Any company that considers spying on me more than the NSA is unwelcome in my house. No, I don't need an app for that. I can turn my own lights on or off, set a timer, and write my own reminders, Alexa (which at a friends house, responds to the television).
1
This is how pretty much all current technology works. The "feature creep" is ubiquitous.
I use Photoshop every single day for work, and I probably know a third of what it will do. That's because when I'm at work, I don't have the time to spend to learn everything. When I need to do something new, I look for a tutorial, and figure it out. Or maybe I'll learn a trick from a friend, or show someone else. But I will likely never know everything the program will do. But you know what, I don't care, I'll learn what I need, when I need it.
The same holds true for my Android phone. I know most of what it will do, but I still find times when I'll go looking for an app to do something new or different. But there is no way I'll ever know everything that's possible.
This varies from person to person too. Some people are tech savants. They make it a life goal to learn every single thing that whatever piece of tech will do. Others, they don't care, just make it do what I want is their goal.
This is also nothing knew....I'm 55 years old, and I can remember when you would go to some people's houses and the clock on the VCR was always blinking 12:00. Not only were they not using any of the snazzy programming options that it had (yes, you could really tell some of them to record a certain channel on a certain day and time), they hadn't even figured out (or cared to figure out) how to set the clock.
I use Photoshop every single day for work, and I probably know a third of what it will do. That's because when I'm at work, I don't have the time to spend to learn everything. When I need to do something new, I look for a tutorial, and figure it out. Or maybe I'll learn a trick from a friend, or show someone else. But I will likely never know everything the program will do. But you know what, I don't care, I'll learn what I need, when I need it.
The same holds true for my Android phone. I know most of what it will do, but I still find times when I'll go looking for an app to do something new or different. But there is no way I'll ever know everything that's possible.
This varies from person to person too. Some people are tech savants. They make it a life goal to learn every single thing that whatever piece of tech will do. Others, they don't care, just make it do what I want is their goal.
This is also nothing knew....I'm 55 years old, and I can remember when you would go to some people's houses and the clock on the VCR was always blinking 12:00. Not only were they not using any of the snazzy programming options that it had (yes, you could really tell some of them to record a certain channel on a certain day and time), they hadn't even figured out (or cared to figure out) how to set the clock.
23
The tech writers as the NYTs have transitioned from positive about Apple (David Pogue) to entirely negative with all the new tech writers. Nowadays you do not have to even read the title of a NYTs "Apple" piece because you know before starting that it will be a "hit" piece. Show me one positive article about Apple in the last five years since David Pogue left. You won't find one by any of these new writers. This article is a good example of a hit piece. So, the title reads "....Users Say, 'Enough'". What users, how many? Then the article completely ignores the obvious question: How well does the competition compare in this arena? We all know the answer to that which is why the writer ignores the obvious missing part of this article. Despite the obvious anti-Apple bias of the NYTs nowadays, Apple and its products are still doing fine. I still depend on Apple... but I no longer depend on the NYTs to deliver unbiased tech reports.
13
Apple is Walter White.
5
Innovation for innovation's sake is not a good idea. If you're not fixing a measurable problem, you're probably creating one.
9
Sure!!. The developers while designing the apps / features, become very intimate with operating the features forget that the consumer doesn't have the familiarity. Essentially the consumer becomes a "developer".
4
The bigger problem is not new, complex functions, but the removal of basic, simple functions. New MacBooks have neither a remote with which you can, among other things, play music, nor a disc drive to upload or copy CDs and DVDs. Many will now not have a USB port for thumb drives.
Of course this is all part of the "brilliant" planned-obsolescence marketing strategy. With many of these companies, if you buy a product, hardware or software, and it is #3 in their product line, in order for #7 to work, you will have to buy #s 4, 5, and 6, you cannot go from 3 to 7. This is not a new business strategy, but with electronics it becomes an extremely easy one to execute. (And think of the pollution from "obsolete" hardware.)
Somewhere along the line, perhaps in the late Fifties or Sixties, businesses went from building products that would last and that could be repaired to building products that were designed to wear out relatively soon and, more and more, products that you could not repair yourself and cost too much to have repaired by a repair person, a business that used to be ubiquitous in every town.
When the world went digital, the marketing pitch was that you would now have your data forever, no longer having to worry, for instance, that your record would wear out. It was not long before we discovered we had been hustled, and that just because we had something in digital format, it did not mean we could access it in the future, even by a product from the same company.
Of course this is all part of the "brilliant" planned-obsolescence marketing strategy. With many of these companies, if you buy a product, hardware or software, and it is #3 in their product line, in order for #7 to work, you will have to buy #s 4, 5, and 6, you cannot go from 3 to 7. This is not a new business strategy, but with electronics it becomes an extremely easy one to execute. (And think of the pollution from "obsolete" hardware.)
Somewhere along the line, perhaps in the late Fifties or Sixties, businesses went from building products that would last and that could be repaired to building products that were designed to wear out relatively soon and, more and more, products that you could not repair yourself and cost too much to have repaired by a repair person, a business that used to be ubiquitous in every town.
When the world went digital, the marketing pitch was that you would now have your data forever, no longer having to worry, for instance, that your record would wear out. It was not long before we discovered we had been hustled, and that just because we had something in digital format, it did not mean we could access it in the future, even by a product from the same company.
18
I am happy to hear that I am not alone in my growing contempt for my iphone. I hate it. It has gone from a convenience to an obnoxious aggravating that is constantly struggling for control over me, my schedule and my priorities. Push notices, ringers, dingers, buzzers, banners, on and on and on. Turn them off, and next time your operating system is updated they walk all over your settings. I detest it.
23
So you have your new and fancy phone with all it's bells and whistles and you're listening to crappy mp3 music. Amazing how century old technology makes it look like the crap it is.
6
I hope the folks Apple are reading these comments and taking them seriously. They are likely the most valuable feedback they'll ever find.
Like many commenters here, I'm an adept semi-geek, first educated on DOS and DECnet. I jumped on the Apple bandwagon very late, and keep wondering what on earth does iTunes have to do with music? Please, please give it another name. Seeing it boggles me every time it pops open for updating. Ridiculous. And the way it's "organized" is absurd. Do us all a favor: rip its code to shreds. Then separate each of its intended functions clearly, and start all over again.
Like many commenters here, I'm an adept semi-geek, first educated on DOS and DECnet. I jumped on the Apple bandwagon very late, and keep wondering what on earth does iTunes have to do with music? Please, please give it another name. Seeing it boggles me every time it pops open for updating. Ridiculous. And the way it's "organized" is absurd. Do us all a favor: rip its code to shreds. Then separate each of its intended functions clearly, and start all over again.
17
I hate Apple.
I miss my blackberry.
I get harassed monthly to update all saftware from them. This makes every single one of my passwords automatically ask me to re-enter, gmail, outlook, my bank, google, Facebook, instagram, Amazon, LinkedIn... this list goes on and on.
Every 6 months they make you buy a new phone for $800 and tell you your not eligiable for an updarade until 8 months from when you call. By then there's a new phone the 8.
Sick, slimy dispicable company
not user friendly, you can't even call them, or go into their store to get help, you have to schedule an appointment.
Ridiculous and downright ARROGANT
I miss my blackberry.
I get harassed monthly to update all saftware from them. This makes every single one of my passwords automatically ask me to re-enter, gmail, outlook, my bank, google, Facebook, instagram, Amazon, LinkedIn... this list goes on and on.
Every 6 months they make you buy a new phone for $800 and tell you your not eligiable for an updarade until 8 months from when you call. By then there's a new phone the 8.
Sick, slimy dispicable company
not user friendly, you can't even call them, or go into their store to get help, you have to schedule an appointment.
Ridiculous and downright ARROGANT
21
I agree 100%, people can only take so much 'change for the sake of change' before they just tune out. I guess this is what happens when you give a bunch of naive younglings free-reign at a multi-billion dollar company... the endless updates alone tell you what Apple thinks of it's customers: they're happy to churn out garbage and use you as beta testers rather than make thoughtful improvements to software. And lets not forget about that nasty incident of shoving U2 (yuck!) down our throats!!!
14
One word: bloatware. Apple will fall into a death spiral if they don't stop mucking up their devices with useless, overcoded crap.
13
When Jobs died I predicted Apple would lose its way and begin to decline once his products were gone from the pipeline. And that's exactly what has happened, a repeat of Apple's past history. Ive is very good but he lacks Jobs' ability to focus in what features will be a "wow" to end users. Cook is a caretaker, a 'feel good' guy with none of Jobs' technical genius. I don't like Apple and wouldn't ever have worked for Jobs, but I respected him as one of the greatest business geniuses of the 20th century. With him gone, Apple is turning into Microsoft...change for change's sake, without any real purpose.
16
Not the slightest chance of an Apple Watch until they make them round. The rectangular shape was chosen to all them to shoehorn in the most complications. Let's start with round, Apple, and go from there.
1
My pet peeve is the lame jokes Siri repeats when I ask for something simple such as setting the timer or what's the weather going to be like today. There's no way to disable that function.
5
This is all just worthless junk. If it all disappeared tomorrow do you think anyone would miss it?
18
Smart phones dominate the world computing arena now. Mobile devices are THE computing platform of choice for a billion people. Mobile is going the same course as the personal computer did, just like its predecessors. Now that wireless bandwidth isn't an issue, no problems.
A huge market segment/ install base makes it easy to get complacent and call it innovation. Stick to what made it work: simple usability, clean interfaces, good app marketplace.
The reason it's not that: 100,000 jobs on the line.
Bottom line: it won't matter. People will still buy the product anyhow.
A huge market segment/ install base makes it easy to get complacent and call it innovation. Stick to what made it work: simple usability, clean interfaces, good app marketplace.
The reason it's not that: 100,000 jobs on the line.
Bottom line: it won't matter. People will still buy the product anyhow.
1
Apple has lost its way in the last 10 years. Its earlier models and operating systems were a joy to behold and use. Now everything seems like Microsoft light. Too much stuff that's too hard to use and not even useful. Too cute by half. Pointless. The thrill is gone. Tech seems to upgrade just to upgrade, not because new means improved. Apple needs to go back and pick of the thread of greatness that it dropped somewhere along the way.
10
when the android operating system came out it offered apps ios could never do and apple is trying to catch up. in tech products if you stay the same you will be left behind! i have used ios and android my only pet peeve is i loved my aquariam wall paper, can't do it on ios can do it on android. if apple could do that i would never buy android! lol
1
Apple seems to have forgotten that the demographic of their customers is that they are the least technologically sophisticated part of the population. Any feature with even a smattering of complexity is beyond them. Apple would do well to remember that.
7
As an original Apple evangelist I have become so disillusioned. This is not the company it was. I'm tired of being forced to use things they come up with on a seeming whim. The same reason I abandoned MS Word early due to their goofy spell checks and page auto-formatting. The list is growing long with Apple and I'm soon out: I remember when I had a separate field for searches and urls in my browser. They consolidated them years ago and it is still incomprehensible at least half of the time. They never addressed the bugs. Another - you can't just change the obviously faulty batteries their laptops come with. When they inevitably fail within the first year you have a take them in for repairs. I can go on all day. They don't care at all about UX anymore - they care about you conforming to their poor ideas. I've noticed the new Android phone is outstanding. Seems others have caught and passed them.
7
Usability of the music app is horrible. The interface is designed to sell content from the iTunes store first, controlling music second. Every time I want to listen to music, I feel like I'm forced to wander through some virtual retail store full of bad music before I can find the music I want to play.
Manually adding three songs from my computer a few days ago necessitated deleting the entire music library on my phone, with the exception of a few songs purchased on iTunes. So now I have to take the time to manually reinstall the music library on my phone. I guess this is the penalty I have to pay for having the nerve to put music on my phone that was not purchased through iTunes.
Apple's desire to be a content provider has corrupted their philosophy regarding usability of their devices.
Manually adding three songs from my computer a few days ago necessitated deleting the entire music library on my phone, with the exception of a few songs purchased on iTunes. So now I have to take the time to manually reinstall the music library on my phone. I guess this is the penalty I have to pay for having the nerve to put music on my phone that was not purchased through iTunes.
Apple's desire to be a content provider has corrupted their philosophy regarding usability of their devices.
20
And about Apple Watch vs Gear S3 from Samsung: the S3 hardware with its rotating bezel is a beautiful dream Apple should have designed. As one YouTube reviewer says that S3 is a "Major Go." S3 is an insanely great twist worthy of Steve Jobs. Samsung softwares may be second place BUT the point of this article is Apple devices are unnecessarily complicated. Not every good design can withstand monetizing.
2
Everyone has an opinion of what Apple is doing wrong and how they are going to fail while they continue to outpace the competition and introduce us to what is possible. I agree that a company that has over 100,000 employees should be able to fix some of the software issues that their software team has created. My pet peeve is the TV app that replaced the fully functional Video app. Real bad implementation geared to sell, sell, sell content.
7
There doesn't seem to be anyone left at Apple to champion usability - once Apple's strong suit. Apple's chief design officer, Jony Ive comes from a luxury goods background and doesn't seem to understand software heuristics. He's delivered $10,000 gold smart watches that nobody wants and not much else. I bought a PC this year for the first time in 20 years. Time for a shakeup at Apple.
15
I agree that Apple's products stressed usability. That was always their best selling point. Now, like Samsung, it's all about profit now. They could care less if the users are confused.
5
As an antique early adopter (I'm sorry I threw out my Osborne 1!) I have seen a lot of software come and go. Apple seems caught in a dilemma between making the interface clean and making it user friendly. User-friendly used to be the touchstone for all software, but now Apple functions are often hidden in non-obvious places, I suppose to avoid screen clutter. The 3-D press is a prime example. And don't get me started on that ever-changing, constantly awful iTunes interface!
20
Some comments here mention products with features they consider useless and unfocused, and software that is too complex and updated too often. If Apple were to address all the issues that commenters have posted here, would Apple not have to ship a new product or software update?
4
I am a long time Apple user . Last go after buying the I phone 7 and MacPro, I will admit there are days when I find new features and sometimes spend a lot of time understanding how to use. I use on line Apple support, and usually can figure things out, but as I remarked to my spouse, I am tethered to my devices. Am sure this is Apples strategy, along with the thought process, any thing they bring to their gadgets, young users will just accept in stride.
2
I've been a Mac user since 1984. Alas, I now prefer my work PC to my iMac. My Android phone is much more intuitive than my wife's iPhone. She admits it too. But ultimately, give me a couple more millimeters! Longer battery life is all I crave. What's the fetish about making the phone thinner and thinner?
13
Same here. Only Apple products since 1984. When the iPhone came out, I had already been an android user since there was no iPhone. I was and continue to be totally unimpressed with the iPhone. They have almost caught up with the Samsung Galaxy phones I have been using for years but not quite. And I doubt they ever will.
My recent iMac is the first Apple I've ever had that crashes and the first one that I've had to call Apple Care about...4 times so far. I think that they have lost their edge and their original business and tech concept.
My recent iMac is the first Apple I've ever had that crashes and the first one that I've had to call Apple Care about...4 times so far. I think that they have lost their edge and their original business and tech concept.
6
"Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, during an Apple Watch presentation in 2016. Consumers have been slow to embrace the product."
Do you actually do ANY research before writing nonsense? The Apple Watch sold at TWICE the pace of the original iPhone. They are selling about 6 MILLION per quarter, which is ~$2.6 BILLION in that quarter and have 80% market share. To put that in perspective, the entirety of a company like Adobe had income of 1.6 Billion in the same timeframe and Nintendo did less than $600 Million.
But you're right.... so slow to embrace.
Do you actually do ANY research before writing nonsense? The Apple Watch sold at TWICE the pace of the original iPhone. They are selling about 6 MILLION per quarter, which is ~$2.6 BILLION in that quarter and have 80% market share. To put that in perspective, the entirety of a company like Adobe had income of 1.6 Billion in the same timeframe and Nintendo did less than $600 Million.
But you're right.... so slow to embrace.
14
I was an early adopter of Apple products, and use them to this day. Ironically, though, Apple operating systems are becoming what we used to smirk at in Windows: Bloatware. Driven by too many engineers trying to stuff in too many new features that appeal to an ever-diminishing subset of users.
