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Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

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Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#111
post #28

I actually dislike it when this happens because I have to download the ~2.5GB dev kit again on my crappy connection before I can publish again. Or am I doing it wrong? Note: posted in other thread, but this one looks like it'll be the one.

I've always had this problem. For the past couple of releases, I've been downloading it on my VPS and then downloading it from there.

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#112
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope. Everybody is missing here that the mute switch has a dual purpose as an indicator when the iPad is not in use. This means that if you're at a meeting, you can just glance down at the iPad and tell if it will make noise. There is nothing essential about orientation that warrants its being indicated externally when iPad's not in use.

Be serious. The amount of people that use the iPad in meetings in negligible compared to the amount that use it laying in their bed every evening, where the orientation switch was very useful.

How do you know? Business and education are a couple of the biggest markets for this product, so I'm sure there are lots of folks who will be using these in meetings, class, and in the library. I've been using this OS for over a month and I can tell you that you get accustomed to it quickly, and the mute switch will come in handy.

And the lock can be activated from the task tray, so it's still there.

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#113
post #47

I can't be the only one who uses the iPad's orientation lock button frequently... The very impractical decision to transform it to a mute button is enough of a frustration that it will be a good while before I can convince myself to upgrade to an otherwise compelling release.

I've been using this beta since the first iteration, and I still cannot stand the step backwards in usability from changing out the function of this switch. People use their iPhones to listen to things, but use iPads for the screen. On a device you listen to and that RINGS, making this a mute switch makes sense. On a device you use for the screen, you're often twisting and turning views between portrait and landscape…

Push notifications and email alerts make lots of noise when the product is not in use, unlike MacBooks. It's pretty convenient to have the option to silence them with the flip of a switch without having to turn on the iPad.

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#114
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't get too excited. With only 256MB of RAM, it's still going to happen on the iPad :/

Having just tested it, I'm happy to report you're wrong.

Wait until you have more apps running..

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#115
post #70
post #47

I can't be the only one who uses the iPad's orientation lock button frequently... The very impractical decision to transform it to a mute button is enough of a frustration that it will be a good while before I can convince myself to upgrade to an otherwise compelling release.

I think they made the right decision. The orientation lock is still available on the task switching bar, which is a better place for it since there's no need to lock orientation unless the iPad is already unlocked and in use. The problem with the current 'hold volume down to mute' is that you can't mute without unlocking the iPad first... which makes a noise. It's also inconsistent with the iPhone.

If you have a PIN set for the screenlock you can often need to control orientation from the locked state.

Orientation lock is incredibly useful in two key areas for iPad: people lounging at home, and in business. I use the lock all the time in both settings -- especially when I'm using the iPad to demo and want to be able to pass it around the room.

Hiding the lock away in an area where many, many people will never find it and it's far slower to access is a hugely retrograde step, and the only thing in its defence is that it's consistent with the iPhone. Which is no defence at all: not only are the buttons different (vertical lock vs horizontal), the two devices are different, too.

I feel so strongly about this I'm staying on 3.2. I haven't felt the need to multitask on iPad yet -- I have an iPhone anyway :)

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#116
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine laying in the bed on your side and trying to read a book.

Sure but you lock it once and you're all set. When the OP said frequently I envisioned him locking/unlocking more often than that. The thing is screen orientation only matters if the display is on. If the display is on the task switcher lock control is accessible. There would basically never be any use for the lock button when the display was off. Contrast that with audio playback where the display may be off and the…

"All set"? Hardly. You lock it once, but then you fidget and roll over. Oop, need to unlock. So now you have to double-press and try and work the task bar upside down to unlock, then chase the lock button round as the screen rotates to lock it again. Move again? Same daft dance.

Compare to now, where you can unlock and relock the device while you roll, without looking at the screen.

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#117
post #28

I actually dislike it when this happens because I have to download the ~2.5GB dev kit again on my crappy connection before I can publish again. Or am I doing it wrong? Note: posted in other thread, but this one looks like it'll be the one.

I've always had this problem. For the past couple of releases, I've been downloading it on my VPS and then downloading it from there.

The thought occurred to me, but don't you have to be logged in to developer.apple.com?

It also occurs to me that a torrent would solve the problem.

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#118
post #47

I can't be the only one who uses the iPad's orientation lock button frequently... The very impractical decision to transform it to a mute button is enough of a frustration that it will be a good while before I can convince myself to upgrade to an otherwise compelling release.

Nope. Everybody is missing here that the mute switch has a dual purpose as an indicator when the iPad is not in use. This means that if you're at a meeting, you can just glance down at the iPad and tell if it will make noise. There is nothing essential about orientation that warrants its being indicated externally when iPad's not in use.

I can see a case for using it as the mute switch. I can't see a case for changing the behavior and not providing any way at all to get the old behavior back.

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#119
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope. Everybody is missing here that the mute switch has a dual purpose as an indicator when the iPad is not in use. This means that if you're at a meeting, you can just glance down at the iPad and tell if it will make noise. There is nothing essential about orientation that warrants its being indicated externally when iPad's not in use.

Be serious. The amount of people that use the iPad in meetings in negligible compared to the amount that use it laying in their bed every evening, where the orientation switch was very useful.

Just to be clear the orientation lock is still there. It's now a software toggle instead of a physical switch.

Re: Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

#120
post #47

I can't be the only one who uses the iPad's orientation lock button frequently... The very impractical decision to transform it to a mute button is enough of a frustration that it will be a good while before I can convince myself to upgrade to an otherwise compelling release.

I find this kind of disturbing as well. Orientation lock is insanely important on the iPad, and Apple must have realized that because they gave it its own hardware switch to begin with. On my iPhone running 4.1, I only just discovered the double-click-and-swipe orientation lock control because somebody mentioned it on here somewhere... and it's completely broken because it locks the display into portrait mode rather than whatever mode is active at the moment.

Is this true of iOS 4.2 as well -- meaning, you can only lock the display in portrait mode with the double-click-wave-a-dead-cat-and-swipe-the-task-list maneuver? If so, I absolutely am not going to upgrade my iPad to 4.2.

The real frustration is that this would be a perfect place for a system preference: "Side switch: Orientation lock / Mute". But as usual, it's Steve's way or the highway.

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