Apple drinks the Microsoft Kool Aid, bases iOS 7 on Window

Apple, the aficiando of all things cool, is throwing away its old-style iOS interface in favor of the flat design pioneered by Microsoft in Windows 8 and Windows Phone. So say several reports. Could the move backfire and help Microsoft gain on Apple?

Apple drinks the Microsoft Kool Aid, bases iOS 7 on Windows 8 "Metro" | Computerworld Blogs

 

[SIW2]

1 ) he has been wanting to do it before 8 existed.

2) It makes no sense to copy from something that is not doing well

3) He will be designing for simplicity. Completely different from 8.

4) Have you been drinking?

 

[jimbo45]

1 ) he has been wanting to do it before 8 existed.

2) It makes no sense to copy from something that is not doing well

3) He will be designing for simplicity. Completely different from 8.

4) Have you been drinking?

Hi there
Think you forgot about option 5) - smoking some of that "funny smelling" tobacco that you find in Amsterdam's famous Coffee Shops or "Wacky Baccy" as it is popularly known as.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Loving to read the competition all the way around here.

Economic times are tough, although seeing a little improvement. Company cutbacks galore for sometime now. Chrome which is heavy laden in both code writing expense and hardware resource is out. Flat and simple is in. Less free items such as Media Center, although offered at a reasonable low price IMO. Other companies cutting back as well.

Times are changing and always have so far as design, just as it moves along in any industry. Clothing, cars, housing, etc. Looks to me that Gates and company may have set a trend returning to "Flat Modern". Albeit nothing new with them. Just reintroduced more with 8.

International Typographic Style - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The International Typographic Style, also known as the Swiss Style, is a graphic design style developed in Switzerland in the 1950s that emphasizes cleanliness, readability and objectivity.

Metro (design language) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Metro is an internal code name of a typography-based design language created by Microsoft, originally for use in Windows Phone. A key design principle of Metro is better focus on the content of applications, relying more on typography and less on graphics ("content before chrome").

Market demand for touch UI has been and is ever increasing. The writing is on the wall so far as that is concerned.

Simplicity and familiarity so far as multiple devices across the board has to be introduced, especially for the "commoner". Most people will own three devices; Phone, pad, and PC. The PC in a hybrid mobile form. Although it will always be needed, especially for enterprise, the tower PC is a dying breed. It will flatline if it already hasn't. Mobile is in; Stationary is out.

This is a rather great challenge for any company, especially for MS since every OS they've introduced is somewhat similar in design. Basically introducing more bells and whistles really. Some inner core workings as well. Windows 8 being rather radical, but much needed to meet market demands collectively IMO.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Hi there
Think you forgot about option 5) - smoking some of that "funny smelling" tobacco that you find in Amsterdam's famous Coffee Shops or "Wacky Baccy" as it is popularly known as.

Cheers
jimbo

I've seen you post this more than once before. He can speak for himself, but I don't think it's a good way to attempt to kill the messenger and attempt to degrade a fellow member.

Being a builder and an enthusiast of architecture, I became a great advocate of Frank Lloyd Wright over the years. Not only a great architect, but also a great philosopher. While he was in New York overseeing the Guggenheim in 1956, he had a live interview with Mike Wallace in which he stated: "What is moral today will not be moral tomorrow". I thought a great while on that statement. I have to agree.

Do we need to be so "conservative" in our views today so far as the "Wacky Baccy"? Although I don't smoke with Willie no more and haven't for quite some years, it seems to be quite good for some, especially cancer patients and those with ADD. I think it to be merciful for suffering people. More states in our American Union are adopting it for medical reasons. Completely legal to use in some states. Even overriding federal statutes.

What's more it's nobody's business what people do in their private lives IMO. Its not a government's job to legislate morality as long as they're not injuring other citizens. It's a fine line I know, but not impossible to decipher.

If we think about it it's more natural than alcohol or synthetic drugs, for those are man made. I've seen those two destroy more lives than anything.

Did you have bad experiences in Amsterdam? From what I've read it has one of the lowest crime rates on the planet. That surely has to say something. Yes? I think if more substances were legal, addicts wouldn't have to commit so many crimes to get their fix. Not saying addiction is right, but everyone needs to learn be responsible for themselves. I'm sure you have.

I could go on, but I won't. I'm sure you get my gist.

A big piece finger wave to you and to everyone.

 

[XweAponX]

Personally I think this a big mistake on Apple's mistake. There is nothing wrong with the current graphical environment in the i0S. It works and it's familiar why do they want to go down a flat button/Microsoft route for? I would think for Io7 they could open it up so that themes can be applied and reset the screen so that widgets can be added.

All of those things require filesystem access, they will never agree to it unless they put the themes in themselves and put in a control that allows you to select from a pre installed theme.