The rest of us try to ignore the added "conveniences" until they become too irritating. At this point, I'm resisting upgrading either my OS or my iPhone 6. If Apple doesn't calm down and rethink how it's obliterating its foundational design philosophy of user friendliness, I'll just give up and switch to Android.
The rest of us try to ignore the added "conveniences" until they become too irritating. At this point, I'm resisting upgrading either my OS or my iPhone 6. If Apple doesn't calm down and rethink how it's obliterating its foundational design philosophy of user friendliness, I'll just give up and switch to Android.
13
Sad, isn't it? This dilemma (for customers) reminds me of Wall Street investment banks that kept "innovating" with new products until they begat the synthetic cdo reverse mortgage split coupon somersault crack security. It's a publish or perish culture, you see. Apple's engineers, like Merrill Lynch's investment bankers, have to keep their jobs so they dream up shiny, baffling new products that no one uses and has the potential to sink the ship.
5
The downfall of Apple started with the introduction of iOS 7. That's when the Steve Jobs mantra of making everything crystal-clear to the ordinary user – including the design of its icons – was torpedoed in favor of remaking everything "cooler" and "edgy."
17
Right. And the other thing is that when Steve Jobs died, the resulting infighting caused good people to leave.
The following bloatware release, which if I'm not mistaken, was led by a non-technical design team and Jonny Ive required faster processors, and mandated customers upgrade their hardware.
The following bloatware release, which if I'm not mistaken, was led by a non-technical design team and Jonny Ive required faster processors, and mandated customers upgrade their hardware.
10
Yes, that spectacular downfall, where they have become the highest value company on Earth, and have made more money than any company in history.
That downfall, where they keep setting sales records with each new iPhone release. That downfall where they make over 70% of all cell phone profits. That downfall, where the release an entirely new line (Apple watch), take 80% share of the market, sell at twice the pace of the iPhone, when it started, and by itself generates double the revenue as a company like Nintendo.
That downfall, where they keep setting sales records with each new iPhone release. That downfall where they make over 70% of all cell phone profits. That downfall, where the release an entirely new line (Apple watch), take 80% share of the market, sell at twice the pace of the iPhone, when it started, and by itself generates double the revenue as a company like Nintendo.
8
Microsoft also had the same type of financial dominance you describe as they were in the midst of their windows downfall. They were the largest company in the world at the time and seemed unstoppable too but like apple since iOS 7, they lost the plot and poorly served their customers.
2
Apple offers a frustrating mix of dumbing down, additional 'cute' features (e.g. a plethora of emojis), overburdened apps (iTunes), sometimes intrusive security and highly sophisticated features (such as Time Machine).
An example of dumbing down is the macOS notification of an available update. No way to know what it is to be updated within that notification and whether I really need to update soon. The option is now or later -- click the button of your choice. On the iPhone it is all legibly laid out.
I use my iMac at home with no worry that someone is looking over my shoulder to try to steal something. Yet, administrative tasks that require an administrator password (complex as it should be), will again immediately require that same password again for the next task. Why can't I tell the OS that it is OK to remember that password for a while. Especially since if I go old school and use the command line, there is that capability.
And don't get me started on Aperture.
An example of dumbing down is the macOS notification of an available update. No way to know what it is to be updated within that notification and whether I really need to update soon. The option is now or later -- click the button of your choice. On the iPhone it is all legibly laid out.
I use my iMac at home with no worry that someone is looking over my shoulder to try to steal something. Yet, administrative tasks that require an administrator password (complex as it should be), will again immediately require that same password again for the next task. Why can't I tell the OS that it is OK to remember that password for a while. Especially since if I go old school and use the command line, there is that capability.
And don't get me started on Aperture.
5
Welcome to the world of the mature product.
I sit here in front of my 8 year old iMac, which does not break a sweat doing anything I want it to do. Only if you want to edit videos, or some other extremely niche task, do you ever feel a *need* (as opposed to want) to upgrade.
My iPhone 5s never breaks a sweat, either.
Everybody already has a smart phone. Everybody already has a computer.
Apple has a problem.
This problem will not go away until Apple come up with a *new product family*, i.e. another home run. (The Watch is not the answer.) Keep trying, Apple, just harder.
I sit here in front of my 8 year old iMac, which does not break a sweat doing anything I want it to do. Only if you want to edit videos, or some other extremely niche task, do you ever feel a *need* (as opposed to want) to upgrade.
My iPhone 5s never breaks a sweat, either.
Everybody already has a smart phone. Everybody already has a computer.
Apple has a problem.
This problem will not go away until Apple come up with a *new product family*, i.e. another home run. (The Watch is not the answer.) Keep trying, Apple, just harder.
16
Steve Jobs is dead and so is his vision.
6
I remember others saying that when he passed, I doubted it, now however I tend to believe no one understands the importance of serving the customer as much as Apple once did.
6
I have been interested anything except using my phone for basic communication. Anything more is waste of valuable time.
6
"There is absolutely no way to monetize the Apple Watch."
You see, the watch was a mistake. It's too soon. We don't have the technology for this. Apple tried to make a pocket PC with the Newton, and that fell completely flat because it was too soon. It was a fiasco. Apple Watch is the same. We aren't ready for this micro technology yet.
You see, the watch was a mistake. It's too soon. We don't have the technology for this. Apple tried to make a pocket PC with the Newton, and that fell completely flat because it was too soon. It was a fiasco. Apple Watch is the same. We aren't ready for this micro technology yet.
I really like my watch and use it all the time to answer phone calls and respond to messages by using the voice to text function as well as set timers and reminders. One of the best functions is just the simple reminder to get up and move around once an hour as well as keep me motivated to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. There are people who spend a heck of a lot more money for bigger clunkier watches that do nothing but tell time, just because George Clooney wears them.
5
Are you kidding? The watch is currently generating $2.6 BILLION per quarter! The watch by itself generates more per quarter than Adobe, Nintendo, Burger King, WWE, Netflix, Shell Gasoline and many others. I wish I could make that kind of escsoe'mistake'
2
You mean you didn't enjoy losing most of your music library to an iTunes update?
14
Huh??? Even though the current Music app is complete crap designed now for those who rent and stream music (I use a third-party music player) every piece of music I have purchased from the very first version of iTunes, and every CD I have ever ripped still play just fine.
2
I use a iPhone 7 every day and I must say I have absolutely no idea what this article is taking about. How do you think this plays with even less tech savvy users?
10
Maybe they should hire some human factors experts????????? Ditto for car makers....
7
When you need an app to manage your apps...it's a problem.
Same thing happened to Quark many years ago..as the leading design and layout application on the Mac.
They had it open to developers, and within years they had a thousand 'extensions' which were basically apps that ran off of Quark.
Anyone want to go to quark.com and see what happened?
Same thing happened to Quark many years ago..as the leading design and layout application on the Mac.
They had it open to developers, and within years they had a thousand 'extensions' which were basically apps that ran off of Quark.
Anyone want to go to quark.com and see what happened?
4
Yes, Quark Express blew it. They also made it more complicated to install and kept raising the price. Now, you have the finicky InDesign that seems a Quark-Illustrator mash up.
1
If one wants to order takeout or call an uber, one should only need to ask siri. No digging for hidden features required. Also, a phone should not be designed solely for the lowest common denominator. Your elderly grandmother doesnt need to worry about stickers unless its a feature she wants to use.
3
What about Cortana, or Watson?
I had an IPhone, Droid and now a Windows 10 phone. To be honest, the Windows 10 phone is the best I've ever had. Granted, there aren't 3 million apps, but every app I could need is pretty much available and it's already preconfigured for Office 365, OneDrive and OneNote and my corporate servers.... Best pictures of any phone...all for just $230.
I had an IPhone, Droid and now a Windows 10 phone. To be honest, the Windows 10 phone is the best I've ever had. Granted, there aren't 3 million apps, but every app I could need is pretty much available and it's already preconfigured for Office 365, OneDrive and OneNote and my corporate servers.... Best pictures of any phone...all for just $230.
4
I quit Microsoft because Apple was easier to work. Seems Apple is gradually becoming like Microsoft.
9
Complaints that Apple products have too many features? How quickly we forget SNL's masterful "So Hard For You" skit.
5
OK, here is my review as a long time Apple user. I don't mind using an external drive to rip CDs as I love how thin and light my MacBook is. Also, I will NEVER go back to wired headphones and earbuds. They are a giant pain always getting tangled, pulled from my ears, ripped from the side of the laptop, etc.
My huge complaint is how they deprecated their pro camera software Aperture which was designed for the type of work professional and serious amatures do and left us nothing but the horrible Photo app designed strictly for the selfie world.
The other piece of of software they destroyed was the Music app, which is now designed specifically for streaming pop songs over ear buds. Gone is full screen album art and "Cover flow". Also completely broken is the ability to stream to the AppleTV connected to my high end stereo as the audio constantly drops out even though TV and movies stream perfectly.
I love my Apple Watch and the exercise and fitness monitoring, however the associated Health app is the ugliest most useless piece of garbage Apple has ever released. Fortunately there are several good third-party replacements.
My huge complaint is how they deprecated their pro camera software Aperture which was designed for the type of work professional and serious amatures do and left us nothing but the horrible Photo app designed strictly for the selfie world.
The other piece of of software they destroyed was the Music app, which is now designed specifically for streaming pop songs over ear buds. Gone is full screen album art and "Cover flow". Also completely broken is the ability to stream to the AppleTV connected to my high end stereo as the audio constantly drops out even though TV and movies stream perfectly.
I love my Apple Watch and the exercise and fitness monitoring, however the associated Health app is the ugliest most useless piece of garbage Apple has ever released. Fortunately there are several good third-party replacements.
30
I started my career in computer engineering back in the mid-70s. With the advent of the PC I would update my software, look for device drivers, etc. In 08 I went Apple. For a couple of years it was good, my husband seldom pestered me over "computer things". Then their "updates" rendered a MacBook and Mac Desktop into bricks. Those systems just didn't have the horsepower to run the avalanche of "features" that grew like mold. I dropped Apple and my Mac systems are still operational thanks to Linux. Apple products are all about marketing and hype. And the myth that they are immune to virus, HAHA.
6
From the 1990'w until very recently I considered myself a die-hard Apple fan. Apple has progressively added and changed too many features on their phones, tablets and laptops. It turned out to be just as easy to learn my way around Google's Chromebooks and the Pixel phone as it was to re-learn how to use Apple's products. I suspect that my anger, and sadness at saying goodbye to Apple fuels my enthusiasm for Google's offerings.
5
Apple's most recent updates have literally damaged my hardware. I now have an iPad2, iPad3, and iPhone6S that all have serious problems because of Apple's updates. All of these devices costs me about $600 and should last more than two years.
Why is Apple intentionally releasing updates that damage hardware instead of making it better. Clearly, their drive to sell products (and force users to their highly insecure/privacy compromised cloud service) supersedes their desire to provide products that "just work" for their customers.
I am gradually reducing my use of any Apple application and will eventually purge myself of all Apple products. The misguided efforts of Tim Cook and Jony Ive are damaging Apple's reputation and product quality. Think Different has morphed into Think Our Way or else.
Why is Apple intentionally releasing updates that damage hardware instead of making it better. Clearly, their drive to sell products (and force users to their highly insecure/privacy compromised cloud service) supersedes their desire to provide products that "just work" for their customers.
I am gradually reducing my use of any Apple application and will eventually purge myself of all Apple products. The misguided efforts of Tim Cook and Jony Ive are damaging Apple's reputation and product quality. Think Different has morphed into Think Our Way or else.
11
I'm never paying $700 for a phone again. I just don't use all the apps and features -- and never will -- so it does not make financial sense for me to buy iPhones. So until Apple makes a less expensive iPhone, I'm out.
8
apple does make a less expensive iphone, the SE. $400 in the us.
The bigger problem is not new, complex functions, but the removal of basic, simple functions. New MacBooks have neither a remote with which you can, among other things, play music, nor a disc drive to upload or copy CDs and DVDs. Many will now not have a USB port for thumb drives.
Of course this is all part of the "brilliant" planned-obsolescence marketing strategy. With many of these companies, if you buy a product, hardware or software, and it is #3 in their product line, in order for #7 to work, you will have to buy #s 4, 5, and 6, you cannot go from 3 to 7. This is not a new business strategy, but with electronics it becomes an extremely easy one to execute. (And think of the pollution from "obsolete" hardware.)
Somewhere along the line, perhaps in the late Fifties or Sixties, businesses went from building products that would last and that could be repaired to building products that were designed to wear out relatively soon and, more and more, products that you could not repair yourself and cost too much to have repaired by a repair person, a business that used to be ubiquitous in every town.
When the world went digital, the marketing pitch was that you would now have your data forever, no longer having to worry, for instance, that your record would wear out. It was not long before we discovered we had been hustled, and that just because we had something in digital format, it did not mean we could access it in the future, even by a product from the same company.
Of course this is all part of the "brilliant" planned-obsolescence marketing strategy. With many of these companies, if you buy a product, hardware or software, and it is #3 in their product line, in order for #7 to work, you will have to buy #s 4, 5, and 6, you cannot go from 3 to 7. This is not a new business strategy, but with electronics it becomes an extremely easy one to execute. (And think of the pollution from "obsolete" hardware.)
Somewhere along the line, perhaps in the late Fifties or Sixties, businesses went from building products that would last and that could be repaired to building products that were designed to wear out relatively soon and, more and more, products that you could not repair yourself and cost too much to have repaired by a repair person, a business that used to be ubiquitous in every town.
When the world went digital, the marketing pitch was that you would now have your data forever, no longer having to worry, for instance, that your record would wear out. It was not long before we discovered we had been hustled, and that just because we had something in digital format, it did not mean we could access it in the future, even by a product from the same company.
32
As an Apple customer from long before the Mac or Tim Cook and as a shareholder, I am growing steadily more frustrated with the priorities and decisions made in Cupertino and it has nothing to do with a steep learning curve. I work in Radiology and have been using computers since well before the GUI or the Internet.
I like my iPhone as a phone with limited extra abilities like using the internet, streaming audio, email and navigation. I have a neglected Apple product called the Macintosh for most everything else that Cook and Company need to spend some effort on or euthanize.
I do not want Balloons or Fireworks on Messages nor do I want to see them from anyone else, being older than 12. Apple needs to leave that crap off the iPhone, iPad and Macintosh and sell it as add ons for the Tiger Beat crowd.
As to the watch, it is too slow, too expensive, does very few things well and will likely be the first and last watch I buy from Apple.
3 D touch is a useless gimmick right up there with iPod Socks back in the day.
Hopefully Mr Cook is reading:
Tim, we do not need more Gizmos on our iPhones - we need an updated Mac Pro Workstation and an updated Mac mini.
And while you are at it- separate iTunes from Apple Rental Music. I do not rent music and your updates have destroyed the functionality of iTunes. More of your customers buy music than rent it, stop ruining our experience to push your rental product.
I like my iPhone as a phone with limited extra abilities like using the internet, streaming audio, email and navigation. I have a neglected Apple product called the Macintosh for most everything else that Cook and Company need to spend some effort on or euthanize.
I do not want Balloons or Fireworks on Messages nor do I want to see them from anyone else, being older than 12. Apple needs to leave that crap off the iPhone, iPad and Macintosh and sell it as add ons for the Tiger Beat crowd.
As to the watch, it is too slow, too expensive, does very few things well and will likely be the first and last watch I buy from Apple.
3 D touch is a useless gimmick right up there with iPod Socks back in the day.
Hopefully Mr Cook is reading:
Tim, we do not need more Gizmos on our iPhones - we need an updated Mac Pro Workstation and an updated Mac mini.
And while you are at it- separate iTunes from Apple Rental Music. I do not rent music and your updates have destroyed the functionality of iTunes. More of your customers buy music than rent it, stop ruining our experience to push your rental product.
56
I bought my Apple Watch 2 after the inauguration and I was depressed. It cheered me right up, I love it! It's got all sorts of features I use daily. 3D is not one of them, on the watch or my phone.
Despite all the hype over a possible 10th anniversary iPhone, my 7 has more features than I'll ever use, and all I really want now in all my gadgets are batteries that last significantly longer.
