Why SO many random DCIM Folders? I want ONE!

Simply put... if you are looking "there" for your photos, you are working outside of the desired design by Apple.

The advocated method for importing photos to an OSX computer, is to use a photo app that sees the device as a single source of photo files, not a series of folders. It is not advised to root around (pardon the pun) in the device's filesystem looking for stuff.

Yes, I know it works and yes, I know some folks are very comfortable doing this, and yes, I know it is your right as is defined in the constitution, but it's not how it was designed to work.

That Apple has changed the number of folders used, how they are named and so on, should be invisible to the end user. And if you import photos using iPhoto or now Photos, it is.

IMO, I let the database designer/engineer win this type of argument.

The upgrade I did recently helped somewhat, but this came well after I had to DELETE EVERY SINGLE PHOTO FROM MY PHONE, and actually place them in a new folder on my PC. Then, with Itunes I had to add that folder back into my list of Synced folders I wanted to add back to my phone.! Why did I have to go through this convoluted process? Because we are not ALLOWED to be PC users, I suppose? Gotta join the MAC club! Nah, not yet!

On a Mac I use the import tool that Apple provides. On Windows you won't have any problems if you use the import tool that Microsoft provides. You chose not to. If I had chosen not to on my Mac I would have had the same issues you do.

Of course Apple wants users to use photos THEIR special way instead of the way most of the world accesses photos from most any other device in the world: by plugging in the USB cable, opening the folder, and getting the files you want. Apple needs to realize that this is reality. They may WANT users to do it the Apple way, but in reality users will go for convenience and logic. Apple would be wise to pay attention, because the last time I checked, it's the customer who buy the phones and keeps them in business, not the Apple employees.

Sure there are work-arounds. Sure there are ways to find your photos quickly amidst the many randomly named folders that are undeletable and annoying to the users. But none of these ideas fix the real problem. It's a poor design on Apple's part, and if Steve Jobs were alive I wonder if he would be displeased or just as arrogantly stubborn as Apple is being right now, by completely ignoring their huge number of customers who are saying "this is very annoying!" Anyway, Jobs is gone.

Even though I have been a long-time mostly-happy iPhone user, as an IT Director with responsibility to my organization, I have decided when our contract ends I am considering switching our phones to Android. Why? For the reasons reflected in this thread. And because my organization, like so many others, operates primarily in a Windows environment, and we need quick simple universally sensible access to our photos. We need a device that works easily for our intelligent, modern employees who have current day intuitive transferrable skills using today's technology. This folders issue is one problem. IMHO Apple should also wise up and get rid of iTunes. Everyone I know hates it and as one person mentioned in this threat, many computers require admin rights to install software, and to expect users to install iTunes in order to perform simple tasks that would be easily done without special software on other devices is unrealistic. (oh wait, that's right, Apple doesn't read the user threads. Funny, if I were running a company the user forums would be the first place I'd go to see how my product was doing. I would be paying very close attention to what users say to each other. Well, Apple has had some good ideas. And this won't be the first time they blew it. But photos are very important to business customers as well as consumers. We want and require easy, intuitive access to photos by connecting the device to a computer and browsing for the photos in a logical way, using standard methods common to many devices and companies around the world. Maybe Apple will figure this out, or maybe not. Maybe by then I and all my users will be happy Android users)

Elaine

Ok... if you're an IT Director, you likely manage some databases.

Do your staff go looking around in the tables for their data? Probably not. Can they? Of course they can.

Do you want them to? I would think not. Intuitive or not, there is a UI for a reason.

If you feel that you can get your job(s) done by accessing the filesystem, go ahead. Nobody has placed a barrier to that in front of you.

"had some good ideas"

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

These are the types of remarks that reduce one's credibility IMO. Their ideas must have been a bit better than good, as most of their competitors are also using them.

Before the fanboy and koolaid cracks fly... I own Windows and Mac PCs, use Android tablets and iPads and use an Android phone only.

iOS is what it is. It isn't for everyone. It's not like you have no other options.

Yeah, I probably should have kept my opinions to myself, though I didn't mean to offend anyone in expressing my views about what I think our users want in an interface. Your response felt a bit cold and well, unnecessarily mean toward me. Oh well. Moving on.

Elaine

HobbitLovr wrote:

if Steve Jobs were alive I wonder if he would be displeased or just as arrogantly stubborn as Apple is being right now, by completely ignoring their huge number of customers who are saying "this is very annoying!" Anyway, Jobs is gone.

Maybe Apple will figure this out, or maybe not. Maybe by then I and all my users will be happy Android users)

Elaine

The system as you see it has been in place from the beginning. So, invoking the name of Steve Jobs is not really a way to sustain your argument.

Apple does not need to figure anything out, nor do they need to capitulate to the world of Windows or Android users. The system works brilliantly if you use it the way it was designed. If you don't understand how to use it, or insist on going to the root level for managing things, then that is your prerogative. I don't think that there is going to be a mass exodus of the millions of users of Apple products around the world because of this particular peccadillo that the relatively small number of people in this thread are getting up in arms about.

Millions of people are happy with the way things work. You, apparently, are not. Move on.

