[osubeavs728]

So because one little feature that I'm sure majority if people don't use some of you think ICS is a step backwards? That's a bit dramatic IMO. I'm sure it's a pain in the **** for some, but definitely not a step backward I would say.

[YourMobileGuru]

So because one little feature that I'm sure majority if people don't use some of you think ICS is a step backwards? That's a bit dramatic IMO. I'm sure it's a pain in the **** for some, but definitely not a step backward I would say.

I'm pretty sure the OP was just listing one example. This whole thread is full of things that were changed or left out for no reason.

[Droid800]

My personal opinion on this is that Google doesn't purposely leave the "pretty" stuff to third parties, like TabGuy postulated, but rather they try to do the "pretty" stuff too but just suck at it. TabGuy is right, they're not UI experts, but I'm not sure that they realize that. Just look at Google's changes to the Google Reader and Gmail UIs -- they probably thought (and still do?) that they were making them better, when in reality they just made everything worse.

Except he's not right. Go read up on Matias Duarte, then re-join the conversation.

[Droid800]

I know dozens of people with Android phones...they all seemed to get the Long-press method immediately without me having to explain it to them...thats how you do it on a PC as well (Longpress = Right Click). That seems pretty intuitive to me.

Not intuitive at all, especially when its application across the OS was messy, inconsistent, and incoherent. The new way makes a lot more sense from a UX and usability standpoint; the long-press only accesses what you're touching, whether its moving an icon, or getting to the wallpaper menu. The widgets, which are, as I said before, mini applications, are grouped in the application drawer.

Why could you not simply allow for both? Why does it have to be one or the other?

Because its poor UX design. Having widgets grouped in the wallpaper menu, and hidden behind layers of other menus, is a usability nightmare. Making this change immediately makes that part of the OS more accessible for new users, and just makes sense.

That has not been my experience. I am sure custom launchers will correct this flaw in the OS, so I suppose I am not too worried about it.

This is not a flaw. It is correcting a mistake that the original architects of Android made. If anything is flawed, it was the way Android handled adding widgets pre-4.0.

[yapkuen]

Except he's not right. Go read up on Matias Duarte, then re-join the conversation.

Not all UI designers can also be good at it. I guess at the end of the day it's a matter of opinion, but if Google UI is designed by UI experts, then I'll take something made by amateurs, thanks.

[osubeavs728]

I'm pretty sure the OP was just listing one example. This whole thread is full of things that were changed or left out for no reason.

I've read he whole thread a couple times now and I'm not seeing anything other than people talking about the long press....but I'll take your word for it hoss.

[YourMobileGuru]

Not intuitive at all, especially when its application across the OS was messy, inconsistent, and incoherent. The new way makes a lot more sense from a UX and usability standpoint; the long-press only accesses what your touching, whether its moving an icon, or getting to the wallpaper menu. The widgets, which are, as I said before, mini applications, are grouped in the application drawer.



Because its poor UX design. Having widgets grouped in the wallpaper menu, and hidden behind layers of other menus, is a usability nightmare. Making this change immediately makes that part of the OS more accessible for new users, and just makes sense.




This is not a flaw. It is correcting a mistake that the original architects of Android made. If anything is flawed, it was the way Android handled adding widgets pre-4.0.

Not at all it made perfect sense the way it worked before. If you wanted to add something to the home screen you pressed it long press and then you had options to do wallpaper, widgets whatever and you pressed wallpaper and it gave options where to get them from (stock wallpapers, live wallpaper, then specific apps that you could get them from). That is not endless menus it is two and hardly excessive. Perfect logical sense and anyone with half a brain cell could figure it out once they knew there was a menu there.

The problem here is that they are trying to follow Apple's example and dumb down the UI and that is a mistake. It took three major releases for Apple to even give them the option to change their wallpaper. If something like that is too complicated for someone then they have no business using a smartphone.

[YourMobileGuru]

Not all UI designers can also be good at it. I guess at the end of the day it's a matter of opinion, but if Google UI is designed by UI experts, then I'll take something made by amateurs, thanks.

Um Matias Duarte was largely responsible for designing WebOS which was almost universally heralded as being easiest to use (with the possible exception of iOS but then iOS was and is still playing catch up in the features department so it was not an issue of not being able to figure out how do do things, in a lot of cases the features just weren't there). I may not agree with what he did with the home screen menu in ICS but I have to give him credit for that.

[yosteve]

I found another way to make a shortcut without go launcher. (many people naysay without even trying, i'm critical and vocal but I also try to solve issues)

anyway download es file explorer (having an explorer type program is handy anyways)
Find your file, long press on it and swipe down and choose shortcut, et voila!

I did one of a picture and one of a pdf for you.

[Droid800]

Not all UI designers can also be good at it. I guess at the end of the day it's a matter of opinion, but if Google UI is designed by UI experts, then I'll take something made by amateurs, thanks.