Apples motivation for releasing new IOS's is not what it looks like, but does it BLOCK Jailbreaking. The mistake Apple made was removing Personal Choice from the decision of which iOS you can use, our only choice is to NOT update to their latest iOS.

You'll notice there were 6 rapid iOS updates in a row when iOS 6.0 to 6.1.2 were jailbroken - the they gave bogus reasons for these hurried updates. The reason why they released 6.1.3 was BOGUS, it was released to break eVasi0n, not to fix the lock screen bug, because that bug was proved to not be fixed at all in 6.1.3.

So, if they do decide to make iOS look as flat and lame as Windows 8 tiles, I'll stick with iOS 6.1.2 and lock it down so it cannot be updated.

It's my personal choice to run Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8, and I'm glad Microsoft does not force ut to use Windows 8.

The bogus reasons for the 6.xx updates for ios was actually due to a security issue that cropped not once, but TWICE. If you had a passcode on your iphone, the first time you could do a series of steps to bypass it. An update came by to fix that, and I think with a Microsoft Exchange issue as well. Then it was found after the update that you could once again, bypass the passcode by taking out the SIM card I believe and doing something else. Basically, it was easier the second time to do that than the first, then an update came and fixed that.

Personally, I don't like apple partly because of iTunes. A friend of mine who is iffy now about their iphone 4s HATES iTunes 11, I mean, wow. I don't blame her as it is an AWFUL Zune ripoff, my GOD! You think Windows 8 is hard to use, use iTunes 11. But anyways, there currently isn't really a way to sync a newer iphone without iTunes, every ios update also makes it much more difficult to crack that.

If apple were a government system, it would be soviet communism.

Actually, Apple "Hid" some things which were on by default - The... What is it called, the Side panel? It's shut off by default. All you have to do is enable it, and then it looks more like older iTunes. Without that side panel, it's hard to DO anything with iTunes.

It's the same issue as the removal of the Orb from Widows 8 - We get all excited about installing Windows 8 - Go to the desktop and click the.. Uh, it's GONE.

At least in iTunes it is still there, just hidden by default. But I would NOT be able to use it if it were gone, it is a necessary feature in iTunes. I would not be able to drag my apps into my phone! I would not be able to drag my playlists over!

Apple, at least, knows what users USE and they don't (that often) remove features that people use and like. And when they do change them, they try to convince us a better way of doing something that we got used to doing a certain way, and usually, that way is better. This is something Microsoft is failing to do with Windows 8. They are trying to convince us that "removing the Start Orb is BETTER" - But it's snot.

 

[XweAponX]

I shall have the last laugh when this happens!

This is funny to me because of people who say Windows Phone sucks and whatnot who are iphone users especially, they'll be basically using an OS that is designed more like Windows Phone. I want to go to an apple store when ios 7 comes out and be like, "Whoa, is this the new Windows Phone?!"

But in all seriousness, this won't look good for apple at all. When a company that has gone from leading the way of design for everyone else to knock off and claim they are the best, to a company that is slowly and slowly and subtly knocking off others' designs and still claim they are the best; that's when they officially on their way for a fall. Microsoft should REALLY promote the Windows Phone UI pretty hard in the coming months on TV so when the next iphone and ios update comes out, people will question them and think apple is actually stealing Microsoft's design. Not only that, but the critics I bet will TEAR into apple for doing so.

I already said it - We really don't care WHAT iOS 7 will LOOK like, if they make it as useless as Metro has been, I'll smash my iPhone with a ROCK! Apple has tried some design changes even with iOS 6, and despite what you say about them "fixing a bug that kept popping up" - I know for a fact that they were trying to break eVasi0n. Because iOS 6.1.4 would have been released in DAYS had this been the case. They knew the JB had been broken, so they waited, and if they fixed the Lockscreen bug in 6.1.4, well, they could have done it a week later, not 2 months later.

I can care less if iOS goes to all tiles, I know they will keep the designs on the tiles so we will know and recognize our apps. They will not replace all of the useful apps in the store with non usable cack like is in the Windows store. Angry Birds aside. Angry Birds is I think the biggest iOS app right now, and it is the only iOS app that has appeared in Windows 8. I wonder why this is? Why not port over Navigon, Tom Tom, and Waze?

These big gaming apps - One thing I have noticed - They work the same way in all of the various devices they are in - iOS, Droid, and 8 (if it is developed). But the crappy cack-apps? They are even more useless than the Mirror app from the iOS store which was on the original iPhone- I spent several hours yesterday looking for GOOD APPS, and that I only found Angry Birds, says something. I don't know what it says, but it is something and it is not good.

(PS - And, as I suspected, Angry Birds works the exact same way in iOS as it does in Metro)

 

[Ray8]

Mentioning navigation apps, it also baffles me that there are no navigation apps available, yet for Apple and Android, you almost get lost with choice. Is it just too difficult to create anything for 8/RT? Or just not worth the effort? There are some navigation programs available for Windows 8 (don't know about RT), like PC navigator, but none from the well know manufacturers.

