I have a 64 GB iPad. I have a lot of apps. It is impossible to find things, and I don't always remember the name. The new folder mechanism in iOS 4.2 is not good enough. I do a lot of organizing and forget I have things. Something new is needed. What is it?
When I installed iOS 4.2, I made folders of everything: games, news sites, etc. But then I realized that my habit was to often go to the same 5-10 apps each time I used the iPad. So I started moving apps out of folders to the front of the line. This solves my open-the-iPad and work problem, but forget about everything else I have unless I'm willing to wade knee-deep into an app swamp.
One of the ways the folder mechanism is insufficient is that, for example, if I wanted to keep a folder of games, I cannot, as each folder can only contain 16 items. That is very limiting.
Besides, sometimes something is a game and it's for kids, should I create a games folder or a kids folder or a kids game folder? And then forget trying to remember where something is. If you aren't sure of the name, you will give up quickly.
The first change Apple could make is to remove the home page limits. There's no reason I can't have more than 16 screens. Further, let me name them so I can easily understand how I've organized everything.
Finally, a few simple additions could make things easier. Make one big list instead of page by page. Let me scroll up and down or left and right. Let me view the list with smaller icons so I can see more at a time. Let me filter and sort. Give me a 3D effect like Time Warp.
For more power, I propose to Apple to look elsewhere for inspiration, Mac OS X, and implement a label system instead of a folder system.
I could have said Google as for Gmail you don't have folders, you get to assign multiple labels to any piece of mail. This works out good because you might want to label something invoices and electricity for easy searching later on.
The good thing about this system is that there is one built in to the App Store already. Each app is already assigned a category by Apple. When you purchase an app, it could retain that category at the outset, until you re-assign it.
Whatever Apple comes up with, I hope it comes soon, before iOS leaves my original iPad behind.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
23-word commentary on the iPad virtual keyboard
This entirety of this article is meant to express my displeasure at how much I hate using the virtual keyboard on my iPad.
The App Refund Issue
Apple's 10 gazillionth download occurred recently. That's a lot of apps. With this many there are bound to be some that sneak through Apple's screening process and don't do what's promised.
Case in point. I wanted to watch showcase.ca on my ipad. They only offer videos through Flash. I noticed Skyfire was available. It's $5. I did my research. In the release notes they say they recently added ctv.ca. In the reviews some people said it was great, others said it didn't work. Worried, I stumbled across a web page on their site allowing you to test a site for compatibility.
"showcase.ca" the domain wasn't working but the Skyfire page stated you should provide a 'deep dive' link to find out if something works. I copied a link for one video and tried it on the test page; it worked.
Satisfied I had done my homework, I bought the app. A week later, I still have not viewed a Flash-based video through it, despite many nights of trying. ctv.ca didn't work. videos from showcase.ca would look like they were working but all that showed was a 1-2 blank clip. After reading forms for help I decided I didn't want this app. It didn't work as advertized. Worse I came across a blog entry from a higher-up in Skyfire explaining that many links in Canada won't work because their servers are based in the U.S. Given how geo-restrictions are nothing new, why even sell this app in Canada in the first place?
So how to get a refund?
If you go to Apple's site, there is no mention of how to do this. Nor in the App store. If you go to Skyfire's site, there is no email link, no mention of getting a refund, although there is a suggestions-for-2.0 list that you can use to send a private message, which I have done. If you search Apple app store refund you will get a link to a cnet article for meekly requesting a refund through a 'report a problem' request.
I tried this and received an automated message saying take it up with Skyfire. After poking through Skyfire's comments pages, I found a way to send a private message to Skyfire. They replied a few days later, asking me what email I used to purchase the app. I assume I got a refund but kept forgetting to check my statement. I deleted the app anyway.
Whether or not I have received my refund is not the discussion here. If I get it I will update this post.