Despite all the hype over a possible 10th anniversary iPhone, my 7 has more features than I'll ever use, and all I really want now in all my gadgets are batteries that last significantly longer.
5
Several comments point to the lack of focus without Steve Jobs, and I agree. Vision and perceived arrogance often are hand in hand. But time and time again Steve worked to simplify design and user experience. He didn't care what users wanted because they don't know. Focus groups just pull design to the middle. That's what we have now. There are too many overlapping products, with too many meh features, just like there were in the 90s before Steve returned. The first thing he did was strip back the company to a small core offering and a killer product...the imac. Boom. The iPhone. Boom. Now the board runs the company for the shareholders. It's not the same.
As for messages, please that program sucks. Slack blows it away.
As for messages, please that program sucks. Slack blows it away.
5
Most insightful comment in the whole section. Jobs had a reputation for being an obsessive maniac and being unable to let anything drop. But as you point out, without the maniac beating every argument into the ground, you get whatever a bunch of individuals without that drive happen to finish by ship date.
Case in point!
Read this
http://www.redmondpie.com/hidden-ios-tip-how-to-reveal-the-secondary-tex...
Turns out that you can swipe the pop-up Edit menu to get the other controls to appear!
Amazing!
There's a reason that the menu bar across the top, with its pull-down menus, was such a breakthrough and success! It was always visible; the commands were well organized; they were grouped into logical categories; and consistency was imposed on programs. If you learned how to use one, you knew how to use the basics in all others. Now, that's no longer the case!
One of the worst offenses is the hidden search box; you do. To know if it is there; many apps do not have it; many apps use a pull down to refresh the screen; one often forgets it could be there, but when one thinks to check, it's often an app,that doesn't have it!
It should be all visible, and as Sherlock put it, "elementary"!
Read this
http://www.redmondpie.com/hidden-ios-tip-how-to-reveal-the-secondary-tex...
Turns out that you can swipe the pop-up Edit menu to get the other controls to appear!
Amazing!
There's a reason that the menu bar across the top, with its pull-down menus, was such a breakthrough and success! It was always visible; the commands were well organized; they were grouped into logical categories; and consistency was imposed on programs. If you learned how to use one, you knew how to use the basics in all others. Now, that's no longer the case!
One of the worst offenses is the hidden search box; you do. To know if it is there; many apps do not have it; many apps use a pull down to refresh the screen; one often forgets it could be there, but when one thinks to check, it's often an app,that doesn't have it!
It should be all visible, and as Sherlock put it, "elementary"!
5
As another commenter (maybe several) have mentioned, 'discoverability' is the KEY ELEMENT of the (in)famous 'desktop metaphor.' That's why menus are important. If you don't know that a program can do something you might want done, how can you possibly get the program to do it? You either look in the manual ("what's a manul?") or pull down menus until you find something suggestive. That's also why buttons have labels.
Brain dead simple, but no longer 'cool.'
Brain dead simple, but no longer 'cool.'
I'm a 73 year old woman and I don't find Apple products confusing at all! What I DO find confusing is why I still see young women with their iPhone plastered to their ear while driving a car that I know has hands-free usage. My Audi salesman told me that he always syncs the purchaser's iPhone to the new car so it can be used handsfree and is told multiple times "I won't use it that way - it's too complicated". Complicated? Push a button on the steering wheel and say "Call John Smith' mobile"!
I'm constantly told by merchants that very few people use ApplePay. None of my friends do, either, although they all have iPhones that are capable. Why? They're sure it is "unsafe". When I explain to them it is FAR safer than swiping a card or even inserting it into a chip reader, they quickly tell me that they "heard" that it will allow anyone directly into ones bank account. Talk about false news! I was thrilled to see ApplePay in every single London cab. No more fumbling for the right coins, trying too figure out the tip - jut hold it up, touch the button for tip if any and the percentage, and Bob's your uncle!
People are lazy and they want everything to be so easy that they need not follow any instructions at all. Even if it's shown to them, they think it will be a bother. How is it more bother to get out a phone (which is glued to the ear of most people at all times these days), than to fumble around and get out a credit card?
I despair of how dumb we've become.
I'm constantly told by merchants that very few people use ApplePay. None of my friends do, either, although they all have iPhones that are capable. Why? They're sure it is "unsafe". When I explain to them it is FAR safer than swiping a card or even inserting it into a chip reader, they quickly tell me that they "heard" that it will allow anyone directly into ones bank account. Talk about false news! I was thrilled to see ApplePay in every single London cab. No more fumbling for the right coins, trying too figure out the tip - jut hold it up, touch the button for tip if any and the percentage, and Bob's your uncle!
People are lazy and they want everything to be so easy that they need not follow any instructions at all. Even if it's shown to them, they think it will be a bother. How is it more bother to get out a phone (which is glued to the ear of most people at all times these days), than to fumble around and get out a credit card?
I despair of how dumb we've become.
38
Doesn't make sense to label folks lazy or dumb if they want or need to focus their energies elsewhere, or are so inundated with time pressures and responsibilities that they don't care to update their understanding of brand new technology. That's especially true when the "lazy" "dumb" person has found lots of confusing or poorly functional/synchronized apps (or the ones that allow ads or tracking or are susceptible).
7
Thanks for the reminder about ApplePay, I just added my CCs and now, will never have to put my grocery purchase in pending while I run home for my forgotten cc.
2
Well, it's pretty clear that most of us are smart enough to be President. Some time ago only handfuls were qualified. Surely that's progress? Covfefe?
1
Take a look at the entry, "creeping featurism," at webopedia (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/creeping_featurism.html).
Remember the good old days when you didn't need a manual--and didn't get one--when you bought a new toaster?
Remember the good old days when you didn't need a manual--and didn't get one--when you bought a new toaster?
6
This reminds me of using software under the DOS operating system. You would have to memorize so many key combinations or consult a list of them constantly in order to work on a task. How everyone was in awe over Apple's MACINTOSH computer system when it came out.
Now we are back to pressing, tabs, icons, and buttons (in various combinations) to operate these devices. And lets not talk about a misplaced touch that sends you somewhere into app hell (and no idea how you got there or how to get out without starting over again)
Not exactly hands-on friendly anymore.
Now we are back to pressing, tabs, icons, and buttons (in various combinations) to operate these devices. And lets not talk about a misplaced touch that sends you somewhere into app hell (and no idea how you got there or how to get out without starting over again)
Not exactly hands-on friendly anymore.
8
Probably the best word to describe the apps that are pre-installed on smart phones, tablets, and lap tops that don't get used is "Bloatware". Apple, Samsung, HP, and Sony are all guilty of it, as are the cell service companies (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mo, etc). I probably left out several as well.
Probably the thing that killed Sony's VAIO series of computers (other than horrible support) was the dreadful bloatware they overloaded the machines with. I struggle with it all the time. There's a Compaq (the company HP bought and killed) that was virtually un-runnable because of the bloat.
T-Mobile got so many complaints on their first Android phones, they had to back off. But there's still far too much you can't un-install--like FaceBook. Since FB tries to poke its nose into EVERY activity in your life, whether you want it or not, I keep it deactivated on my phone and would delete it if I could.
One earlier phone was so bad I had to "root" the thing to get rid of the bloatware ("Root" is the Android equivalent of "Jail Breaking" an iPhone, something that turns Apple blind with rage, especially in the Steve Job days).
Like many people, I use my smart phone for many things, but most of the apps that come pre-loaded are nothing but memory wasters. Best I can do is load them into folders out of the way.
But I think most adults use the phone, contacts, eMail, texting, and memos, primarily, music & vids for down time. Occasional web searching. Also Kindle so I always have a book to read.
Probably the thing that killed Sony's VAIO series of computers (other than horrible support) was the dreadful bloatware they overloaded the machines with. I struggle with it all the time. There's a Compaq (the company HP bought and killed) that was virtually un-runnable because of the bloat.
T-Mobile got so many complaints on their first Android phones, they had to back off. But there's still far too much you can't un-install--like FaceBook. Since FB tries to poke its nose into EVERY activity in your life, whether you want it or not, I keep it deactivated on my phone and would delete it if I could.
One earlier phone was so bad I had to "root" the thing to get rid of the bloatware ("Root" is the Android equivalent of "Jail Breaking" an iPhone, something that turns Apple blind with rage, especially in the Steve Job days).
Like many people, I use my smart phone for many things, but most of the apps that come pre-loaded are nothing but memory wasters. Best I can do is load them into folders out of the way.
But I think most adults use the phone, contacts, eMail, texting, and memos, primarily, music & vids for down time. Occasional web searching. Also Kindle so I always have a book to read.
3
No Facebook or other bloatware preinstalled on my factory-unlocked Moto phone, and the phone works great on T-Mobile.
4
I want to send this message to Apple: I do NOT have the time to read your instructions! I'm a busy person and all I want is for you to make it short, sweet and to the point. I will never buy your clunky watch and I can get the time looking at my phone or the clock on the wall. I do not get applications I do not use and refuse to make non stop updates. I think you hired a bunch of geeks who do this to justify their paychecks As they say, Keep It Simple Stupid!
12
What does Apple expect? They schedule classes that teach i-Phone 101 over and over and over. No classes on how to use Siri effectively or how to import Amazon tunes purchased prior to i-Phone ownership. It's all just a repetitive PR stunt that doesn't help the user move beyond the basics. I have concluded less is more, unless the goal is to drive yourself nuts.
1
Thank God for the redesign. Hopefully apple will see this and implement it! Thanks for linking to the redesign. Apple is getting more complex and I can see how those that aren't apple techies may get confused or not know the possibilities that lie at their finger tips... very well written article. Thank you for bringing this issue to light.
2
I wish they would focus more on fixing the bugs and improving OS X for desktops, extending the life/abilities of my 5K iMac !!!
Sure do miss Steve Jobs' vision and whatever designers really moved apple forward during his tenure.
Even with all this extra superficial fluff -- something major is missing from apple. VISION, creativity, usefulness, remembering what got you here.
Sure do miss Steve Jobs' vision and whatever designers really moved apple forward during his tenure.
Even with all this extra superficial fluff -- something major is missing from apple. VISION, creativity, usefulness, remembering what got you here.
2
I moved from an iPhone 6 to a 6S a few months age. I disabled 3-D Touch a week later. Haven't had a second's regret & have no intention to re-enable it at all.
You refer to a "steep learning curve" for the Apple Watch. If something has a steep learning curve, that means it's easy to learn. Everyone seems to get this backward.
6
It's "the mine is bigger than yours" syndrome in tech. Right out the the playground. Can't these guys grow up? What's even funnier most of these geeks never even played in a playground.
1
I have to say that this one made me laugh. The gist of it is that there's a lot to learn, and there's more to learn every day. Hmm. That's awful!
Ignore, for a moment, the fact that any teenager with an iPhone can operate EVERY feature on it — my 14 year old niece sends me text messages with bizarre emojis that appear and disappear — and think about what has "disappointed" those who complain here: their own incompetence.
I've had iPhones from the beginning. The latest and greatest still makes calls, sends emails, send text messages, has a nice little camera, allows me to go online for articles like this, etc. I don't use most of the ForceTouch stuff but I don't resent the fact that it's there. Just because I haven't taken the effort to learn how to use more sophisticated features doesn't mean the Apple has mistakenly included them. I also have a fancy, variable speed rotohammer, but mostly I just need my hammer. Do I resent that the rotohammer exists? Of course not.
Surely there are larger, more impactful things to complain about?
Ignore, for a moment, the fact that any teenager with an iPhone can operate EVERY feature on it — my 14 year old niece sends me text messages with bizarre emojis that appear and disappear — and think about what has "disappointed" those who complain here: their own incompetence.
I've had iPhones from the beginning. The latest and greatest still makes calls, sends emails, send text messages, has a nice little camera, allows me to go online for articles like this, etc. I don't use most of the ForceTouch stuff but I don't resent the fact that it's there. Just because I haven't taken the effort to learn how to use more sophisticated features doesn't mean the Apple has mistakenly included them. I also have a fancy, variable speed rotohammer, but mostly I just need my hammer. Do I resent that the rotohammer exists? Of course not.
Surely there are larger, more impactful things to complain about?
9
I want an apple computer that works and is expandable - wish they would return to computing and stop making point of sale devices.
4
Believe it or not there are still some of us that don't know how to text, can't change their digital clocks twice a year and haven't figured out how to use the car stereo in our cars, forget about blue tooth, which I don't even know what exactly is used for.
Tech companies, along with car makers, are getting ahead of the ball in their changes. Each and every time I get adjusted to a new feature they change it.
Slow down for a minute will ya? We're humans not bots.
Flip phones users untie!
Tech companies, along with car makers, are getting ahead of the ball in their changes. Each and every time I get adjusted to a new feature they change it.
Slow down for a minute will ya? We're humans not bots.
Flip phones users untie!
5
Code geeks get enamored with what cool new apps can accomplish. A fundamental question that should be asked about any new app is "why?" "Because we can" is not a good enough answer.
3
Thank you-- that is exactly the point. The fact that you can create new features doesn't mean anyone wants or needs them. And the fact that we do not want to learn them does not make us lazy, or stupid, as an earlier comment suggests. It means that we have busy lives, expertise that actually matters, and we prioritise other obligations over new features which accomplish little or actually impede basic work tasks. Certainly, shaming those of us with serious work and life obligations by pointing out that teenagers can manage new features is insulting to us and suggests that teenagers might have rather too much time on their hands which enables them to learn sticker apps etc.
5
Here is where Apple can really innovate and that is make the "phone" part of the iPhone experience better as it as been sorely neglected for the "i" part.
Help us deal with the assault of telemarketers on our phones. Build in technologies and services that pre-emptively block junk/robo calls (I get 3 a day). Oh and also eliminate ringless voicemail (or give us a setting to do that) which was covered in another part of the NYTimes today.
I'd totally pay for that.
Help us deal with the assault of telemarketers on our phones. Build in technologies and services that pre-emptively block junk/robo calls (I get 3 a day). Oh and also eliminate ringless voicemail (or give us a setting to do that) which was covered in another part of the NYTimes today.
I'd totally pay for that.
11
Recall the first sentence of Walt Mossberg's first article twenty plus years ago. PCs are too hard to use and it's not your fault....
2
If they do not keep it simple there is no reason to migrate from a much cheaper Android phone to the new Apple phone. I wish more carriers like Sprint supported the very easy to use Blackberry system.
1
Idea... put the phone down and take a walk in nature. Talk in person to someone. Unplug.
3
In the beginning, the computer industry was geek centric. Engineers produced stuff, and us - that despised thing called user who doesn't get it - would just have to find a way to get with the program. Steve Jobs and his customer centric view of the computing world, changed that: a commuter is not something made for the enjoyment whose who created it, it's a life tool for its users. Jobs died and everything went back to its previous conceptual mediocrity, where engineers are happy create things they like, consumers be damned. The Apple Watch is a perfect example of a million things crowded in a tiny area, impossible to see much less use and manage - the utterly cool device is useless. Steve Jobs must be rolling in his grave.
2
In the meantime our attention span gets shorter and shorter and...squirrel!!
5
The 20-something programmers and marketeers at Apple with the instincts of middle schoolers ruined the Health app, which was simple and easy to use and did what I wanted it to do. The new version requires me to buy and download apps for the Health app to "read" so I can track the weight and bicycle data that was simple to enter before. Dum, dummer, and dumbest! Hey, overpaid Tim Cook! Pay attention!
1
The problem for many is not new, inscrutable functions, but the removal of basic functions. New MacBooks have neither a remote with which you can, among other things, play music, nor a disc drive to upload or copy CDs and DVDs. I am told many will not have a USB port for thumb drives.
Of course this is all part of the "brilliant" planned-obsolescence marketing strategy. With many of these companies, if you buy a product, hardware or software, and it is #3 in their product line, in order for #7 to work, you will have to buy #s 4, 5, and 6, you cannot go from 3 to 7. This is not a new business strategy, but with electronics it becomes an extremely easy one to execute. (And think of the pollution from "obsolete" hardware.)
Somewhere along the line, perhaps in the late Fifties or Sixties, businesses went from building products that would last and that could be repaired to building products that were designed to wear out relatively soon and, more and more, products that you could not repair yourself and cost too much to have repaired by a repair person, a business that used to be ubiquitous in every town.
