iOS7 First Thoughts

I updated the iPad at work to iOS7.  Although it's nice, it's not that impressive. 

Simulated parallax view

Here’s a vid of some of the new features.

Some of the things mentioned in the video:

• Parallax background (looks cool, but is it useful?). 
• All the OS apps have new icons
• Some of the new features:
• Control Center - swipe up to get access to airplane mode, etc
• Camera UI is revised - square format, panoramic mode, video is integrated, live filters
• Zoom out from desktop to see the running programs
• Search & URL bars are unified

It seems like Apple has been creating buzz about the lack of skeuomorphism in the new OS.  This first link, from a Guardian article back in June, 2013, almost sounds like something from The Onion.  "Rather than old-school flatness, iOS7 gives you layers of flatness." (Their italics.)

This more current article from Medical Daily goes even further, saying how the Apple flatness is better than Android's flatness. "By contrast, the brain receives just two elements to decode when presented with the experience of the flatter design of many Android devices on the market and under development, testers say. Although this flatter design may at first appear superior, the brain begins to appreciate the richness of experience amid the melding of man and machine."

Update your iTunes if you're gonna update to iOS7

It reminds me of a quote from Spinal Tap, just replace "black" with "flat."

"There's something about this that's so black, it's like how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black." - Nigel Tufnel