 

[XweAponX]

I finally found it- the windows 8 theme for Dreamboard. They have more limited themes for Winter/Summerboard. This one is the most similar to Windows 8 though. Lets see if I can post a pic with this app:

I'll have to copy the images over to my pc and do it from there, but this is a good example of what iOS 7 could look like if they do this.

(I was trying to upload from the Win 8 Forums iPhone app, no permission to upload photos from the app)






So, if Cran-Apple actyally does this thing in iOS 7, this is what it could look like. Ther is also a Lock Screen, but my LCARS Lockscreen interferes with the Windows 8 Lockscreen. I was able to modify some of the "Start Screen" tiles to open those most used apps.

 

[SIW2]

We really don't care WHAT iOS 7 will LOOK like, if they make it as useless as Metro has been

I don't think that is possible.

Only MS is capable doing something as useless as metro.

Whatever Apple do - it won't be copying 8 in any sense. That would be crazy.

 

[XweAponX]

The Theme does give you a good range of ways to make it look. As I said before, if Apple wants to go all square, let em. As long as the device works as well as it ever did. iOS 6 was a bomb in of itself, it took them until 6.1.1 to get it stable. It is still unstable, my iPhone resprung 3 times while I was taking those screenshots.

Sorry for the huge screenshots, I cant seem to resize them.

Ok, the Lockscreen had to be applied with Winterbored - It still has my Backward Numbers though. ha. Ok that should do it, how an Apple device would look like if Apple designed iOS 7 to look like Windows 8.


However:

Only MS is capable doing something as useless as metro.

Whatever Apple do - it won't be copying 8 in any sense. That would be crazy.

Hahaha! That's correct. Whatever Apple does, it would be absolutely crazy to mimic Windows 8 in any way, shape of square form.

But the problem is, it's not just Microsoft who has gone Square - Facebook, google, Blogger, even AutoCAD WS and Photoshop Express - All have gone Square. What I mean by Square is - Mow Resolution, simplistic, blockish interfaces, just like Windows 8. So, maybe Apple wants to design the iOS around this new way the developers have been designing apps. Maybe it is even something to do with HTML 5 and the way stuff that has been designed using it turns out.

 

[XweAponX]

I found an even simpler Metro Theme for Dreamboard. This one crashes less.It even has a kind of Charms Bar.

 

[Coke Robot]

I finally found it- the windows 8 theme for Dreamboard. They have more limited themes for Winter/Summerboard. This one is the most similar to Windows 8 though. Lets see if I can post a pic with this app:

I'll have to copy the images over to my pc and do it from there, but this is a good example of what iOS 7 could look like if they do this.

(I was trying to upload from the Win 8 Forums iPhone app, no permission to upload photos from the app)


View attachment 21446View attachment 21447View attachment 21448
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So, if Cran-Apple actyally does this thing in iOS 7, this is what it could look like. Ther is also a Lock Screen, but my LCARS Lockscreen interferes with the Windows 8 Lockscreen. I was able to modify some of the "Start Screen" tiles to open those most used apps.

That won't happen as Microsoft will immediately sue for patent infringement as they have Window Phone's UI design patented.
Microsoft Granted Metro UI Patent - Softpedia

If anything, they could license it to apple, but even then, the critics and the consumer crowd will confuse it for a Windows Phone. The best guess I would bet with ios 7's UI design will just be like how Office 2013 was designed and the Desktop of Windows 8: flattened 3D UI. Well, Office 2013 isn't too terribly much like that, but the Desktop on 8, that's more how I imagine it would be like as well as a removal of the blatant skuemorphic design such as the yellow legal pad for the Notes app. It will probably be more black and white with some grey color tones, such as what ios 6 changed in the ipod app, the app store UI and I think iTunes as well. That is more the route they will take. Actually, it might end up more like vanilla android 4's UI, which will add fuel to the android vs. ios fire fight...

 

[XweAponX]

Well - iOS 6 introduced the Status Bar that changes colours to match which app you are running. I doubt that they will drop it. There are two add ons that change the colour of apps - Emphasize and Accentify. You can make a colour scheme for each of your apps, or you can tell it to randomize the colour of all of the apps. One add on is free, the other costs a few bucks, available through cYdia and the proper repos.

What Apple may do is design the graphics of iOS 7 to match the current designs of the latest apps. Remember how Facebook used to look? Originally is looked like a Palm OS app. I still have that original version, I save all of my IPAs - Cos sometimes even with Apple new is not always better - I still use Pandora 3.1.8 - The last version that had the elapsed time and remaining time available. I think Apple will make their apps look less like MACOS apps and more like the Cloud apps like the iWork apps.