't count. That somehow that clashes with your delicate and supremely refined concept of exactly what a proper Tablet UI ought to be. That somehow an Application has to be obscurely hidden, so that its only accessible to high-priests of the digerati such as yourself, via an incomprehensible incantation of command line instructions.

There's just no satisfying some people. And quite frankly, some people seem to be incapable of discussing Apple or its products in a rational manner. Every thing that Apple does - good, bad, indifferent, innovative, or derivative - is an opportunity for mentally unbalanced individuals to unload a torrent of scorn and snark.

 

[Carouser]

Actually, yes, I do need to be able to see at a glance what messages I am getting.
As a freelance re-recording mixer, not getting back to an inquiry of availability quickly, can cost me literally 10-15k.

And being able to see this information easily without interupting a session with producers behind you who are paying upwards of $300 an hour, is actually quite important for me. It doesn't make me important. It's simply about my livelihood.
And there are a lot of people out there like me, not working regular 9-5 jobs.

So yes, these are pretty important things to have.

1) You can already do this with iOS devices, you don't need an iPad sitting on your console with widgets all over the display.
2) If it's worth that much, you should buy a dedicated device (or a hired hand) and stop complaining the iPad doesn't meet your needs (it sure doesn't mean that iOS 5 is junk, lol)

 

[kingtj]

It's not just Apple with that goal ....

I don't know how closely you followed Microsoft and their promised Windows updates? But back when Windows 7 was just a rumor, there was a lot of "buzz" about Microsoft redoing the filesystem in it so it would effectively store everything inside a big relational database that WAS the entire filesystem on the hard drive.

The idea was, with that arrangement, users would no longer ever have to see or worry about the concept of "filenames" and "folders/sub-folders", because the OS would take care of saving everything under the appropriate records/fields in the "database/filesystem". If you opened, say, an application to view your photos, it would simply do a database lookup for all graphics-related files (since the OS was automatically storing them under a category in the database for graphics images every time one was saved), and would display all of them for you.

In fact, I believe this "database as filesystem" was originally slated to go into one of the earlier Windows Server products (maybe as far as back as Server 2003?), but kept getting removed from the "feature list" long before the products became final releases.

Honestly? My guess is that although some of the software developers at MS realized how "forward-thinking" this concept was, they kept running into obstacles when it came to backwards compatibility - so it was deemed "not ready for prime-time" each time. (I would think you could write sort of an emulation of the traditional "Windows Explorer" so older apps would think they were grabbing traditional file/folder directories for the user, when they were really just being fed that info from the OS, doing the right filters on the database to retrieve those results. But at what performance penalty, and at what risk of breaking apps that didn't use standard system calls for everything, etc. etc.?)

Apple might be in a better position to transition everyone to something new like this, since they're a lot more flexible at forcing changes and just dropping support for non-compliant applications. (Not being heavily entrenched as a platform used by the military, U.S. Govt. and large Enterprise customers helps here.)

Unfortunately, Steve pretty much said straight out what's been obvious for years - apple is trying to kill the traditional filesystem, and is even moving OSX further away from it in Lion. Luckily, I'm sure that X's unix underpinnings will ensure that it's still accessible to those who want it for a good long time, but I don't think it will ever, ever be a feature of iOS.

 

[henchman]

Being such a genius, has it occured to you that you can put Apps inside folders?

I'm sure that doesn't count. That somehow that clashes with your delicate and supremely refined concept of exactly what a proper Tablet UI ought to be. That somehow an Application has to be obscurely hidden, so that its only accessible to high-priests of the digerati such as yourself, via an incomprehensible incantation of command line instructions.

There's just no satisfying some people. And quite frankly, some people seem to be incapable of discussing Apple or its products in a rational manner. Every thing that Apple does - good, bad, indifferent, innovative, or derivative - is an opportunity for mentally unbalanced individuals to unload a torrent of scorn and snark.

Ah just because not everyone thinks that everything apple does is pure genius, makes us unbalanced.

See, there are things I do like about the new iOS. Air display is one if them.
Actually, really one if the only ones.
Updates and activation without a computer has been a long time coming.
Never understood the need for computer activation myself.

The notification bar is a good start, but still miles behind what is needed.
Like I said, notifications on the lock screen are a moot point.
With the smart cover, I rarely see a lock screen.

So, like said before.
I'm more excited to get a 4.3.3 jailbreak than I am about iOS 5

 

[henchman]

1) You can already do this with iOS devices, you don't need an iPad sitting on your console with widgets all over the display.
2) If it's worth that much, you should buy a dedicated device (or a hired hand) and stop complaining the iPad doesn't meet your needs (it sure doesn't mean that iOS 5 is junk, lol)

Actually, I do ave an iPad on my console, as I use it to control plug-ins.

But I guess wanting my iPad to actually be than just a toy to play games and twitter is asking too much?

I didn't say ios5 was junk.
I said its sorely lacking. Still.

