An Alarming Trend...

[Thatdad]

What we need is more competition, keep android, and iOS on their toes.

Perhaps Ubuntu will. I've heard Firefox is making a mobile OS. Anyone heard of this?

 

[new optimus]

My opinion, even the large note 2 has a place. However I think 4.7 to 5.0, as long as there is a thin/no bezel is the perfect size for most people, large enough to get a good user experience, remember these are not just phones any longer they are complete communication, written as well as spoken, devices. If/When holo tech is usable, meaning you can see and interact with you will always have to worry about "fat fingers" hitting multiple letters on the on screen keyboard.

 

[nickdalzell]

Google's UI seems to be for blind folks or folks with poor eyesight. it's very oversized. wait, just like the high-contrast accessibility setting in Windows '95

if the holodeck ever does become reality, (it would more likely be the future of TV as of yet, with some sort of holographic screen tech working very similar to the Nintendo 3DS's non-glasses 3-D) i would hope the on-screen keyboard would work a bit more like Tony Stark's consoles, with it appearing in thin air along with any other elements. if folks would stop halting speech recognition so much, the on-screen or mid-air keyboard might not even be necessary, and disappear along with the programming toggles of the old PdP mainframes.

I would be all for Ubuntu if they 1) DITCH UNITY!!! and 2) make it where all my current paid-for apps from Google Play would work, or at least have an appstore to replace Play entirely and carry the same database. unfortunately, any newcomer to the mobile OS scene ends up as empty as Windows Phone or BlackBerry, and show no growth beyond that.

Oh, i'm sure some folks out there enjoy Google's UI. some others might just accept it and adapt and never say anything. i am perfectly fine with a UI CHOICE. just don't force it on EVERYONE who uses the service, or at least, give us an option to turn it off. not everyone wants a kiddy interface. some of us have 20/20 vision.

And, while we still have SD slots on some devices, as trends inevitably are followed, who knows for how long we will have such 'choices?'

 

[funkylogik]

#brokenrecord

 

[mikedt]

Star Trek: Original Series.
Captain Kirk always uses a stylus with his tablet in the 23rd century.

It looks like Jim is doing a soduku puzzle, but he's probably having a think about what to write in the log.

..as does Dr. McCoy.

I know it's only actors in a story. But if you look at this scene, Bones is jotting down notes on the tablet and not looking at the screen. It looks natural to me.


Now if they could just get handwriting recognition to recognise my scrawl correctly. I might consider using a stylus for text input instead of using a virtual touch keyboard.

From what I've experienced so far, speech recognition has a long way to go until it reaches the level of Star Trek as well.

 

[Stannis the Mannis]

I don't want to give up on Android. i certainly don't want to go back to iOS (even iOS 7 seems to be all cartoony now anyway from what i am reading). However if Google gets the same ego as Microsoft and Facebook and starts ignoring user complaints and responds with 'hey, this is our new look, take it or leave it' then i am not going to be comfortable remaining with 'em.

if it were any other issue i'd just use my root experience to remove what Google is doing. unfortunately, there is NO. Root. way. to. de-pastel and de-card. Google. Play.

No matter how many complain how it SUCKS, Google doesn't care. in fact, just like Facebook, they just expect us to complain and make the excuse that 'oh you're all afraid of change'. and pray that people adapt and move on. are we such doormats that we just let that happen?

Except people aren't complaining about the UI, if anything they are giving it praise. You make it seem like the majority of people hate it when they simply don't, in fact apart from you I haven't seen anyone go out of their way to bash the UI as much.

 

[Thatdad]

Except people aren't complaining about the UI, if anything they are giving it praise. You make it seem like the majority of people hate it when they simply don't, in fact apart from you I haven't seen anyone go out of their way to bash the UI as much.

I agree.

Comparing the UI to Windows 95 and all that is just ludicrous.

Is it ugly? Not really but I can see how it can be to some. Seems like said person is more stuck in their ways and in the past than anyone else.

 

[nickdalzell]

The only ones stuck in the past are stuck in their childhood wishing their fisher-price toys back. The interface ruins the entire point of a high resolution screen capable of millions of colors and 3-D elements. It even looks like black and white in certain elements. The only colors are pastels that would be displayed on an IBM 5150 PC/XT.

Where is the choice? Even in Linux you can hack out unity. Where is our theme choice for the one app store/ecosystem Android is part of? I am sick and tired of computers looking like they were designed for kids. Bright colors, huge icons, limited info. All common in a LeapPad designed for 4-year-olds.