The point here, is that an online store that just fulfilled its 10 gazillionth appstore purchase should, like any other store, have a transparent refund policy that respects the laws of each country. That Apple does not have a clearly stated policy is bad business. I love FutureShop and BestBuy because of their clearly-stated and generous refund/return policies.
The result, right now, is that I will be more wary of buying apps in the future.
Case in point. I wanted to watch showcase.ca on my ipad. They only offer videos through Flash. I noticed Skyfire was available. It's $5. I did my research. In the release notes they say they recently added ctv.ca. In the reviews some people said it was great, others said it didn't work. Worried, I stumbled across a web page on their site allowing you to test a site for compatibility.
"showcase.ca" the domain wasn't working but the Skyfire page stated you should provide a 'deep dive' link to find out if something works. I copied a link for one video and tried it on the test page; it worked.
Satisfied I had done my homework, I bought the app. A week later, I still have not viewed a Flash-based video through it, despite many nights of trying. ctv.ca didn't work. videos from showcase.ca would look like they were working but all that showed was a 1-2 blank clip. After reading forms for help I decided I didn't want this app. It didn't work as advertized. Worse I came across a blog entry from a higher-up in Skyfire explaining that many links in Canada won't work because their servers are based in the U.S. Given how geo-restrictions are nothing new, why even sell this app in Canada in the first place?
So how to get a refund?
If you go to Apple's site, there is no mention of how to do this. Nor in the App store. If you go to Skyfire's site, there is no email link, no mention of getting a refund, although there is a suggestions-for-2.0 list that you can use to send a private message, which I have done. If you search Apple app store refund you will get a link to a cnet article for meekly requesting a refund through a 'report a problem' request.
I tried this and received an automated message saying take it up with Skyfire. After poking through Skyfire's comments pages, I found a way to send a private message to Skyfire. They replied a few days later, asking me what email I used to purchase the app. I assume I got a refund but kept forgetting to check my statement. I deleted the app anyway.
Whether or not I have received my refund is not the discussion here. If I get it I will update this post.
The point here, is that an online store that just fulfilled its 10 gazillionth appstore purchase should, like any other store, have a transparent refund policy that respects the laws of each country. That Apple does not have a clearly stated policy is bad business. I love FutureShop and BestBuy because of their clearly-stated and generous refund/return policies.
The result, right now, is that I will be more wary of buying apps in the future.
Numbers
I love my iPad. Entering numbers, however, sucks. Will Apple swallow its pride and admit adding a slim row of numbers at the top of it's virtual keyboard will make typing on an HP tablet just a little less frustrating? By admission, I mean, add the feature.
I have a personal stake in getting this changed. I live in Canada. Our postal codes (zip codes in the U.S.) have letters in them, like: A1B 2C3. It was designed this way so Santa's postal code could be H0 H0 H0 (H-zero-H, zero-H-zero).
The problem is, to type my postal code in an online form using the virtual keyboard, I have to press the letter, press the numbers key, press the number, press the letters key, press the letter, press space, press the numbers key, press the number, press the letters key, press the letter, press the numbers key, and then press the number. It's more fun to type 'annoying'.
Apple must love getting copied. It's always hard to do so exactly, and this is why Apple will own a substantial portion of the tablet mineshaft, if not marketshare, for years to come. It takes vision to release a product into a brand new space. It takes guts to call it the iPad. Apple has done it.
But it strikes at your pride when a copy comes out that improves on your work. It's lose/lose. If Apple copies an HP idea, it will be seen as a weakness on Apple's part by many. "Apple copies HP, adds top number keys", the headlines will scream.
Please, Apple, don't worry. Make improvements, even if it means copying good ideas. In the '80s, kids would 'play Nintendo' even if they had a Sega Genesis. To regular people, Apple invented tablets. If you update iOS with a feature similar to your competitors, the vast majority of users will think, "What a great improvement." They will never know it was someone else's idea, and if they find, they won't care.
After making this change, we need to talk 2 button mouse.
