Apple Rant
Oh hey, Apple, thanks for consistently managing to fuck up all aspects of syncing an iPod/Phone with iTunes.
Last night, I tried to download the Lonely Planet freebie books that are available due to the volcano lava rage incident over in Iceland.
It goes, "Are you not sure you don't want to transfer none of the data on this device? : Maybe/Not Really/Yea but No but Yea." Under this it goes, "If you do not transfer, all apps on this device will be erased."
Let's think about this for a second. Why am I even being put in a situation where it's remotely possible for all my shit to be erased from the phone?
I cancelled out of course, and it subsequently emerged that I needed to authorise the computer. I'd already authorised it ages ago though, and hadn't made any system configuration changes, so it was a bit odd.
I re-authorised, and confirmed that this was the second time I'd authorised this machine (once again - with no intervening system changes) when it said that I'd authorised 3 of 5 machines - though I only use two, this one and my work machine. So two of those were for this one machine.
Next, it asked me which apps I wanted to sync. The only change I wanted to make was to add the Lonely Planet books, so I ticked them and hit the button. Nope - that erases all the other apps on the phone, so I sat through a big file copy and patiently waited for it to finish so I could tick all the rest of the boxes and try again. I let them have this one, as it was asking me which apps I wanted to have on the phone - implying that any I don't specifically opt-in, will be removed. I thought they meant, which apps do you want to add to the phone. A simple error.
Not so much. When I copied again and reinstated all the apps, I unplugged and expected to be able to use the apps on the phone again. No chance.
The fucking thing had erased all my user data for each app. I had to relogin to everything - but worst of all - all my bookmarks for Opera, painstakingly set up a few days ago when I installed it, and taking nearly an hour - had been wiped. I'm back to Safari as I'm damned if I'm creating all of those again.
You do not ever pre-emptively erase user data. You wait for the user to actively signal this intention, then safeguard against an accident by prompting for confirmation. Then, and only then, when the user has actively requested user data to be erased, and confirmed it, do you go ahead and erase.
Back of the class, Apple. At least Windows users blame Windows when something is fucked up. When an Apple product running on Windows fucks up, it's always Microsoft's fault.
Last night, I tried to download the Lonely Planet freebie books that are available due to the volcano lava rage incident over in Iceland.
It goes, "Are you not sure you don't want to transfer none of the data on this device? : Maybe/Not Really/Yea but No but Yea." Under this it goes, "If you do not transfer, all apps on this device will be erased."
Let's think about this for a second. Why am I even being put in a situation where it's remotely possible for all my shit to be erased from the phone?
I cancelled out of course, and it subsequently emerged that I needed to authorise the computer. I'd already authorised it ages ago though, and hadn't made any system configuration changes, so it was a bit odd.
I re-authorised, and confirmed that this was the second time I'd authorised this machine (once again - with no intervening system changes) when it said that I'd authorised 3 of 5 machines - though I only use two, this one and my work machine. So two of those were for this one machine.
Next, it asked me which apps I wanted to sync. The only change I wanted to make was to add the Lonely Planet books, so I ticked them and hit the button. Nope - that erases all the other apps on the phone, so I sat through a big file copy and patiently waited for it to finish so I could tick all the rest of the boxes and try again. I let them have this one, as it was asking me which apps I wanted to have on the phone - implying that any I don't specifically opt-in, will be removed. I thought they meant, which apps do you want to add to the phone. A simple error.
Not so much. When I copied again and reinstated all the apps, I unplugged and expected to be able to use the apps on the phone again. No chance.
The fucking thing had erased all my user data for each app. I had to relogin to everything - but worst of all - all my bookmarks for Opera, painstakingly set up a few days ago when I installed it, and taking nearly an hour - had been wiped. I'm back to Safari as I'm damned if I'm creating all of those again.
You do not ever pre-emptively erase user data. You wait for the user to actively signal this intention, then safeguard against an accident by prompting for confirmation. Then, and only then, when the user has actively requested user data to be erased, and confirmed it, do you go ahead and erase.
Back of the class, Apple. At least Windows users blame Windows when something is fucked up. When an Apple product running on Windows fucks up, it's always Microsoft's fault.