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0 pointsmegablast9y ago0 comments

> The icon-based home screen is showing it's age and will need a revolution rather than an evolution.

Why? It is easy, intuitive, and used by millions of people.

Change for changes sake?

0 comments

It seems very telling to me that the Standard Windows Desktop is generally considered a wasteland of discarded program and file icons, basically where you throw your digital trash...yet iOS decided that this was the design they wanted for the main start page of their OS.

No wonder there is such a divide among users. I don't think age has anything to do with it though.

interpol_p9y ago

The huge difference here is that on iOS you don't have random files lying around your home screen. The springboard is for apps, with a dock for the most common ones to persist between screens.

On Windows (and macOS) the desktop is fundamentally different, used differently, and is often obscured by your windowed content.

izacus9y ago

No, instead you had unremovable "useful" apps like "Apple Watch" instead.

Luckly they managed to at least let users hide that in iOS10, but it's still a cesspool of rarely used apps.

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mhomde9y ago

Glanceable information on the home screen is useful so users don't have to open every app, it also changes the home screen from being just "an launcher" to potentially provide useful information that you might need rather then being "just a launcher". It's just "one step less" in some scenarios.

Notifications are great for things that need your attention but the home screen becomes a little more of a seredipious view of app information that can increase the usefulness and engagement with an app

j2bax9y ago

I think right now using the notifications screen for this 'at a glance' info and using the home screen for launching full apps, accomplishes the goal you are seeking.

I would love to see the iPad interface evolve a bit and not look so much like my phone. I don't feel like they are using all that space as elegantly as they could be.

JoBrad9y ago

It's getting there, but it's not ideal yet. At a glance means I don't have to do anything but glance. To see the widgets now, you have to wake up the phone and then swipe right.

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willtim9y ago

You are spot on. IIRC correctly there are built in hacks to make at least the clock and calendar icons show correct information, but for example the weather icon never tells you it rains. IMHO the Microsoft Live Tiles on Windows phone do make iOS look dated. Luckily for Apple, no one is buying those phones.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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moheeb9y ago

No wonder there is such a divide among users. I don't think age has anything to do with it though.

interpol_p9y ago

The huge difference here is that on iOS you don't have random files lying around your home screen. The springboard is for apps, with a dock for the most common ones to persist between screens.

On Windows (and macOS) the desktop is fundamentally different, used differently, and is often obscured by your windowed content.

izacus9y ago

No, instead you had unremovable "useful" apps like "Apple Watch" instead.

Luckly they managed to at least let users hide that in iOS10, but it's still a cesspool of rarely used apps.

1 more reply

mhomde9y ago

j2bax9y ago

I think right now using the notifications screen for this 'at a glance' info and using the home screen for launching full apps, accomplishes the goal you are seeking.

I would love to see the iPad interface evolve a bit and not look so much like my phone. I don't feel like they are using all that space as elegantly as they could be.

JoBrad9y ago

It's getting there, but it's not ideal yet. At a glance means I don't have to do anything but glance. To see the widgets now, you have to wake up the phone and then swipe right.

1 more reply

willtim9y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse