iPhone 2.2 firmware feature list on MacRumors

MacRumors has up a list of new features found in the 2.2 firmware beta that has been released to some developers. In that list can be found the following item:

– App Store: ‘Categories’ now shows the icons of the applications instead of the list

Now, this is translated from German, and is scant on details, so I really, really hope this is wrong, but if you take this at face value, this is an absolutely terrible idea. Who downloads an application based on the icon!?!? Seriously, if i have to “click into” each app in order to see what it does, I’m going to tear my hair out.

(Incidentally, I don’t even want to get started on this, but I can’t sync my applications with my laptop right now because I didn’t check that box when I last upgraded my iPhone, and checking the box NOW says it’s going to erase all my application data and replace it with the apps that are on my computer. WTF?)

Honestly, I have been upset about the UI (or lack there of) for browsing applications on the iPhone since I wiped my jailbreak and upgraded to 2.0 several months ago. The App store is filled with wonderful apps, but finding them… that’s a bitch and a half. Here is my App store wishlist:

  • sorting options for category view: by date added (the default now), Alphabetical (duh), price, and BY USER RATING (it seriously pisses me off that you can’t even do this in iTunes.)
  • How about breaking the 1400+ games in the “Games” category up into subcategories?
  • Let us browse more than 200 apps in a category. (Seriously, WTF!?!?)
  • Some kind of global toggle for filtering out non-free apps entirely. This would be really useful (I can imagine) for allowing someone else to browse and install apps on your phone. But to be honest, I would keep this “on” most of the time.

That’s all I have time for right now. (I’m off to catch a plane in 2.5 hrs!)

WordPress 2.7 Beta

I’m all beta’d up, and I have to say… wow. There are just some really great layout and organizational enhancements in here. I’m excited to start playing with this in depth, but so far I’m really digging it.