As If On Cue
By Mitch Berg
Earlier this year I got an IPhone. Yeah, yeah, I don’t care, I got a great deal, and since I design software, and Apple software is one of the gold standards of User Experience work, I figured I should get familiar with what they do and how).
The first seven months? Pretty dang good. The killer apps for me? “You Need A Budget”, a budget-and-cash-flow app that lets me track spending as I go and fits it into a coherent household budget. I figure it’s paid for the cost of the app and the IPhone several times over.
And Google Maps, especially the “Show Traffic” feature, which allows you to see the Googlemap traffic reports for roads…pretty much anywhere. And I do mean anywhere. During the State Fair, it showed the traffic not only on I94, and not only on Snelling, but on Hamline and Como and University and Larpenteur! It wasn’t perfectly real-time, but it was more than good enough to tell you where the major jams and viable alternates were.
Last week, my phone updated itself to IOS6 – the latest version of the phone’s operating system. And with it, the IOS5 GoogleMaps app was replaced by Apple Maps.
And they are terrible.
Not only do they only cover traffic on major freeways, but they cover it very badly, even after the minute or two it seems to take to load the results at all. And for all the three decades of experience Apple’s UX shop has with designing usable user interfaces, you’d think they could have come up with a way to show the results where people who don’t have eyes like hawks (anymore) could actually easily tell the difference between red (jam!) and tan (no results yet).
It’s so bad Apple has apologized and urged people to try another Map app.
And unlike most technowhining, I may actually take them up on it.
October 2nd, 2012 at 7:34 am
You silly iPhone users! Samsung Galaxy SIII simply blows them away! All of my engineers at the telecom company that I left in June, had them for that reason.
Now that I’m in Network Security, I have to carry a company Blackberry. I know; technically they are so 3 years ago, but with its’ built in encryption, no other cell phone comes close for security.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:30 am
I for one am rather happy to have the Iphone take such a significant stumble. Not because I hate Apple, but because the Iphone has been getting way too good at everything it does for so long that I started wondering when the next version would be called the Iphone Skynet edition.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:56 am
With all due respect Boss, I have the Samsung Galaxy III and it’s a P.O.S.
Based on their commercials (where the hipster doofus/47%’ers are waiting on line for the iP5 while the ‘smart’ Samsung owners are already using the features promised in the 5) I am not the right demo for this phone. Unless this thing has a milk crate full of albums/cardboard box of cassettes app that I’m not aware of, I have no use for a device that shares “playlists” by clicking it with another user.
My main use for it is for phone and e-mail. Somehow these two functions are major power drains – it’s at 35% battery life by 9:30 AM. I’ve have to pack chargers like a new parent has to pack baby wipes – it’s a don’t leave home without it type thing.
To get to Mitch’s point – that Apple stepped on their, er, foot on the Maps thing – agreed. Google maps are superior and Apple’s pride and the Jobs legacy of virulent hatred of competitors (real & imagined) have cost them some cache` and their 47%’er customers will likely pursue action against them in tandem with a second Obama administration (God help us) as victims of Apple’s #mapfail!!1!1.
October 2nd, 2012 at 9:08 am
I have an iPad and I keep getting notices to upgrade to iOS6. Normally I’d do it and ride out any glitches, but I’m heading for Italy in a couple of days and I really, really, really need the map app to work well. I’m going to try to hold off on switching for a couple of weeks, or download the Google Maps icon.
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:08 am
Luv Google maps!
Works great on my RAZR Maxx!
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:09 am
My company just bought me a new iphone gizmo, and I was saddened to see it didnt run google maps, but it shouldnt be a surprise since they are competitors.
BTW, I thought moonbats would *love* the Galaxy’s “bump” feature, Syphlores; it’s so gay.
