21 comments

  • Sacha GreifSacha Greif, almost 8 years ago

    Maybe part of it is that we're so used to great hardware design from Apple that we don't notice it anymore; and this in turn makes bad design stand out even more. But I think even with these "bad" products Apple design is still one of the best around.

    7 points
  • Jim SilvermanJim Silverman, almost 8 years ago

    jobs' reality-distortion field is wearing off.

    3 points
  • Rich TaborRich Tabor, almost 8 years ago

    Nothing. It's still good stuff.

    3 points
  • Rick LanceeRick Lancee, almost 8 years ago

    wtf were they thinking with the magic mouse? Is this how it really works?

    2 points
    • Rich TaborRich Tabor, almost 8 years ago

      Yea, but there's no need for batteries anymore. I don't mind it, just don't try and use it while it's charging, which you couldn't do with the old one either lol.

      0 points
      • Jay WycheJay Wyche, almost 8 years ago

        How long does it take to charge?

        0 points
        • Jason TokophJason Tokoph, almost 8 years ago

          It takes something like 2 minutes to recharge to 9 hours of life. So the issue has been blown out of proportion. If the battery is low/dead just go grab a drink or take a bathroom break.

          3 points
    • Jay WycheJay Wyche, almost 8 years ago

      Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. It doesn't make sense. Why make the device unusable while it's charging.

      Can any magic mouse users chime in?

      1 point
      • Sjors TimmerSjors Timmer, almost 8 years ago

        My theory is that using it with a usb cable as mouse cord would either be a terrible experience, or wear the usb cable out, or both.

        So, they had to design it in such a way that it was extremely clear that you should not use it whilst charging. But if this is true, than at the very least it's very badly explained.

        2 points
      • barry saundersbarry saunders, almost 8 years ago

        I've got the new one. They've prioritised the core experience of the mouse (ie, using it for 8-10 hours a day) over the maintenance mode (2 minutes). Pretty simple tradeoff.

        1 point
  • Sjors TimmerSjors Timmer, almost 8 years ago

    It is not that Apple has come up with bad solutions where there are clearly better solutions, but that they put something to market when the should have chosen to wait (perhaps even a few years) Both the mouse and the pencil should be charged by inductive charging and the battery pack shouldn't exist if it couldn't be made thinner. Sadly it seems that Apple's yes rate has gone up from 1 in 1000 to 3 in 1000.

    1 point
  • John LeschinskiJohn Leschinski, almost 8 years ago

    This is what happens when your priority is to give shareholders dividends.

    1 point
  • Dan SherrattDan Sherratt, almost 8 years ago

    Had a discussion about this at work, some of the decisions are just awful, but they still do show flashes of brilliance, the battery design of the new Macbook Air for example - fitting the solution into the problem rather than letting the problem dictate the solution.

    It's another sign that Apple are afraid of the competition, previously I'd have imagined them release a credit card or keyring sized power pack to keep in your wallet or pocket, with some marketing line around 'Other companies want you to cover up your phone's beauty, why bother?'

    Instead they've wheeled out what looks like a v1 prototype of a concept from 10 years ago.

    1 point
    • Matthew O'ConnorMatthew O'Connor, almost 8 years ago

      They showed ingenuity when making stacked batteries for the new MacBook... so why did this new battery case not use the same tech, and design a curve around that bump!?

      This feels like they had a load of batteries to get rid of and juts slapped a silicone case around it and called it a day. When all they had to do was fill the bump with some plastic to smooth it out.

      1 point
      • Rodrigo MunizRodrigo Muniz, almost 8 years ago

        It's funny to think they did something similar to the iMac design (curving around the guts) but "it didn't work" with a simple silicone case.

        0 points
  • Ray MartinRay Martin, almost 8 years ago

    What do they want—a pencil with two AA batteries? A mouse with a 2lb battery pack?

    All talk but no solutions.

    0 points
  • T. F., almost 8 years ago (edited almost 8 years ago )

    Well balanced article that really gets to the core of Apple's declining attention to details, nicely wrapped up by in a quote:

    these accessories seem to say, "Well, we couldn't really find a better way, so we just went with it." The compromises seem like ... shortcuts in place of the difficult decisions Apple used to be known for in an effort to set its products apart.

    0 points