[Yontsey]

Why do we have to use it? I got rid of it two days after it was released and switched to Instacast and never looked back. It's a great app. What I don't understand is how Podcast is the #2 free app in the AppStore.

[PB PM]

Most likely beacuse iOS 6 drops podcasts from the music app, and most people don't know of alternatives?

[Bryson]

And iOS6 actively prompts each and every user to download it during the setup screens....

[pscates2.0]

Yes, and yes. I'll look into some other stuff. If they just streamlined it, made it make some sort of sense/logical flow, toned down the eye candy (which adds nothing), etc. it would be okay. Once I get something downloaded and push "play", it's an okay experience. It's just getting to/through those things that has taken a huge step backwards compared to how it used to be.

It's as though someone in management thought the podcasting downloading/listening experience needed to be complicated and more challenging.



No, it really doesn't. They had a good thing going before, and truly loused it up...

EDIT: Bryson's right (previous page). It is better than it was upon initial release (most things are, I suppose). But, with Apple, the bar is set so damn high. If this was any other app by any other company, it would probably be fine. Or you'd expect this sort of inconsistency and flakiness. But coming from Apple, it's just a bigger jolt.

But it has improved in terms of response and stability. But it's still a goofball interface/navigation and nothing is quite clear or obvious, and it just seems to go out of it's way to make the overall experience a cumbersome pain-in-the-butt. And that's just so odd, coming from Apple.

This is the first thing from them I've ever really been mad at!

I don't give two damns about the Maps brouhaha (I can find my way around just fine), but this has bugged me for two solid months now.

[709]

I've had one problem with Maps - basically, it couldn't find me. Once I put in my coords and the little blue tracker dot started following my around, everything seemed to work up nicely for 20-ish miles all around. I'll be traveling again this week, so if there's a fuckup you'll know by me not posting because I'm lost as fuck.

But so far, so good with iOS6. I don't know what all the hoopla is about, but I'm satisfied. That little droplet animation in Mail is enough, honestly. So delightful and so Apple. Makes up for a lot imo.

[Majost]

Originally Posted by PB PM ...iOS 6 drops podcasts from the music app...

But... it doesn't! I don't know if my situation is unique, but I have podcasts in the Music app.

I never installed Podcasts, and had some previously downloaded shows on my old iPhone's library. Upon upgrading to iPhone 5 and iOS 6, they're still there.

Perhaps the section is dynamically populated?

[PB PM]

Interesting, on my iPhone (4) Podcasts are not there or under more. I haven't updated my iPad yet, so I don't know if there are any differences.

[Brad]

I'm sure I mentioned this in other threads around here...

If you want podcasts in the Music app on your iPhone, do two things:

1. Delete the Podcasts app.
2. Plug in and sync your iPhone again.

[PB PM]

Doesn't seem to work for me, and I never downloaded the podcast app in the first place.

[drewprops]

G*DDAMMIT!!!!!

I restored my 3Gs to factory settings, it upgraded to iOS6 and now I can't get my podcasts to show up in iTunes.

And I do NOT have the Podcast app installed on my frickin phone!!

What do I do??

Annoyed in Atlanta


EDIT: following Brad's advice right now...


...

[pscates2.0]

It absolutely blows my mind this app is still in this condition, all these months later (and with all the one-star reviews and legit, valid complaints at the App Store).

I honestly don't know what the problem is here. It's almost as if no one high up at Apple is aware of its existence, and it was secretly created/released by some prankster interns and it has somehow managed to fly under the radar of anyone at One Infinite Loop who might give a crap.

So weird, all this. If I didn't know about this app and someone told me to to download and use it and that it was from Apple, I wouldn't believe them. It's 3x worse than any shitball, low-rent third-party app I've ever tried or used in four years. I'm not kidding. I expect some of these cheesy, one-off "take your .99 and run" apps to suck and not work worth as advertised...but a dedicated in-house one from Apple themselves that only has one purpose/function? Yikes...

And to still suck this bad so many months after release? I truly can't figure out what the story is here...so odd.

[drewprops]

Nevermind, I'm an idiot.

I hadn't synced my podcasts yet.

But still, yes, bad on Apple.

