iOS 7 and my continued, unrequited desire for a Files.app!

[Jaguarr40]

[h=1]iOS 7 and my continued, unrequited desire for a Files.app![/h]
​iOS 7 and my continued, unrequited desire for a Files.app! | iMore.com

 

[mulasien]

This times infinity!

Biggest drawback with iOS at the moment, IMHO, is the lack of a central file repository. I don't care if you call it a file system, files.app, 'files with unicorn farts system.wtf', I don't care. Just give me a local storage option (with icloud backup) where I can access downloaded files from ANY app that could use it. This is one of those legitimate "Android does this better" talking points, and needs to be fixed.

 

[Good OL MC]

This.

Life on an iOS device would just be a little bit easier with a manageable file system of some variety. Sand boxing works in a lot of different ways but in this situation it is a downside.

 

[CrackedBarry]

Meh, just jailbreak it, if its a big issue. There are also lots of desktop apps for this.

No reason to introduce something that 90% of the users have no use for, for interest in...

 

[mulasien]

Meh, just jailbreak it, if its a big issue. There are also lots of desktop apps for this.

No reason to introduce something that 90% of the users have no use for, for interest in...

No.

That is a terrible philosophy. I'm getting tired of jailbreaking being the answer for lack of features that every other competitor has stock. That's commonly called resting on your laurels and watching as your popularity decreases due to not keeping up with customer demand.

This kind of response is also what leads to iSheep stereotypes. "We don't want more features, we want less! Go to the competition that already had these features or jailbreak it if you really want it." Terrible mindset.

Unless 90% of users don't use their mobile device for anything more than content consumption and watching cat videos, then I'm pretty sure that figure isn't accurate. This is critically true for a corporate environment that actually needs to be able to access and edit documents and isn't online for cloud access 24/7.

 

[CrackedBarry]

Nope, it's being smart and very thoughtful about a product.

Laziness would be of they hadnt introduced any new features since 2.0 or 3.0 which is obviously not the case. They just haven't introduced the features that YOU want.

(And for the record, people get called dumb nicknames like isheep because insecure fanboys/geeks get all their self confidence and validation from their geek identity. They feel threatened by Apple and iOS, and are deeply jealous of their/it's success. And not much else.)

 

[CrackedBarry]

Anyways, the alternative to what Apple is doing is the "everything but the kitchen sink" that Microsoft is known for. If there is an edge case out there, or a tiny minority of users that need something, then they get it!

And the end result is something like Windows. Suitable at any task, but master of none. As well as awfully bloated, unloved and unelegant.

Instead Apple makes a product that can do 95% of what you want it to do, and does it really, really well.

Besides what is it you want to do? You can probably do it on an iPhone, even though its not implemented in the exact way you'll like.

For example, I can download PDFs and files, transfer them to other people (I believe that was your example) and I can do it all without root access/a file manager. You might want it, but you don't really need it.

 

[mulasien]

Laziness would be of they hadnt introduced any new features since 2.0 or 3.0 which is obviously not the case. They just haven't introduced the features that YOU want.

I could very easily turn that around and say that the main reason they shouldn't introduce a file repository is because it's a feature YOU don't want. See where I'm going with this?

I do want some local document storage, and apparently Rene does as well. Heck, look up common iOS7 wishlist requests, and local document storage is usually on the list. What makes your opinion more valid than ours regarding what new features should and should not be included?

And in my experience, the iSheep label is often applied to those who either: 1. are so close minded in their "Apple is the best of everything" mindset, that they're unable to objectively acknowledge the strengths of other platforms, especially if another platforms actually does something better than Apple, and often dismissing legitimate criticisms as "jealousy", or 2. So resistant to changing technology trends that if Apple actually listened to them, they'd REALLY be left behind.

You can be a fan of Apple products, and not be an iSheep.

You can be a fan of Android products, and not be a Fandroid.

The latter of each is exceptionally closed minded and annoying to deal with.

 

[Jrome.brooks]

All I want is a sd card option I don't why apple won't do that 16 32 64 option on a few is limited


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[CrackedBarry]

All I want is a sd card option I don't why apple won't do that 16 32 64 option on a few is limited


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

For some of the same reasons that Gpogle doesn't do it on its Nexus phones.

File system issues is one problem. (You need a specific filesystem to be able to connect to most computers for example. I don't remember all of it, but try to look at some of the debate about Google Nexus and the MDP protocol)

It also causes issues for developers, as well as fragmentation. Where are they supposed to put the files, for example. On the SD card or the phone memory?

(The newest Galaxy S4 for example, can only have developed installed on its 16gb internal memory. That means that as a user, you can easily run into the ridiculous situation that you don't have room for any more apps, despite just having put in a fresh 64 Gb SD card.)

Finally there's the issue of SD cards being another attack vector for hackers, and that internal memory in most cases is much faster than an SD card.

It won't change, and trust me: as someone who used to sit and fiddle with moving apps from the phone to the SD card when I was still on Android, it's better this way.

 

[CrackedBarry]

Well here you go Mulasien!
Local filestorage on your iPhone, for you and Rene if its that important to him.

And all without getting Apple involved, and bothering everybody else who doesn't care about it, (and are happy with the fact that it just works) with a system wide Finder app implementation, and access to the file system. (And all the problems it brings)

https://itunes.apple.com/dk/app/file-storage/id527599031?mt=8&at=10l3Vy

It took me a minute to find it in the App Store, and its a good example of what I mentioned earlier. The iPhone is built with a specific vision in mind for the 90% of us. And for the edge cases like you, there's usually an app that solves it.

 

[mulasien]

Well here you go Mulasien!
And all without getting Apple involved, and bothering everybody else who doesn't care about it, (and are happy with the fact that it just works) with a system wide Finder app implementation, and access to the file system. (And all the problems it brings)

This line brought up a good point. How exactly would the inclusion of a file storage app actually bother those who wouldn't use it? Would including file storage suddenly make the device "not work" for those who would never use it to begin with? What harm is there in adding a requested feature if those who have no use for the feature aren't impacted in any way? No one would be forcing you (or anyone else who doesn't have a use for it) to use it, so what detriment would it have to those who wouldn't use it to begin with?

I never use my finder app, but I don't post about how much the inclusion of it has made the phone stop working, when in fact it's just invisible to me and not actually hurting me at all. At the same time, those who do use it get great use out of it. Same for local file storage.

What if we used the same "let's not get Apple involved and bother those who wouldn't use the feature" approach with copy and paste, pull down notification shade, and other features added over the years that 'some' people don't use? Should those have been left off as well because some people are happy that it 'just works' without it? That makes no sense.

 

[bunjy]

As someone that came over to iPhone from Android, I definitely miss the file system from Android. Since my device is primarily for work, I miss being able to easily store, access, and email files from my phone. Sure there are ways to do this on iOS, but I don't consider them easy or convenient. I for one would like to see I this feature In iOS 7.

 

[ExSOi]

I agree with the OP, though there are a few valid points from the nay sayers. It should certainly be a choice though, using your phone for storage isn't exactly radical even in these times of free/cheap cloud storage. The point about people who don't want it not using it pretty much sums it up in my mind.
I 'm a J'B'er so am used to downloading straight from Safari or saving work stuff from PC etc, it's no big deal to expect your small handheld PC to do that is it? I agree that you shouldn't need to J'B',( which in itself in a pain in the long term), but it seems, apparently, that the vast majority of users don't want this sort of thing.
In that case majority rules, hack it, live with it or move on. I choose not to live with it.