I can tell that most here have had no real exposure to widgets and how extremely useful they can be.

 

[Carouser]

Actually, I do ave an iPad on my console, as I use it to control plug-ins.

I said - you didn't need an iPad on your console with widgets all over your display - to achieve what you want; widgets would be useless if you're using your iPad to control plug-ins; you need message notifications, and iOS already does this and iOS 5 has improved notifications too.

 

[henchman]

I said - you didn't need an iPad on your console with widgets all over your display - to achieve what you want; widgets would be useless if you're using your iPad to control plug-ins; you need message notifications, and iOS already does this and iOS 5 has improved notifications too.

Yeah. You really don't get t. Do you.

So, never mind.
You will never accept that widgets are a good thing until Jobs decides he was wrong. Just like he initially said folders were useless, and all the fanboys agreed.

Until they were added.

 

[kingtj]

Seriously?

I've been using an HTC Evo 4G for months now, as my work pays for it as part of their corporate plan w/Sprint and it's a cheaper deal than either Verizon or AT&T will give me on an iPhone.

Still, I don't get all these Android fans who bash iOS as inferior.... I've used the iPhone quite a bit before switching over, so I'm pretty familiar with the pros and cons of both.

I maintain that I like iOS better as the overall user experience, and the changes they made with iOS5 basically ensure it stays on top for a while longer. Widgets are mostly worthless garbage in Android, IMO... at least as implemented in v2.2.

Most of the weird glitches/crashes I get on my Evo are the direct result of their supplied widgets acting up and not closing back out cleanly, etc. And meanwhile, I'm largely at a loss to see why they're supposed to really offer me anything I can't do as well by simply tapping on an app icon on one of the multiple "desktop" screens? Usually, the widget version of an app is not as full-featured or complete (EG. "Calendar" widget, which can't actually show my appointments or reminders ... only the calendar itself).

Actually, I do ave an iPad on my console, as I use it to control plug-ins.

But I guess wanting my iPad to actually be than just a toy to play games and twitter is asking too much?

I didn't say ios5 was junk.
I said its sorely lacking. Still.

I can tell that most here have had no real exposure to widgets and how extremely useful they can be.

 

[vrDrew]

Ah just because not everyone thinks that everything apple does is pure genius, makes us unbalanced.

But the fact of the matter is you DON'T HAVE TO see every App on the iOS desktop. I, for one, put all my games in a folder called (originally enough) "Games." My newspapers (NY Times, The Daily) live in one called "News."

So, for you to make statements like the one above, and moreover to call it the "absolute most retarded concept ever," strikes me as perhaps just a little bit unbalanced.

Nobody thinks that everything Apple does is pure genius. But certainly nobody thinks that everything Google, or Amazon, or (certainly) Microsoft does is "genius" either.

I look back now at my first-generation iPod. Bought at the Boston Apple Store sometime in 2001. Compared to todays devices it seems laughably limited and constrained. Its Firewire-only connection means the music it contains is frozen sometime in 2005. (And, BTW, it still actually works - although its case is chipped, and its battery life has shrunk to a bare couple of hours....)

But for its time it was an incredible product. Never again would I have to think about which CDs I'd take with me on vacation. No more pulling out a jewel case to discover a lost or misplaced disc.

So: iOS 5 probably isn't going to be perfect. It does some things very well. Some things not at all. It hasn't actually been released yet, and its going to take a little while for the full implications of its features and foibles to actually become apparent.

But why not wait until you've actually had a chance to put it to the test of real life use, before roundly dismissing it as a toy fit only for for fools and fossils? THAT would be the sensible thing to do.

 

[henchman]

I've been using an HTC Evo 4G for months now, as my work pays for it as part of their corporate plan w/Sprint and it's a cheaper deal than either Verizon or AT&T will give me on an iPhone.

Still, I don't get all these Android fans who bash iOS as inferior.... I've used the iPhone quite a bit before switching over, so I'm pretty familiar with the pros and cons of both.

I maintain that I like iOS better as the overall user experience, and the changes they made with iOS5 basically ensure it stays on top for a while longer. Widgets are mostly worthless garbage in Android, IMO... at least as implemented in v2.2.

Most of the weird glitches/crashes I get on my Evo are the direct result of their supplied widgets acting up and not closing back out cleanly, etc. And meanwhile, I'm largely at a loss to see why they're supposed to really offer me anything I can't do as well by simply tapping on an app icon on one of the multiple "desktop" screens? Usually, the widget version of an app is not as full-featured or complete (EG. "Calendar" widget, which can't actually show my appointments or reminders ... only the calendar itself).

A EVO.

Ugh. I feel your pain.
The built in widgets aren't the One to use.
I have calendar apps that show me my upcoming appointments.
I have a widget that shows my contact favorites, that I can quickly scroll through.
I have a widget that displays incoming texts and emails.
I would love to be able to see all of that information right on my iPad screen.

