Finally got to try an iPhone

[mikec#IM]

Yep. In another thread I argued with Archie about this; the "alert" interface is inconsistent. When calls and SMS comes in, the screen turns on and you get a dialog. Not so for emails. I think calendar events do. I dunno.

My point was I want one screen where i can see all the pending events/alerts/etc.

And in another thread I said I want to be able to add bookmarks (google maps, calendar items, contacts, web pages, whatever) to the "home screen." (Sort of like what treo allows with its "quick dials")

"My point was I want one screen where i can see all the pending events/alerts/etc. "

You mean like the Windows "Today" screen, which has all that? ;-)

 

[braj]

"My point was I want one screen where i can see all the pending events/alerts/etc. "

You mean like the Windows "Today" screen, which has all that? ;-)

Sure, why not? What could possibly be wrong with that? A wise person can take good advice from a fool but a fool can't take advice from anyone.

The thing with Apple is sometimes they just do stubborn stuff just to be 'different'. Like one button mice, it took them forever to realize people wanted two buttons, but if they listened to their users they would have had it 10 years earlier. Maybe there is no Today screen just so they can't be accused of copying MSFT. I could care less where they get good ideas from.

 

[oalvarez]

a bit off topic but why not; is there a way to minimize or hide the keyboard after you've finished typing, besides pressing send or whatever button takes you to the next screen? i only say this in that some items that you might want to access prior to jumping over to the next screen get covered up by the keyboard.

thoughts? if there is no fix then it's a small gripe of mine.

 

[Certs]

If you're going to think along those lines then go back to Windows Mobile. Apple will always be "different," to some extent.

How about this: When device is locked, and you press a wakeup button, it shows the homescreen? Instead of that stupid wallpaper. And, the slide function could be slightly transparent, so you can see the red new message counters through it. Not a bad idea, and probably more Apple-ish.

EDIT: Not to oalvarez, that was in response to the second post before mine. Took me a while to finish it, I AM working

 

[braj]

If you're going to think along those lines then go back to Windows Mobile. Apple will always be "different," to some extent.

How about this: When device is locked, and you press a wakeup button, it shows the homescreen? Instead of that stupid wallpaper. And, the slide function could be slightly transparent, so you can see the red new message counters through it. Not a bad idea, and probably more Apple-ish.

Is that @ me? I'm a long-time Mac user (since Mac SE/30) and I've never use WM except long enough in a store to know I'd rather stick with POS. Mostly because it is more like Mac OS 6 than anything really.

 

[bcaslis#IM]

On the iPhone? In which context? I think all the keyboards have either cancel or done buttons. Is that what you are looking for?

a bit off topic but why not; is there a way to minimize or hide the keyboard after you've finished typing, besides pressing send or whatever button takes you to the next screen? i only say this in that some items that you might want to access prior to jumping over to the next screen get covered up by the keyboard.

thoughts? if there is no fix then it's a small gripe of mine.

 

[braj]

On the iPhone? In which context? I think all the keyboards have either cancel or done buttons. Is that what you are looking for?

Say you were trying to respond to a post on TC and you were typing but then wanted to go back and read what someone had said in the middle of typing? I believe currently you have to enter the text (send or whatever) as opposed to maybe a gesture that could push it down for a second while you read what is underneath, then do the gesture again and it snaps back up.

That is another advantage to a hard-keyboard, it can never obscure anything onscreen. The trade off is obvious though in screen real estate. When is that direct-to-brain link supposed to come out again?

 

[Certs]

Is that @ me? I'm a long-time Mac user (since Mac SE/30) and I've never use WM except long enough in a store to know I'd rather stick with POS. Mostly because it is more like Mac OS 6 than anything really.

I was referring to the today screen. Apple will never be "like Microsoft," and from what I hear the new "photon" OS in the works is going to be totally different as well.

I like the iphone home screen. Just hate the fact I have to press the button and slide to see it. New email notifications are a joke if the phone isn't on your waist.

 

[bcaslis#IM]

So it's a "pause" when you want to stop entering, look at something, and then go back? I don't think so. The only thing I see is if you tap back on the webpage you can get go somewhere or open a new safari window.

But the text you started to type will still be in the original field (like the reply box). So this kind of does what you want. It's not as obvious as a hide button in the keypad, but I think it will do what you want.

Say you were trying to respond to a post on TC and you were typing but then wanted to go back and read what someone had said in the middle of typing? I believe currently you have to enter the text (send or whatever) as opposed to maybe a gesture that could push it down for a second while you read what is underneath, then do the gesture again and it snaps back up.

That is another advantage to a hard-keyboard, it can never obscure anything onscreen. The trade off is obvious though in screen real estate. When is that direct-to-brain link supposed to come out again?

 

[cmaier]

Yes. But rehashing that thread - if the phone is in my pocket and vibrates, and i am too busy to take it out to look at it right then, i have no easy way to tell what happened (without taking it out of sleep, etc.)

Heck, why not put some info on the sleep screen, so all i have to do is push the button? Like:

You have xxx unread emails on account yyyy
You have xxx unread emails on account zzzz
You have xxx unread SMS messages
You had an appointment zzzzzzz at zz:zz

etc. If you don't have a lot of missed stuff, it can even give you details (like who sent you the mail, and what the summary line said)

Instead you have to unlock it, look at little red circles, and, to get some of that info, actually launch applications and poke around.