When the world went digital, the marketing pitch was that you would now have your data forever, no longer having to worry, for instance, that your record would wear out. It was not long before we discovered we had been hustled, and that just because we had something in digital format, it did not mean we could access it in the future, even by a product from the same company.
Of course this is all part of the "brilliant" planned-obsolescence marketing strategy. With many of these companies, if you buy a product, hardware or software, and it is #3 in their product line, in order for #7 to work, you will have to buy #s 4, 5, and 6, you cannot go from 3 to 7. This is not a new business strategy, but with electronics it becomes an extremely easy one to execute. (And think of the pollution from "obsolete" hardware.)
Somewhere along the line, perhaps in the late Fifties or Sixties, businesses went from building products that would last and that could be repaired to building products that were designed to wear out relatively soon and, more and more, products that you could not repair yourself and cost too much to have repaired by a repair person, a business that used to be ubiquitous in every town.
When the world went digital, the marketing pitch was that you would now have your data forever, no longer having to worry, for instance, that your record would wear out. It was not long before we discovered we had been hustled, and that just because we had something in digital format, it did not mean we could access it in the future, even by a product from the same company.
3
It feels like the sorcerer's apprentice scene in Fantasia with apps, where the newbie magician creates complete chaos with his new found powers.
2
As an old computer-design engineer, I believe in KISS, for Keep It Simple Stupid.
I swear that somewhere near Seattle is a small army of underoccupied software designers who fill their day with conversations like this: Hey, if we add this new looping gesture, we can turn the screen green, wouldn't that be cool! Fred Brooks, father of the IBM 360 and founder of the UNC Dept of Comp Sci had a favorite saying: Computer applications should be need-pulled, not technology-pushed. How right Fred is! I want a simple version of Microsoft Word, one that does not make it more difficult and more error-prone to do the simple, common tasks. But no, Microsoft, Apple and Google must add features; it's in their DNAs.
I swear that somewhere near Seattle is a small army of underoccupied software designers who fill their day with conversations like this: Hey, if we add this new looping gesture, we can turn the screen green, wouldn't that be cool! Fred Brooks, father of the IBM 360 and founder of the UNC Dept of Comp Sci had a favorite saying: Computer applications should be need-pulled, not technology-pushed. How right Fred is! I want a simple version of Microsoft Word, one that does not make it more difficult and more error-prone to do the simple, common tasks. But no, Microsoft, Apple and Google must add features; it's in their DNAs.
7
I don't care what the Apple watch can do. I will never wear something that ugly on my wrist. Period.
4
It's fair to say I consider myself 'Appled'. I use a Macbook Pro for work; have a newish MacMini for the household; an old MacMini as a music server; a Macbook Air because it looks cool and I am shallow; an iWatch; an iPhone; a giant iMac to process photos and videos; and yes, an Ipad. Many features in OSX and IOS on these devicesare of absolutely no interest to me. I'd prefer faster loading and processing over so much useless software. And stickers to decorate messages? Life is short, folks. I don't have time for such nonsense.
3
I remember when iTunes was intuitive. Apple has made it needlessly complex. To what end?
8
If Apple made a small compact mobile device with just a phone, they would make a killing.
2
.....why not make Apple Great Again and replace features you have removed from your computers (like sound inputs and outputs). You actually killed your market for media users when you offed Final Cut Pro 7. Bad business decision--but it was a great hand-off to Adobe.
What were you thinking then and what are you thinking now??
What were you thinking then and what are you thinking now??
2
I won’t be jumping off the Apple ship anytime soon, but I do have issues:
The 5-year obsolescence policy where hardware issues with devices older than that won’t be fixed, nor will OS upgrades apply to them (my iPad 2 is stuck forever at iOS 9.3.5)
“Upgrades” to software that actually remove useful features and scramble the UI so you can’t find anything (iMovie, I’m looking at you).
Decision to stop support for software (iDVD) that they “assume” no one uses any more. (Apple: “No one makes DVDs any more” Me: “Really? How else can I share a 2-hr. vacation movie that I slaved to make in iMovie?”)
The 5-year obsolescence policy where hardware issues with devices older than that won’t be fixed, nor will OS upgrades apply to them (my iPad 2 is stuck forever at iOS 9.3.5)
“Upgrades” to software that actually remove useful features and scramble the UI so you can’t find anything (iMovie, I’m looking at you).
Decision to stop support for software (iDVD) that they “assume” no one uses any more. (Apple: “No one makes DVDs any more” Me: “Really? How else can I share a 2-hr. vacation movie that I slaved to make in iMovie?”)
5
Some of this derives from Apple's culture of arrogance, nurtured by Steve Jobs. Apple did break new ground on many things: iTunes for music, iPhone, etc. But when Apple thinks they know best what all of their customers need to have, it becomes intrusive.
My wife took her Mac to the Apple store to have it repaired. Well, not only did they repair it, they upgraded her operating system (which she had NOT wanted to do yet), signed her up for iCloud service (unwanted), and changed many settings to Apple's preferences. So they wanted to make sure everything "just worked" but in the process forced her down paths she didn't want or need.
Apple, you don't always know best. Listen to your customers. This is the downfall of arrogant companies.
My wife took her Mac to the Apple store to have it repaired. Well, not only did they repair it, they upgraded her operating system (which she had NOT wanted to do yet), signed her up for iCloud service (unwanted), and changed many settings to Apple's preferences. So they wanted to make sure everything "just worked" but in the process forced her down paths she didn't want or need.
Apple, you don't always know best. Listen to your customers. This is the downfall of arrogant companies.
14
Apple is a business, folks. How else are they going to get you to spend money if you're happy with what you've got? You are turning into the people you used to make fun of: hide-bound and resistant to change. Welcome back!
1
Just as soon as you finally shut off the last thing you don't like and don't want to use, Apple announces an essential security update. Afraid of the consequences if you don't install it, you install it. Then you find that Apple has turned all that bloat back on.
5
It's true during Steve Jobs's second act that he did a phenomenal job of delivering simple, slick, intuitive, magical solutions to problems we didn't even know we had. We ate it up, and some industries were completely transformed or plowed under. The record industry was rendered a hollow shell. Entire generations cannot recall how or fathom that normal life even worked before smartphones.
However let us recall the day in 2004 when Apple automatically mass-installed U2's "...Atomic Bomb" album on every iPod, new and existing, shoved it to the top of our menus, and made it impossible to uninstall. Looking back, that may have been an early canary in the mineshaft, illustrating Apple's shift to today's more patronizing overreach -- their posture of "we know better than you what is right for you," even with respect to stuff most users don't want and are never going to use.
It will always be extremely difficult to sell a "solution in search of a problem" -- especially when whatever has been the status quo for the past 50 years is already simple, elegant, and works just fine for consumers (cough...Apple Watch...cough...ApplePay). It is true that Apple had impressive success in this regard with the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad -- a period during which visionary, intuitive, anticipatory innovation was the hallmark of Apple's DNA, brand cachet, legend and mystique.
It's been a long while since something transformative has emerged from Apple that has truly hit that mark.
However let us recall the day in 2004 when Apple automatically mass-installed U2's "...Atomic Bomb" album on every iPod, new and existing, shoved it to the top of our menus, and made it impossible to uninstall. Looking back, that may have been an early canary in the mineshaft, illustrating Apple's shift to today's more patronizing overreach -- their posture of "we know better than you what is right for you," even with respect to stuff most users don't want and are never going to use.
It will always be extremely difficult to sell a "solution in search of a problem" -- especially when whatever has been the status quo for the past 50 years is already simple, elegant, and works just fine for consumers (cough...Apple Watch...cough...ApplePay). It is true that Apple had impressive success in this regard with the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad -- a period during which visionary, intuitive, anticipatory innovation was the hallmark of Apple's DNA, brand cachet, legend and mystique.
It's been a long while since something transformative has emerged from Apple that has truly hit that mark.
4
I am not an Apple user. The cell phone I have does everything I need it to do. I have access to YouTube, can play music, take photos, play games, etc. I'm also on a plan that I can reload minutes on by the month. The total of my monthly cell phone bill is about $44 and it includes unlimited texting and phoning. A lot of these consumers are just getting suckered in to buy these Apple phones and have to pay hundreds of dollars a month. Wake up people!
2
I agree. I have an older iPod that is no longer usable because of updates I foolishly did with iTunes. Do they want us to buy new phones every year? They probably do. Shame on them.
4
I have been saying for years that technology has reached the point of diminishing return. Apple is just one of many companies whose technology has had a detrimental effect on society.
My question has always been…
When is Apple going to stop calling their iPhone a phone? The new gadget to be released later this year should be named what it is — iText.
My question has always been…
When is Apple going to stop calling their iPhone a phone? The new gadget to be released later this year should be named what it is — iText.
1
Wouldn't it be simpler to provide contextual help or maybe decent instructions? Maybe Siri could explain options and upgrades.
As it is now, you get a new iPhone or iOS upgrade and you have to surf the Internet for the plentiful "10 things you didn't know iOS xx can do" articles to figure out what it does. With user manuals now passé, we need something better.
As it is now, you get a new iPhone or iOS upgrade and you have to surf the Internet for the plentiful "10 things you didn't know iOS xx can do" articles to figure out what it does. With user manuals now passé, we need something better.
2
First things, first. Before adding yet more features, Apple needs to overhaul its apps; resurrect its Human Interface Guidelines; and make the interfaces and controlls consistent and obvious. Too much of this hidden control biz!
There are also far too many glitches. Text entry needs a major overhaul. Auto-correct is a mess; it's a necessity, but after years of complaints and feedback, it still makes a hash of text, especially anything with apostrophes. Positioning the insertion point is challenging and inconsistent; the on-screen keyboard should duplicate the physical ones, etc.
As a case in point, the recent upgrades to Numbers for iOS destroyed its usability and, after years of users asking for a basic Trend Line function, which exists in Numbers for the Mac, and in just about every other spreadsheet, Apple still has not obliged!
Today, I discovered that Pages for iOS apparently lacks a setting for the space before a paragraph! What gives with all this?!
As to the app,changes on the Mac and in iOS, Apple should recall the Hippocrstic oath-- "First, do no harm". Second, make sure that every apps' GUI follows the HIGs!
There are also far too many glitches. Text entry needs a major overhaul. Auto-correct is a mess; it's a necessity, but after years of complaints and feedback, it still makes a hash of text, especially anything with apostrophes. Positioning the insertion point is challenging and inconsistent; the on-screen keyboard should duplicate the physical ones, etc.
As a case in point, the recent upgrades to Numbers for iOS destroyed its usability and, after years of users asking for a basic Trend Line function, which exists in Numbers for the Mac, and in just about every other spreadsheet, Apple still has not obliged!
Today, I discovered that Pages for iOS apparently lacks a setting for the space before a paragraph! What gives with all this?!
As to the app,changes on the Mac and in iOS, Apple should recall the Hippocrstic oath-- "First, do no harm". Second, make sure that every apps' GUI follows the HIGs!
3
Apple keeps adding "features" that are not easily understood or have questionable value to use.
How about a phone that has better battery life, a great camera, can integrate well with other devices, and isn't going to break the bank?
Oh yeah - that was the old iPhone under Steve Jobs' tenure. The new ones are full of biometric passwords and sharing processes that I don't want to use, have concerns about hacking my info, and don't add to the simplicity or utility of the product.
Call me old-fashioned but the iPhone peaked at the 5S.
How about a phone that has better battery life, a great camera, can integrate well with other devices, and isn't going to break the bank?
Oh yeah - that was the old iPhone under Steve Jobs' tenure. The new ones are full of biometric passwords and sharing processes that I don't want to use, have concerns about hacking my info, and don't add to the simplicity or utility of the product.
Call me old-fashioned but the iPhone peaked at the 5S.
5
I switched to Android because I couldn't handle my daughter's phone and my phone scrambling music and texts. I am sure there are settings I need to change and I have tried (even now she still gets my group texts or a random single text, if they are sent from an iPhone). My business texts and even my music are too important to deal with this foolishness. Android does everything iPhones do without the hassle. (Except getting music from iTunes to Android is beyond my capabilities). Apple, just make your apps simpler. Ain't nobody got time for that.
7
Maybe that's why iPhones have about 15% of the global market share while Android phones have over 80%.
5
Steve Jobs didn't listen to users. He shunned focus groups. He knew what users would love and he drove that vision down to the pixel. Without that vision their products have lost their elegant simplicity that fit the needs and desires of a portion of the market that was willing to pay a premium for that vision. Apple products are still great and Apple, the iPhone Company, will still make boatloads of money for years to come, but the magic is gone.
Who could imagine a world where Microsoft is more innovative that Apple! No more iPads for me, my next tablet is an MS Surface Pro.
Who could imagine a world where Microsoft is more innovative that Apple! No more iPads for me, my next tablet is an MS Surface Pro.
6
Steve Jobs is dead. That's what I've been muttering to myself over the past few years each time one of my Apple devices does something untoward—things that would NEVER have happened under his watch. Such a strange, sad way to become aware of his true genius.
2
Apple has simply lost its way (and in many areas) through a combination of being too successful,poorly led since the demise of Steve Jobs and frankly being too arrogant,deciding what customers should have rather than listening to what they want.Endless product launches with questionable features have simply watered down the brand and alienated many loyal customers.Their customer technical support used to be up there with the best but is now utterly appalling.
I've used Apple products since the days of OS 7 and it's depressing how they've changed from a unique,design led,cutting edge company with a vision to one today where quality,attention to detail and importantly, the influence of Jonathan Ives has obviously declined but where making money and lots of it, is now the priority and its raison d'etre.
It's become just another behemoth of a tech company and for me,the aura has gone.
I've used Apple products since the days of OS 7 and it's depressing how they've changed from a unique,design led,cutting edge company with a vision to one today where quality,attention to detail and importantly, the influence of Jonathan Ives has obviously declined but where making money and lots of it, is now the priority and its raison d'etre.
It's become just another behemoth of a tech company and for me,the aura has gone.
8
Case in point: I don't know what stickers are. I have had the iPhone 7 for almost a year. I need to google it to find out.
4
Ever since the release of the Apple Watch and iPad Pro, Apple has been a company desperate to "innovate" entirely gratuitous products, and cram existing products with useless, gimmicky features. Apple's iOS 10 update turned the once utilitarian message app into an emoji and sticker playground--so cluttered it is often difficult to find and hit the send key. The control center was similarly updated to include two panels, which now means there's an additional step for getting most stuff done. And don't get me started with what they've done to Apple Music. The original release was plagued with issues and was incredibly buggy, but at least it had a coherent and pleasant UI. That's been replaced by a pastel pastiche seemingly intended for toddlers, and all the bugs are still there. Music routinely buffers a good two or three seconds before playing a song, and that's for *downloaded* music. Huh? I don't understand Apple's disrespect for its own products. We'd rather a boring product that does as it's told, than a "touch bar" or "3d touch" or any number of silly tricks Apple has in its bag.
3
We need a name for how software and devices evolve beyond their point of best performance. Something like "Peter Principle" for objects. I think most of us have had this experience. Stage 1: We have a piece of software or device for which we'd love to be able to do something (or somethings) that it can't do. Stage 2: It's upgraded a couple of times and functions exactly as we want it to. We're in love! Stage 3: Another upgrade or two and now we're going back down the other side of the hill. Either a functions we loved are gone, replaced by things we don't want and may even hate, or it's been made much more difficult to use (what! five clicks instead of one!!!!) Stage 4: More upgrades and we now have a product that is almost as bad as it was when we started out, only in a different way. We longingly remember what used to be.
Sometimes I think all these innovations and changes are made simply because programmers are trying to find ways to justify their continued employment, not because what is being done has anything to do with what most users want or need.
Sometimes I think all these innovations and changes are made simply because programmers are trying to find ways to justify their continued employment, not because what is being done has anything to do with what most users want or need.
20
I have an android phone and I love it.
It is not bogged down with unwanted apps and it shows in the battery life. I get my email at the touch of a button, as well as messages. I plug in my headphones and the music starts automatically. ( stops when I unplug )
Simple and happy.
