My First Four Days With iOS7

iOS 7's "New" Flat Look

All the Mac Heads and Apple geeks have had a few days now to play with Apples new iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch operating system called iOS 7. I started trying to get it around 5 am Sept.18th in Southern California and gave up after about 9. Past experience told me once you start its at least a two hour process, once started you can't leave, that its akin to watching grass grow. You phone is utterly useless but you have to follow commands.

After using my iPhone 5 camera for some product shots for my Etsy Store, when I downloaded the photos up pops a message in iTunes that a new iOS is ready to be downloaded. First, however I needed to install the new iTunes 11.1. Finally! So I did that and after a few restarts got that loaded. Of course about 200 million others were doing this as well so in many respects kudos to Apple. I don't think anything like this has happened before in Internet history.

Then I tried to install iOS 7 on my iPhone 5. It wasn't perfect but it finally loaded. My iPad 2 had more problems and took a lot longer with even more restarts. By afternoon though they were done and I started playing. Checking with friends I discovered just about everyone else had done it too!

I attended the 2007 MacWorld Conference and walked in literally after Jobs announced the iPhone to the world. I was number 222 at the Glendale Galleria June 29, 2007, when they sold their first phones. In a day I mastered it, not bad for a 62 year old. While I'm no expert I know my way around the phone well enough.  I had heard the critics tear the new "look" apart and mused myself, is this another Windows 8? Flat, ugly, useless? As you can see above, the icons ARE pretty flat.

I'm happy to report it's not ugly or useless. However, many icons have changed but once or twice poking at them and you get it. My biggest complaint is while I love simplicity, some of those minimalist lines are exactly that ... Minimal. My nearly 68 year old eyes find them hard to see. A pixel or two wider would be much appreciated. However, the overall effect is stunning, clean, uncluttered. True minimalist art.

I love the addition of controls when you swipe from bottom up. You control music, Bluetooth, airplane mode, timer, even the camera and there's a nifty flashlight. Really. I deleted my other light apps. A swipe from top down give you notices, calendar, etc.

So far no problems. Closing open apps (double click the home button) shows everything that's open. Flicking it up closes that app. Sweet. To view open pages in Safari pages you are given a top down look of all the pages open. You simply scroll up or down. You see many pages clearly at once.

There are many little changes you'll like. The camera offers several formats. Instagram Square is one. There are filters and a few other editing features. Be SURE to try out the Panorama feature.I got some stunning views in Norway!  Folders can now hold unlimited apps, not just 12. Lots of cool new ringtones and Siri can be a man. Actually he sounds the best. For Anglophiles picking British English gives you an English butler, snooty as hell.

I'm not due for an upgraded phone yet so can't review that. iOS 7 peppy on the iPhone 5 though. It must be a lot slimmer too.  My poor iPad 2 had almost no memory left. Now there over 2 gigs free.

If you haven't upgraded, and can, any iPhone 4 and after, do it. It will most likely give you some extra memory and after a day or so you will find the new features very useful. Enjoy!

Be sure to visit KrugStudio.etsy.com as I am adding new items all the time. Thank you for reading!

P.S.  I just heard on the news the city of New York is encouraging its citizens to upgrade to iOS 7 as     the level of security is vastly improved. SO, if there is no other reason, THAT IS a reason!