It's called dumbing down. Check out all the Android sites, Android Central, Android Police, even Google Product Forums. Far more negative comments regarding Play's UI change, Google removing certain functions, and most of it with their web store but I digress, more complaints than praise. Is Google even offering them a choice? Nope. Like Apple, they couldn't give a darn. Why are they copying Windows 8 vs. Innovating on their own? Android didn't get where it is today by copying! Is Play Store even open source? I do not know as it automatically crashes when attempting to open the open-source license within it. If it is, there must be some way of changing the ui locally. My phone is a reflection of myself as Android was designed for customization and reflecting the user's preferences, unlike Apple where their devices are basically the same. And if I am to expect my Android-powered smartphone to be a reflection of myself, pastels and eye-hurting grey text on white ain't it.

If Google is doing what I think they are doing to Android 5, we will only need to wait until its release to see how the reaction is. If they go all fisher-price I cannot see how anyone would go for it. Too much hate for Windows 8 exists because of the dumbed down interface. The same reaction is to be expected if Android follows suit. I am sure Google expects us to complain, then when they refuse to listen, expect us to eventually move on and adapt. Too bad humans have become literal door mats who conform after awhile.

 

[mikedt]

The only ones stuck in the past are stuck in their childhood wishing their fisher-price toys back. The interface ruins the entire point of a high resolution screen capable of millions of colors and 3-D elements. It even looks like black and white in certain elements. The only colors are pastels that would be displayed on an IBM 5150 PC/XT.

Where is the choice? Even in Linux you can hack out unity. Where is our theme choice for the one app store/ecosystem Android is part of? I am sick and tired of computers looking like they were designed for kids. Bright colors, huge icons, limited info. All common in a LeapPad designed for 4-year-olds.

It's called dumbing down. Check out all the Android sites, Android Central, Android Police, even Google Product Forums. Far more negative comments regarding Play's UI change, Google removing certain functions, and most of it with their web store but I digress, more complaints than praise. Is Google even offering them a choice? Nope. Like Apple, they couldn't give a darn. Why are they copying Windows 8 vs. Innovating on their own? Android didn't get where it is today by copying! Is Play Store even open source? I do not know as it automatically crashes when attempting to open the open-source license within it. If it is, there must be some way of changing the ui locally. My phone is a reflection of myself as Android was designed for customization and reflecting the user's preferences, unlike Apple where their devices are basically the same. And if I am to expect my Android-powered smartphone to be a reflection of myself, pastels and eye-hurting grey text on white ain't it.

If Google is doing what I think they are doing to Android 5, we will only need to wait until its release to see how the reaction is. If they go all fisher-price I cannot see how anyone would go for it. Too much hate for Windows 8 exists because of the dumbed down interface. The same reaction is to be expected if Android follows suit. I am sure Google expects us to complain, then when they refuse to listen, expect us to eventually move on and adapt. Too bad humans have become literal door mats who conform after awhile.

That's always happened, nothing new here. And there will always be a vocal few who will speak out against it. And for that, I admire you Nick :thumb:

 

[Thatdad]

yeah, multitouch (iOS) started with the first iPhone. it also paved the way towards more accurate touchscreens and finger input, far more natural than a stylus. but wait! the stylus is BACK! just like speech recognition, we're going to see touchscreens held back by the few dinosaurs who prefer to wield a stylus. heck for a while HDTVs and flat-panel monitors were held back because the same folks preferred a CRT for a few years.

We're seeing tech evolution going backwards. it's plain as day. devices were getting smaller, faster, and starting to look like they were going towards integrated tech. or wearable tech. now what is happening? it's getting bigger, clunkier, and looking like a modern take on 1980s tech. the Note 2 is the best example. sure, it sports a touch screen, a high-res display, and does far more, but dimension wise it reminds anyone from the 1980s of the DynaTAC. it looks every bit as goofy as one when used as a phone. it just lacks the rubber antenna and grey finish, and has a much better battery.

the Note 2 also reminds me of an Apple Newton with it having a stylus and folks actually using the darned thing. folks, who, mind you, hated touchscreens from day one of the iPhone. i can only pray they're a minority and won't halt the progress of touch input farther.

No, i am not expecting 24th Century tech today. i am stating however that as long as we're dumbing stuff down and not evolving towards much more advanced tech like translucent screens, flexible dispalys, or 3-D UIs, we might not see the 24th Century. everything is going Fisher-Price! Windows 8, iOS, even speculations of Android 5.

I don't want to give up on Android. i certainly don't want to go back to iOS (even iOS 7 seems to be all cartoony now anyway from what i am reading). However if Google gets the same ego as Microsoft and Facebook and starts ignoring user complaints and responds with 'hey, this is our new look, take it or leave it' then i am not going to be comfortable remaining with 'em.

if it were any other issue i'd just use my root experience to remove what Google is doing. unfortunately, there is NO. Root. way. to. de-pastel and de-card. Google. Play.

No matter how many complain how it SUCKS, Google doesn't care. in fact, just like Facebook, they just expect us to complain and make the excuse that 'oh you're all afraid of change'. and pray that people adapt and move on. are we such doormats that we just let that happen?

