No, it's a move forward. File systems were a technical feature of early computing products. They provided a database abstraction that was useful for variable-sized chunks of binary data. This was a huge step forward from the fixed-width data record design of previous computers. Now file systems are showing their age. Rather than worrying about the document, the picture, or the movie, we're spending time worried about a binary serialization. That binary serialization is becoming increasingly more restrictive as we attempt to work around many data types needing multiple files. (Take HTML as an example. HTML documents do not stand alone. They have images, stylesheets, config documents in XML/JSON formats, etc.) Apple has worked around this issue with their UI concept of appfolders. But it's a patch at best. The truth is that computers are sophisticated enough to deal with the minutia of file handling. It can deal with the scrolling symbols while users see "blonde, brunette, redhead". In short, file systems were never a be-all to end-all of computing. Moving to more sophisticated paradigms is a move forward. If you pay close attention, you'll notice that Apple's paradigm shifts are taking us in the direction of the omni-present computing services seen in Star Trek... Be disappointed all you want. Rave as much as you want. It doesn't matter. Computing is moving forward. You don't have to like it, you don't have to agree with it, you don't even have to adopt it. But know that other people will like it and will adopt it. You'll eventually decide for yourself whether to join in the new technology paradigms or become the modern equivalent of an old mainframer.
You might be onto something but, dang, it often feels like Apple has enough fanboys that will justify any cheesy design decision they make no matter how ridiculous.
I can see how it would seem that way. FWIW, I wrote an article* a few years ago on how Database File Systems could greatly improve the user experience and reliability of modern machines. I even worked out a number of details for how to make it work with existing file systems. So I do have a history behind my thoughts on this issue. (* I think I might have tripped off the joke about "year of the Linux Desktop" by pointing out how many times the mantra had been repeated in OSS media.)
is jobs that forward thinking or is it his partner in crime. the hardware guy. im new to macs.. ipod.. was my introduction to apple. heh. yeah i had tyo use them in grade school but that was years and years ago. chris.
Jobs hired this guy a few years ago: http://www.letterp.com/~dbg/ Giampaolo literally wrote the book on Database File Systems. The next release of OS X after he was hired saw the introduction of Spotlight search and virtual folders called "Smart Folders".
Depends what you mean by "folder system". Under the covers, the iPhone OS has a complete file system. In fact, each application deployment looks like a complete user's home folder. Though I suspect your question is more a matter of, "will the iPad provide the appearance of a common file system that is shared between applications?" Since I don't want to mar my freshly signed NDA, I'll point you to a public article with some key information on the iPad: I suspect that this facility will also be utilized for things like emailing and saving document attachments. On a grander scale though, programs will tend to keep files to themselves. The best interface to photos will still be Apple's kick-ass slideshow technology combined with their new photo stacks feature. The best music manager is still likely to be iTunes. The best handler of office documents is still going to be iWork. And the best feature to tie it all together is still going to be the Spotlight feature on the hidden left screen. That's not to say that everyone is going to have all their needs met by Apple's implementation. There's still room for improvement, especially in the more difficult realm of desktop/laptop computers. But this is a first step in changing how people interact with their computers. I suspect that a number of competitors will follow suit with their own ideas now that Apple has shown them the way. Google OS? Amazon Workstation? Nokia Computers? Who knows? All I can tell you for sure is that Microsoft is already dead. They failed to get the one component they REALLY needed into Vista: WinFS. Now that WinFS is dead, Microsoft is out of the technological miracles they designed and developed as part of the Cairo Project back in the early 90's. Their current technology pushes with Aero, WPF, XAML, Silverlight, .NET, IE8, etc. amounts to an unfocused challenge to razor sharp competitors. If someone provides solid office computing devices based on modern technologies (something which Apple doesn't seem too tremendously interested in doing), Microsoft's last tenuous hold on the industry will finally unravel. The barriers to entry are high, but the stakes have never been greater nor have the odds ever been better...
It would be a move forward, only the file system is still there, so... it's not really. It's still there doing the same thing it did before, only we have no control over it because it's hidden from view. Thanks for giving me permission to be disappointed, I'm sure I'm the only one You said yourself the iPad is more or less just a computer for people with no brain. Is this how you want people to evolve? Simplicity is good, but voluntarily turning people into morons is not. Computers have always been a learning tool and this paradigm shift totally destroys that.
I found that weird too. The "ipod app" looks just like itunes on your computer. They should have just made itunes the music player and the music store at the same time.
Do you realize that since the inception of the computer that interfaces have constantly been evolving to abstract what people actually want to use their computers for from other insignificant under the hood tasks that few people actually care about? Do you think that when magnetic storage was slowly replacing punch cards that there were die hard fans of paper media rolling their eyes discussing how this move away from punch cards is going to turn everyone to simpletons? How about when CLI-based operating systems slowly transformed in to a GUI? The history of modern computing is filled with advances, people scoffing at those advances, then accepting them and moving on. It's too bad there's no easily linkable forum discussion of how people felt when Apple dropped floppy disk support from their computers. That would be an excellent history lesson.
Actually my whole craving for folders isn't so much for files but to organize my icons. I would so love to be able to sort them into a few different categories so naviagating through them would be so much easier than scrolling through the iPhone's typical 11 pages. If nothing else I hope the iPad's higher resolution will mean more visible apps than 16 x 11.
Does anyone know of a thread that has an iPad poll? If not I will make one. I LOVE the iPad, I am going to get it immediately when it is released.
Apple will eventually add cooler stuff to it. Well the reason they have not added a camera, and whatever else to it is because they are waiting until all of the iPads are sold and then they'll eventually announce their new and improved iPad, but I bet it still will not replace your laptop. And to those of you who said iWork will not be able.... well actually they're selling each program of iWork for $10 each.... so $30 for iWork. I'm still considering getting this, but I'm going to wait and see what others think of it and wait for this next event. Maybe they'll improve the iPhone and iPod Touch? Camera for iPod touch? Microphone? YES PLEASE!
I see where you're coming from. Unfortunately, I don't think Apple will extend the folder metaphor to the iPad main screen. If and when the issue of filling up all the screens becomes pressing for the average user (something that's primarily an annoyance for the small percentage of us that fill our phones up with games ) Apple is likely to rethink their layout strategy and come up with a solution that involves some form of built-in meta-data. e.g. I could see the category/subcategory pulled from iTunes being used to group icons together. Perhaps on the iPad Apple would offer a side panel where you can filter by "All", "Category1", "Category2", etc.
heck i wish my ipod could do that. right now i hvae 18 pages on my ipod. not sure what will happen when i sync up with my computer again but ill deal with that when it comes time to back up. i seem to do that every few months as i buy all my apps on the ipod it self. dunno why just seems easy that way for me. also looking at photos on apple. they show it having a stylus. and it maybe what iv been looking for to draw with on the ipad.. so for the only stylus iv found are the pogo style. which suck. so maybe apple will design a decent drawing stylus for us who want to doodle on the ipad. my bamboo pad stylus works fine from wotcom. chris.
I saw that they were bringing out keyboards that plug into the ipad and was wondering if these would work on iPhone aswell or not?
