#13: No way of checking how much space the apps take. Sure, I can check how much the apps themselves use – but not, of course, sort them by size or anything like that – in iTunes, but I can’t see, for instance, how much space my offline Spotify songs take, or if I should begin trimming my comicbook collection.
Right now, I need to find stuff that I can safely delete. I’d like to find the largest stuff, and then work my way down. This, history has proven, is a very effective way of pruning file systems.
But Apple don’t want me to have access to my file system.
Bastards.
#14: Strange backup procedure. There’s just no way of knowing what the iTunes-powered backup utility backups. I have no idea whatsoever. I’ve managed to figure out that it includes most, if not all, settings and specific software folders (like my Canabalt score and notes). It does not retain downloaded program data, such as Encyclopedia’s 2 gb’s of Wikipedia data. It seems to ignore my Stanza books. It includes the ordering of my apps, but not which apps are installed. It also seems like application data not connected to any currently installed apps is counted as “other” – but here, I’m not sure.
And herein lies the rub: It’s not transparent – and it’s not intuitive. My intuition, along with most people’s, is that if I take a Backup, then wipe the slate clean, then restore the backup – well, then I should get all the data and installed apps back. At the very least, iTunes could ask me if I wanted to install the same apps again. What I got to do now when I want to wipe the slate clean is:
- Factory reset
- Sync apps
- Restore backup
If I restore the backup before installing apps, then my apps arer added in a jumble. I’ve spent countless hours moving apps around just because there’s no way to back this setting up and restore it separately from other settings.
(And also, of course, the factory reset doesn’t actually reset everything – at least, not every time…)
Man, when Blacksn0w comes out of Beta, and supports 3.1.2 firmware, I am SO unlocking this device. I tested Blackra1n yesterday, and just being able to SSH into the device felt like a huge weight, lifted. Suddenly I, the user and owner, was in control. I could check disk usage, move files around, take proper backups, delete old useless files from apps I’m never going to use again… In short, it was great. Unfortunately, Blackra1n means it’s a temproary fix, and as soon as I need to reboot the device, I’ll need to connect it to iTunes again, and restore it – and then sync my apps, and then restore the backup, and then jailbreak it… Not acceptable. Unlocking is the key, I think. I don’t want to install pirated apps or anything like that – I just want to have access and control over my devices. Not to mention: a ScummVM app!
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