 

[mac jones]

This OS update is pretty substantial.

the keyboard shortcuts alone is a very welcome addition (that was the one thing that really kept me from considering this as my only machine).

There's a ton of stuff.

 

[jon1987]

The iPad has a camera.
The iPad has 3rd party photo editing apps
The iPad has 1st party photo editing apps with iOS 5.

Im curious why you feel that the iPad ISN'T a camera?

y.

The iPad can't really be classed as a camera. It's a tablet with a camera.
My PC has a web cam, it's not a camera though.

I don't even class my iPhone as a camera. Just a Phone with a camera.

Love iOS 5 btw, can't wait to get my hands on it.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

The iPad can't really be classed as a camera. It's a tablet with a camera.
My PC has a web cam, it's not a camera though.

I don't even class my iPhone as a camera. Just a Phone with a camera.

Love iOS 5 btw, can't wait to get my hands on it.

Thank you sir.

 

[kazmac]

I'm not disappointed

In fact, I'm thrilled.

I probably missed this but

is that OS Lion Documents in iCloud feature included in iOS 5 or is that already featured in iOS4?

i.e. = create a document in Pages (or another app) on iPad and if you have that app installed on your iPhone the document will automatically be created on your iPhone.

This feature and wireless syncing in iOS5 is bringing me this much closer to being post-pc at home. I thought I would get a smaller Mac prior to learning this, but now I don't have to and will just hang onto my iMac until I can do everything on an iPad.

So, yeah, iOS 5 is a complete win for me.

 

[Piggie]

Does anyone know if Apple has addressed two fundamental limitations of it's UI and icons on screen.

Can you put more files inside each folder?

Or can you create Sub Folders?

At the moment I have about 5 games folders as I have too many games to fit inside one folder and it looks messy.

 

[Anandc]

Widgets do have a big drawback. It consumes data almost every 5 minutes and that drains the battery. I have no widgets on my 5 screen and it works charm. Not that my phone has a bad battery life but my browsing 3G data usage is very high and also thanks to whatsapp!

 

[maclaptop]

It's Apple, Magical & Revolutionary don't cha know....ha..ha..ha

 

[spinedoc77]

What's the definition of a widget anyhow? Isn't the calendar app in iOS a "widget" since it changes it's date? Aren't things like the changing numbers on text messaging and missed calls for example widgets? I'm honestly asking as I don't know what technically a widget is. While many like to argue black and white on either side, the vast vast majority of the time it's always shades of grey.

Personally I like what Apple did. Do I feel as if they copied Android and other OS almost exclusively with very little if any original ideas, most definitely yes. Do I feel as if they barely brought up their OS to the present and not anywhere near the future, also most definitely yes. I don't think I care too much though as I like the hardware and the app system. I certainly have some choices ahead as Apple did put some compelling stuff in there, but there's also some stuff that will keep bogging me down like widgets and lack of Flash.

 

[henchman]

What's the definition of a widget anyhow? Isn't the calendar app in iOS a "widget" since it changes it's date? Aren't things like the changing numbers on text messaging and missed calls for example widgets? .

No. A widget is basically a dynamically updating screen on your desktop, that hooks into an existing app.
Ie. A favorites widget would list your favorites on your desktop, allowing you to scroll through them,on your desktop, and let you either call, email or text them, directly from the desktop.
As you add or remove favorites in your address book, those changes will be reflected in the widget.
Same with calendar appointments , todo lists etc.

So, you can at a glance, without doing anything see your upcoming appointments, and list of todos.

You can also see not only who messages you, but you can see the message as well.

 

[spinedoc77]

No. A widget is basically a dynamically updating screen on your desktop, that hooks into an existing app.
Ie. A favorites widget would list your favorites on your desktop, allowing you to scroll through them,on your desktop, and let you either call, email or text them, directly from the desktop.
As you add or remove favorites in your address book, those changes will be reflected in the widget.
Same with calendar appointments , todo lists etc.

So, you can at a glance, without doing anything see your upcoming appointments, and list of todos.

You can also see not only who messages you, but you can see the message as well.

I've read somewhere on a tech site that the calendar app is technically a widget because it updates the date, I'd tend to agree with them on that. In essence iOS does have a widget lol, just the one though I suppose.

 

[henchman]

I've read somewhere on a tech site that the calendar app is technically a widget because it updates the date, I'd tend to agree with them on that. In essence iOS does have a widget lol, just the one though I suppose.

No, it's an updating icon.
Widgets do more than update a number.

Much, much more.

 

[vrDrew]

Looking at the new notification system, it appears that iOS 5 will give you all the functionality of "widgets" - but without their annoying side-effects.

I'll be honest and say I never found Apple's original notifications that bad. But the new system, which subtly lets you know when something important (you get to decide what..) happens, without necessarily interrupting your critical Angry Birds session, seems pretty good.

I'm stoked over the new features outlined in iOS 5.