<story><title>How text editing on the iPad should be</title><url>http://www.idownloadblog.com/2012/05/03/text-editing-on-the-ipad/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>gfodor</author><text>It&apos;s neat, but will never happen. The prototype misses the subtle intersection of all the &lt;i&gt;constraints&lt;/i&gt; necessary for good design on the iPad. At a high level, here are a few that you want to optimize for:&lt;p&gt;- Efficiency: how fast can the user perform the task at hand?&lt;p&gt;- Intuitivity: how likely is it the user will understand how to use it without direct instruction? (based upon trial and error, previous experience, etc.)&lt;p&gt;- Consistency: how much is it like other patterns in the same UI/environment?&lt;p&gt;- Metaphor: how much does it &apos;feel&apos; like other real-world objects and leverages how the user understands them already?&lt;p&gt;These are of course a sample of high level overlapping themes. This particular prototype is obviously optimizing for efficiency. It does so very well, but at a very, very deep cost to the others. It is an undiscoverable interface. It utterly destroys the direct manipulation illusion of the iPad. It causes the virtual keys to no longer be metaphorical buttons since you can drag across them for an effect. It is inconsistent with other use of gestures, particularly since you are controlling a cursor &lt;i&gt;remotely&lt;/i&gt; much like you would with a mouse (likely a fire-able proposition at Apple!)&lt;p&gt;The thing that makes Apple&apos;s work so amazing is the balance they manage to strike between these things and so consistently get it right. For a power user, give me vim, Maya, Photoshop, and other tools that optimize for efficiency (much like this prototype does.) But when designing things that are meant to be universally available, a more subdued and balanced approach across these types of constraints is necessary.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>ecaradec</author><text>Apple is doing a lot of undiscoverable things like that :&lt;p&gt;- focus to remove an app (people learn that from others )&lt;p&gt;- splitted keyboard left &amp;#38; right has invisible virtual keys&lt;p&gt;- double tab the button for process&lt;p&gt;- kill process by focusing on a process ( very useful when an app has crased, yet undiscoverable )&lt;p&gt;- double tab then slide left for volume&lt;p&gt;- screenshot with power + button&lt;p&gt;- take a photo with the volume button&lt;p&gt;Hidden features are very Apple-esque</text></comment>
<story><title>How text editing on the iPad should be</title><url>http://www.idownloadblog.com/2012/05/03/text-editing-on-the-ipad/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>gfodor</author><text>It&apos;s neat, but will never happen. The prototype misses the subtle intersection of all the &lt;i&gt;constraints&lt;/i&gt; necessary for good design on the iPad. At a high level, here are a few that you want to optimize for:&lt;p&gt;- Efficiency: how fast can the user perform the task at hand?&lt;p&gt;- Intuitivity: how likely is it the user will understand how to use it without direct instruction? (based upon trial and error, previous experience, etc.)&lt;p&gt;- Consistency: how much is it like other patterns in the same UI/environment?&lt;p&gt;- Metaphor: how much does it &apos;feel&apos; like other real-world objects and leverages how the user understands them already?&lt;p&gt;These are of course a sample of high level overlapping themes. This particular prototype is obviously optimizing for efficiency. It does so very well, but at a very, very deep cost to the others. It is an undiscoverable interface. It utterly destroys the direct manipulation illusion of the iPad. It causes the virtual keys to no longer be metaphorical buttons since you can drag across them for an effect. It is inconsistent with other use of gestures, particularly since you are controlling a cursor &lt;i&gt;remotely&lt;/i&gt; much like you would with a mouse (likely a fire-able proposition at Apple!)&lt;p&gt;The thing that makes Apple&apos;s work so amazing is the balance they manage to strike between these things and so consistently get it right. For a power user, give me vim, Maya, Photoshop, and other tools that optimize for efficiency (much like this prototype does.) But when designing things that are meant to be universally available, a more subdued and balanced approach across these types of constraints is necessary.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>frankus</author><text>I don&apos;t think the OP is proposing to phase out the current method of navigating and selecting text, but rather adding an additional shortcut for people who do a lot of text editing.&lt;p&gt;So the question you have to ask is &quot;will this get in the way of beginners and/or casual users?&quot;. Precisely because it&apos;s so unobtrusive and non-discoverable, I think the answer is &quot;no&quot;.&lt;p&gt;Like the multitasking gestures on the iPad (which will never entirely replace the home button), this would be a complement to the intuitive, consistent and metaphorical (but inefficient) method of selecting text currently.&lt;p&gt;In fact precisely positioning a cursor is very nearly unworkable as a direct-manipulation task, since the target is so much smaller than a fingertip.</text></comment>