Hi Christopher, Thank you for correcting my timeline on accessibility of smart phones. I was considering out of the box accessibility as, 10 years ago, a lot of us couldn't afford the talks software as it more than doubled the cost of a cell phone, at least in our country it did. Up until very recently, it cost, in Canada, about $450 to make a Blackberry accessible. Only large companies could afford to purchase the product for their blind employees.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying we shouldn't push for more but, sometimes, we have to take a step back and give companies a chance. We must remember that we are a very small part of the market. That doesn't mean we should be ignored but we have to also understand where priorities lie for a profit making enterprise. Ron & Danvers -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Christopher Chaltain Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 6:09 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: Article: iOS 6 is holding the iPHone 5 back I think this is mostly true. In the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) you determine what your company's top priority is, schedule, cost or quality. Of course, every executive will say they're all important, but you can tell from a company's history which is the most important. At my previous employer it was definitely schedule, but every now and then a quality problem associated with customer satisfaction, would cause the balances to tip in favor of quality, at least for a release or two. External factors also play into this quite a bit. Apple used to put out new iPhones in the summer and a few years ago they slipped to the fall. I don't know what the reasoning was behind this. Maybe it was a quality or distribution issue, or maybe it was just marketing, e.g. release the new products closer to Black Friday. Time to market is obviously a key consideration for a business decision though. With competition from Android phones and tablets and now phones and tablets running flavors of Windows, maybe Apple felt they needed to get something out this fall to keep them in the front. I agree with your sentiment on where we are compared to where we were, but I think it's human nature to point out a products short comings and take for granted it's positive features, and just because we should be thrilled we have as much access to mobile phones as we do now, doesn't mean we should be come complacent and just accept whatever we're given. You're obviously not saying that, but I don't think you'll ever see the praise for an established product out weigh the criticisms, and I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that. I'd also have to lengthen your time line a bit. We have had access to accessible smart phones now for almost exactly a decade. I got my first smart phone, a Nokia Communicator, and a beta of Talks at the end of 2002. On 26/09/12 16:20, Ron Pelletier wrote: > Hi, > > > > I'm sure you understand that, in today's technology, deadlines are the > most important thing around. In business, if people expect something > in September, that when they want it and business has to provide. A > month before IOS 6 came out, everyone was speculating as to what would > be and were really expecting IOS 6 to be out on time. Apple had to > bring it out even if they knew that it wasn't polished just like > automobile manufacturers will put out a car with known problems but > would rather deal with a recall than to hold the production beyond the > expected deadline for release. > > > > If you remember Windows 95 and all the others after, they all came out > with serious bugs but they came out on time as announced and bugs were > corrected after and everyone lived with that. That's the way that big > business works > > > > I think we need to give Apple a couple of months to see how they deal > with the after release and then I will agree or not with your > statements. After all, IOS 6 is only a week old and I am positive > that engineers at Apple are working around the clock to fix things > that don't work and implement new ones. I'm sure Apple wants to stay > on top and I'm sure they know how to do it. They just need time and > that is something we, as users, are not giving them. We want better > and faster than what can be done and why! Only a few short years ago, > we as blind people, didn't even have access to anything else on our > cell phones than dial and answer. We were complaining about things as > simple as buttons being too small to dial easily and audio quality. > Now we complain about how long it takes to delete a message when ,a > very short while ago, we didn't even have access to that message. We > even had to ask for sighted help to put contacts in our phones because we couldn't do it ourselves. > > > > That is not to say that we should stop pushing for better access and > better things but we should be a little more patient as to how quickly > it should come. All week, I have been following this list and read a > lot more complaints about what wasn't working quite right than I read > of things that are great innovations making room for more improvements. > > > > I'm sure that, within the next few weeks, a lot of small bugs that > I've read about here in the past week will be corrected and we will > already be wondering what IOS 7 will bring. We are just never happy > with what we have. > > > > Ron & Danvers > > > > > > *From:*viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] *On > Behalf Of *Kliphton > *Sent:* Wednesday, September 