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:33 am
I like the Android based stuff, but that’s mostly because I don’t have to buy something to write programs for it. I can, but I don’t have to, and some of them are fun things your kids could do:
http://appinventor.mit.edu/
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:45 am
Well, Swiftee, I don’t know how ‘gay’ it is… but that ad does go to the 47%’s sense of entitlement for getting content created by others (who hoped to get paid for their creation) for free. When it comes to these phones – they are amazing tools that do things that I didn’t think I’d ever have a need for (like Pandora radio) or the ability to observe flamewars between you and pretty much every Lefty in St. Paul while I’m in line at the DMV.
October 2nd, 2012 at 12:59 pm
iPhone 5: $299
VZW voice/data plan: $80/mo
the ability to observe flamewars between [swiftee] and pretty much every Lefty in St. Paul while I’m in line at the DMV.: Priceless…
October 2nd, 2012 at 3:34 pm
I had an iPhone, but having to use iTunes (which I’ve always hated) really was a deal breaker for me. I prefer the newer Androids. A newer Android build has Google Now and that blows Siri out of the water, as well as Maps That Work (TM). And the hardware can be as good or better with things like replaceable batteries, expandable memories, etc.
I’m not as big a fan of the Samsungs as I might be. They’re trying too hard to make Android trendy — I don’t like the Android skin they’ve got, and most of the bling they add is worthless (like that “bump” feature). The NFC stuff has some promise, but that’s still not there yet. Like K-Rod I like the Maxx because of the battery and when the new Maxx HD comes out I might have to use an upgrade token. I mean, come on, the Maxx runs about 15% longer than any other phone on the market with a single charge (from a charger that’s common, too!).
October 2nd, 2012 at 4:46 pm
It’s great. You’re buying iPhones and iPads and supporting a company with a gay CEO that openly contributes to the fight for legalization of gay marriage . . . nice.
October 2nd, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Yeah, Mitch, “Sanity” only sparingly uses electricity because he objects to the views of Xcel C-level executives. And you could have smelled him for miles when he had that tiff with the city water guy. He’s … not so smart.
October 2nd, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Seflores; You might have a defective one. I checked with my techies and all six of them have stated that theirs have not exhibited that type of a drain.
October 2nd, 2012 at 9:26 pm
“he objects to the views of Xcel C-level executives. And you could have smelled him for miles when he had that tiff with the city water guy”
The difference is I don’t have a choice about who to buy electricity or water from. Those are regulated utilities because they have a monopoly. I do, however have the choice of buying an iPhone versus Samsung vs not buying a smart phone at all.
Mitch chose to buy the Apple product, knowing that he is supporting a pro-gay rights company. I find that interesting.
October 2nd, 2012 at 9:40 pm
“It’s great. You’re buying iPhones and iPads and supporting a company with a gay CEO that openly contributes to the fight for legalization of gay marriage . . . nice.”
Yeah that’s kind of the way people of the Center and the Right are – they allow the CEO of a private business to exercise his right to speak out on an issue and don’t carry out boycotts or try to limit where that CEO’s business can operate. Still waiting for those of you on the Left to evolve in this area.
PS: “Sanity”, Just received notice from my health insurance provider that my premium – both the portion my employer pays and the portion I pay is going up again this coming renewal. It happens that my provider was recently lauded as they have promoted that regardless of ACA’s future they will continue to cover ‘children’ of policyholders who are 26 and under. It should be noted that 26 and under type people are among the healthiest people around and very few have conditions (pre-existing or otherwise) that will cost the provider very much money in claims but they have stuck the customers with the tab for their good works. So when you go to the polls to give thanks to the God of Government and his Prophet Barry this November for the gift It bestowed on you, would you also give a little thanks to those who are actually paying for this act of insurance company ‘benevolence’?
October 2nd, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Boss – Appreciate your checking, but SIX techies? I’m thinking you have more time on your hands than most. Maybe even more than this guy…
http://www.obviouswinner.com/obvwin/2011/1/10/behold-the-mcdonalds-skull-of-french-fries.html
October 3rd, 2012 at 4:01 am
“Sanity”
How small and cramped is your world?
October 3rd, 2012 at 4:18 am
“Sanity”
Mitch chose to buy the Apple product, knowing that he is supporting a pro-gay rights company. I find that interesting
It, er, “speaks volumes” that you do.