Guh.


...

[pscates2.0]

It doesn't matter because you can do everything right/smart and it still:

- Doesn't easily sync or, by default, give you any useful info regarding place
- The interface/controls were designed by two drunk chimps (I checked, it's true)
- It adds 2-4 steps to nearly everything you want to do...it's one of the most unintuitive, drag-your-ass-around-the-block-six-times apps I've ever messed with
- It isn't intuitive or clear at all, in both how to acquire and play back/navigate podcasts (like the iOS iPhoto app, it's just a lot of hidden, "explore and discover" stuff strewn about and nothing is clear-cut or obvious). Secret buttons or "I wonder what happens if I click this?"

But worst of all...

- Doesn't download as quickly as it used to when it was rolled into Music (literally 3-6 minutes per ~30-minute podcasts now vs. 20-30 seconds as before...honestly, how the hell does that even happen?! I used to be able to hit "download" on 4-5 podcasts or episodes and I've all of them downloaded and ready to go in under a minute...the progress bar would just scoot along. Now I'll do the same thing and it takes one of them 3-5 minutes, and the others don't start loading until that one is finished...so what used to take 1-2 minutes now takes 20-30 minutes.

And it's not my Internet connection. Everything else - surfing, downloading music or renting movies from iTunes, watching YouTube and other video around the web, uploading files, emailing attachments, etc. is as fast as I've ever seen it (you've seen my Speedtest scores in that other thread). I've got the EPB fiber optic thing and it flies in all other apps and tasks. It's the nicest, fastest Internet I've ever had in the 14 years I've been online.

It's just this idiotic, broken, piece-of-shit app which has somehow managed to louse up what should be about the easiest function in the world. It used to work perfectly when it was part of the other app. I understand Apple wanting to break it out into its own thing. Fine. But was mangling it beyond all use and recognition part of the plan too?

[Brave Ulysses]

let it all out. it'll be ok :P


Seriously though. You have to think there are actual people dedicated to the Podcast app. That this app is their job.

How they still have that job is beyond me. And how they can be so slow to improve it is even more so.

[pscates2.0]

It's the only thing I'm genuinely stirred-up about regarding Apple, so I get a pass on this one.

I couldn't care less about the iPhone/iPad rumors (because I'm not in the market for either for almost another two years), I'm not a Mac Pro guy so all that doesn't bother me, I've already decided I'm not getting one of these new iMacs (and have gotten that out of my system finally ), I have no complaints about the notebooks, etc.

But I do like my podcasts, and that they so royally shagged the monkey on all this just bugs me sometimes. Like last night, trying to download some new Phil Hendrie episodes and it turning into a big production/hassle. I was like "seriously? Just [i]download the $@$^%&%@@! stuff already!!"

[thegeriatric]

Now now temper temper.

[addabox]

Damn. When I saw this thread had been bumped I figured Apple had released a comprehensive update and people would be going "Finally! That's more like it!"

The really weird thing is that this isn't FCPX or something, where functionality and interface stuff requires long effort. It's a friggin' podcast app. How many resources have to be directed its way to put it on a solid footing? An intern for a day? Two interns for a week?

It's almost like Apple doesn't think there's a problem. Which is unnerving.

[Brave Ulysses]

Originally Posted by addabox Damn. When I saw this thread had been bumped I figured Apple had released a comprehensive update and people would be going "Finally! That's more like it!" The really weird thing is that this isn't FCPX or something, where functionality and interface stuff requires long effort. It's a friggin' podcast app. How many resources have to be directed its way to put it on a solid footing? An intern for a day? Two interns for a week? It's almost like Apple doesn't think there's a problem. Which is unnerving.

The same could be said for most Apple software really. I mean... really... how many people does iLife have on it? iWork? FCP? They should have teams... what have they been doing!? It's like Apple software is released and left to rot until someone remembers it and then their first reaction is not to fix it, but to give it a new face.... rewrite! and it all starts over.

It's bizarre. It's as if Apple disbanded their software teams..... or just put them all on some mystery product because even Mac OS X and iOS development has seemingly slowed down (feature and innovation wise, not release wise).

[Kickaha]

1.2 is out. Looks like an improvement.