Comment by darkstalker | Hacker News Reader

Comment by darkstalker | Hacker News Reader

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I'm an Android user and bought an iPad some days ago. Overall it feels pretty weird and unintuitive from my point of view.

First thing I tried was uploading some images on it, but can't upload files via USB storage, have to use iTunes for that. I'm a linux user, so had to install windows on VirtualBox and then forward the USB por to virtualized iTunes. After doing that I realize that can't just place files on the filesystem, files are bound to a particular application, so I have to upload the images to an image viewer, and that program "owns" the files. Also apps seem to be isolated from each other, when on Android they often communicate via "intents".

Then I went to the App Store to get some apps to get started, and it asked me to create an Apple Id, I entered the info, then it asked me for credit card number.. I just wanted to get some free apps and skip the credit card part, but it didn't let me continue without it. So cancelled the Apple Id creation, went googling, and after a few tries managed to create the Apple Id account without registering a credit card (you need to download a free app). Seems that it's persuading you to enter a credit card, since the "none" payment option wasn't visible by default. After browsing the store for a while, most of the apps are paid and it's pretty hard to get free apps. You can't really get any decent app without paying, on Android 90% of the apps you'll use everyday are free.

So, overall it feels limited, there is no contact with the underlying filesystem or OS, most apps have very poor or zero configuration, and trivial tasks (like uploading files from your PC) require extra cumbersome steps. Seems to be designed as a device for consuming, a toy, not something you're gonna work with. My desktop computer is far superior than an iPad.

Have you ever watched someone organize their own files on disk? Copy files between disks/USB drives? Try to copy a file between two machines (yes, even on Windows)? Or get lost in settings or configuration files?

People, typical people, do. not. understand. any. of. those. things. Yes, some people do but most people don't and they don't want to either.

Advanced users of <anything> really need to realize that just because something is simple to you does not mean it's simple to everyone; heaven forbid we try to make things that more people can use and understand.

darkstalker's talking about stuff being /limited/, not stuff being simple to use and understand. They're related but not the same - that's where great design can come in. (At least, I still believe!)

And I have certainly seen a 'typical' person, who would frequently end up lost having teetered into one of the incredible variety of wrong turns it's possible to take in Windows Explorer - having migrated to a Mac, being brought to near tears of frustration by not being able to arrange things in iPhoto in a way that satisfied her, even after I showed her how to create "albums" to act in a way which is uncannily similar to but not the same as folders, a concept which she does actually understand and use.

(I'm now researching - with no definite expectation of a non-excessively laborious answer - how to export the photos from her iPhoto library into something like their original PC folder structure, so that I can set her up with the highly recommended Lyn and so that she can also manage the photos in the Finder as she really wants to.)

I had a similar user experience with iOS (I admit I bailed out of the ecosystem at the 3GS but it hasn't changed substantially since then).

You're correct with everything you say, however, I feel that while you should always cater for the lowest common denominator (which Apple does, very well with iOS). You should also cater for the power user and the ultimate reason I switched out of the iOS ecosystem the only way I could get all the functionality I wanted was by jailbreaking my iPhone, whereas with an Android it's all native (and am glad to say I haven't had to root my Android).

Further to the above paragraph from what I observe in iOS is that it appears that they do not want to progress towards power users, unless I've missed some key developments recently.

In saying this, I've recently purchased a MacBook and I feel that they've done an incredible job with OSX in the regards, it's very easy to use for the novice but allows for a lot of power user functionality (e.g. multiple finger swipes, access to terminal, keyboard shortcuts for things like spotlight).

> it hasn't changed substantially since then

I think it was iOS 4 that gave apps a filesystem users could directly (through iTunes) manipulate... I'm not sure how to describe it, so take a look at this picture: http://d.pr/i/PGfr - I can drop PDFs (and other files) in that window and the app would see them. It's fast, sine it's using USB. AND, if you plug the iPad to another computer, they can add PDFs too (no need to sync with that computer).

Also, wireless syncing (or syncing with icloud.com) is a big deal IMO.

And interaction between apps (like opening a PDF that's in ReaddleDocs in Adobe Reader) is easy now. Most apps implement a simple "sharing" button that lets you open a file in all qualifying apps.

And Safari... Safari is finally a decent browser. Specially on iPad.

And the whole iClous thing is just magnificent if you have iPhone, iPad and a Mac.

But still, it lacks some of "advanced" features of Android ("intents", for one), and wouldn't have them for at least 13 months (when iOS 7 comes out).

Typical people understand the file/folder paradigm just fine. It's just a myth, pure FUD, that people have trouble with this idea. Things like the problem copying between computers is really about the issue of connectivity, not about the concept of copying object foo onto computer bar.

Naives quite happily understand of their files as moveable objects, similar to apples in a basket. In all the hand-holding I've done of naive users, even those people who get thoroughly confused that there's 'left' and 'right' 'clicks' still firmly grasp the basic idea of files.

In my spare time I tutor office workers, casual users, and students on how to use Office and various other tools to improve their workflow, etc.

This is not FUD at all. The files/folders concept is one of those things that most people just don't understand.

> pure FUD

My relatives and friends are outliers then. Or maybe yours are. But, I don't think it's FUD because I have first-hand experience.

> on Android 90% of the apps you'll use everyday are free

They're ad-supported. That's a huge difference. I'd rather (and do) pay for the apps I'm supposed to be using everyday (but, the problem is you can't test-drive apps, so you might end up paying $14 for an app that's pure garbage. That's a valid criticism of App Store.).

If you use Dropbox you can have it just automatically transfer your photos or iPhoto/PhotoStream. From there it's in your camera roll which any application can access.

God help you if you want to use it in two different applications. Plus, "you can use a third-party service" is not exactly an elegant solution.

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