I found the Music app painful to use for my podcasts. Not sure how much better this will make it. On the other hand I purchased Instacast and it is one of the most used apps on my phone.
Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
31–40 of 105 posts
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#32Just gave it a shot, and I wasn't impressed in the least. These types of apps are where Apple really fails. It's like they don't use the same designers they do for any of their other products on these small apps. The interface is lousy, and very similar to the Music app. Discovery doesn't seem very useful either. This might be useful for a 'light-weight' user and listener of podcasts but this doesn't even come close…
I think Apple is probably targeting the light-weight users and trying to attract new users. Advanced podcasts features are something relatively few people care about. I listen to several podcasts daily and 99% of the time I just press play. I don't care about setting speed, bookmarks, or any of the other featured apps like Instacast (which I use) offer. It's great that these apps are still available on the store and…
I am actually happy that this app is not what I want because I hope that this is the same sentiment for others. This will allow apps like Downcast and Instacast to further survive.
My other gripe is the navigation is too stylized for my taste. I am not looking for my podcasting app to be an experience, just function as a tool.
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#33Apple's highly questionable and deeply unfortunate skeuomorphism kick continues unabated. Now we're treated to a radio dial which died out in 1995, and playing podcasts presents a reel-to-reel, which died out in god knows when. It's completely bizarre. I guess podcasts are a form of talk radio, but tying them to some ancient radio technology that anyone under the age of 18 will have never touched is mental. They're e…
I don't think it's as heavy-handed as you suggest. Most of the app's navigation is handled by tableviews and collection views. The dial that you reference is really a sideways scrollview (albeit with a material skin)--this controls a non-skeuomorphic list in an intuitive way that isn't confined to the limitations of a physical radio's interface. I'll grant that the tape deck is outdated, but it's a largely hidden lit…
The reel-to-reel heads got my hackles up for the same reasons Lewisham stated the moment I saw them in the screenshot, but once I realized they were only visible when you slid the cover art away, my opposition softened.
It's actually a nice touch in that it (subtly or not) reinforces the "under the hood" state of the UI when the additional controls are visible.
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it's clear now that Apple likes skeuomorphism. They've been using it in the design of their products for the last few years. I presume it is helpful to less technical people (especially on device like the iPad which is attracting a lot of new and older computer users). They use this same radio design on the iPod nano radio (the first nano with a video camera). On that it's actually inconvenient and hurts the…
My biggest issue with this design, unlike say, the leather bound Address Book, is that it's tied to a technology that the generation Apple would like to appeal to have never used . It's akin to changing the App Store to having hand written floppy disks. All the teenagers that Apple would love to attract have no attachment, or perhaps not even an idea, about the object Podcasts is designed about. I agree that it proba…
At least Apple didn't try an iPod within an iPod, I suppose.
True, the music app on the iPod is called 'Music'. But do remember, the music app on the iPhone used to be called 'iPod'.
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it's clear now that Apple likes skeuomorphism. They've been using it in the design of their products for the last few years. I presume it is helpful to less technical people (especially on device like the iPad which is attracting a lot of new and older computer users). They use this same radio design on the iPod nano radio (the first nano with a video camera). On that it's actually inconvenient and hurts the…
My biggest issue with this design, unlike say, the leather bound Address Book, is that it's tied to a technology that the generation Apple would like to appeal to have never used . It's akin to changing the App Store to having hand written floppy disks. All the teenagers that Apple would love to attract have no attachment, or perhaps not even an idea, about the object Podcasts is designed about. I agree that it proba…
I think the people this app is aimed at are not young users. They have mostly grown up with podcasts. They know what they are. I think it for older people. The kind in their 60's/70's who's first computer is an iPad. They may have enjoyed talk radio, and might enjoy podcasts if they understood them. The radio dial section of the app seems like it would appeal to them and help with their understanding of it.
In general I don't like skeuomorphism but I think in this case it makes sense. Not to everyone but certainly to older people who don't understand the idea of podcasts.
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#36So happy there's an official way to do subscription. The app's a little underwealming though.
The fact they seem to have forgotten to stop the Subscription and Auto-Download cells from highlighting when you tap them is an indication of the lack of polish.
It's generally pretty laggy, especially trying to do things like scrub through a track and I've had it crash several times already just trying to select podcasts.
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#37So,in the future, iOS will no longer have built in podcast support? iPhone users will now always have to download a separate app to get podcasts?
This is a huge set-back for the podcast medium. There is so much friction convincing potential blue water podcast listeners to subscribe to podcasts.
Haters are going to automatically say "podcasts are a niche, they have a small audience" so who cares? Well, before Apple put in built in support for smart phone apps in iOS with an app store on the home screen. The smartphone app audience was one of the smallest around. Now look at where we are.
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it's clear now that Apple likes skeuomorphism. They've been using it in the design of their products for the last few years. I presume it is helpful to less technical people (especially on device like the iPad which is attracting a lot of new and older computer users). They use this same radio design on the iPod nano radio (the first nano with a video camera). On that it's actually inconvenient and hurts the…
My biggest issue with this design, unlike say, the leather bound Address Book, is that it's tied to a technology that the generation Apple would like to appeal to have never used . It's akin to changing the App Store to having hand written floppy disks. All the teenagers that Apple would love to attract have no attachment, or perhaps not even an idea, about the object Podcasts is designed about. I agree that it proba…
>At least Apple didn't try an iPod within an iPod, I suppose.
Nope, but before they redesigned the Music icon, we had an iPod within an iPhone :)
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it's clear now that Apple likes skeuomorphism. They've been using it in the design of their products for the last few years. I presume it is helpful to less technical people (especially on device like the iPad which is attracting a lot of new and older computer users). They use this same radio design on the iPod nano radio (the first nano with a video camera). On that it's actually inconvenient and hurts the…
My biggest issue with this design, unlike say, the leather bound Address Book, is that it's tied to a technology that the generation Apple would like to appeal to have never used . It's akin to changing the App Store to having hand written floppy disks. All the teenagers that Apple would love to attract have no attachment, or perhaps not even an idea, about the object Podcasts is designed about. I agree that it proba…
IMHO I think that's exactly why they do it: to create a personality for an app. Because their target group never actually used it, it creates an illusion of attraction to them and make them interest in trying out. Skeuomorphic based on present day object is not as fun since the user is already used to it. Calculator app that looks like a calculator is not fun.
Re: Apple Releases Dedicated iOS Podcasts App
#40Apple's highly questionable and deeply unfortunate skeuomorphism kick continues unabated. Now we're treated to a radio dial which died out in 1995, and playing podcasts presents a reel-to-reel, which died out in god knows when. It's completely bizarre. I guess podcasts are a form of talk radio, but tying them to some ancient radio technology that anyone under the age of 18 will have never touched is mental. They're e…
I like it. What's wrong with having a little fun? This isn't a UI to control a nuclear weapons platform or something. It's more like a UI to a game. No one uses standard win32/cocoa UIs for games. It would set the wrong mood. Apple wants these apps to be casual, comfortable and friendly.