It is not bogged down with unwanted apps and it shows in the battery life. I get my email at the touch of a button, as well as messages. I plug in my headphones and the music starts automatically. ( stops when I unplug )
Simple and happy.
7
Apple - make your features user friendly - not a mystery to figure out. I can get a puzzle for that!
9
Does anyone seriously believe Apple execs read these comments? Maybe the executive go-fers but do they pass them on to the big wheels?
Steve Jobs was a fanatic for detail, Tim Cook isn't. With the latest Macbooks the wonderful magnetic power connector is gone which saved my laptop more than once. Consumer Reports tested the new Mac laptops and the latest ones had lower quality screens. The Time Capsule back-up system used to be "industrial grade" but is no more. In fact my new non-industrial Time Capsule lasted one week before failing. There seems to have been a general decline quality and attention to detail. One more thing: I very much liked iPhoto but then Apple "upgraded" to Photo which for me was a "downgrade".
18
Releasing tech products has always been challenging as technology increases in capability. Apple was the originator of the philosophy of having a transparent, easy-to-use OS and they'll transform these apps into that model. All-in-all, the Apple platform is phenomenal.
I have the Watch which I bought two years ago and it is amazingly useful to me, and *not* hard to use at all, but right, there are some aspects to it that need simplification. Apple has also improved the Watch over software releases.
I recommend getting the Watch. I just love getting the NYT alerts during a meeting. I can look toward my wrist and find out what the latest political imbroglio is. Getting the weather is a quick consult to the Watch. Using map directions, the watch vibrates when you need to make a turn.
And I constantly use my phone over the Watch. Audio is clear so it's easier to take the call over the Watch. It really works, as does texting with the Watch. The voice recognition has been very good, so I can just say a response to a message using the Watch in addition to sending a quick symbolic reply.
I have shown people some photos using the Watch as a quick view, but clearly, if you are serious about photography you need an iPad Pro. And the hiking/biking apps are useful.
So right, tech feature roll-outs are always challenging and I vote for the features. Tech capabilities evolve, and I'd like to see progress. The way to get progress is to invent.
I have the Watch which I bought two years ago and it is amazingly useful to me, and *not* hard to use at all, but right, there are some aspects to it that need simplification. Apple has also improved the Watch over software releases.
I recommend getting the Watch. I just love getting the NYT alerts during a meeting. I can look toward my wrist and find out what the latest political imbroglio is. Getting the weather is a quick consult to the Watch. Using map directions, the watch vibrates when you need to make a turn.
And I constantly use my phone over the Watch. Audio is clear so it's easier to take the call over the Watch. It really works, as does texting with the Watch. The voice recognition has been very good, so I can just say a response to a message using the Watch in addition to sending a quick symbolic reply.
I have shown people some photos using the Watch as a quick view, but clearly, if you are serious about photography you need an iPad Pro. And the hiking/biking apps are useful.
So right, tech feature roll-outs are always challenging and I vote for the features. Tech capabilities evolve, and I'd like to see progress. The way to get progress is to invent.
4
Pfft. I got The Watch recently for its exercise nagging features, and immediately had to update my iPhone. It took 2-3 days each to get used to most of the newfangled stuff, but now I kind of love it. I made my girlfriend update her phone too, which annoyed her until she discovered the new messaging options.
Apple actually does these things well, as they always have, so as long as the gadget runs smoothly (which it does) I'm fine with having new options to discover. I want the watch to do more stuff, not less, BTW.
Apple actually does these things well, as they always have, so as long as the gadget runs smoothly (which it does) I'm fine with having new options to discover. I want the watch to do more stuff, not less, BTW.
6
I am an engineer and designer with over 35 years of industry experience. Every time one of my Apple devices tries to update itself I refuse. I'm terrified about what changes will happen to the interface of devices I increasingly depend upon to conduct my life. I never know what I'll lose or what I'll get. A new music app with iOS 9 introduced in a whole bunch of features I would never use and they took up 50% of the screen. I measured it. The screen is small to begin with. An "upgrade" to Mac OS X removed the ability to sync my old phone. It took me a year to get my contacts off of it, and I couldn't buy a much needed modern phone until I did. These types of decisions have serious detrimental ramification for people's lives far beyond not being able to figure out how to use it. Apple representatives have said this is the cost of being a leader - it's not. It's sloppy and it's ignoring your user base. They need to re-evaluate what they are doing, because it's not good for their customers and, in the long run, that's not good for them.
67
The reality is that the tech industry has a long history of making things more complicated that it needs to be.
At first, the problems were caused by a lack of industry standards which meant that the software and hardware from different makers were all different looking. Now that the industry is basically controlled by 3 or 4 companies. That problem went away.
But, the problems were replaced by this need for "flexibility" in the architecture. The results are inscrutable rules for making software. Those inscrutable rules end up creating inscrutable products that users cannot make sense of because the knowledge base required is so much higher than what the typical human has. I have dealt with tech for a very long time and I still come across apps, software and web sites that I wonder: who the heck designed this thing?
I think the software becomes more complex because our world has become ridiculously complex. And, then that complexity feeds back into the world's complexity. No one has a picture of what the whole thing even looks like. Everyone is just groping around in this huge dark building.
At first, the problems were caused by a lack of industry standards which meant that the software and hardware from different makers were all different looking. Now that the industry is basically controlled by 3 or 4 companies. That problem went away.
But, the problems were replaced by this need for "flexibility" in the architecture. The results are inscrutable rules for making software. Those inscrutable rules end up creating inscrutable products that users cannot make sense of because the knowledge base required is so much higher than what the typical human has. I have dealt with tech for a very long time and I still come across apps, software and web sites that I wonder: who the heck designed this thing?
I think the software becomes more complex because our world has become ridiculously complex. And, then that complexity feeds back into the world's complexity. No one has a picture of what the whole thing even looks like. Everyone is just groping around in this huge dark building.
10
Another "feature" with needless complexity is iCloud photos. The promise of syncing lower resolution photos to your computer or phone simply doesn't live up to the potential promised. There's no way to manage this storage other than off/on, and you can't even select directories to sync. I've switched to Microsoft's OneDrive, which gives me complete control over what I want to sync. And its app for the iPhone lets me see every photo with much less pain.
6
We use Mypics. Infinitely easier.
1
Apple needs an ios toggle button called REVEAL which when pressed shows all icons as comprehensible text, until the user toggles it off. Etc.
3
I will add my voice to the widespread criticism of iTunes. With every "update" it becomes more confusing to use. And for god's sake, DO NOT sign up for Apple Music -- it made a complete hash of my carefully curated music collection. Apple has indeed lost its way; in order to pretend it is still innovative, it has succumbed to the "featureitis" that has long bedeviled Microsoft.
41
Could not agree more when it comes to iTunes. Just when you think you're got it all figured out, know where everything is, managed to organize your music, your playlists, your preferences... here comes the, really, downgrade.
5
Having been a dual platform user working in technology over the last decade, I can safely say that my Windows and Android experiences have gotten much easier and my MacOS and iOS experiences have gotten more complicated. While I was previously pretty platform agnostic, I would much prefer a Windows or Android device now. Less overall bloat with a stock install and more intuitive for a lot of popular applications.
1
Apple would do well by printing out all of the comments on here. They should group them together and try to address the massive problems that are underlying, including iTunes.
They currently have a CEO that is not forward thinking. He is doing what it takes to crank out new products but the envelope is not being pushed like Jobs did. They used to have the best camera, OS and hardware. Now less expensive alternatives have equal or better feature sets.
They tout being concerned about the environment yet push users to upgrade software at a pace that makes devices irrelevant quicker. Major software updates could now come out every two to three years as the space has matured.
The software does not need more stickers or other alternatives that most consider gimmicky. They need to get back to their basics as the premier company blending software and hardware together.
They currently have a CEO that is not forward thinking. He is doing what it takes to crank out new products but the envelope is not being pushed like Jobs did. They used to have the best camera, OS and hardware. Now less expensive alternatives have equal or better feature sets.
They tout being concerned about the environment yet push users to upgrade software at a pace that makes devices irrelevant quicker. Major software updates could now come out every two to three years as the space has matured.
The software does not need more stickers or other alternatives that most consider gimmicky. They need to get back to their basics as the premier company blending software and hardware together.
29
Absolutely right.
3
I miss the delightful simplicity - with the obsessive attention to detail - that was the essence of Apple products, under the design leadership of Steve Jobs. More and more, Apple offerings are less and less intuitive, and more messy.
27
Apple needs to include features like holograms, virtual keyboards and commands that allow a user to control the cell phone while 20 feet or more away as well as the ability to communicate with Facebook telepathically via the phone. I await these developments in the Apple 9 phone.
5
Apple refuses to listen to what their users really want. They patronize us with constant silly feature updates but ignore bug fixes. Many people are delaying apple upgrades because of the critical battery problem that started a few versions back sometime in early 2016. It's called the "30% battery bug/problem". They keep saying it is fixed but each upgrade makes it worse. My phone can be at 50% then it'll suddenly jump down to the very low battery warning saying it will shut off. When I plug it in to power it suddenly jumps up to around 60%. That's with very light usage, battery performance optimized, and location services turned off for all my apps. You cannot tell me it's normal for my device to threaten to shutdown with no battery but then show lots of battery power when I plug it back in. I've done research and it's happening across all modern models - 5, 6, and 7. That is a severe battery programming bug. Apple - I don't want all this bloatware junk you keep putting in your updates, get your core battery code stable and then maybe I'll keep buying your products.
30
Paula, Apple has admitted there's a hardware problem in the batteries of some of its phones and will replace those batteries for free. Check on the Apple web site to see if your phone qualifies by using their online serial number checker.
4
But how can they roll out a brand new device annually and expect the masses to flock to their stores and websites to consume them so willingly? They bug it up and promote the bugs as features, all the while requiring a faster processor and more memory to run these additional "features."
1
I was given an iphione 5 and promptly replaced the battery because it was behaving as you described. Since then i always wait until nearly full discharge to charge it, and charge only to full. The battery is now well behaved, and my three year old ipad's battery is like new. Try it.
1
Not an Apple user. Can't afford it. But this is true of all technology. For example, I'm a writer and what I wouldn't give for like the second version of Microsoft Word. They've made it more and more complicated ever since, with no benefit.
28
Me too. Try Word Perfect. It's better.
3
Or even better WordStar.
You should go with WordPerfect. This is a far superior product to Microsoft Word and cheaper. I have used it for 25 years.
3
Apple has a very simple problem....it's stopped listening to its users. And companies which do that tend to go downhill very quickly.
Most users want only a few functions on their phones (in no particular order):
1) the ability to make phone calls
2) the ability to send/receive email
3) the ability to send/receive texts
4) the ability to take decent photos
5) the ability to listen to their music easily
6) a good map app
7) the ability to download games/apps
Pretty much everything else is an annoying nuisance...
Most users want only a few functions on their phones (in no particular order):
1) the ability to make phone calls
2) the ability to send/receive email
3) the ability to send/receive texts
4) the ability to take decent photos
5) the ability to listen to their music easily
6) a good map app
7) the ability to download games/apps
Pretty much everything else is an annoying nuisance...
53
what about the ability to communicate via interactive holograms?
2
Thanks!! reading the article and other reader's comments make me feel better. I 've been an Apple costumer since 1986. I have never bought (and never will) a non-Apple computer. However, over the years Apple has moved from not needing instructions to use an application to not being able to understand the instructions (not even mention the application). I gave up iTunes years ago, I just assume I will struggle until I find what I want. The problem is that in order to compete with other companies, they have jumped on the consumerism wheel, thus they need to keep coming up with new things and basically have clogged the devices with useless features.
19
Instead of stickers, my perspective is that people really want is to keep their existing technology longer instead of it being made so quickly pushed to the dust bin by "engineered obsolescence". Apple used to be THE choice for creative professionals but Apple abandoned them chasing the almighty buck. Instead of supporting Aperture, they work on 'stickers'! So, photographers and the like are now moving back to Windows due to a lack of computing power and Apple's slow incrementalism in spec and hardware release.
14
Agree about Aperture, though there's a secret update you can squeeze out of them if you try. Adobe's irritating cloud subscription 'feature' is far more irritating, so I'm sticking with the last standalone version of Photoshop until it breaks. But Windows? No way. Swiss cheese security is just not an option. And I love the Retina display.
3
Bloatware attaches to great products when there is no discipline around protecting the user experience and software teams are measured by how much code they ship.
23
I recently switched from an iPhone to a Moto G5 Plus. It has everything I need for $230. Happy customer here.
9
As long as rock solid security isn't one of the things you need.
2
Some very relevant comments here that Apple would do well to heed. I wonder whether the problems are a symptom of something more fundamental than too many apps and unwanted changes.
The smart phone is largely developed so hordes of designers are thrashing about to sustain sales with new, sometimes complex, apps. Similarly, one of the biggest "faults" on new cars is customers not being able to master all the software installed on their vehicles.
Steve Jobs was a one-off: he not only conceived of products that no-one knew they wanted but could then make the finished design a thing of beauty.
We are in an electronic product "rut". Never mind, we will have self-driving cars soon.
The smart phone is largely developed so hordes of designers are thrashing about to sustain sales with new, sometimes complex, apps. Similarly, one of the biggest "faults" on new cars is customers not being able to master all the software installed on their vehicles.
Steve Jobs was a one-off: he not only conceived of products that no-one knew they wanted but could then make the finished design a thing of beauty.
We are in an electronic product "rut". Never mind, we will have self-driving cars soon.
8
Reading this and the comments, and drawing as well on my own experience, it appears that iTunes gets the most complaints. I hope some higher-ups at Apple are reading this. The thing about iTunes is this: I think it has become a dog of an user environment because it is reflects the collision of two awful worlds: the world of legal copyright protections, and the world of tech "synthesis" and gee-whiz gadgetry. Lawyers and engineers, producing a Frankenstein user interface. So burdened down, it should be vulnerable to competition, but it survives only because users have so much invested in their collections, and it is tied to so much more of the Apple user experience. In other words, it'd be gone but for Apple's ability to leverage its vast market power over once-fan consumer victims. That business model has a lifespan.
14
Plus iTunes is used to backup iPhones and iPads. Why? How about a simple device backup app. The proverbial five-pound sack is overfull.
"A lot of people think its their fault when it's really the designers fault."
This is the truth. In thinking about situations like this, my mind often comes back to the fabulous book The Design of Everyday Things. Tech developers need their own version of this book. I suspect that, as a group, they are even more susceptible than architects and industrial/commercial designers in assuming their ideas make intuitive sense to everyone and all the people who don't get it must have something wrong with them.
This is the truth. In thinking about situations like this, my mind often comes back to the fabulous book The Design of Everyday Things. Tech developers need their own version of this book. I suspect that, as a group, they are even more susceptible than architects and industrial/commercial designers in assuming their ideas make intuitive sense to everyone and all the people who don't get it must have something wrong with them.
27
It is a mistake to blame solely the designers. SW development is an industry which has built up and continues to build up institutional strata that drive features over perfecting user interaction and fixing bugs. The product, marketing, engineering, and finance departments behind designers want them to add features. You cannot advance a career by counting fixed bugs. Consider that perfecting user interaction takes time in research and a development. Most SW companies financially aren't built to justify that kind of expense to their board or shareholders.
Finally, you can't discount consumers from the equation. The releases of the latest gadget have become events similar to going to a concert. While they may not need or even use the full suite of features, they can at least demonstrate status by having the gadget itself.
Finally, you can't discount consumers from the equation. The releases of the latest gadget have become events similar to going to a concert. While they may not need or even use the full suite of features, they can at least demonstrate status by having the gadget itself.
1
What's missing from all these comments is the fact that Apple offers outstanding training & support--for free! Watch some of the short videos on their web site to learn some easy & helpful tips. Go to the Apple Store & sign up for one of their FREE workshops to learn how to use these tools to do the things you need to with more efficiency. No other company offers so much help. I've learned how to do lots of useful things with my phone & watch that have made work & travel easier & less stressful. And Apple products are THE most accessible for people with disabilities because they build it in from the beginning, not as an afterthought. Keep up the great work, Apple!
9
"No other company offers so much help."
If Apple products were still well-designed, who'd need "so much help"?
If Apple products were still well-designed, who'd need "so much help"?
