| Author |
Message |
    
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 273
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 1:30 pm: |     |
Love the ipod, but I have to say, after using it a while, the OS and interface on this thing is absolutely abysmal. Horribly low screen resolution, density of information provided almost useless, extremely hierarchical, no search function.
My favorite situation: you're listening to a song. You're browsing through menu after menu looking for another song or whatever. Another song comes on and it is LOUD. Can you adjust the volume? NOT until you click menu back frantically 10 times to get to the top, pick "Now Playing >" then scroll it down. What brilliant design! My ears are bleeding, by the way.
That screen real estate could hold SO much more information. Aside from more "advanced" capabilities like being able to actually navigate through your contents easily, how about the simple ability to change from that stupid old Mac OS font to something a little more useful?
Shields are up, convince me I'm dealing with an incredibly advanced interface and don't appreciate its "inherent graceful simplicity."
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Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1325
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 2:09 pm: | |
Any music player that doesn't have a volume wheel/slider is bad engineering. |
Network & PC Care
Citizen
Username: Npccare
Post Number: 101
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 2:38 pm: | |
You could sell it if you don't like it.
Seems a little picky to complain about a font though.
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monster
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 1306
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 4:00 pm: | |
if you don't mind a little hacking you can change your font, and a few other things too.
there are ways to set the sound levels for the songs too.
Have you ever heard of Google? Why don't you try using it to see if you can find a fix.... |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 1511
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 4:23 pm: | |
The problem is that the click wheel is a jack of all trades, master of none. Since it's not a dedicated control, you have to work the software to get it to do what you want.
Other than the font, I agree with all of snb's complaints. i still love my ipod, but it could be much better. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 1456
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 5:47 pm: | |
Ditto. I've been using mine I guess a couple of months now. I absolutely love somethings about it, but there's stuff that could be improved.
Top Pet Peeve: I am listening to an audiobook. I pause / shut down when I get to work. Put it in "hold" mode (orange showing on that slider on the top) so it won't accidentally turn itself on for me.
Sometimes (maybe 10% of the time?) at the end of the day I turn it back on again, and it's forgotten where I was in the book. Sometimes it just goes back to the start of the book, other times it goes back to the last place I'd left off. A bug I guess.
My workaround has been to always note the approximate time when I turn it off. But then I have to use that hideous interface to find my way back to where I was - which involves lots and lots of spinning the clickwheel around. |
monster
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 1307
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 10:04 pm: | |
Okay-okay...
here are a few links that a few of you might find useful.
Audiobook info
http://aldoblog.com/blog/471
Make Bookmarkable script
written by Doug Adams
update posted: Mar 1, 2004
total downloads: 22399
This script will change the file type of the selected AAC tracks to "M4B ", thus making them bookmarkable. (That is, the track will resume playing wherever you left off the last time you played it.)
For Macs install this "Make Bookmarkable" AppleScript, and choose it from the Scripts menu
http://www.dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/scripts07.php?page=3#makebookmarkable
• iTunes 5 users should use "Selected Tracks Bookmarkable"
http://www.dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/scripts04.php?page=1#selectedtracksboo kmarkable
http://www.mymusictools.com/utilities_28/marksman_25025.htm
Guide: Copying Audio CD's into Bookmarking iTunes/iPod file
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33491
Guide: Copy & merge MP3 files (mac adaptable) and Audio Cassettes (PC only) into Bookmarking file
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45967
Guide: Convert NEW or EXISTING mono m4b files to Stereo to avoid 4G
& Mini Lockup AND keep iTrip frequencies out of 4G and mini Shuffle
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61895
EZGuide. All-in-one PC Shareware. Merges, converts, & renames CD, MP3, WAV to bookmarking & places in iTunes Library (MarkAble-$15 PC Shareware)
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79396
Guides 1-3. Create Bookmarking iPod Files from MP3s (mac&PC), cassette tape, LP, & CD(PC)
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=a78064d8e933b946f08bcebf70e11e62&t hreadid=45967&perpage=15&pagenumber=1
