When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone , he state it was the “ best iPod ever . ” In many ways , he was veracious ; for good example , the larger screen and tactual sensation - screen content browsing are prima . On the other hand , the iPhone also has something in common with theworstiPod ever , thethird generation ( 3 gibibyte ) model : touch - sensitive playback control condition .
Do n’t get me wrong ; touch - raw control can be very coolheaded , and very efficient — witness the iPhone ’s overall user interface . But when it amount to portable medicine players , there are clip , such as when the player is in your pocket , when these controls are a major rough-and-tumble .
For freshman , there ’s the whole “ Oops , I did n’t mean to come to that ” thing , when you stick your hired hand in your air hole or bag and accidentally sweep against a control , skipping track or , even worse , turning the volume to full .
But even more debatable are situations when youwantto do something — for example , hop-skip to the next track — but the iPod is out of tidy sum . With physical controls , you could feel around for the correct push and press it . With touch - sensitive buttons , that ’s not an option . This is speculative enough when the controls are soupcon - sensitive but tactile , as on the 3 G iPod — you end up accidentally “ pressing ” random buttons while trying to feel around for a particular one . It ’s even worse whenallthe controller are part of a single , flat surface — you have no other choice but to pull the instrumentalist out , turn on its screen , and visually turn up the desired “ button . ”
This is n’t just out of work criticism . As much as I love the iPod incision of the iPhone , after using it for a couple workweek , I ’m already frequently get to by this drawback . surely , the iPhone ’s earbuds admit an inline control , but it put up only the most canonical use . ( And if you preferbetter headphone , you ’re completely out of destiny unless you purchase athird - party accessary . )
In my opinion , any good mass medium playermusthave a few indispensable physical controls : fun / pause , volume up / down , forward / back , and take . And these buttonsmustbe usable by feel . With rumors of upcoming touchscreen iPods multiply by the minute , here ’s hop Apple does n’t go overboard with the whole “ Ooh , see at the touchscreen ! ” thing , and makes the next iPod both drool - worthyandusable .
This column was written entirely in Notes on an iPhone .