OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.1

Biro

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Steve
Just an FYI for anyone who may care: I updated my iMac with OS X Yosemite and my iPad 2 and iPhone 4s with iOS 8.1 this weekend. The updates went smoothly with no issues and the devices seem to work fine. But now that everything's up to date, I must say it really wasn't worth the effort to me. Almost all of the latest features that Apple fans breathlessly gush over I have turned off - including iCloud Drive. A few things have been moved around for the sake of making it look new to the A.D.D. crowd. That's fine, I guess, but who cares? What bothers me a bit is that the font on some websites viewed in Safari on iOS 8.1 appears smaller. I have bold text turned on and I have the default font size where I like it on the device itself. I even have the command turned on that allows some apps to follow my default text size. But that doesn't help on actual websites. I'd say that, unless you want want iCloud Drive, Apple Pay and any of the health app capability, it's not really worth bothering.
 
I've updated to OSX8.1 (but not yet Yosemite).

The features I'm most interested in are:

  • answering my phone from your laptop (once I install Yosemite)
  • picking up on a mobile device from where you left off on a different device (see below)
  • being able to get a notice from one of my kid's phones when they try to purchase something from the iTunes store

Just today I was perusing something on my iPad, then I left. I turned on my phone, and double-clicked the home key to find an app already opened and I noticed a new screen called "from (my) iPad" -- I opened that up, and it was the exact screen that I had been surfing from my iPad. That was pretty cool.
 
I've updated to OSX8.1 (but not yet Yosemite).

The features I'm most interested in are:

  • answering my phone from your laptop (once I install Yosemite)
  • picking up on a mobile device from where you left off on a different device (see below)
  • being able to get a notice from one of my kid's phones when they try to purchase something from the iTunes store

Just today I was perusing something on my iPad, then I left. I turned on my phone, and double-clicked the home key to find an app already opened and I noticed a new screen called "from (my) iPad" -- I opened that up, and it was the exact screen that I had been surfing from my iPad. That was pretty cool.

It sounds like iOS 8.1 is for you. I'm no luddite and I've always been an early adaptor. But I find myself using gee-whiz features like this less and less often lately. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if my next cell phone even needs to be a smartphone with all of its related data costs. Sometimes I think I could actually get by without a cell phone at all - and then I remember all of those pay phones that I might have used in an emergency 20 or 30 years ago are all gone now.
 
It sounds like iOS 8.1 is for you. I'm no luddite and I've always been an early adaptor. But I find myself using gee-whiz features like this less and less often lately. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if my next cell phone even needs to be a smartphone with all of its related data costs. Sometimes I think I could actually get by without a cell phone at all - and then I remember all of those pay phones that I might have used in an emergency 20 or 30 years ago are all gone now.
Now that I have an Android tablet I find myself not using any features except phone and text on my Android phone, and it needs charging every day - so I'm tempted to go retro next time. I read an interview with Bob Geldof at the weekend. He describes his Nokia 6210 as "the AK-47 of phones" - maybe not *that* retro but I have various old Nokiae in the cupboard somewhere, I might just give them a go...
 
Now that I have an Android tablet I find myself not using any features except phone and text on my Android phone, and it needs charging every day - so I'm tempted to go retro next time. I read an interview with Bob Geldof at the weekend. He describes his Nokia 6210 as "the AK-47 of phones" - maybe not *that* retro but I have various old Nokiae in the cupboard somewhere, I might just give them a go...

I hear you. What I need most of all is a solid signal, good call quality and strong battery life. Maybe I'll pick up one of those military-spec tough phones with no frills.
 
I initially thought it was an illusion but I am now convinced that web pages and almost everything else opens and runs faster on Yosemite. I've tested it on the Mac Pro and the Macbook Pro and they both seem noticeably faster in opening large files and loading catalogs of images.
 
I'm still on snow leopard

Which is for me, the best OS Mac have done so far. everything after that went moving onto making the computers work like an iphone or ipad which I hate.

I work with this thing (Art Director) I dont like all the bells and whistles this guys are putting making the OS super heavy and sluggish.

BTW: Im a mac user, and just last night bought my new MBP after 5 years. and an Iphone 6 since the iphone 4.
 
I tend to upgrade to most of this stuff pretty quickly. - and have been lucky enough not to generally have any problems. As for going back to a non-smart phone, not happening with me, at least until I'm too dumb to work 'em anymore. I love having everything self contained. I have a tablet, but I don't carry it around with me, so my phone is my lifeblood when I'm out and around. I'll get an iphone 6 - maybe the 6+ if it feels OK in my pocket - once stocks catch up to demand around here. Maybe another 2-3 months or so. Who knows, if I go for the 6+, my ipad mini might not have a roll anymore.

-Ray
 
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