10
Could not have said it better. I'm actually on the other end of the spectrum on this issue. I hope they continue to add features at the pace of the earlier iPhone software upgrades. One glaring omission in this article is the fact that Apple implements newer features in a way that, for the most part, do not require you to change the way you use your current phone.
If you don't want to use Control Center, iMessage apps or other features that you feel are complicated, then don't. They are not forced on users as they are on Android where UI skins change with every phone update.
I think Apple does an incredible job of implementing new features while not alienating a user base that isn't all that familiar with the phone they already have.
If you don't want to use Control Center, iMessage apps or other features that you feel are complicated, then don't. They are not forced on users as they are on Android where UI skins change with every phone update.
I think Apple does an incredible job of implementing new features while not alienating a user base that isn't all that familiar with the phone they already have.
3
As an Academy Award winning developer of screenwriting software on the Apple Mac platform since 1986, I am the epitome of an Apple "fanboy" -- an acolyte of the Cult of the Bitten Fruit. And yet, with each redesign of Apple's Music app, I find myself struggling to find my music on my iPhone and Mac!
I find 3-D touch is a great power user shortcut, though I often forget it's there. But once discovered, it can save time. I regularly use 3-D touch on the flashlight icon to select the brightness level.
The sticker interface IS a mess. While I've mastered it, my wife can't figure it out, and she has a PhD in clinical psychology! Whenever I use a cool sticker, the most common reaction is: "How do you do that!?"
But, when I compare what Apple does brilliantly to what they fail at, there's no comparison to my clients' miserable experience on Windows. Take for example the one button simplicity of the Macintosh backup system, Time Machine. Most of my Mac clients use Time Machine as their backup strategy. Nearly all of my Windows clients -- tens of thousands of them -- have NO BACKUP STRATEGY at all, because Microsoft hasn't made it easy, complete, and foolproof (like Time Machine).
I find 3-D touch is a great power user shortcut, though I often forget it's there. But once discovered, it can save time. I regularly use 3-D touch on the flashlight icon to select the brightness level.
The sticker interface IS a mess. While I've mastered it, my wife can't figure it out, and she has a PhD in clinical psychology! Whenever I use a cool sticker, the most common reaction is: "How do you do that!?"
But, when I compare what Apple does brilliantly to what they fail at, there's no comparison to my clients' miserable experience on Windows. Take for example the one button simplicity of the Macintosh backup system, Time Machine. Most of my Mac clients use Time Machine as their backup strategy. Nearly all of my Windows clients -- tens of thousands of them -- have NO BACKUP STRATEGY at all, because Microsoft hasn't made it easy, complete, and foolproof (like Time Machine).
20
Perhaps your clients are using windows me. In this century, windows has handled backups seamlessly. I never have to worry about my files. If your clients need help have them contact me. I can fix their problem in about 3 minutes. You would be amazed how Windows 10 makes MacOS seems really old.
1
Photos may indeed have simplicity but it doesn't have either ease of use or ease of learning. Worst of all it lacks ease in remembering. I got a photo in a gmail message and downloaded to to the mac desktop. The label said something like "Mom in 1946". Moving it into photos with the filename as the label took three separate multi-step operations. I cannot figure out how to make the label visible when displaying the photo on the iphone. I also cannot figure out how to apply a label to a photo on the iphone. I have to do it on the mac.
8
Not just Apple. Facebook and other popular apps "update" weekly, needed or not. Thus us just sick. No sooner do you get used to the app, it changes. On the Mac, iTunes and iPhoto were easy to use, and popular. iPhoto is no more, and it's replacement is awful. Still, you won't ever get me to switch to a different platform.
6
"Google, whose search box is a paragon of simplicity"
Correct: and in IMHO this is a big reason why there is no other search engine that compete. A new app should:
1) Do something useful and do it well
2) keep it simple (e.g. use only text when only text is required)
Correct: and in IMHO this is a big reason why there is no other search engine that compete. A new app should:
1) Do something useful and do it well
2) keep it simple (e.g. use only text when only text is required)
8
Itunes is dreadfully overloaded with confusing categories and impossible to organize. Plus it needs an update practically daily, why not just do it.
The Calendar is so burdened with options and synchronization issues that I now have over 20 and cannot easily see a weekly schedule without flipping through each of them. This "just works?" No, it just doesn't.
The Calendar is so burdened with options and synchronization issues that I now have over 20 and cannot easily see a weekly schedule without flipping through each of them. This "just works?" No, it just doesn't.
23
The Calendar app is truly, truly horrendous. One would think, for example, that clicking on a day would show the events of that day. No. It creates a new event. Instead you have to click on little buttons toggle from week to day view. Bizarre.
6
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Oh for the days of the big back plugged in phone. It always worked, Did one thing really well that could not be improved on and best of all offered real freedom because when I was away from it I could do whatever I wanted unafraid of being interrupted. I could really escape from work, or conflict or even just more stuff to do. I could just do what I had planned when I left the house. And best of all, the people I was with could be assured of my full attention. A low choice, high engagement world was a rich and less harried one.
Oh for the days of the big back plugged in phone. It always worked, Did one thing really well that could not be improved on and best of all offered real freedom because when I was away from it I could do whatever I wanted unafraid of being interrupted. I could really escape from work, or conflict or even just more stuff to do. I could just do what I had planned when I left the house. And best of all, the people I was with could be assured of my full attention. A low choice, high engagement world was a rich and less harried one.
24
I am so pleased to read this article. As an Apple user (all my devices), I had decided I was officially getting old because I find myself saying all the time "why do they keep changing everything? It worked fine the way it was!!" I am 43.
For me, iTunes became so difficult to figure out, I stopped allowing it to update. And then switched to Spotify altogether despite a library of over 15,000 songs. I have not returned to iTunes in years now.
From changing how email looks to the 3D (is it really even 3D??), I want less barriers to the action I am trying to take. The new voicemail to text feature seems like a good idea with the exception my voicemail now crashes EVERY time I try to retrieve a voice message.
You guys hit the nail squarely on the head with this article! Thank you for making me not feel old!!
For me, iTunes became so difficult to figure out, I stopped allowing it to update. And then switched to Spotify altogether despite a library of over 15,000 songs. I have not returned to iTunes in years now.
From changing how email looks to the 3D (is it really even 3D??), I want less barriers to the action I am trying to take. The new voicemail to text feature seems like a good idea with the exception my voicemail now crashes EVERY time I try to retrieve a voice message.
You guys hit the nail squarely on the head with this article! Thank you for making me not feel old!!
35
voicemail to text? I've had google voice since it was Grand Central and this feature has been available there since 2007 - ten years now.
apple slipped when their focus changed from user experience (steve jobs) to shareholder value (tim cook).
apple slipped when their focus changed from user experience (steve jobs) to shareholder value (tim cook).
5
The "enhancement" that I am looking forward to is the ability to turn off some off the functions that get crammed down on users with each new iOS release. Apple does do some incredible work, just look at the evolution of the accessibility functionality that allows those with visual impairments use their products, but the emphasis on emojis and pushed notifications shows an investment of developer hours that could be better used for software stability and processing efficiency. Steve Jobs was famous for "de-contenting" software to the point that Macs and iPhones could be used intuitively right out of the box by a new user. I wish Apple would get back to basics as opposed to following the "bloat" policy of Micro$oft or spyware of Google.
28
We use what we like and leave the rest. Nothing wrong with that.
My wife started using stickers in Messages soon after it became available, and she doesn't consider herself to be tech-savvy at all. I follow tech more closely, but I wasn't chomping-at-the-bit to use stickers--not important to me.
I did jump on the Apple Watch as soon as it was released, and I love it. I found it easy to use, but I think my tech background may have given me an advantage. For example, I tried a few third-party apps on the watch and realized their code was too heavy and ran too slow, so I stuck with the built-in Apple Watch apps, which are great.
I also realized that the default setting to enable all sorts of notifications on the watch would be a mistake for me, so I turned off all notifications and was selective about only adding a few that tell me what I want to know. Love this feature!
There's a learning curve with new stuff, and I think it's fun to try something new and see how well it works.
My wife started using stickers in Messages soon after it became available, and she doesn't consider herself to be tech-savvy at all. I follow tech more closely, but I wasn't chomping-at-the-bit to use stickers--not important to me.
I did jump on the Apple Watch as soon as it was released, and I love it. I found it easy to use, but I think my tech background may have given me an advantage. For example, I tried a few third-party apps on the watch and realized their code was too heavy and ran too slow, so I stuck with the built-in Apple Watch apps, which are great.
I also realized that the default setting to enable all sorts of notifications on the watch would be a mistake for me, so I turned off all notifications and was selective about only adding a few that tell me what I want to know. Love this feature!
There's a learning curve with new stuff, and I think it's fun to try something new and see how well it works.
11
This is the classic explore/exploit challenge. Do you stick with what you know or try experimenting with something new? Trade offs for both approaches.
I use 1Password on the AppleWatch to display 2 factor authentication codes. It's tremendously handy.
I use 1Password on the AppleWatch to display 2 factor authentication codes. It's tremendously handy.
2
Two absolutely critical fixes required for iOS are better Bluetooth handoff (wouldn't that have been a priority when eliminating the headphone jack?) so you don't have to quit apps to transfer audio to Bluetooth, and split screen for applications. A iPhone or iPad has so much screen real estate available, why can't multiple apps be displayed and used side by side, replicating the productivity of a laptop/desktop? Of course productivity, like cloud computing, was never Apple's strong suite.
3
Perhaps Apple will take notice...
iTunes worked well in prior versions, yet the past few years, "sync" has turned into "...let's try this again." Syncing music should be simple. Genius and other attempts to market products should NOT take precedence over function!
Removing the 3.5mm output jack is silly. Yes, I use Bluetooth headphones, yet when the battery runs out...I have my older headphones as backup. This is the reason why I kept my 6plus and shunned the 7.
...perhaps offer that as an option in future models? iPhone 8 with 3.5mm would most likely outsell iPhone 8 without 3.5mm
Adding more bloatware is not helping. I have a folder called just that for things such as Passport, Tips, iTunes U, etc. since they can't be deleted.
The Apple Watch is fine and very useful (especially if you exercise regularly), yet the price point is too steep. I purchased mine when Target had a major discount as the Series 2 models were introduced and picked up a 42mm Series 1. $200 seems reasonable, $500...not so much!
Widgets are clunky. You already have a "live" calendar icon that updates as the date changes. Just do the same for the weather icon by removing the partial cloud graphic.
Finally, just focus on what made iPhones great to start with... simplicity and reliability.
iTunes worked well in prior versions, yet the past few years, "sync" has turned into "...let's try this again." Syncing music should be simple. Genius and other attempts to market products should NOT take precedence over function!
Removing the 3.5mm output jack is silly. Yes, I use Bluetooth headphones, yet when the battery runs out...I have my older headphones as backup. This is the reason why I kept my 6plus and shunned the 7.
...perhaps offer that as an option in future models? iPhone 8 with 3.5mm would most likely outsell iPhone 8 without 3.5mm
Adding more bloatware is not helping. I have a folder called just that for things such as Passport, Tips, iTunes U, etc. since they can't be deleted.
The Apple Watch is fine and very useful (especially if you exercise regularly), yet the price point is too steep. I purchased mine when Target had a major discount as the Series 2 models were introduced and picked up a 42mm Series 1. $200 seems reasonable, $500...not so much!
Widgets are clunky. You already have a "live" calendar icon that updates as the date changes. Just do the same for the weather icon by removing the partial cloud graphic.
Finally, just focus on what made iPhones great to start with... simplicity and reliability.
8
I fell in love with Apple products in the early '90s because they were so intuitive and easy to use, especially compared to PCs. With each passing year, they've become increasingly complicated and annoying. A few examples: the awful live feature on iPhoto, the incomprehensible iTunes; the texting drawing feature that pops up when you tilt the phone.
Devices that used to be a pleasure to use are now a chore. On the bright side, it means I've cut back on use and now longer upgrade as often.
But it's unfortunate to see such great design disappear.
Devices that used to be a pleasure to use are now a chore. On the bright side, it means I've cut back on use and now longer upgrade as often.
But it's unfortunate to see such great design disappear.
25
An updated self destruct app would be great!
The current one, while simple, is cumbersome. After dropping, the screen cracks or something else happens so the phone will not work. One could take it to one of the many repair shops spawned by Apple developing this unique feature. Or, go to Apple, wait for an appointment time they don't keep, pay a deductible, if lucky, and get a brand new one, albeit without an updated self destruct feature.
Now, short of using Apples prior, outdated suggested method, one could try a free app, test out the self destruct, but on a beta only, so it would be temporary BUT then have to pay extra to get the full featured permanent self destruct feature! We need to keep this culturally appropriate for Apple, right?
This is an old company, with little direction and a vision that has been clouded with the cataracts of old age.
The current one, while simple, is cumbersome. After dropping, the screen cracks or something else happens so the phone will not work. One could take it to one of the many repair shops spawned by Apple developing this unique feature. Or, go to Apple, wait for an appointment time they don't keep, pay a deductible, if lucky, and get a brand new one, albeit without an updated self destruct feature.
Now, short of using Apples prior, outdated suggested method, one could try a free app, test out the self destruct, but on a beta only, so it would be temporary BUT then have to pay extra to get the full featured permanent self destruct feature! We need to keep this culturally appropriate for Apple, right?
This is an old company, with little direction and a vision that has been clouded with the cataracts of old age.
5
I just need my phone to communicate and get me on the internet and play my music. all this other stuff is clutter
17
I wish to God Apple would stop "improving" things. Have Tim Cook and the Apple techies never heard the old saw, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? My classical music is all mixed up because Apple doesn't know that Rachmaninoff is not the same as Rock. And thanks to Apple's fooling around with iPhoto, it now takes a lot of time to find whatever photo I want to show to a friend. And that's IF I can find it. I've been a devoted Mac user since 1987, and I think I deserve to have a product I can use as easily as I was able to before Steve Jobs died.
22
Sure my iPhone isn't perfect, but it's extremely useful. I hardly remember how I ever got anywhere without a map app telling me where to turn! We get spoiled very quickly these days.
2
To this user "upgrades" are "downgrades", degrading the effortless use of what once was an elegant, intuitively to use, minimalistic device.
Where is Steve Jobs when we need him ?
Where is Steve Jobs when we need him ?
14
Only four apps needed: phone, text, email and camera. Why not improve and upgrade the speaker and microphone instead of adding more junky toys? Oh yeah, we're supposed to buy and carry around bluetooth headpieces or ear buds too.
12
I was an early purchaser of the new MacBook Pro laptops with the much-vaunted "Touchbar." After months of using it, I can say with confidence that this "feature" is useless—a classic example of a pointless bell or whistle.
Similarly, I have never used the 3D touch functionality on my iPhone 7. It's just not practical when you have to push down so hard on the screen.
And the Apple Watch? What is the point of having a smartwatch if you can't ditch your smartphone? The whole concept of needing your iPhone to be tethered to your smartwatch is ludicrous—the smartwatch is supposed to FREE US from the smartphone!
Apple has suffered since the loss of Steve Jobs.
Similarly, I have never used the 3D touch functionality on my iPhone 7. It's just not practical when you have to push down so hard on the screen.
And the Apple Watch? What is the point of having a smartwatch if you can't ditch your smartphone? The whole concept of needing your iPhone to be tethered to your smartwatch is ludicrous—the smartwatch is supposed to FREE US from the smartphone!
Apple has suffered since the loss of Steve Jobs.
10
iTunes. Enough said. It's like an old rowboat, weighted down with tons of "hot new things" bought at the marine supply store. Sinking fast, but boy it sure has a lot of stuff in it.
Simplify. Make sure you're giving customers what you promise (album covers show up, playlists can be transferred among devices....) and keep the interface consistent.
I'm a devoted Apple user, but like others have begun to reach my limit...
Simplify. Make sure you're giving customers what you promise (album covers show up, playlists can be transferred among devices....) and keep the interface consistent.
I'm a devoted Apple user, but like others have begun to reach my limit...
125
iTunes has just gone down after v. 10. Complain to Apple to no avail. Big Brother knows best. Corollary to article, don't take away features that we like and use. Broaden compatibility of devices to slightly older versions.
