Riccardo MoriMar 23, 2025

Today I extensively used my 4th-gen iPod Touch running iOS 6.1.6, and once again I was reminded of how I love that UI.

A few short notes (small thread):

1. Say what you want about this era's Notification Centre, but I loved the linen background with the subtle embossing. I loved the ability (which I used back when it worked) to send a quick tweet from here. I never cared about stocks, but it's cool to see them looping here.

(1/4)

Show threadRiccardo MoriMar 23, 2025
2. iPhoto was an underrated app. It wasn't perfect, but it had some lovely touches in the UI, and the kind of tasteful skeuomorphism I like most. Here you can see part of the main interface, and those light effects to signal active buttons are so nice (and useful when the UI tends to get crowded). The metadata info panel is also well done, and it looks like you're looking at the back of a digital camera. Love the texture.
Show threadRiccardo MoriMar 23, 2025
3. Sparrow was a relatively short-lived email app (for Mac and iOS), but I'm glad I purchased it at the time. It still works with a couple of non-Gmail accounts I have, and it had a well-designed UI. Here are the actions available when you swipe left on a message in list view. The icons still look fresh, have depth, and what they stand for is very clear.
Show threadRiccardo MoriMar 23, 2025
4. Share sheet in the Photos app. Extremely simple compared with the long, long list of stuff we have today. What I like about this is the clear visual distinction between actions associated with apps, and those associated with the system, sharing the same 'metal' look and design as the iOS 6 Settings app:
Show threadRiccardo MoriMar 23, 2025
5. Additional observation: on the left, Album view in Apple's Music app on iOS 17.x on my iPhone SE 3. On the right, Album view in Apple's Music app on iOS 6. The iPhone SE 3 has a 4.7-inch display. The 4th-gen iPod Touch has a 3.5-inch display, AND YET Music app on the iPod BOTH shows more information AND in a clearer, more orderly fashion.
Show thread✨daddy✨Mar 29, 2025

@morrick yes! i cannot thank you enough for highlighting this - ever since they came up with their own streaming service to rival spotify, they really f*ed up the entire itunes/music app

especially for people who are still somewhat old school like me, who like owning their files and media (a lot of my library is not available for streaming and i also need them for djing)

if anyone knows a good alternative to the built-in music app, i am begging for recommendations

Show threadRiccardo MoriMar 29, 2025

@monicalefebre You're welcome! And you dj — that's cool. I did some djing too, eons ago when it was only analogue and you only had two turntables and a crate of vinyls. 😀

Unfortunately I don't have good alternatives to the Music app to suggest. It appears that the two apps I like to use (Ecoute and Groove) are no longer available on the App Store. But I can ask around!

Show thread✨daddy✨

@morrick i have the highest respect for vinyl djs - i am not that confident yet, although i learned some vinyl basics as a teen, even scratching hahaha

and aw man, thats a shame, but thank you either way! :)
i am so close to just unearthing my old ipod to see if it still works or maybe even getting an ipod classic again - i cant find any other way, the current music app is so unusable
if you hear of anything, i am greatful for any tips! :)

Mar 29, 2025 at 9:06pmMastodon for iOS