I don't feel at all that my iPhone treats me "like a dumbass". I could not have less desire to change the way I unlock my phone: by about the third time I did it, it was completely natural... so much so that I just had to think for a second to remember whether I have to slide to unlock each time (and I do so probably 100 times in an average day). It just "happens".
In cases where the designers can make a choice for me that's the "right" one, I'd much prefer them to just do that and remove any cognitive burden from me: I don't WANT more things to make a choice about in my life, it's complicated enough as is.
I certainly understand that other people feel differently, and I'm happy that they enjoy their Android phones. But I think our industry has labored for far too long under the assumption that everybody wants to tinker. The fact is, most people actively don't want to tinker; tinkerers are just vastly overrepresented in the group that designs these devices.
Completely agree. I really hate the mindset that someone who opts not to micro-manage something is an idiot or dumb. It's insulting to me. As someone who spends 8-12 hours a day immersed in technology I just have no interest in customizing my slide-to-unlock screen. If people want to do that type of thing more power to them. I'm not going to call them an idiot or infer they are dumb. It'd be nice to get the same level of respect in return.
You completely missed the point of the unlock (and pretty much the rest that followed). I WAS talking about the defaults. Take a look at the Nexus One and iPhone unlock screens.
The nexus one is far more subtle - first time users have no obvious way of knowing they have to drag the green unlock button except for a small green dot that appears when you press. The iPhone is certainly more user-friendly here...except after that first time, it becomes annoying, whereas the N1's button remains pleasing. This isn't about replacing the lock screen, its about how the default works. This is one small example of how many other things work. In their endless praise of the iPhone, people are not aware (or refuse to acknowledge) the sacrifices and tradeoffs that go into making things obvious for first time users.
So how is it that the N1 remains pleasing? Just because it doesn't have a "slide to unlock" caption? Gotta say, that one really doesn't worry me much. And I often hand my phone to people who don't have an iPhone and appreciate that I never have to explain to them what to do.
In cases where the designers can make a choice for me that's the "right" one, I'd much prefer them to just do that and remove any cognitive burden from me: I don't WANT more things to make a choice about in my life, it's complicated enough as is.
I certainly understand that other people feel differently, and I'm happy that they enjoy their Android phones. But I think our industry has labored for far too long under the assumption that everybody wants to tinker. The fact is, most people actively don't want to tinker; tinkerers are just vastly overrepresented in the group that designs these devices.