iPhones are hard to use • Hacker News Board

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#321

Post by eclipxe » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:25 AM UTC

mempko wrote: post #317

varenc wrote: post #110

Most of this article just lists semi-advanced features that people don't know about. I think that’s Apple’s intention... Having every feature and option up in your face can reduce usability and make simple tasks harder for the average user. Apple wants a product that's easy for anyone to use and that often means keeping non-essential features out of the way. I’d be more interesting in seeing feedback for Apple on how…

Try downloading and playing an MP3.

Works just fine. Save to files. Open and listen in Files.

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#322

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:26 AM UTC

SOLAR_FIELDS wrote: post #155

karmakaze wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem lies in what's semi-advanced to one is critical or basic to many others. Apple has been known to hide (aka. make subtle) basic operations. How often have you wanted to load a page in 'desktop mode' in mobile Safari? It's there, just invisibly so. The UI does not teach in the name of clean/minimal design which is Apple's way: form over function. Edit: it's the equivalent to not putting keyboard shortcut ke…

Theres a lot of armchair design going on here. Obviously there is some sort of balance between showing the user too many options or not enough and making the important stuff obvious without cluttering the UI. I imagine if Apple had gone too far in the other direction (which they would never do IMO) that people would complain there are too many options. There is definitely room for improvement though. There are some r…

[deleted]

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#323

Post by siruncledrew » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:27 AM UTC

Apple could probably do a better job with some of their design decisions, but that's the nature of iteration and making decisions. Nothing is so absolutely perfect it literally fulfills a person's every wish and dream. Of course there's opportunity for improvement - that's why there's been 12 versions of iOS and things still change.

People are different. That's part of designing for an audience - software design needs to balance micro and macro level affordances. Extremely customizable isn't always extremely pleasing. 'You can please some people most of the time, but you can't please everyone all the time' (or something like that).

This is a case where someone isn't pleased. Some claims are true, while others are hot air. Based on the author's blog, they enjoy being a self-righteous asshat on the internet. If the author strives to bring points to light in an abrasive and inflammatory manner, rather than a sensible and constructive dialogue, then at least he has that working out well.

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#324

Post by pankajdoharey » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:28 AM UTC

Meh, the article seems like a clickbait joke article, the advanced features in iphone are kept that way, that is how Mac has always been. Easy for most and special features tucked in plain sight.

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#325

Post by Illniyar » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:34 AM UTC

devinus wrote: post #28

I recently switched to iOS from Android after years on Android. I'm coming from being a daily macOS user for almost a decade. I would argue that iOS should no longer be considered the more "user friendly" of the two. That might have been the case years ago, but iOS seems to expect prior experience with what I can only guess are iOS paradigms specifically. Almost every important action I need to take in an iOS app is…

I think the height of this is the iPhone's home button (which is gone in iPhone X, but regardless).

It has 6 functions, on a single button, based on how light or quickly you press it - single click, long press, double click, single tap (lighter then a click), double tap, triple click (if enabled)

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#326

Post by _pmf_ » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:35 AM UTC

> They picked the bigger fonts they’d needed all along. They were so grateful it was embarrassing.

They probably changed it back once he was gone.

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#327

Post by dwd » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:40 AM UTC

eridius wrote: post #303

entee wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the points that are well taken are those around identity, relationships and contacts. I've been using iPhones for something like 8-9 years and I didn't know I could specify a contact as a specific family relationship. A while ago when I wanted to configure emergency contact information it took me a google search to figure out that I needed to find the Health app buried on the last screen of the phone. At the…

I'm not about to try it right now (don't want to mess up my contacts) but I'm pretty sure you can just tell Siri that "suchandsuch is my wife" and she'll update the relevant Contact cards for you.

Right there you highlighted the biggest issue most people have. They're scared to touch or change anything in case they mess something up.

All devices need a universal undo so you can change something and easily undo if you get it wrong or you just preferred the old setting.

For security you could prompt after a while to make the new settings permanent and delete the snapshot.

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#328

Post by dschuetz » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:42 AM UTC

There are at least two kinds of ways different people use their devices: people who actively discover everything their device is capable of, and people who don't do that, because they are afraid to break things. My parents, for instance, are the latter ones. I am the curious "electronic computer stuff" guy, just because I explore my possession to the fullest.

However, Apple makes it as easy as any Android vendor to explore their devices, except that on any Apple iOS device it is the same system, and almost the same tricks. Not so on myriads of Android devices.

I must admit the bit that some features are indeed hidden, so that I cannot find them exploring. Sometimes I read an article about iOS devices and discover functions I didn't know my iPhone could do.

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#329

Post by TimTheTinker » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:42 AM UTC

eridius wrote: post #303

entee wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the points that are well taken are those around identity, relationships and contacts. I've been using iPhones for something like 8-9 years and I didn't know I could specify a contact as a specific family relationship. A while ago when I wanted to configure emergency contact information it took me a google search to figure out that I needed to find the Health app buried on the last screen of the phone. At the…

I'm not about to try it right now (don't want to mess up my contacts) but I'm pretty sure you can just tell Siri that "suchandsuch is my wife" and she'll update the relevant Contact cards for you.

This is correct.

"so-and-so is my wife" => it will update that contact's info (and yours). Then later you can say "text my wife I'm on my way home" and it will.

"call me Mister Smith" => it will update your contact's nickname and use that to address you

"Take me home" (or to work/etc.) => it will bring up directions in apple maps to the "home" address on your contact

Re: iPhones are hard to use

#330

Post by kwxza » Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 5:47 AM UTC

brokenmachine wrote: post #94

mmagin wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it is not like touch-typing. That is a skill that won't be obsoleted when a vendor decides to change the user interface on a whim with the next OS release.

I contend that doing a course or learning how a computer works at a fundamental level is a skill just like touchtyping that will remain even into the next generation of phones. For example we bought my gf's mother a smartphone and she has a very limited understanding of what the difference between her plan data and storage on the phone is, which causes a lot of confusion. She uses it mostly to take photos which event…

A good analogy she may grok easily could be comparing her plan data to her water usage and comparing her phone storage to the kitchen sink.

The sink can only hold so much water at once, but she can use more/less water each month than the sink can hold. If the sink is full, she has to drain some water to be able to add more. Also, if she uses too much water, she may be charged more than she was expecting.

I've explained storage vs data this way to a few people and it seems to have been useful.