On Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:34:12 -0400, Nick Sabalausky
<[email protected]> wrote:
On Tue, 18 Sep 2012 23:46:35 -0400
"Steven Schveighoffer" <[email protected]> wrote:
The keyboard click sound (which you can disable BTW,
settings->sounds->keyboard clicks) obeys the ringer volume.
Ehh? How unintuitive.
I cannot argue that Apple's audio volume isn't too simplistic for its own
good. AIUI, they have two "volumes", one for the ringer, and one for
playing audio, games, videos, etc.
I feel like the volume should be app-specific, and you should be able to
allocate new volume categories. Putting keyboard clicks under the ringer
volume seems like a kludge.
However, it *does* do a good job of remembering volume settings for
different audio outputs. For example, it keeps track of your headphone
ringer and audio volume separate from your speaker ringer and audio volume.
I think the main problem is that the volume rules are just far too
convoluted. They took something trivial and hacked it up beyond
recognition, and all in the supposed name of "simplicity", go figure.
I think if they simply made the volume buttons control the ringer while
locked and not playing music, it would solve the problem.
BTW, a cool feature I didn't know for a long time is if you double tap the
home button, your audio controls appear on the lock screen (play/pause,
next previous song, and audio volume). But I think you have to unlock to
access ringer volume.
Well, I guess you fidget more about ringer volume than I do. I
usually like the ringer to be on 100%, because I frequently leave it
on my desk or somewhere other than my pocket. When I want it to be
quiet, it goes into silent mode.
Well, I *would* fidget with it a lot, but frankly no matter what I do
it's always playing something either too loud or two quiet, and I've
got better things to do than mess with a screwy interface every time I
walk into a different environment. So really it just encourages me to
avoid even using it or even bringing the thing anywhere unless I really
need it. A stiff, recessed master volume dial that I could reach into my
pocket to adjust would pretty much solve the issue, but I guess that
just isn't "high tech" enough. Make it holographic so you can't even
feel it at all, *then* Apple would probably toss it in. :/
It's more moving parts to break. I wouldn't like it. Just my opinion.
> And that's *just* volume issues alone. God, I *HATE* the fucking
> thing. Any time I use it, I just want to hurl the damn thing into
> the nearest concrete wall as hard as I can. But I can't, because
> it's not even mine, it's a loaner, and I unfortunately need it for
> development/testing (or at least *will* need it for such once we pay
> Apple their Developer Ransom).
Hehe, yeah, that sucks. But it's definitely worth it if you are
going to do *any* development, even if you aren't publishing.
If it were my own personal device, I'd just jailbreak it and be done
with it. (And then pay the ransom to publish, of course, because what
else can you do? Create your own device and compete with Apple under
capitalism? Nope, Google tried that idea of "competition" and look what
happened:
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/technology/jury-reaches-decision-in-apple-samsung-patent-trial.html?_r=1&ref=technology>
)
If you want to develop for only jailbroken phones, you basically alienate
most users of iPhone. It's not a viable business model IMO. Yes, it
sucks to have to jump through apple's hoops, but having access to millions
of users is very much worth it.
Just wait until you try to install your app on your phone for the
first time -- I have a feeling you will hate that too :)
I've done it on the Android already - could be better could be worse.
Marmalade's deployment tool is really dodgy when installing to a device,
but using Google's ADB directly is pretty reliable, and so is
installing from a URL via the device's browser.
I'm definitely not looking forward to dealing with iTunes though. I've
already used it for syncing the phone, and it's just a big mess. I
don't even bother trying to sync it anymore (PalmOS syncing OTOH, was
flawless). When the time comes, I'll probably grab copies of "Phone to
PC" and/or "Phone Disk" <http://www.macroplant.com/downloads.php>. The
demos of those seem to work much better than iTunes, plus they don't
treat me like a brain-damaged monkey.
Oh, when you develop apps, it's quite easy to install on the phone, you
just click "run" from xcode, selecting your device, you don't ever have to
start itunes (though itunes will auto-start every time you plug in the
phone, but you can disable this in itunes, more annoying is that iPhoto
*always* starts, I can't figure out how to stop that). From then on, the
app is installed. The issue is setting up all the certificates via xcode
and their web portal to get that to work (should only have to do this
once). I think the process has streamlined a bit, you used to have to
create an app id for each app and select which devices were authorized to
install it. Now I think you get a wildcard app id, but you still have to
register each device.
I love how my iPhone will never scratch or deteriorate.
Instead, it'll just get prematurely discontinued ;)
3gs (released june 2009) was still being sold last month, and it is
getting ios 6 upgrade. I still have mine and develop with it.
But I dunno, I've heard that the iPhones are so brittle that you
practically look at them the wrong way and they break. (I wouldn't
know - I've got a super heavy-duty case on mine. The device is far too
expensive to replace if anything happened to it. Damn thing costs twice
as much as my laptop. For a stupid little phone. Go figure.)
My wife and I have been very careful with ours, but I do see a lot with
cracked screens. Interesting thing is they still seem to work! I don't
think a cracked/broken screen would ever work with a palm-style touch
screen.
Also, starting with iPhone 4s (and iPad 2 I think?) you can buy apple care
for your device for $99 that covers two accidental breakage incidents (at
$49 each) for up to 2 years. This includes cracked screens and water
damage. Only catch is you have to buy it within 30 days of activating the
phone (or purchasing the iPad if not 3g enabled).
Well worth the extra cost when you consider the full retail price! I did
it for my 4s, and will do it for all my subsequent iPhones.
-Steve