26, 2012 11:32 AM > *To:* viphone@googlegroups.com > *Subject:* Article: iOS 6 is holding the iPHone 5 back > > > > > The iPhone 5 is an incredible smartphone. I've been using mine since > it arrived on my doorstep at 7:48 p.m. the day after launch day (after > a painfully long wait), and I love it. It's spectacularly thin and > light, it's beautiful - like most Apple products - and that larger > display is such a welcome improvement. > > I chose the white and silver model - I've had white iPhones for as > long as they've been available - and I think it's the prettiest gadget > I've ever owned. It's also powerful, and noticeably faster than my > already snappy iPhone 4S. Its battery life is excellent, and so is the camera. > > Overall, I have a long list of positive things to say about the iPhone > 5 - the hardware is just unbeatable. But I think there's one thing > letting it down, and that's iOS 6. > > > > Before I jump in and tell you why iOS 6 is letting down the iPhone 5, > let me just make one thing clear: I love iOS. It's by far the most > polished mobile platform there is, and it's been my OS of choice since > its debut with the original iPhone. > > iOS "just works" - in so many ways. Its ability to sync with iTunes > and iPhoto, and all the benefits that iCloud brings, make it a perfect > companion for Mac users like me. It's super simple to use - even my > granddad's using it - and the catalog of third-party apps available on > iOS is second to none. > > But as a technology writer, I'm often required to step outside my > comfort zone and test other devices. devices that don't run iOS. Since > selling my iPhone 4S a couple weeks ago, I've been using a Samsung > Galaxy Nexus, and prior to that I tested a long list of Android and > Windows Phone smartphones. > > */Apple's platform is the best of the bunch, but the gap between iOS > and its competitors is getting ever smaller./* > > What I've learned along the way is that Apple's platform is the best > of the bunch, and for me, it's the little things that make the biggest > difference. But the gap between iOS and its competitors is getting > ever smaller. > > When Apple announced the original iPhone back in 2007, iOS - then > called "iPhone OS" - was like nothing we'd ever seen before. Sure, > we'd had touchscreen devices, but they were designed to work with tiny > styluses that quickly got broken or lost, and they were slow and unreliable. > > Apple kept making iOS better, adding things like iTunes and support > for third-party apps through the App Store. These things took iOS way > ahead of anything else, and that's been the case for quite some time. > > */For the past few years, iOS hasn't been taking the leaps it did in > the early days./* > > But for the past few years, iOS hasn't quite been taking the leaps it > did in the early days. Apple has added new features and new services, > some of which are really terrific, such as iCloud - as I mentioned > earlier - and Siri. But there are some big things iOS is missing- > things that other platforms gained a long time ago. > > > Widgets > > */I want widgets on iOS./* > > These things become more apparent when you use those other platforms > for a few weeks. For example, Android's widgets may not seem like a > big thing to you, but try living with them for an extended period of > time and you'll miss them a lot when you go back to iOS. > > Widgets let you add all kinds of things to your home screen, such as > sports scores, the weather, music controls, settings toggles, your > Twitter timeline, a breaking news feed. the list is endless. > > Having these things in front of you right after unlocking your > smartphone, without having to open up an app, is just fantastic. I > felt the same way about Windows Phone's live tiles after using an HTC > Titan for a month. > > I want widgets, or maybe even dynamic icons, on iOS. And I know this > is a feature a lot of iOS users have been calling out for for some time. > But Apple is yet to introduce it. It has added its own alternative to > Notification Center in the form of Weather and Stocks "widgets," but > those have remained unchanged since iOS 5, and Apple is yet to offer > us anything new. > > You can add widgets yourself if you jailbreak, and those that are > available through Cydia are. okay. But they'd be so much better if > Apple supported them and allowed developers to create them for their > apps. The iPhone 5's larger display creates room for widgets, so let's > have them, Apple. > > > Quick Settings Toggles > > Another feature iOS is missing is quick settings toggles. These allow > you to quickly change common settings without having to open up your > settings app. Android has them in the notification drop-down, allowing > you to quickly toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, the screen rotation lock, and > the brightness of your display. > > */I don't want to have to stop what I'm doing and open up the > Settings app to enable/disable a feature./* > > And iOS should have them, too. I don't want to have to stop what I'm > doing and open up the Settings app to enable/disable a feature that > could easily be nothing more than a switch at the top of Notification > Center. > > > Default Apps > > How about customizing our default apps? Mobile Safari is great, but I > think Google Chrome is better. I love Mail, but I know others prefer > Gmail or Sparrow. Apple should allow us to set third-party apps as our > default apps, so that when you click on links in iMessage, you go > straight into your