How App Sorting Should Work

[Vincent Ferrari]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/02/23/concept-video-shows-iphone-app-sorting-done-right/' target='_blank'>http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/02...ing-done-right/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"We love the iPhone's ultra simple homescreen user interface - as long as we're not trying to change anything. Once we get tired of the old arrangement of icons, moving them all around to match our new mood is like eating rice with a tool big enough for only one grain at a time. After about 5 grains, you decide you weren't hungry in the first place. Want to organize 5 pages of apps alphabetically? Hah! See you next week."</em></p><p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="350" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-wfv0OJ1oMQ" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-wfv0OJ1oMQ"></embed></object></p><p>I know Apple's not in the business of taking unsolicited advice (it's part of their charm) but this video demonstrates exactly how iPhone app management should work.&nbsp; For someone like me with 7 pages of Apps (stop making fun of me!) this would be a God-send.&nbsp; As it is, they're in no particular order just because it's too much work to sort that many apps across that many pages.&nbsp; Luckily, a lot of them have been there long enough that I just know where they are and what screen they're in.</p>

[Joe Johaneman]

I have a system for sorting apps, based on their function. For example, games get a screen all of their own. It'll probably be two screens soon enough. I weed out apps that I don't use on a monthly basis. Stuff that I use the least, but don't plan on getting rid of (like settings and the App store) get thrown on the very last screen. Once I get the apps sorted to the correct page, I then sort them on that page by the frequency I use them. More frequently used apps are at the top of the page. Of course, I only have five pages of apps, and it's not five full pages (I leave blank spots at the bottom to make it easier to slide from screen to screen without accidentally starting an app).

Oh, any iPhone developers out there looking for a project: I could really use a friendfeed app for the iPhone. The only available friendfeed app doesn't seem to work at all (it won't authenticate).

[Tony Rylow]

I could really go for that method of managing apps. I really hate the way its handled on the device right now. Whenever I want to move something, I always end up dislodging half my other apps from their normal spots. I have about 3.75 full pages of apps right now.