Actually multitouch has been around for way longer than that. Apple was just the first to implement it into a smartphone.

Google actually does listen, it's just that you yourself hate the Play Store. Is it really that hard to believe Google would keep it the way people like it? If I owned a company I think I would go by what the masses have to say.

Oh your open source licensing isn't opening? Allow me to show you then.

 

[nickdalzell]

From what I gather by reading, it is legal and possible to edit the Play UI without incurring the wrath of Google, so long as the conditions listed are adhered to. The only question is whether anyone has managed to revert back to the previous Play UI without it auto-updating back to kiddy UI.

And for correction, it ain't just me. A ton hate the new UI. For much the same reason folks despise Windows 8. Google changed without any option to change it back. Like Facebook, folks logged in, saw the new UI, with a note saying 'we changed some things' and left many going 'wtf?' In the process. It could have been an experiment, they could have let us in and allowed a vote on whether we wanted it or not, hell they could have given us the option to revert back, heck even Skype allows that! But did they? No. As far as Google is concerned, its the way it is and nothing we can say or do will change it. Play Store needed actual bugfixes and such. It needed the compatibility filter fixed or removed, and all the download bugs fixed. Instead they changed the UI. Nothing that needed to change did. They currently just expect us to accept the change and move on. I and many others won't. Making your customers angry by removing things they find useful and changing for the sake of change will lose their business. If they love peeving their loyal users off so they can attract iSheep fine. But leave me out of it.

 

[Thatdad]

From what I gather by reading, it is legal and possible to edit the Play UI without incurring the wrath of Google, so long as the conditions listed are adhered to. The only question is whether anyone has managed to revert back to the previous Play UI without it auto-updating back to kiddy UI.

It would be a good idea to post a question on Xda forums as well as on here. Someone surely would know.

Probably requires root.

 

[nickdalzell]

I have root and that's not s problem. I know an inverted UI for Play apps has already been done. Now if the annoying pastels and oversized icons can be fixed. Heck I'd use the older Play Store if I could find A way to stop it from auto updating. I've searched but found nothing. All the methods stop working after Gingerbread. Android 4.x lacks 'market updater' so I can't find how it updates itself.

 

[Thatdad]

I have root and that's not s problem. I know an inverted UI for Play apps has already been done. Now if the annoying pastels and oversized icons can be fixed. Heck I'd use the older Play Store if I could find A way to stop it from auto updating. I've searched but found nothing. All the methods stop working after Gingerbread. Android 4.x lacks 'market updater' so I can't find how it updates itself.

I meant it might be a root function. There's always a way.
Edit

 

[funkylogik]

Nick i think youre making the mistake of thinking that google apps=android. Thats not the case man. From where im looking, android is more vibrant and alive than ever, offering much more choice. You really dont have to use google apps if they get your panties in such a bunch mate. I dont like the Play or Now colour choice but i dont have to look at them very often. My phone's UI looks NOTHING like googles vision of it even though im running pretty close to stock so im cool with that. Android fine :beer:

 

[nickdalzell]

If there was an app store with as many apps and paid apps as Play, I would easily delete Play Store entirely.

 

[nickdalzell]

I bet there is another one in existence that does work.

I am open to suggestions. I've been all over Google. It ain't that I hate their apps. I just hate the kiddy ui. There has to be a way to change it back, to older gmail, older play store, older books, older music. Would work perfectly with my dark theme.

 

[Thatdad]

Which version am I suppose to be looking for?

 

[Thatdad]

I am open to suggestions. I've been all over Google. It ain't that I hate their apps. I just hate the kiddy ui. There has to be a way to change it back, to older gmail, older play store, older books, older music. Would work perfectly with my dark theme.

I uninstalled Gmail updates and have the older one. You know you can turn off automatic updates right?

 

[nickdalzell]

Google Play 4.1 has the kiddy ui. The older version is 3.x

I uninstalled updates on my Nexus 10 but Android 4.3 has the new ui out of the box. I had an older apk in my drop box for my phone for gmail which fixed that, but I wish I had older apks for music, books, which I use often. I have disabled auto updates but Play Store itself updates anyway silently.

 

[funkylogik]

Remember to delete the original app before installing a modded one.
One google app i really like the UI of is Google+. I tried a few modded versions of it and they ruined that nice clean tidy look that sets it apart from FB so i went back to the stock app

 

[nickdalzell]

Anyone know if the older dark ui versions of Play Music and Books still exist? I much preferred the library view of the old Books. I also adored the darker Music.

 

[funkylogik]

Probably as apk man

 

[nickdalzell]

I know that, but where to find them. Even 1mobile has the crappy new versions.

 

[Thatdad]

This?


http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33639068

And yes I think so. Look up version number and apk on Google.