iPad orientation lock button going..going..gone

Back in the day Bi (Before iPad) Apple announced that the switch at the upper right of the iPad would be a mute switch just like the iPhone. But when the iPad launched in March of this year, lo and behold the switch had become an orientation lock. Like many iPad users I got to like this function and used it often. I was surprised when I saw the switch become a mute switch in early betas of IOS 4.2 which is to be released in a few weeks. I wondered if this was to be a permanent change..or perhaps be an option in the final version of IOS 4.2.

Well, a reader of 9TO5MAC wondered the same so he went to the top and wrote to the Boss. Here is the transcript of Robert Novak’s email exchange with Steve Jobs as reported in 9TO5MAC

In IOS 4.2 for iPad is the switch on the side going to be the mute and not screen orientation lock from now on?

After getting a classic thumbs up from Jobs:

Yep.

Sent from my iPhone

Robert asked him if this would be an option for the user:

Are you planning to make that a changeable option?

And Jobs’ answer:

Nope.

So when your iPad is automatically updated to IOS 4.2 in November you will lose the orientation lock. I don’t know about you but I hate that change; there is already a simple mute switch..simply hold the volume rocker switch down for a second.

Maybe I will write to Steve Jobs too.

What do you think?

From: 9TO5MAC and Just Another iPad Blog

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