GB

I want to thank you for your post, Elaine. I enjoyed the clarity with which you expressed the aggravation we PC users feel. One thing you perhaps could have mentioned, is the fact that, according to Wikipedia, Apple's operating system, contrary to what many Mac worshippers seem to be posting on this thread, is NOT the dominant, (most-used) operating system in the world! See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems I understand that many IT people often have a difficult time embracing other operating systems; in fact, I, myself, don't LOVE Windows, but it has been the standard OS used by business for YEARS now....I am just having a problem with the vitriolic tones of some of the Mac users who tell you to use the IOS system as it was intended, yet never really tell what those INTENTIONS actually were? Details? I think we understand how Itunes works, as far as syncing your phone; but it is the fact that I don't WANT to automatically dump all my photos onto my computer to a random folder in a fast download! I want certain pictures in my phone, the others I want in my specifically -created folders so I can manage them by date, or by Family photos, or by nature pictures, or by vacation trips, or by historic photos... Only Itunes wants me to dump all the pics in a huge vat of . Jpegs and sort them out later. I think Apple's arrogance and condescension isn't good for the company, and YES, they should consider changing their faulty systems,( call if capitulation if you will) if for nothing more than good customer service! Yes, FAULTY systems... To which all the APPLE worshippers will respond, again, "Use the system the way it was designed." Just remember, the Windows users GREATLY outnumber Apple OS users.... Just thnk of it as, does Apple want a GREATER share of the customer base, or not?

One thing: you use iTunes from choice, no-one is forcing you. So please, use something else, something that you actually like. I don't understand individuals spending theirown money on something they don't like

To which all the APPLE worshippers will respond, again, "Use the system the way it was designed." Just remember, the Windows users GREATLY outnumber Apple OS users.... Just thnk of it as, does Apple want a GREATER share of the customer base, or not?

two things...

#notaworshipper - just an advocate of moving on when the situation calls for it. It seems to be the go to label applied to those here who hear your complaints, respect your right to have them, but suggest after venting you face reality and pick a battle.

And no, I don't believe Apple is driven by having a greater share of the customer base. They are driven by "insanely great" and the customers who choose to follow along. Each of us will interpret insanely great uniquely, as is our right.

I use both Windows (7, 8.1 and 10) and OSX. I have tools for each that are not the "best" for me on the other.

And not to quibble with your quote, but I think the tone is more accurately, "accept the system as designed, use it if you want".

*Very* different than telling you what to do.

(and yes, I realize that ended up being 4 things)

And actually, the past year or so, I have tried to bypass Itunes altogether, BECAUSE it's so user-unfriendly, and simply use Windows Explorer to manage my pictures, which COULD be simplified, if the engineers at Apple would actually find a fix! And now another FUTURE RANT, why the **** is Music management so dang difficult on Itunes? Why not simplify adding or deleting songs? Hmmmm, must be using the dinosaur era Itunes software wrong, perhaps not the way it was DESIGNED? Hmmmmm.... No copy-and -paste options ? Nah, let's make everything as difficult as possible for those (more populous) evil Windows users! Lol.... Amazing hubris of Apple's design teams! But what do we know? We're only the ignorant masses!

Well, I may agree with you on that point.... But therein is the problem for Apple: what if EVERY customer, or even a moderate percentage of customers, find that Apple is , even as you say, RESTRICTIVE? Already, according to that Wikipedia article, Android devices account for 48% of devices shipped in 2014, while iOS/OS X devices accounted for 11.04%. As a corporation, I would be quaking in fear , and finding every possible way to accomodate potential customers, instead of creating those AWESOME restrictions if which you speak.... Yes Android is looking better and better, and will most likely be my next phone, after I get my 600+ dollars worth of usage out of this Iphone I have!

You say restrictive, I say secure.

You say restrictive, I say shallower learning curve for some.

You say restrictive, I say stable.

You say restrictive, I say niche product.

Restrictive is not always a negative thing.

If you want/need a truck to haul lumber... you don't buy a car, make it haul lumber and then rant about how crappy your car is at hauling lumber.

Gregoriusmax64 wrote:

ACtually, I was referring to the use of the word RESTRICTIONS in Csound1's post.... Don't worry! You have made me a believer in Android! I believe this horse is now TRULY dead!! End of posts!

Don't try restricting what others can do, you will fail.

Gregoriusmax64 wrote:

Only Itunes wants me to dump all the pics in a huge vat of . Jpegs and sort them out later.

iTunes does nothing of the sort, it has no role in extracting photos from your device to computer ... none, zip, nada. It does offer a way to manage the other direction, i.e. from computer to iOS device, but not the reverse. If you think iTunes "makes" you dump pics into a folder to sort out, you are quite mistaken.

I won't regurgitate the number of times it has already been mentioned here how Windows users can easily manage their iOS photo extraction to PC ... it has nothing to do with iTunes and it certainly doesn't involve delving into the file structure of your device. That hands-on, let-me-manage-my-files attitude goes against the grain with Apple's philosophy, if that's not to your liking then the sensible thing would be for you to move on.