Update: i inadvertantly stole patty's idea

 

[braj]

So it's a "pause" when you want to stop entering, look at something, and then go back? I don't think so. The only thing I see is if you tap back on the webpage you can get go somewhere or open a new safari window.

But the text you started to type will still be in the original field (like the reply box). So this kind of does what you want. It's not as obvious as a hide button in the keypad, but I think it will do what you want.

I thing some sort of quick gesture would be better, it's multitouch so say a gesture with two fingers side by side pulling down from just above the keyboard or something. Pull down, view what's underneath, then let go, keyboard springs back in place with a fancy animation.

Beside the pinch what other multitouch gestures are implemented in the iPhone? There is a huge world to be explored with this technology, I can't wait until it makes it to the desktop.

 

[Certs]

i inadvertantly stole patty's idea

That's bullsh*t.

 

[oalvarez]

once again friends, you can remove the unlock/slide feature if you wish.

 

[braj]

once again friends, you can remove the unlock/slide feature if you wish.

That's not exactly the best alternative. A better one would be for Apple to allow 3rd parties to innovate, creating a myriad of alternatives, and let the most successful idea and implementation win.

 

[oalvarez]

it is the best alternative when it's the only one currently available and addresses their actual need or want of not having to use the slide.

if one doesn't want to have to slide to unlock the phone they can choose to keep it unlocked. simple, no?

 

[Kupe#WP]

if one doesn't want to have to slide to unlock the phone they can choose to keep it unlocked. simple, no?

Responsive? No.

 

[mikec#IM]

I agree Apple can be stubborn. The two button mouse is an example, and even the use of control/option key combos in Safari, when there are more intutive ways to go.

Like anything the design was a battle between engineers and usuability people, with Jobs playing judge, jury, and executioner. (And I don't mean that in a bad way - that is his job).

The problem is, when you are in the atmosphere of wealth and finger snapping (getting what you want instantly), it inevitably skews your perception. You end up making something that misses the mark.

The other end of the spectrum is the approach to build tons of functions, like MS - more functional, less elegant.

It used to be geeks vs. the marketeers.

Now the "geeks" are factioned into functional vs. sexy. And even the definition of being geeky has changed due to the widespread use of technology.

The first person with a phone/radio/TV/automobile was the bearer of the cats pajamas, but over time it just became part of life when ubiquity was reached.

But competition is good, and stubborn or not, Apple is making their contribution.

 

[bcaslis#IM]

I'm not sure I agree. I've yet to see an app that was useful that didn't comprise stability on WM5 or Palm OS. I know other may disagree but I don't think so. I loved how people would recommend something (let's take phonealarm for example) and I'd try it and get all sorts of problems. When I'd then ask about I'd get comments like "yeah, mine does that too" or "it's not too bad I only have to restart twice a day".

The apps that didn't compromise stablity were very few and far between. And now of these tied to how the OS worked. Ever.

I'd rather Apple take a very conservative approach. I can think of some third party things I'd like but I'd only want them to open it up if they do something to prevent stability problems.

After all, it's a phone. A phone shouldn't crash. Ever.

That's not exactly the best alternative. A better one would be for Apple to allow 3rd parties to innovate, creating a myriad of alternatives, and let the most successful idea and implementation win.

 

[bcaslis#IM]

I have to disagree with some of your points. Here's an example, the phone app. The Apple one is both more elegent and more functional than Microsoft. Example when you call the locked iPhone, you answer the call and when you finish the call it immediately locks and turns off the phone (since it was locked to being with). For windows mobile, it just acts like the phone was unlocked and sits there until it reaches the sleep timeout or you turn it off.

Most Microsoft stuff is what I would call semi-functional. It works for a task but it's clear nobody really thinks it out fully. I don't consider this marketing versus engineering. I'm an engineer and I would consider most Apple solutions to be better engineering than competing solutions. Just because they are not open to third parties doesn't mean it's a marketing decision.

I agree Apple can be stubborn. The two button mouse is an example, and even the use of control/option key combos in Safari, when there are more intutive ways to go.

Like anything the design was a battle between engineers and usuability people, with Jobs playing judge, jury, and executioner. (And I don't mean that in a bad way - that is his job).

The problem is, when you are in the atmosphere of wealth and finger snapping (getting what you want instantly), it inevitably skews your perception. You end up making something that misses the mark.

The other end of the spectrum is the approach to build tons of functions, like MS - more functional, less elegant.

It used to be geeks vs. the marketeers.

Now the "geeks" are factioned into functional vs. sexy. And even the definition of being geeky has changed due to the widespread use of technology.

The first person with a phone/radio/TV/automobile was the bearer of the cats pajamas, but over time it just became part of life when ubiquity was reached.

But competition is good, and stubborn or not, Apple is making their contribution.

 

[Certs]

it is the best alternative when it's the only one currently available and addresses their actual need or want of not having to use the slide.

if one doesn't want to have to slide to unlock the phone they can choose to keep it unlocked. simple, no?

If youare talking about the "auto-lock" settings then no, this is not accurate. Well, kinda. I hit the top button to shut my screen off, because there is no other way unless I sit there and wait for it to go off itself. The top button is a LOCK button, as well as an off button. And I'm not waitingt, and I'm not making the screen shut off after 5 seconds (or something low) because it will affect my Safari use.

Unless you are talking about a different way to do this then I'm not biting yet.