What do you think of Apple's decision to change the orientation lock switch?

I originally posted this on my blog.

There was no need to reconfigure the slide switch to a mute button and bury the screen lock in the software. The screen lock switch was convenient and I used it a lot. I don’t care about a mute switch that actually doesn’t mute all volumes. Apparently it is only for system notifications or something? Because I was watching a video on Devour (best YouTube site ever) with the switch muted and sound still coming from the speaker. Guess they decided the iPad needed a button like the green/+ window button on OSX. I’ve been using Macs for years and still haven’t figured out what that blasted button is suppose to do. So ya hear me Steve? I want my lock button back, or at least the option to switch it back.

I would hardly call a double click + one swipe "buried" in the software settings.

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Originally Posted by Superbike81

I would hardly call a double click + one swipe "buried" in the software settings.

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I agree!

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Originally Posted by jasonbrinks

Umm... I didn't see a poll on it, and I was curious about the general response from users (as you can see, it really isn't as bad as I've made it out to be...), apologies if the recurrence of such a topic bothers you...

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Actually the other poll was worded in such a way that it seemed to presume it was bad... and the results of poll were kind of skewed that way due to it... I think anyway.

But you worded your poll very much in a neutral manner. So kudos for that. And indeed the results are far different than the other poll. :)



Michael

I can see where the mute button might be useful if you're doing a keynote presentation and can't navigate to the settings screen to quickly disable all notification alert sounds.

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Originally Posted by Superbike81

I would hardly call a double click + one swipe "buried" in the software settings.

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Well, to each their own. I use it all the time and after a while it feels buried compared to a simple hard switch. My biggest gripe though is it really should be a user option. That would be great.

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Originally Posted by coregeek

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Originally Posted by Superbike81

I would hardly call a double click + one swipe "buried" in the software settings.

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Well, to each their own. I use it all the time and after a while it feels buried compared to a simple hard switch. My biggest gripe though is it really should be a user option. That would be great.

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I agree user selectable would have been good. Unlike most of you I rarely use screen lock but switch between mid volume and mute many times a day. So the semi mute is much more useful for me.

If the button was user selectable then this whole thing would have been a non issue. I would complain if they swapped it back!

But user-selectable ANYTHING is not the way Apple does things. Their way or the highway.

The only thing more useless than a thread about the screen orientation/mute button change is yet another thread about the screen orientation/mute button change.

I haven't upgraded my operating system yet just because I don't want to lose the orientation lock switch. I suppose it's not really going to be a big deal, but I agree with the posters who think that the best option would be for the user to have the ability to determine what function that button has.