We had that in Android up until 3.0. And it sucked.

Frankly, the UI of ICS is in a whole different league compared to Android pre 3.0. Its like comparing the computers and OSes of present day to those of the 90s. It isn't even a fair comparison.

And the fact that you think Duarte isn't 'good at it', means you don't actually know anything about him or what he's done.

[Droid800]

Not at all it made perfect sense the way it worked before. If you wanted to add something to the home screen you pressed it long press and then you had options to do wallpaper, widgets whatever and you pressed wallpaper and it gave options where to get them from (stock wallpapers, live wallpaper, then specific apps that you could get them from). That is not endless menus it is two and hardly excessive. Perfect logical sense and anyone with half a brain cell could figure it out once they knew there was a menu there.

That last part highlights exactly why it was removed from the menu. It was unintuitive, it didn't make any sense from a user perspective, and it was just totally poor design. That, and if you had a hundred widgets, you'd have to scroll through, hope you chose the one you wanted in the size you wanted, and then put it on the home screen.

The problem here is that they are trying to follow Apple's example and dumb down the UI and that is a mistake. It took three major releases for Apple to even give them the option to change their wallpaper. If something like that is too complicated for someone then they have no business using a smartphone.

No, that's not at all correct. The UI is no more dumbed down than gingerbread. Its been cleaned up, in a significant way, and its much improved for it.

[drewC]

I found another way to make a shortcut without go launcher. (many people naysay without even trying, i'm critical and vocal but I also try to solve issues)

anyway download es file explorer (having an explorer type program is handy anyways)
Find your file, long press on it and swipe down and choose shortcut, et voila!

I did one of a picture and one of a pdf for you.

Thanks for this. One of few constructive comments on this thread. People have the right to not want to learn a totally redesigned UI, but thats when the 3rd party launcher apps can be useful. It's not a bad thing per se and I certainly don't think ICS is a step backwards.

However, I do have a question. There is a "settings" app in the app drawer which I have moved to my home screen for easy access when I need to use it. I have also managed to add the tethering settings to my home screen. I then grouped the two together under one folder which only makes sense. My problem is I cannot recall how I managed to add the tethering settings to my home screen to begin with. Can someone please help me remember?

[JeffDenver]

The problem here is that they are trying to follow Apple's example and dumb down the UI and that is a mistake. It took three major releases for Apple to even give them the option to change their wallpaper. If something like that is too complicated for someone then they have no business using a smartphone.

THIS. Seriously.

Me: Why could you not simply allow for both? Why does it have to be one or the other?

Because its poor UX design. Having widgets grouped in the wallpaper menu, and hidden behind layers of other menus, is a usability nightmare. Making this change immediately makes that part of the OS more accessible for new users, and just makes sense.

Yes, making this easier for people to get to it a "usability nightmare". LOL

Me: That has not been my experience. I am sure custom launchers will correct this flaw in the OS, so I suppose I am not too worried about it.

This is not a flaw.

Yes, if we dont get it, that must mean we cannot see the genius of the design. Have you ever considered applying for a job at Apple?

[butchyon]

OMG! Many thanks to @yosteve! You da man! Problem was, I already had Astro File Manager installed (been using it for a coupla years), and tried to use it to make the shortcuts, but like ICS, it doesn't have the "Shortcut" option when you long-press a file. I guess that just goes to show that like OS's, not all file managers are created equal. I have now installed ES and uninstalled Astro!
Thanks again for responding and letting me know how I could get this done! It really means a lot to me!
After all, it's not like ICS has a users manual. At least not one this in-depth. But thank goodness for the Android Central User Forums!

[yosteve]

However, I do have a question. There is a "settings" app in the app drawer which I have moved to my home screen for easy access when I need to use it. I have also managed to add the tethering settings to my home screen. I then grouped the two together under one folder which only makes sense. My problem is I cannot recall how I managed to add the tethering settings to my home screen to begin with. Can someone please help me remember?

I'm guessing you're using nova launcher, long press on the home screen it's in nova actions. Otherwise i'm not sure what you're saying.

[yosteve]

Fyi, never did I say I had a problem with tapatalk.

You can see though that it does refresh when it asks you to restart the copied old message. When you do it on a web browser it's lost.

I've come to the conclusion that many just haven't seen it yet just with regular use of the phone. Don't worry, you will.

[jafels]

Fyi, never did I say I had a problem with tapatalk.

You can see though that it does refresh when it asks you to restart the copied old message. When you do it on a web browser it's lost.

I've come to the conclusion that many just haven't seen it yet just with regular use of the phone. Don't worry, you will.

Yosteve could you explain what you mean......I can be on a web page like this one or others and be typing something into a text input field....then go to another application....and using my multitask button come back to exactly where i was on a webpage and continue typing....no reload. Are you talking about something else?