I have a personal stake in getting this changed. I live in Canada. Our postal codes (zip codes in the U.S.) have letters in them, like: A1B 2C3. It was designed this way so Santa's postal code could be H0 H0 H0 (H-zero-H, zero-H-zero).
The problem is, to type my postal code in an online form using the virtual keyboard, I have to press the letter, press the numbers key, press the number, press the letters key, press the letter, press space, press the numbers key, press the number, press the letters key, press the letter, press the numbers key, and then press the number. It's more fun to type 'annoying'.
Apple must love getting copied. It's always hard to do so exactly, and this is why Apple will own a substantial portion of the tablet mineshaft, if not marketshare, for years to come. It takes vision to release a product into a brand new space. It takes guts to call it the iPad. Apple has done it.
But it strikes at your pride when a copy comes out that improves on your work. It's lose/lose. If Apple copies an HP idea, it will be seen as a weakness on Apple's part by many. "Apple copies HP, adds top number keys", the headlines will scream.
Please, Apple, don't worry. Make improvements, even if it means copying good ideas. In the '80s, kids would 'play Nintendo' even if they had a Sega Genesis. To regular people, Apple invented tablets. If you update iOS with a feature similar to your competitors, the vast majority of users will think, "What a great improvement." They will never know it was someone else's idea, and if they find, they won't care.
After making this change, we need to talk 2 button mouse.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Finding the right iPad cover - review of the Incase Convertible Book Jacket
Like many iPad owners, I quickly realized that having an iPad meant exposing the screen and back to scratches, and I especially feared the results of throwing the iPad into a backpack. I did my research and ended up purchasing the Incase Convertible Book Jacket.
Finding the "right" iPad cover for you will depend on your needs. For me, I only realized after a bit of research that I really wanted some kind of stand. A sleeve, while able to protect the screen, would not help much in that regard. I also wanted something that snapped closed somehow.
(One terrific source I returned to repeatedly was The Complete Guide to iPad Cases and Protection at ilounge. The extensive article covers every type of iPad protection out there and helped me narrow down my options and understand the different terminology better.)
Apple's own case can act as a stand, but it worried me that some reviewers felt the Apple case was cheaply made and that its only redeeming quality was that it was a stand.
The Incase Convertible Book Jacket, while a bit more expensive and thicker than other cases, is worth every penny. (It lists at $59.95 U.S. vs. $39 for Apple's case.) The case feels sturdy, all side buttons and ports are exposed (if a bit snuggily), and it has a strap that wraps around the case when closed, keeping it from opening accidentally.
However for me the winning feature was the multiple angles you can place the stand.
(One terrific source I returned to repeatedly was The Complete Guide to iPad Cases and Protection at ilounge. The extensive article covers every type of iPad protection out there and helped me narrow down my options and understand the different terminology better.)
Apple's own case can act as a stand, but it worried me that some reviewers felt the Apple case was cheaply made and that its only redeeming quality was that it was a stand.
The Incase Convertible Book Jacket, while a bit more expensive and thicker than other cases, is worth every penny. (It lists at $59.95 U.S. vs. $39 for Apple's case.) The case feels sturdy, all side buttons and ports are exposed (if a bit snuggily), and it has a strap that wraps around the case when closed, keeping it from opening accidentally.
However for me the winning feature was the multiple angles you can place the stand.
By positioning the case cover-down and sliding your iPad up, you can sit the iPad into a groove on the inside of the cover that holds the iPad at an angle of your liking. This is great because the angle I need at the breakfast table is different than when I'm on the couch. Additionally you save your arm from soreness because you're not propping up your iPad all the time.
My one tiny complaint is that, because the grooves are not deep and the iPad is not locked into them, the iPad can slip down once in a while. This only really happens when the case is sitting on an uneven surface (*cough* my stomach *cough*) and is not really a big deal.
The Incase Convertible Book Jacket is available from the incase web site but you can also purchase it through your local Apple store ($59.95 U.S. / $64.95 Canada).
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