iPad Annoyances -- A HUGE List!!!
Look, as an IT professional, I have to deal with Apple -- especially the iPad -- all the time. In fact, on a daily basis. Like Microsoft, Apple drives me crazy. But even moreso than Microsoft! Who'd a thunk it?
[Total aside: Using that phrase 'who'd a thunk it?' is quite deliberate on my part. But I was unsure how to spell it. I knew where I originally heard it, which was seeing the 1966 film "The Group." These girls were Vassar graduates who were spouting that, so I had it in my head back then that it was somehow rather classy and cool to say it (smile). So I decided to google it, of course. Apparently: The phrase 'Who'd a thunk it?' was coined way back in the 1930s and '40s by Mortimer Snerd, a ventriloquist dummy voiced by vaudeville star Edgar Bergen. This brings up an interesting point! Candice Bergen -- Edgar's daughter -- was one of the women who appearred in the movie. Was it her idea add that phrase, knowing it fit the time period? (They graduate in 1933, and the action takes place shortly after.) Sorry for that lengthy aside, but just had to share!]
I'm thinking I need to start a blog that's just my complaints about iPads! In spite of using it every single day, and in spite of relying on it, there are just so many things I HATE about the iPad!
And here's the thing: I dislike and resent anything that smacks of arrogance from either Apple or Microsoft when it comes to listening to their consumers/users. The we-know-better thing just doesn't cut it for me! Beta the hell out of stuff. Then set up a place for feedback and start paying attention. End of story. (Yes, they have 'feedback' for Apple, which is a pain to use, by the way -- IF you can even find it. That's another story!)
My latest iPad annoyance?
They have the App Notes, which comes with the device. (Which means, by the way, that even if you hate the App, or have no use for it, you're stuck with it and cannot delete it.) So go into Notes and type up something. If it contains ANY reference to something the iPad feels might be Contacts or Calendar-worthy, it turns those into LINKS. For example: You type Thursday, and it's now a link! You type a phone number, or email address and it does the same. I suppose this could be helpful to SOME people on the iPhone, but here's the thing: Why not make it optional???
I don't believe it would be hard for them to set things up so you can turn features on or off. The arrogance comes from making the assumption that you know what's best for me, even when I make it clear to you that I dislike how a given feature works. Feedback is a GOOD thing, after all.
I think I discussed all of Marilyn's issues with her iPad after she upgraded to the new ios (version 8). They changed how Photos worked, doing away with the Camera Roll and the Photo Stream. It became impossible to properly manage your images, which inludes more than just the pictures you take. If, like us, you're always doing graphics on your device, you also need to be able to easily locate these images. Anyway, TONS and TONS of people began to immediately express their unhappiness with just this one problem. But it took them ages to resolve it (and it's STILL not as good as it was in ios 7!!!). How difficult could it be to revert to a previous feature of your operating system?
Another MAJOR issue with the new ios??? You can't cut and paste properly. Can you imagine how difficult this makes things for people who constantly deal with text, like we do? Just moving words around inside one document is impossible, much less gacking text between two Apps!
Every time I see the 'nag' from my iPad or iPhone to upgrade to ios 8, I want to scream! Why would I want to mess up the things I need to do by changing my operating system to something full of bugs?
Well, going back to my original rant, try gacking text when the damn iPad has turned the text into a link! This morning I just wanted to add a blank line to the document which contained contact information -- but every single time I tried, it would activate the email link, opening a new email for me. Then I'd curse and hit cancel, and have to go back into Notes again (as I would now be in email), to try again.
The funny thing? I think Apple's concept is to create something that SAVES us time and trouble -- and not give me a headache by making me spend ages on what should be something simple to fix!
Apple mobile devices simply do not deal well with text. I learned to type decades ago. The on screen keyboard really won't work for touch typing. Yes, you can get an external keyboard, but where's the convenience in that? Did you spell a word wrong? That's very easy to do with hunt-and-peck typing, I find. (Oh! I never thought about the fact that this might have all been created by geeks who actually didn't touch type! But I used to have a boyfriend who loved computers, and did everything with hunt-and-peck. So that actually makes some sense...) Anyway, try to get your damn cursor in the right spot to fix your error! You won't ever do better than the end of a word, because it's not going anywhere inside a given word. Did you accidently capitalize a word? Save yourself a world of hurt and re-type it. Did you run two words together? Same answer. It's hateful to deal with -- more annoying than I can even say -- but there's never going to be a change.
The arrogance here? I'm convinced that Apple sees nothing wrong with the way these devices deal with text, period. Really??? You know, it smacks of how we typed on old-fashioned typewriters! But even a typewriter would give us more options for dealing with text! That might be shocking, but think about it: If you ever used typewriters, then you know exactly what I mean.
By the way, I love how PCs will let you navigate text. Using keyboard shortcuts to go to the beginning of a line, or even the beginning of an entire document. Or the end of a line. Or moving one word over, or two or three -- without suddenly deleting huge portions of your documents! I could write pages on all the ways my iPad wastes my time, especially compared to a PC...
Yeah, I should start a blog. But what catchy thing could I name it?
The most amusing title might simply be: iPad Suggestions. Because we KNOW Apple is really not ready to listen to those!
Look, I do get it. Both Microsoft and Apple are arrogant. I just happen to think Apple is more arrogant when it comes to the function of mobile devices. (I can't speak to their computers, because happily I've rarely ever been on them.)
And the linking 'feature' I spoke of? There is NO WAY to turn it off. Period. End of story. Apple's reaction is: Live with it.
Thanks, Apple. Just another in my long list of reasons as to why I hate you.
But considering I use both the iPad and iPhone daily, regardless, they're laughing all the way to the bank.
Just don't get the idea that they CARE about what you, the user, wants. Because there's absolutely no reason to believe that in my experience!