Don't forget – iOS 6 is out today

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grahamthompson1978
35 weeks ago
So, iOS 6 is here.
And, as is sometimes the case, it's the little things that make all the difference: being able to use Siri on my iPad is great, more iCloud integration for Safari bookmarks and tabs, integration for Messages and Contacts. Posting to Facebook & Twitter without opening the apps. Sharing PhotoStreams with friends. All good!
The nay-sayers and Apple-haters will berate this version of iOS as pointless. The overall look of the UI hasn't changed, they'll say there's no Live Tiles, no NFC. They'll argue that Apple are churning out the same old rubbish that was first introduced with the first generation iPhone. And they have a point. But my argument is that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The old adage rings true, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The UI on iOS 6 is just as user friendly and intuitive as it was on the first generation iPhone. As a long-serving Apple fan I've always liked the simplicity of the UI, way back to the first Apple Macintosh desktop (which, if you look closely hasn't really changed even in the most up-to-date MacBooks and iMacs). The reason it hasn't changed is that it doesn't need to. It just works and it still looks good all these years later. If I wanted some "bling" I'd buy one of those nasty little plastic and glass Android and Windows smartphones or tablets. I could "pimp" my UI with LIve Tiles, change all my icons to some cartoon version of the latest craze, see messages and photos magically rotate around my screen. But thankfully I'm an adult with simple tastes. I choose design and useability over flashing lights and gimmicks. I pay more for my Apple product because I know it's worth it. The intricacy of the design and its eye-catching looks coupled with the user-friendly nature of the UI and the fact that it just does exactly what I need it to do, subtley, quietly, professionally. Or at least it used to....
With every Apple product launch I've waited with baited breath for the new killer feature. The thing that advances my iThing to another level. That will aid my daily routine, make my mundane existence more pleasurable. That makes life slightly better. And I thought I had it. The launch of iOS 6 promised so much. Subtle, hard-to-fathom-the-usefullness-of-until-you-try-them things. That same over-arching Apple ethos to make life easier. Until I saw the abomination that is.... Apple Maps! For the love of all that is good, why??? Not only is the information in many cases, how do I say it? Wrong! But have you seen the so-called Satellite imagery? Was it foggy when the satellite passed-by? The detail is next to useless as the imagery is so grainy.
And sadly my disappointment didn't end there. One of my favourite apps has just gone. After years of just being there YouTube is no more. Unlike Google Maps it hasn't been replaced (probably for the best!) with some inferior substitute. It just ceased to exist. Gone. No fanfare. No farewell. Just. Gone.
And then my "strike three" moment. Safari has gone the way of Mountain Lion and just stopped offering built-in RRS Reader support! Why do this? What was the motivation behind removing RRS reader support? Why is there no Apple-designed alternative? Do Apple really think we don't use it even though they have RRS feeds on the Apple website? Now Safari is just like all those other browsers. Except that with Google Chrome you can use the Google Reader.
Alas, my enthusiam for the new OS was short lived. I've been duped into thinking that Apple "got me" and all that I wanted/needed/desired in a phone/tablet/computer. For years they did. Now....
Well, one can only hope that they see sense and start moving iOS 6.1 forwards instead of backwards. Just don't leave it too long Apple 'cos I loved my YouTube, Google Maps and built-in RRS reader browser. And where can I get a phone/tablet that offers all that I wonder......???
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