[yosteve]

Yosteve could you explain what you mean......I can be on a web page like this one or others and be typing something into a text input field....then go to another application....and using my multitask button come back to exactly where i was on a webpage and continue typing....no reload. Are you talking about something else?

Ok but only cause you asked

Yes but it's more involved.
I constructed a test. Because it doesn't always happen.
First make sure you're app free in the multitasker besides this one.
Second click on this link
Next watch the video clip. Half way through a video tap on it to reveal the play button and click on it to pause.
Next, press the home hey to keep it open.

Next, do something that requires you to open another app that hasn't been opened in awhile.
example: open your people app and add a fake as a contact don't even need a number, select done

Press the home key

Press the multitask button and go back to the fox video.

Note how it reloads and you lose your space entirely.

Now here's the kicker, close the app swipe it off and try it again and it works fine. so you have to do something else like take a picture (if you haven't on awhile) then go back and it reloads, but if you then close the camera, start the video again then go back and take a picture it's fine.

you probably will never see it but you inadvertently see it every time your tapatalk asks you to open a saved draft, it has to reload.

[YourMobileGuru]

That last part highlights exactly why it was removed from the menu. It was unintuitive, it didn't make any sense from a user perspective, and it was just totally poor design. That, and if you had a hundred widgets, you'd have to scroll through, hope you chose the one you wanted in the size you wanted, and then put it on the home screen..

I've been using Android since 1.6 so please dont tell me I dont know how widgets work. I am well aware of how to make them and how to re-sixe them (a feature that originated on Motobulr I believe and was added to Honeycomb).

Yes stock android (at least older versions) you just got a list of widgets, but you have been able to visually select widgest in the better OEM skins (ie Sense) for a long time and didn't have to go into the app drawer to do it. Moving it there does nothing but make it HARDER to find. If you want to do something on the home screen now that there is no menu button you do a hard press. Easy.

Again I haven't used stock Android since the Original Droid so I am not sure how stock handled widgets in the Gingerbread but this is a case where every one of the OEM skins handled widgets well and it was easier to do than how it is in stock ICS. I have no problem with having it in the app drawer for those who want it that way that's fine but removing existing functionality is stupid.



.

No, that's not at all correct. The UI is no more dumbed down than gingerbread. Its been cleaned up, in a significant way, and its much improved for it.

Yes it is. dragging icons on top of each-other to make folders (a la iPhone) instead of Menu > Create folder) US indeed dumbed down. Removing the menu button entirely is dumbing down.

[Droid800]

Yes it is. dragging icons on top of each-other to make folders (a la iPhone) instead of Menu > Create folder) US indeed dumbed down. Removing the menu button entirely is dumbing down.

No it isn't. Making a feature more functional and easier to use is not 'dumbing it down'. The end result is not different than using the menu key; getting there makes a whole lot more sense though.

The entire purpose of ICS is to get rid of all of the hidden crap in the OS, most of which never got touched in any of the major updates because it was so hidden. Seriously. You need to go read up on all the interviews with Duarte about ICS.

[Droid800]

THIS. Seriously.

Yes, making this easier for people to get to it a "usability nightmare". LOL

The long press IS a usability nightmare. It hides functions in an unintuitive, text driven menu, in order to get to something that is very dependent on NON textual design. Its a ****-poor design, which is why it was scrapped.

Yes, if we dont get it, that must mean we cannot see the genius of the design. Have you ever considered applying for a job at Apple?

No, it just means you're a stubborn old codger that can't deal with change. If it was up to people like you, we'd still be using Windows 95.

[Johnly]

Ice is fine, problem is fragmentation. It is getting worse. Google needs to hone in and kill. The market is cut hard with paper. There is a market for fragmented OS, but enough is enough. If google wants to survive they need to gain some control.

[YourMobileGuru]

No it isn't. Making a feature more functional and easier to use is not 'dumbing it down'. The end result is not different than using the menu key; getting there makes a whole lot more sense though.

The entire purpose of ICS is to get rid of all of the hidden crap in the OS, most of which never got touched in any of the major updates because it was so hidden. Seriously. You need to go read up on all the interviews with Duarte about ICS.

I am well aware of what Duarte has accomplished with other platforms and what he was trying to do with Android, but that does not mean that I have to agree with it.

I've made folders when I didn't intend to several times. Creating folders that way is NOT initiative to me and to a lot of people. It wasn't when iPhone did it and it isn't in Android.

[YourMobileGuru]

Ice is fine, problem is fragmentation. It is getting worse. Google needs to hone in and kill. The market is cut hard with paper. There is a market for fragmented OS, but enough is enough. If google wants to survive they need to gain some control.

ROTFL, Google is doing Juuust fine thank you. ...

[Johnly]

ROTFL, Google is doing Juuust fine thank you. ...

The VP thinks your Internet rights are not rights. I read like a graduate student. Don't smoke and mirror me.