Request: Move Settings Tab to the Settings Application

[GoogleCodeExporter]

What postal code/address, search distance, and search date have you set Now 
Playing to?
3089, 5km, Today

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. Run the 'Now Playing' application.

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?
The 'Settings' tab on the bottom of the Now Playing screen takes up valuable 
screen real estate, 
and is unnecessary once initially configured. The only real adjustable options, 
the day one is 
searching for, can be changed on any cinema or film page, while the button to 
'home in' on one's 
location could be moved to the far-right of the upper title bar when on the 
'Theatres' and 
'Movies' tabs (which would also make it quicker to locate in the first place). 

This settings page could be moved to the 'Settings' Application, which would 
free the screen up 
and create a more unified appearance akin to the other built-in applications. 

What version of the product are you using? On what operating system?
Now Playing 2.5. iPod Touch 2nd Generation

Please provide any additional information below.


What is your email address?  This information is optional, but recommended.  It 
is used by the 
developer so he can contact you for more details.
trowell.haydn@gmail.com

Original issue reported on code.google.com by trowell....@gmail.com on 26 Dec 2008 at 8:30

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I'm not sure i agree here.  First off, discovery is a *big* issue.  Moving the 
settings to the iPhone settings page 
would decrease discoverability in a big way.  Also, the upper right corner of 
the main pages is used for the 
'activity indicator' and so cannot be used for the 'find me' button.

I'm also not sure what this buys the user.  What does it matter if one space is 
used for 'settings'?

Original comment by cyrus.na...@gmail.com on 27 Dec 2008 at 1:13

[GoogleCodeExporter]

You are right, this is not a major request, I simply believe it would make the 
application more standardised in 
comparison to most other applications and would relocate an item that would not 
need to be used much.

Discovery is a big issue, and I do not propose that the feature be removed. 
While the activity indicator is located 
in this upper right corner, I believe there are numerous alterations which 
could absolve this. Firstly, from my own 
observations, there are two activity indicators on the screen at the same time; 
one in the upper status bar 
reserved by the system, and one in the Now Playing status bar. Secondly, pages 
such as specific film pages, 
which have a star in this upper-right corner to designate favourites, do not 
have the activity indicator in this 
location, instead they appear to use a hovering indicator instead. It may be 
possible then that the indicator could 
be removed, as there is already another, or could be altered into a hovering 
indicator akin to that which is used 
on film pages. The discovery (locate me) button would then fit in this 
now-vacant area, and would also be there 
to be tapped immediately, instead of having to dig down into the settings menu.

Of course this is only a minor issue, and in no way impedes the usability of 
the application. It would, however, be 
helpful in removing what would become a tab which would not have to be used 
very much, and would improve 
the application's adherence to application standards in addition to removing 
'screen clutter'. I believe also that 
relocating the 'locate me' button so that it is visible on more screens (such 
as the 'theatres' and 'films' screens) 
would make it quicker and easier to use.

Now, I don't want to be seen as browbeating you here; this is *your* 
application after all, not mine. You will 
design it as you see fit. This is simply a small piece of advice that I believe 
would help to make your product even 
better than it is now.

In any event, thanks for creating this most useful application.

Original comment by trowell....@gmail.com on 27 Dec 2008 at 4:10

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for the in depth feedback Trowell.  A couple of comments: 

"Firstly, from my own observations, there are two activity indicators on the 
screen 
at the same time; one in the upper status bar reserved by the system, and one 
in the 
Now Playing status bar."

One is provided by the iPhone OS and is used to indicate network activity.  The 
other is provided by my app and used to indicate that a major sync is 
occurring.  I 
could try to merge both into one, but i'll have to consider if it would be 
clear 
enough for users.

There are also other settings which i believe are valuable and worth making 
available directly in the app.  For example, in my next version you will be 
able to 
enable/disable Netflix support from the 'settings' page.  If 'settings' were 
moved 
to the iPhone's settings menu, then i'm pretty sure that 99% of users would 
never 
discover that it existed.

I also feel that the other settings that are available are things that people 
do 
occasionally want and should not need to exit the app for.

Finally, you mention "screen clutter".  I'm not sure i buy this argument.  Once 
you 
have tabs at the bottom, you're going to need that space for something.  If 
there's 
no other functionality that you would rather have in that space, then i do not 
believe there is anything to be gained by leaving it blank and only having 4 
tabs 
instead of 5.

Regardless, i'll definitely consider ways to make my app simpler and more 
streamlined.  Ideally there would be no need for a 'settings' menu at all, 
however i 
haven't figured out how to pull that off yet :)

Original comment by cyrus.na...@gmail.com on 27 Dec 2008 at 8:05

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I didn't realise there was a difference between the two activity indicators. 
Netflix support sounds like a great 
addition, and I can see why the settings tab would need to be available to 
enable/disable it. All in all, its hardly a 
big deal at all, just an idea for simplifying the interface, and with all the 
new additions I think Now Playing is only 
going to get even better regardless of hiding the settings menu.

Thanks for active the support and communication, and the great application.

Original comment by trowell....@gmail.com on 28 Dec 2008 at 1:24

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Settings have been reorganized for 3.1 and 3.2

Original comment by cyrus.na...@gmail.com on 9 Feb 2009 at 6:29

• Changed state: Fixed