Guide 4. Create bookmarking iPod files from CDs. All iTunes, 1 file/CD solution
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33491
Guide 5. Burn audible books to CD iTunes (mac adaptable) or AM (Best!PC only)
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37562
Guide 6. Convert mono m4b files to Stereo to avoid 4G & Mini Lockup AND keep iTrip out of 4G+ Shuffle
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61895
iPod Hacks, lots of good stuff
http://www.ipodhacks.com/
iLounge iPod hacking forum
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/forumdisplay.php?s=a78064d8e933b946f08bcebf70e11e62 &forumid=79
Listening levels on iPOD
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=a78064d8e933b946f08bcebf70e11e62&t hreadid=61187&highlight=volume+levels
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=a78064d8e933b946f08bcebf70e11e62&t hreadid=116377&highlight=volume+levels
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=a78064d8e933b946f08bcebf70e11e62&t hreadid=92331&highlight=volume+levels
MacMP3Gain (I used this and it seems to have worked)
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=a78064d8e933b946f08bcebf70e11e62&t hreadid=117872&highlight=volume+levels
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=a78064d8e933b946f08bcebf70e11e62&t hreadid=114103&highlight=volume+levels
MacMP3Gain homepage, http://homepage.mac.com/beryrinaldo/AudioTron/MacMP3Gain/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0321336747/104-2093485-9299101?v=g lance
Okay, now it's time to get off work and go home, I think I've posted enough links to keep you busy, and to give you an idea on what to search for if you still need more info.
C-YA! |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9677
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 10:37 pm: | |
You are a MONSTER resource! |
Eric
Citizen
Username: Ericactive
Post Number: 47
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, September 29, 2005 - 9:34 am: | |
A search function? How would you implement that? Add a tiny keyboard?
I have to admit I prefer old school portable devices like bulky CD players that sometimes could hold up to 20 short songs on a disc! It was fun to put it on shuffle and be surprised by what came on next. They almost never skipped. I could carry ten other cds full of songs in a slipcase too.
Even better was the cassette walkman. It was fun finding songs on those. Sometimes tapes would break but I always kept extra copies - especially of my carefully edited mix tapes. I had a case the size of a small briefcase full of cassettes that I toted around. Cleaning the head was easy too.
Yeah, these newfangled mp3 players sure could learn a lesson or two from their predecessors. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9681
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 29, 2005 - 10:06 am: | |
Eric, before the cassette Walkman, did you carry a 20 pound boombox on your shoulder, replacing D-cells (in lots of eight) every two days? Yeah, those were the days.
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Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 1513
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, September 29, 2005 - 11:19 am: | |
I'm assuming Eric is being sarcastic. But just because something is newer doesn't mean it is better.
There are many things that the ipod does very, very well. There are things that could stand improvement. To me, having a separate volume control would be a plus. It would solve the issue of having to level the gain on each song.
Actually, I take back my previous comments. I guess I'm just not a fan of the click wheel. A multifunction interface like that tries to do too much at once, and rarely does what you want at the moment. |
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 278
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Friday, September 30, 2005 - 2:57 pm: | |
Network and PC care,
I started by saying I love it. So...
Complaining about a font that is HUGE and that you can't change isn't very nit-picky. It's called interface design and it can be done well or poorly. Simply, I want more information on that screen than what they give. And I want to be able to navigate through it in more ways.
The screen real estate on the iPod is used inefficiently and ineffectively. Look at a Palm device screen, the iPod screen is about half of it, so it's smaller, but still you could have such better resolution. I suspect the iPod screen is very low-res to save $, and it maybe couldn't handle displaying a much smaller typeface.
Given that, the ability to traverse the information tree is very limiting and overly hierarchical. Sure there are multiple hierarchies (Artist, Genre, etc). In practice it is difficult to jump to where you would like to go, though, especially when whatever you want begins, say, with "T."
A good interface, to me, would include a search feature. You could use the click wheel to scroll through the alphabet, click >, then pick the next letter. Perfect, no, but I could find what I want faster than this way, in most cases, guaranteed. This interface would also allow me to name my "on the go" lists directly on the iPod. Imagine!