favorite browser. > > This may not be for everyone; beginners may just want to use Apple's > own apps. But Apple could allow more advanced users to enable their > own default apps if they choose to. > > > Quick SMS Reply > > */This is a small feature that would make a big difference, I don't > know why it isn't baked into iOS./* > > For me, one of the biggest reasons to jailbreak is for BiteSMS. There > are many great features in BiteSMS, but the best is the ability to > quickly reply to messages from wherever you are with quick reply. > > When you receive a text message, BiteSMS presents you with a popup > alert - just like iOS does. But within that popup, you can quickly > reply to the message. You don't need to step out of the app you're in > to go to Messages - you can just reply there and then. Once you hit > send, you go straight back to what you're doing. > > This is a small feature that would make such a big difference, I don't > know why it isn't baked into iOS. It's not like our iPhones don't have > the processing power to handle a feature like this. The iPhone 5 is > one of the fastest smartphones money can buy. > Again, this may not be for everyone; some people will prefer more > subtle notification banners that don't distract you. But it would be > nice to have the choice. > > > Hiding Built-In Apps > > As I mentioned earlier, some of Apple's built-in apps are terrific. > But others aren't. Weather never seems to be accurate here in the > U.K., and the information it provides is so basic you might as well > just look out the window. While I can't remember the last time I used Stocks. > > I can understand why Apple doesn't want us to remove these, however; > people may accidentally delete essential apps. But why not let us hide > the nonessential ones? They're just taking up space on our home screens. > > > Maps > > Finally, we come to Maps. I liked Google Maps in iOS 5; I wasted many > hours playing around with Street View. But I do feel Apple's new Maps > app is a worthy replacement, in fact, I think Flyover and turn-by-turn > actually make it a big improvement. > > */There's no two ways about this: Apple has provided us with a new > Maps app that just isn't finished./* > > At least, that would be the case if it worked. There's no two ways > about > this: Apple has provided us with a new Maps app that just isn't > finished. And this isn't a minor feature that nobody's bothered about. > Maps is something a lot of us have come to reply on, but we can't in > iOS 6, because it doesn't work properly. > > I accept that it's still early days and that Maps will improve over > time. But maybe it needed a little more improvement before it went > public? We can cope with a half-baked Siri, because no one had gotten > used to a /perfect/ Siri. But we had gotten used to an almost perfect > Maps app. > > > Competitors Are Catching Up > > For me, the absence of simple features like this is holding iOS back. > > It's not like these features are against Apple's policies, either. I'm > not asking for the ability to install apps from third-party sources, > or support for themes and skins. I know these things will never come. > > But I think the features I've mentioned could easily be introduced to > iOS without going against all the things that Apple is about. What's > more, they wouldn't just be great for the average user, but they'd > also please more advanced users who are crying out for a little bit more. > > */For me, iOS is still the most complete package, but I do feel it's > missing several key features./* > > If you've only ever used iOS, some of these features may not be a big > deal to you. But once you've had a taste of them on another platform, > their absence begins to be a big issue. What's more, I feel it's > encouraging users to go and try other platforms - many of whom never > come back. > > I have a handful of friends who were iPhone users for years. But they > now own Android devices because of all the benefits Android brings. > No, it's not as polished. But its customization options and its > flexibility make it a more exciting platform. > > For me, iOS is still the most complete package, and the best mobile > platform there is. But I do feel it's missing several key features, > and not quite evolving as quickly as it could be. This is giving its > competitors a chance to catch up and provide an increasingly > compelling reason to switch. > > With that said, I absolutely love my iPhone 5 - just like everyone > else who's bought one. And it's likely to be my daily driver for at > least the next 12 months. But I feel it could be an even greater > experience if iOS > 6 wasn't holding it back. > > For now, I'll probably jailbreak and add some of the features I've > mentioned above myself in hope that future iOS updates will deliver > some of the things the vast majority of us have been waiting for. > > How do you feel about iOS 6? > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" > Google Group. > To search the VIPhone public archive, visit > http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. > To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com > <mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > <mailto:viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" > Google Group. > To search the VIPhone public archive, visit > http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. > To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > > -- Christopher (CJ) chaltain at Gmail -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en.
