Thread: iOS 6 Wishlist
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-04, 12:41

After listening to the most recent episode of Hypercritical (John Siracusa's podcast with Dan Benjamin) at 5by5, I see where Mugge talks about the same thing Siracusa was calling for...user accounts.

I know the iPad is "affordable" for those with disposable cash lying around, but for many in the real world, an iPad is often shared by a single household. In fact, that's all I've ever seen, the past couple of years.

I'm sure Apple is aware of this. And with things like games or logging in to various sites, the current approach can be a bit messy and cumbersome.

But I'm not sure how it could be implemented easily and efficiently. However, I trust Apple to rise to the challenge...

But I'm sure daddy would like his Angry Bird and Draw Something scoring kept separate from junior's and the wife's. And the same goes for everyone else. And the same for Facebook, Twitter, etc. usage.

Some sort of tight, lean "fast user switching" where, if desired, a multi-user household could each have their own accounts, where game scores, app data, Safari bookmarks, e-mail, login to various sites, etc. could be kept separate and maintained for each user. They've mastered this in OS X, so it couldn't be too hard to bring something similar to iOS, as these things are only increasing in popularity.

I can see that happening, heading into this post-PC existence and with the hardware and OS becoming more powerful and capable with each passing year.

And if not a full-blown "everyone gets their own account", then perhaps some sort of "child-proof setting" so when junior wants to play with the iPad after dinner, you can log into this special area/user account where he/she only has access to certain apps, websites, etc. And they can't go in and delete your photos or send out crazy-sounding gibberish e-mails out of your account? Right now if you hand an iPad to a kid, unless you go in and tweak/change a bunch of things in separate places (then remember to switch them all back when he's done), you're pretty much handing him the world...for better or worse. He can see or hear anything, or have full access to your stuff...some of which might be important and, ideally, not messed with.

Logging into some sort of controlled, restricted "kid" environment (where you can set up access, privileges and the like in a single place, beforehand) might save users a lot of hassle or grief. Every time I'm around my niece or nephew or a friend's kid, and they want to play with "Paul's phone", I fall on my knees and beg for this feature...



I'd love to just be able to flick a "monkey-proof" switch in Settings, where, beforehand, I've disabled texting, emailing, access to photos, some barriers on websites and just have it to where music, specified apps and allowed websites are about the only things the little cookie-cruncher can use or access.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2012-04-04 at 12:55.
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