Also when you're "in" the hierarchy deep, you have little to no contextual information. Say you hit shuffle, and the iPod picks a song you like. I want to hear another song by that band. Shouldn't I be able to pull up a menu and instantly see their other songs? Or genre? Or listen to the rest of the songs on that album? Why can't I follow my ear wherever it takes me? Now THAT would be a graceful interface that maintained an appropriate level of simplicity.
Monster, thanks for the helpful links, I am very familiar with iPodLounge but others may not be. I'm not looking for workarounds, really, I'm making critique about the base functionality itself.
Maybe by rights I should have put this just in Soapbox since I'm not really looking for a "technical" solution to something...
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Network & PC Care
Citizen
Username: Npccare
Post Number: 102
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, September 30, 2005 - 3:44 pm: | |
"Say you hit shuffle, and the iPod picks a song you like. I want to hear another song by that band. Shouldn't I be able to pull up a menu and instantly see their other songs? Or genre? Or listen to the rest of the songs on that album? Why can't I follow my ear wherever it takes me? Now THAT would be a graceful interface that maintained an appropriate level of simplicity. "
I agree, that would be a great feature.
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Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 1521
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, September 30, 2005 - 4:57 pm: | |
wnb,
The problem with your scenario is that I would guess a dozen different people would have two dozen different ideas for how the stuff should be displayed. Compromises have to be made. How should the ipod know whether you want to see the next song in the shuffle, a list of songs from that group, a list of songs from that album (could be a multi-group album, like a soundtrack), a list of songs in that same genre? You've given three examples, and each would require a different choice from you.
I'm not saying the interface is ideal. But remember that there IS limited real estate, and that it only have a few possible input points. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9726
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, September 30, 2005 - 5:06 pm: | |
I think that's the beauty of Apple's designs. They are not super flexible, so they are acceptable to many people. Microsoft's approach is to make something very flexible which is confusing, and the changes you can make are often not very meaningful. At least Apple tests and debugs things extensively. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 1459
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, September 30, 2005 - 6:15 pm: | |
That's true, Tom. However my main beef with iPod (and it's a small one - generally I love this toy) is a bug in the software that tells iPod where to start up again if I put it on hold. Usually it works, but when it doesn't it's a damn nuisance getting it back to my place in the book.
Not a big deal if you primarily listen to music, but it's a huge deal if you use it mainly for audiobooks.
If that bug weren't there, I could live with the other inflexibilities of the interface. Actually apparently I can live with them with or without this bug, as I use my iPod every day. |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 987
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 1, 2005 - 7:34 pm: | |
Monster, I haven't tried yet, but...
I don't believe that you can use the Applescripts on a PC formatted iPod. I am a Mac user, but I wanted to be able to EASILY mount my iPod on ANY machine (I have the miserable fortune to be using on a PC at work at the moment). I have been enjoying this flexibility a LOT so far, but was VERY disappointed to read that the Applescripts don't run on a PC formatted drive. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9734
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, October 1, 2005 - 8:48 pm: | |
My 16 year old says that this limitation is recently gone. I don't know how that's so. Take it with a grain of salt, but it may be true.
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Glock 17
Citizen
Username: Glock17
Post Number: 49
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, October 8, 2005 - 3:18 am: | |
um
have you tried SOUND CHECK which sets all songs to the same volume level??
DUH
i wish people would read the manuals for these things before they complain about them |
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 286
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, October 8, 2005 - 9:37 am: | |
YES DUH thanks for the RTFM comment but I have it turned on both in iTunes as well as the iPod, as recommended, and as I've found with ANY of this 'sound balance' technology it works 'kinda sorta.' It is no guarantee that you won't get blasted by something and anyway it does not compensate for the inherent design flaw of having to traverse a hierarchy to simply adjust the volume.
Is there anything in the manual about immediately replacing the crappy ear buds that come with the iPod? Or about anything else that I actually brought up as an interface design flaw?
I use the iPod extensively and have found that it has a few flaws. It's a nice product but it is not perfect, there's definitely room for improvement here.
Again maybe I should have posted this in "Soapbox" or maybe even "Politics" the way people freak when you dare to turn a critical eye to this.
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