Neil Hughes
The developer reached out to AppleInsider after they received a reply from Apple after submitting a bug report. Apple's Bug Reporter includes an option to specify that a submission isn't a bug report, but rather a suggestion.
In the suggestion submitted to Apple, the developer simply requested that the company add support for multiple users to the iPad.
"After further investigation it has been determined that this is a known issue, which is currently being investigated by engineering," the official response from Apple Developer Connection's Worldwide Developer Relations team reads.
The developer said they have often used Apple's Bug Reporter to submit requests for new features. However, this standard form letter is the first time that Apple has actually responded to such a submission from this particular developer.
Apple's response is not the first indication that the company may be working on multi-user support for the iPad. In 2010, before the iPad was officially announced, The Wall Street Journal reported that an early prototype of the device was designed to be shared by and customized for multiple family members.
Sharing the iPad was said to have been a major focus for Apple early on in the device's development. One idea the company was said to have experimented with was the ability for users to leave virtual sticky notes on the device for someone else to read once they began using it.
Apple was also said to have considered having the iPad recognize individuals via a built-in forward facing camera. The 2010 report said it was "unclear" whether the features would be included at launch, and it would turn out that none of them would be a part of the first three generations of iPad models.
Facial recognition has also been the key element of Apple's patent applications related to multi-user support on iOS devices. One such filing detailed by AppleInsider in December described a system that would quickly identify a user, and customize the device with their unique applications, settings and wallpaper.
William Gallagher
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
Mike Wuerthele
68 Comments
Holy cow! A perfectly normal form reply, the one sent out to absolutely everyone for absolutely everything, was sent out for this!
This is almost as embarrassing as not owning up to the false Tim Cook Valve story. But not quite up to the level of reporting a fake Phil Schiller tweet as "information" like some sites did.
Also, a communication that shouldn't be leaked, so as far as we know they have already told lots of people this and this is just the first developer to break his NDA and release the answer.
Also, brain-dead obvious that Apple would be working on this and putting it in the OS when they can.
Does anyone really think they aren't?
Does anyone really think they aren't?
Me. Really, the overwhelming majority of people want their own iPad. If multiple accounts are allowed, there'll be a family iPad they expect to share… and then they'll just all get their own.
Apple could certainly allow TEMPORARY logins. "Hey, can I check my mail on your iPad?" And then the guy logs into the proper Mail app instead of the web service.
I certainly think Apple is looking into it, but not that they'll be implementing multiple users, OS X style.
Hmmmm, May 7, 2012 at 9:00am RE Multiple User Support on iPad.
If the developer had an NDA with Apple and he disclosed the above information, I don't think it will be too hard for Apple to track him down with that email header and the exact time the email was sent out.
[quote name="Gazoobee" url="/t/149919/apple-says-lack-of-multi-user-support-on-ipad-is-a-known-issue-being-investigated#post_2106385"] Also, brain-dead obvious that Apple would be working on this and putting it in the OS when they can. Does anyone really think they aren't? [/quote] It's an auto form letter that really means nothing other than perhaps more than one person has sent the same suggestion. And even if they are investigating it doesn't mean they will do it. They probably investigated Flash support and making a 7 inch iPad and neither one has happened.