Podcast App iOS9 -- Good and Bad discussion
Curious to get a dialogue started. I personally feel that Apple really doesn't work on their App (or take it seriously) or they would have long ago integrated features from other apps (Downcast, Overcast, etc.). I feel each update is pretty incomplete and if they would work a bit harder, they could make a good product.
The worst issue, for me, is the Episode List spacing. It's bloated now, with worthless descriptions, making it so much more tedious to scroll through and look at episodes. (This is my main complaint with the Unplayed Tab). This app needs a compact view badly.
Good
1. Music App style play window -- this feature isn't critical, but adds a nice option of controls while looking through your list It's not user friendly (it's so small and cumbersome that someone like my dad couldn't use it well), but the idea is nice.
2. Unplayed tab idea -- notice i said idea. I like the thought that you can go to one screen and play all your new podcasts in a row. (my problem will be listed later)
3. My Podcasts -- seems cleaner to me, though i think the change is small
4. Podcast playing screen -- the added space is cleaner and makes it easier for my fat fingers to use
Bad
1. Oversized Episode List -- (makes it much harder to scroll through and see your episodes). It includes an unnecessary clip of the "description" of the episode...which is never informative and a waste of space. In the 20+ podcasts I have, not one has any useful information there that I will ever look at. Such a waste of space. They need to offer a compact size.
I think that this is really bad design....I like the "more" button to press for additional info, but why crowd the visible space? Terrible idea.
2. On the Go -- it's gone and you can't get it back. Stations do not work because it includes an entire Podcast. Creating a playlist can't be done. You can only add to "Up Next", which is a terrible/poor substitute.
3. Unplayed Tab -- the spacing is bad (needs a more compact design), and the fact that this is the startup screen is annoying. You should be able to change it to go to "My Podcasts" or rearrange them. Annoying.
4. Fullscreen -- i didn't use this feature very often, but I notice many people commenting on this.
Overall I feel that they didn't make the app better, it's a push at best for me. They took features away, and added one/two (Music App style player, Unplayed Tab). The Oversized lists will make me not use this app. I will go back to Downcast (which I still use for several podcasts) or Overcast.
I'm always confused by Apple's updated. They push things that aren't better, (the podcast app has sucked for so long)....and their approach to their apps (and app design) is opposite from what they do with their Hardware. The hardware is fantastic...but the apps are just poorly thought out and executed. Maybe its a software thing the don't get. iTunes is a design trainwreck. White on light gray color scene....it's the worst thing I have ever used. So impossible to distinguish between things....it's a giant leap backwards.