3
Apple innovation = deprecating things that used to work extremely well, such as Genius for matching your music into interesting playlists, and then pretending these things were fundamentally flawed. Their model seems to be one which requires an upgrade even though the underlying functions were sufficient...it has nothing to do with user satisfaction, and everything to do with gouging the end user. Some of the Apple zealots will always defend this, but, as an owner of an iPod Classic, and iPhone, and iPad Pro, and a MacBook Air, I can guarantee Apple that I will never purchase another device from their company again. Many others feel the same way.....Apple executives should pay heed to these warnings!
13
iTunes started out simple, functional, intuitive, user-friendly. Then loaded with ridiculously complex and unnecessary functions and destroyed ability to sync with other devices. How I regret updating!!!
If there are so many busy tech bees out there needing something to do, how 'bout working on green energy solutions and climate change amelioration? We're swimming in apps, entertaining ourselves to death. Give the world something it really needs instead of ever-complexifying and screwing up stuff we've already got, like iTunes.
If there are so many busy tech bees out there needing something to do, how 'bout working on green energy solutions and climate change amelioration? We're swimming in apps, entertaining ourselves to death. Give the world something it really needs instead of ever-complexifying and screwing up stuff we've already got, like iTunes.
23
Returning to Microsoft is a consideration for me. I have an iPhone, and iPad Air and a MacBook Pro and each in its own way irritates me. Many of the comments here mirror exactly my feelings.
My particular peeve is that that Apple doesn't include a stylus with its products. You have to pay a hundred bucks for a Pencil that happens to only work with the new iPad Pros.
I live in a town where lots of European tourist vacation and I notice the majority do not have iPhones, they have Samsungs and other brands unknown to me. They look pretty happy with their phones.
People here still camp outside the local Apple Store when there is a new release, but the trajectory of Apple might be starting to mirror that of IBM.
My particular peeve is that that Apple doesn't include a stylus with its products. You have to pay a hundred bucks for a Pencil that happens to only work with the new iPad Pros.
I live in a town where lots of European tourist vacation and I notice the majority do not have iPhones, they have Samsungs and other brands unknown to me. They look pretty happy with their phones.
People here still camp outside the local Apple Store when there is a new release, but the trajectory of Apple might be starting to mirror that of IBM.
9
I switched from Microsoft to Apple 10 or more years ago. Switched back about a year ago. They are both annoying, just in different ways.
1
So there's this design philosophy known as essentialism, which holds that the item designed should have everything it needs to be useful, and not one thing more.
9
What are stickers? Never heard of them.
Do I need them in my life?
Do I need them in my life?
6
Nope! I feel they are something that appeals to the inner 3rd grader, if that helps
6
I would like to see some developments in iTunes. I would like the landing screen on the store to be customizable and reflect the music I like and I purchase. I would like a more robust advanced search feature in iTunes.
Finally, I would like a way to purchase and download high definition audio files as an option in the iTunes store as well as upgrade existing low definition content I've already purchased. Apples proprietary ALAC HD audio format is fine, but let me use the store with it. And to the Apple developers who complain about the pressure HD audio will place on iTunes servers I say: Lead. Distribute and cache the content. This is not rocket science.
Finally, I would like a way to purchase and download high definition audio files as an option in the iTunes store as well as upgrade existing low definition content I've already purchased. Apples proprietary ALAC HD audio format is fine, but let me use the store with it. And to the Apple developers who complain about the pressure HD audio will place on iTunes servers I say: Lead. Distribute and cache the content. This is not rocket science.
6
Apple's UI used to be intuitive and user friendly but those days are gone. They've sacrificed usability for design and to make things worse, they THINK their products are so intuitive that you don't need a manual so they don't provide any documentation. Every iTunes update reinvents the wheel - hides, moves and removes simple controls so the software is unrecognizable. Their knowledge base is next to useless, too as their search engine spews thousands of irrelevant hits and they have too much hubris to use Google.
I still use Apple products, yes they are still better than the competition, but I really wish they'd get over themselves and come home to what made them great.
I still use Apple products, yes they are still better than the competition, but I really wish they'd get over themselves and come home to what made them great.
14
Early Apple users fro the 1980s can provide the compass point the corporation seems not able to find anymore: Mac - even Happy Mac.
While mobile has been and forever will be since 2007 the money making product lines for all digital device brands, what made the iPhone, iPad and iPod so irresistible, useful and even addictive was that those devices were the logical spawn of Apple COMPUTER, not Apple Inc. They played off the Mac family. The laptop and even desktop are not going away. Given the choice between only having a MacBook Pro or an iPhone, there is no comparison which has more value and utility. Apple can stay the course as long as it leads by making the best computers and continues to focus on security, instead of chasing forgettable and inconsequential "features" for short term profits. All that stuff merely dilutes the brand. The future remains the past: speed, security, user friendly.
One thing Apple ought do immediately is fix iTunes, i.e. totally revamp it. Lord, that thing has been ready for the retirement home for years. And yes, the iWatch was a dumb idea. Not only do few people who actually love watches even wear watches anymore, other than the Swatch they are cumbersome and scratch the heck out of laptops, keyboard surfaces and even screens.
While mobile has been and forever will be since 2007 the money making product lines for all digital device brands, what made the iPhone, iPad and iPod so irresistible, useful and even addictive was that those devices were the logical spawn of Apple COMPUTER, not Apple Inc. They played off the Mac family. The laptop and even desktop are not going away. Given the choice between only having a MacBook Pro or an iPhone, there is no comparison which has more value and utility. Apple can stay the course as long as it leads by making the best computers and continues to focus on security, instead of chasing forgettable and inconsequential "features" for short term profits. All that stuff merely dilutes the brand. The future remains the past: speed, security, user friendly.
One thing Apple ought do immediately is fix iTunes, i.e. totally revamp it. Lord, that thing has been ready for the retirement home for years. And yes, the iWatch was a dumb idea. Not only do few people who actually love watches even wear watches anymore, other than the Swatch they are cumbersome and scratch the heck out of laptops, keyboard surfaces and even screens.
16
I actually like my watch. Don't love it because it does not do enough - but I tried going without it a few days and missed it.
1
I find the Apple watch very handy. Working from home I don't have to have the phone with me (women's slacks don't always have pockets.) I can receive messages, calls, alerts. When out and about, the watch again notifies me of calls and messages as I don't always hear the phone inside my purse. Agree with you about iTunes. It is impossible to find your music quickly.
5
Enough of "smart phones" we need a "dumb phone" that's easy to use, gets one set of "updates" on the same day each year, and will last "forever" like an old Toyota. Let the hipster sophisticates have their nerdy fun; the rest of us can get on with our face-to-face lives, having the phone handy when we need to talk, text, or hear music on the "basic" dumbphone, or do more on the "advanced" dumbphone like read news, get street directions, book a ticket or a ride, pay for something, and schedule a reminder or a wake-up call.
A dumbphone that WE add what features we want to add, when we are good and ready to do so.
A dumbphone that WE add what features we want to add, when we are good and ready to do so.
33
Now THAT would be an innovation. A list of features that when you click on it shows you what it can do. Then you decide if you want to download it or not. And put iTunes and my Music app back the way it was; newer isn't always better!!
Love your reference to the old Toyota, expat. My '06 Sienna has 230,000 miles on it and we're still driving it; daughter still drives her '03 Rav4 too!
Love your reference to the old Toyota, expat. My '06 Sienna has 230,000 miles on it and we're still driving it; daughter still drives her '03 Rav4 too!
10
I love my iPhone and am pretty adept at using a variety of apps and functions. I get a lot out of it and no social media for me at all. Typing this now on my phone using a fantastic predictive keyboard called "SwiftKey."
I highly recommend. Beats the Apple native keyboard.
Most words are predicted remarkably well.
Learn to use both thumbs - don't use one finger!
I can do a variety of business tasks, bank online, email, watch videos of Larry Bird or Michael Jordan and of course read endlessly the NY Times or great books on iBooks. Currently, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." (hey, these are weird times…)
Apple is a wealthy enough company that they could produce (or pay others to produce) some really easy to understand "how to" videos which have a "did you know you could do this?" component and post the series on YouTube.
Perhaps they do already, but my ear is always toward tech and I've not heard of such a thing.
Produce the videos and publicize the heck out of them.
I think people would love them.
I highly recommend. Beats the Apple native keyboard.
Most words are predicted remarkably well.
Learn to use both thumbs - don't use one finger!
I can do a variety of business tasks, bank online, email, watch videos of Larry Bird or Michael Jordan and of course read endlessly the NY Times or great books on iBooks. Currently, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." (hey, these are weird times…)
Apple is a wealthy enough company that they could produce (or pay others to produce) some really easy to understand "how to" videos which have a "did you know you could do this?" component and post the series on YouTube.
Perhaps they do already, but my ear is always toward tech and I've not heard of such a thing.
Produce the videos and publicize the heck out of them.
I think people would love them.
5
I'm seriously considering getting rid of my iPhone. The pop-up windows asking me to sign in to iTunes and iCloud are a constant annoyance.
11
You can turn off any notifications that bother you. It is in Settings.
3
Nevermind the difficulty of stickers in Messages: Exhibit A is iCloud.
11
If you look at the free options from Google (Drive/Photos) and the amazing services offered by Amazon Web Services you can get a sense of how incredibly outclassed Apple is in the cloud. Facebook and MS also have huge cloud infrastructure, Apple was too busy build fancy new offices to house their delicate geniuses than to care about customer capability or experience.
1
Another thing that irks me is that Apple is letting app developers get sloppy with memory management. Even in the NYT's app, I can almost guarantee that my (granted older) iPad will crash anytime I open one of the "interactive" articles. But that says a lot about what Steve Jobs insisted upon, this iPad is still chugging along after 6 years. It, still mostly, just works
2
When Jobs was alive, iTunes was such a delightfully simple thing to use, now it's a sloppy, byzantine mess. I've given up trying to send that birthday balloon message thing.
Apple is slowly becoming Microsoft, circa 1998.
Apple is slowly becoming Microsoft, circa 1998.
Everyone should read Calvin Trillin's hilarious piece in The New Yorker from a while back about techie types calling for "Updates!" the way John Belushi called for a food fight in Animal House, in those Oh So Much Simpler Times. It's just not fun to be unable to figure out how to use your devices after the updates that make once-simple applications impossible to understand, even with the so-called help FAQs.
10
When I worked at Apple in the early 90s, I sat in a pre-launch meeting of its latest pre-OSX OS and heard the product manager unveil the promo theme -- "128 New Features to Make Your Life Easier" -- and laughed out loud. Seems Apple still suffers that irony.
10
Siri is quite simply a disgrace. Why- with all of the other voice-activated technology out there- does Apple refuse to improve this worthless offering? Jobs must be spinning in his grave.
The Code of the Curmudgeon: Do not buy what you do not want, need, or will not use. Do not be seduced by hotness or coolness, newness or faux status. Total connectivity to everyone, everywhere, all the time, is a choice not a requirement.
12
My important feature set: phone, contacts, e-mail (not email), calendar, Google (not Apple) maps, FaceTime (better than phoning), NYTimes, FaceBook (but FB has been going away for the last 2 years) and ... solitaire. I avoid text like the plague unless I must interact with a communicatively challenged person. My mantra has been: its a phone that happens to be a computer.
1
32 gig of ram on a macbook pro. That's ALL I care about. That's all I will pay for. I almost fell on the floor a while back when the major update Apple announced was new emoticons.
5
Without true innovation, extracting as much money from consumers will be seen for what it is, extortion. They know all the tricks in obsoleting one thing or another, if you want to stay connected. Can't wait to pull the plug.
7
This age 60+ guy can't help but pile on. Way too many apps and it seems too many of those are less about user convenience and more about Apple's control over your experience and monetizing it. And now my son has a Google phone and FaceTime doesn't work - you have to get another App on both our devices (IMO) to have the experience. And while I can text with him on our phones I can no longer send and receive texts on my 2 year old iPad. One wonders if their product development and marketing people have gone outside Silicon Valley to ask users what they need or what problems they wish they didn't have.
9
As a decades old Apple user I used to look forward to updates. They were almost always substantial improvements--additions of useful features, easier to use interface, or better design. Not any more. Applications which were once easy to use (calendar or iTunes) are now confusing; new designs are ugly (clock); and new features are just plain silly (iMessage).
127
To Ray and other commenters: absolutely. It seems every upgrade of iphoto takes away very good features that we like and have been successfully using. Gotta wonder what the Apple folks are thinking. Maybe too much time and money on their hands so they must constantly develop new, frequently less good, systems to replace existing really good ones. To be an Apple user is to be trapped into accepting the company's constantly changing systems either thru apps or their continuing system upgrades. You can try to not upgrade but sooner or later the apps and new systems become incompatible with past systems that work fine and generally didn't need an upgrade in the first place. Talk about frustration!
5
These comments should be divided into two sections: One for the complexity vs. simplicity debate, and another for those still fighting the Windows and Android vs. Apple wars.
Apple's strength in these wars was originally its synchronization with its own products, plus greater security and simplicity of use compared with Windows-based products. If you are happy with competing platforms, fine. But the testimony of those who use Windows and Android devices and try to fit an iPhone into the mix is not relevant to those of us who made the switch years ago to Apple platforms.
I made the switch in the mid-90s for work-related reasons and never looked back. In our household we upgrade phones, as well as computers, every second or third operating system to keep the core technology current. But as long as I can synchronize devices with little effort across platforms, I simply ignore new bells and whistles that don't meet my needs.
Apple's strength in these wars was originally its synchronization with its own products, plus greater security and simplicity of use compared with Windows-based products. If you are happy with competing platforms, fine. But the testimony of those who use Windows and Android devices and try to fit an iPhone into the mix is not relevant to those of us who made the switch years ago to Apple platforms.
I made the switch in the mid-90s for work-related reasons and never looked back. In our household we upgrade phones, as well as computers, every second or third operating system to keep the core technology current. But as long as I can synchronize devices with little effort across platforms, I simply ignore new bells and whistles that don't meet my needs.
6
For years I have complained about iPhoto. I have lost more photos than I care to think about. I have complained to apple and they say nothing. It is by far the worst program apple ever made. They also have neglected the aging population. Make a simple smartphone. One that has limited apps. Limited features and VERY LARGE FONTS. It would be nice one day to not have to wear two pairs of reader to interpret my serial number. Geezer fone.
24
"For years I have complained about iPhoto"
Perhaps your problem is that you are trying to use iPhoto, an application that hasn't existed for years. You should be using Photos, Apple's application is easy to use and has many AI features built-in (for example, you can ask Photos to show you all of your photos from 2014, or all of your photos with horses in them).
And you haven't "lost" your photos even in the old iPhoto app. The old app may have lost the location of some photos, but you can recover them and add them back into your photo library. Your photos are still on your hard drive, and in your iCloud backup, and in your TimeMachine backup (You are using TimeMachine aren't you?).
You also complain that Apple should make an iPhone "that has limited apps. Limited features and VERY LARGE FONTS."
Point #1: You can change the size of the fonts on your iPhone to a larger size, simply by changing that in Settings.
Point #2: The iPhone DOES come with a very limited number of apps! You can't blame Apple if you have downloaded many other 3rd party apps, and are now confusing yourself with all of the apps you downloaded. You can delete of move around any apps you want... And you don't have to use all of (or any of) the apps on your iPhone if you don't want to (no one is forcing you to use an apps).
Perhaps your problem is that you are trying to use iPhoto, an application that hasn't existed for years. You should be using Photos, Apple's application is easy to use and has many AI features built-in (for example, you can ask Photos to show you all of your photos from 2014, or all of your photos with horses in them).
And you haven't "lost" your photos even in the old iPhoto app. The old app may have lost the location of some photos, but you can recover them and add them back into your photo library. Your photos are still on your hard drive, and in your iCloud backup, and in your TimeMachine backup (You are using TimeMachine aren't you?).
You also complain that Apple should make an iPhone "that has limited apps. Limited features and VERY LARGE FONTS."
Point #1: You can change the size of the fonts on your iPhone to a larger size, simply by changing that in Settings.
Point #2: The iPhone DOES come with a very limited number of apps! You can't blame Apple if you have downloaded many other 3rd party apps, and are now confusing yourself with all of the apps you downloaded. You can delete of move around any apps you want... And you don't have to use all of (or any of) the apps on your iPhone if you don't want to (no one is forcing you to use an apps).
1
Sorry, but the font resizing is a mess!
Safari does NOT have an option to resize and reflow the text.
There is a system font setting -- if an app subscribes to it -- but many do not and those that do use it inconsistently. The result is a morass of different font sizes, some ridiculously large, others still too tiny. Many apps have font size controls built in, but are clearly designed by youngsters who hold the phones up to their eyeballs! The largest font size remains too small.
Pinch zooming can make the text decent sized, but the text flows off the screen.
On the Mac, menu text is far too small; and changing the resolution can result in Maggie's.
Safari does NOT have an option to resize and reflow the text.
There is a system font setting -- if an app subscribes to it -- but many do not and those that do use it inconsistently. The result is a morass of different font sizes, some ridiculously large, others still too tiny. Many apps have font size controls built in, but are clearly designed by youngsters who hold the phones up to their eyeballs! The largest font size remains too small.
Pinch zooming can make the text decent sized, but the text flows off the screen.
On the Mac, menu text is far too small; and changing the resolution can result in Maggie's.
@viewroyal, you completely miss the point: apple broke things that worked well and annoyed a loyal customer.
you sound like the indignant nerd at the genius bar who berated my wife and I when we took in her $2800 macbook pro for the 7th time ('it must be something you're doing wrong') - and three visits later, turned out to be defective motherboard that apple was dodging the issue hoping users would just 'buy new' to fix.
enhancing shareholder value - until the bubble pops.
you sound like the indignant nerd at the genius bar who berated my wife and I when we took in her $2800 macbook pro for the 7th time ('it must be something you're doing wrong') - and three visits later, turned out to be defective motherboard that apple was dodging the issue hoping users would just 'buy new' to fix.
enhancing shareholder value - until the bubble pops.
1
Apple should focus on the one enormous demographic that is increasing by leaps and bounds: the senior market. Many older people, my mother included, have Apple phones, and can barely use them because of the clutter. A long look at simplicity, making apps simpler, bigger, and easier to navigate, would do a great service to people who are encountering failing vision and spotty memory. For many of us, the spillover effect would be helpful too. I don't need or want to spend time on 50 bits of minutiae, I want a few things that work supremely well. Grrrr.
108
Just don't start playing the app collection game. Leaves the built-ins and maybe add a few that one wants and needs. Even then, the best course of action is to focus on the most storage and fastest processor of iPhone.
What Apple desperately needs to do is address short BATTERY performance and the inability to replace batteries in both its mobile devices and laptops.
What Apple desperately needs to do is address short BATTERY performance and the inability to replace batteries in both its mobile devices and laptops.
5
There are several smartphones on the market made for seniors that do just that, and more. Get one for mom.
2
Every genre of electronic device eventually gets to the point where there's not a lot of opportunity left to add new, wow features and they become an undifferentiable commodity. Desktop computers. Laptop computers. Now phones. It's the natural evolution of technology.
6
If you own an iPhone, you probably use Apple's (native) Camera App. I'd venture to guess that over 90% of users of iPhones have no idea what the "Live" feature is on their phone when taking a photo, and this was introduced several years ago, even promoted with television commercials.
Let's dial this back a bit... forget the problem with Apps, it's Apple itself who complicates things and expects consumers to figure it out themselves. AND it's Specialists - the salespeople in its retail stores. I worked in an Apple retail store in a suburban mall, there was very little support for Specialists when new updates were introduced, it was up to the individual to figure it out, or to have fellow employees explain IF they had, or just be lost in the dust. For anyone over forty who doesn't treat the phone like their pacemaker, it's continual frustration, but Apple ignores this evidence.
Let's dial this back a bit... forget the problem with Apps, it's Apple itself who complicates things and expects consumers to figure it out themselves. AND it's Specialists - the salespeople in its retail stores. I worked in an Apple retail store in a suburban mall, there was very little support for Specialists when new updates were introduced, it was up to the individual to figure it out, or to have fellow employees explain IF they had, or just be lost in the dust. For anyone over forty who doesn't treat the phone like their pacemaker, it's continual frustration, but Apple ignores this evidence.
25
I learned what the "Live" feature was the hard way when I upgraded my iPhone 5 to a 6s (didn't want the big screen in my pocket). It was on automatically and I could not figure out why the phone was running out of storage constantly despite my dropping unused apps, deleting photos not meant for keeping, deleting messages. Nothing helped. Did some research and figured out it was the stupid "live" feature. When I turned that off, all was well. Yes, I'm an old geezer, but this stymied both my kids in their 30s as well. There is no point to that feature as far as I can tell aside from making the user want to buy a new (unnecessary) larger storage capacity phone!
1
I haven't updated by operating system for a year now. None, that's none, of the apps and changes are of any interest to me, not just because I'm old (68), but the apps I have are useful and used often. The new ones are mostly useless. I've had a 5S for two years, and still manage to communicate with the wider world. Amazing. Oh, and I don't sleep with my iphone.
25
Please quit using the (culturally inspired?) apologetic "I'm old" at 68 years of age. We age from the moment we're born; you're older today than you were yesterday, and so is Tim Cook. Everything and everybody ages and gets older, including Apple's software/hardware/apps. Smarter older people stay fluid/adaptive; not-so-smart people become entrenched. Apple's continuous upgrades are no different from other manufacturers' to markets that demand adaptation, whether it be the novelty or otherwise, e.g., refrigerators with video/communications capacity. Really????
"With Apple adding fewer major features in recent years, customers have been slower to upgrade their devices."
Really? I think if you will check around there are other factors involved.
http://files.ctctcdn.com/150f9af2201/9b9003c0-99c6-4ca2-b236-b53291f323d..., notably the change in cell phone service providers changing their polices on upgrades. In addition, the technology has matured. Both of my sons have iPhone 6 pluses and they don't anticipate upgrading for some time for three reasons: (1) they are happy with the processing power, (2) the devices incredibly reliable (I'd like to add my first generation iPad and my iPad Air are still in use), and (3) they no longer pay a monthly fee on the their service plan.
Really? I think if you will check around there are other factors involved.
http://files.ctctcdn.com/150f9af2201/9b9003c0-99c6-4ca2-b236-b53291f323d..., notably the change in cell phone service providers changing their polices on upgrades. In addition, the technology has matured. Both of my sons have iPhone 6 pluses and they don't anticipate upgrading for some time for three reasons: (1) they are happy with the processing power, (2) the devices incredibly reliable (I'd like to add my first generation iPad and my iPad Air are still in use), and (3) they no longer pay a monthly fee on the their service plan.
12
I'm not so sure we adult, even power-adult, users are the target audience for many of these messaging apps. But overall I do agree that Apple is drifting towards Microsoft levels of complexity. I'm not saying tech is easy but in the past Apple, somehow, hid all that complexity behind a curtain allowing any user to pick up a device and start using it with little instruction. That made them different.
They're not alone in this drift. In the biz world, once (sorta) friendly software like Acrobat and document management and compare software is now off the charts with cloud, app and mobile integration hooks that seem now to require 3 instead of 1 steps to accomplish the simplest of tasks while fending off cloud and add-on prompts.
Maybe C++ needs a little TLAR.
They're not alone in this drift. In the biz world, once (sorta) friendly software like Acrobat and document management and compare software is now off the charts with cloud, app and mobile integration hooks that seem now to require 3 instead of 1 steps to accomplish the simplest of tasks while fending off cloud and add-on prompts.
Maybe C++ needs a little TLAR.
16
"allowing any user to pick up a device and start using it with little instruction."
I don't know why people keep saying this. In my experience, it's so untrue that it's frustrating as all get out to keep hearing it.
I don't know why people keep saying this. In my experience, it's so untrue that it's frustrating as all get out to keep hearing it.
1
Brings to mind when I purchased my first iPod, downloaded iTunes on my Microsoft computer and could not get the iPod to sync with the extensive music library on my computer. Apple support even had me ship the iPod for diagnostics and returned it saying no trouble found with the item. They did not suggest that I had to move the device to a different memory location in order for it to work, I found that bit of information on the internet.
That was over 10 yrs ago. Now I own a Mac mini, iPhone SE, apple router and iPad. No complaints unless yo
That was over 10 yrs ago. Now I own a Mac mini, iPhone SE, apple router and iPad. No complaints unless yo
3
Since an ill-considered "update" I can't even get iTunes on my laptop to sync with iTunes on my iphone anymore. Some say it's no accident.....Apple wants you to have to purchase tunes online rather than being able to transfer your music collection between devices. Really does make you wonder.
11
That or they want you to pay the $25 annual fee for iTunes Match.
1
Classical musicians are largely ignored. I love classical music and itunes just doesnt work for me. Some of my hundreds of classical cds are in my itunes library. Apple hasnt developed an app for convenient for classical musicians or I dont know of one.
Nor has anyone developed a music lesson app. Imagine a teacher or student writes some lesson points and sketches some music.
There are many metronome and tuning applications. I go for the free stuff. And I delete it if it uses the phone to much or of it is too hard to use.
Nor has anyone developed a music lesson app. Imagine a teacher or student writes some lesson points and sketches some music.
There are many metronome and tuning applications. I go for the free stuff. And I delete it if it uses the phone to much or of it is too hard to use.
4
"Nor has anyone developed a music lesson app."
Really?! That surprises me greatly!
So, I just opened up the App Store via my iPad, typed "music lesson" into the search box and discovered scores of them!
(Sorry, unintentional pun, but the apps are there!)
Really?! That surprises me greatly!
So, I just opened up the App Store via my iPad, typed "music lesson" into the search box and discovered scores of them!
(Sorry, unintentional pun, but the apps are there!)
I loved the first IPod, a gift that I really enjoyed. But now, fugettaboutit.
Once Apple moved on to phones the world began to spin.
Constant upgrades, suddenly your device is "too old" to work. AARRRGGGGHH. WHY ?
I have music in my basement, that while not portable, works just fine 40 years after I bought it. My wife moved to SPOTIFY since it just works.
What is the obsession with obsolescence and proprietary(ness). It just makes Apple richer, but has done nothing for my life or my pocketbook.
I work at the leading edge of tech every day, but once I leave that world I'm content to drive my GPS free car, call on my 8 year old phone (haven't broke the screen yet) and look at the blue sky and green grass.
When gremlins steal the TV remote, I am content to use the buttons to change channels.
Once Apple moved on to phones the world began to spin.
Constant upgrades, suddenly your device is "too old" to work. AARRRGGGGHH. WHY ?
I have music in my basement, that while not portable, works just fine 40 years after I bought it. My wife moved to SPOTIFY since it just works.
What is the obsession with obsolescence and proprietary(ness). It just makes Apple richer, but has done nothing for my life or my pocketbook.
I work at the leading edge of tech every day, but once I leave that world I'm content to drive my GPS free car, call on my 8 year old phone (haven't broke the screen yet) and look at the blue sky and green grass.
When gremlins steal the TV remote, I am content to use the buttons to change channels.
26
If I could get a watch, or even a phone, that would communicate via NFC with my Free Style libre glucose monitoring patch I would pay just about anything.
But apple reserves it's NFC for applepay only. Sheer corporate greed, no other explanation.
Such a pity as I now use a Samsung w/android, which handles the task very nicely.
Apple, give us things that we can use, not things we don't know or care about.
But apple reserves it's NFC for applepay only. Sheer corporate greed, no other explanation.
Such a pity as I now use a Samsung w/android, which handles the task very nicely.
Apple, give us things that we can use, not things we don't know or care about.
10
This is what (young) people are working on? Stickers? Seriously?
51
The even scarier part is the the bulk of the world's population are millennials - in their prime breeding years. The future of Earth is going one way or the other, depending whether their offspring magically skip a generation and grow more brain cells that mimic the Baby Boomers rather than intellectually inert and low information entertainment obsessed Gen X and Y.
2
Chill, Mary.
"A respected Swiss scientist, Conrad Gessner, might have been the first to raise the alarm about the effects of information overload. In a landmark book, he described how the modern world overwhelmed people with data and that this overabundance was both "confusing and harmful" to the mind."
Gessner died in 1565. His concern was a reaction to the impact of the printing press.
More examples of people through the centuries being horrified by some new technology and its probable impact on people's minds, especially those of the young, can be found in the article, Don't Touch That Dial! A history of media technology scares, from the printing press to Facebook. (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2010/02/dont_to... Even writing itself raised alarm for Socrates.
"A respected Swiss scientist, Conrad Gessner, might have been the first to raise the alarm about the effects of information overload. In a landmark book, he described how the modern world overwhelmed people with data and that this overabundance was both "confusing and harmful" to the mind."
Gessner died in 1565. His concern was a reaction to the impact of the printing press.
More examples of people through the centuries being horrified by some new technology and its probable impact on people's minds, especially those of the young, can be found in the article, Don't Touch That Dial! A history of media technology scares, from the printing press to Facebook. (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2010/02/dont_to... Even writing itself raised alarm for Socrates.
Doesn't Apple field-test its new ideas? I mean, they must. Pay some regular folks - especially those of lesser intellectual capacity like myself - to test the new iPhone features in the real world. Heck I'd do it for some taco truck coupons. Give them a week with the new phone (by then you've established your new-phone usage habits, which will be a lot like your old phone's usage habits) and then identify the pre-loaded apps and tech features that were NOT used. Those are the non-intuitive duds. If Apple wants to maintain its once-core advantage - intuitive usability - then for once, let the marketing people tell the tech engineers what they need to do.
16
Absolutely right. Let tech challenged people try it first to find the instructional problems.
Years ago there was a GREAT company called Heathkit. They made all kinds of electrical products from a simple switch to color tvs to sophisticated test equipment in kit form for hobbyists to pros to build. They'd write detailed instructions that any novice could understand. Then they went a step further. BEFORE putting a product on the market, they'd get a bunch of the company's secretaries to build the kit. They'd have a technical person walking around with a clipboard taking notes. So, if the instructions called for a Phillips screwdriver a secretary might ask, "What's a Phillips screwdriver?" The tech would write that down and the instructions would be modified with a picture of that screwdriver! Foolproof.
I built many of their kits and there was NEVER any confusion.
Hi tech certainly requires that simple step!! ( I miss Heathkit!!)
Years ago there was a GREAT company called Heathkit. They made all kinds of electrical products from a simple switch to color tvs to sophisticated test equipment in kit form for hobbyists to pros to build. They'd write detailed instructions that any novice could understand. Then they went a step further. BEFORE putting a product on the market, they'd get a bunch of the company's secretaries to build the kit. They'd have a technical person walking around with a clipboard taking notes. So, if the instructions called for a Phillips screwdriver a secretary might ask, "What's a Phillips screwdriver?" The tech would write that down and the instructions would be modified with a picture of that screwdriver! Foolproof.
I built many of their kits and there was NEVER any confusion.
Hi tech certainly requires that simple step!! ( I miss Heathkit!!)
16
Reminded me that years ago when I was a middle school English teacher, one of my exercises was to have the kids write one-page instructions for the use of something (lesson: writing clarity and brevity); then they would give the object they were writing the instructions for and the instructions to another student who had to follow them as written. The results were often hysterical and my point was made about the importance of clear and concise writing.
9
Uh, except that if people don't know about the pre-loaded apps and tech features, they won't use them. It's not quite as easy as you make it sound.
It's all about the money, stupid. It has nothing to do with "communication" or necessity. The iPhone, and most other electronic products for "consumers," are little more than toys.
I've quit buying applications for iOS because so many are simply lousy, yet I have to pay something to find out the truth of it and there is no money-back guarantee if something is terrible or does not work.
10
I recall a friend 30 years ago demonstrating his prowess with his Casio watch. He could produce something like a hundred different tunes with the thing. Does Casio even make watches anymore?
1
Yes, they do, and you can still get a multifunctional Casio watch for $20 or under at Target.
6
I hate when Apple updates its stuff. The things I like always disappear and new things that I don't care about take its place. Why do they constantly need to reconfigure iTunes, etc?
42
It seems the tech cognoscenti of the smart device industry have become overly enamored of their product, and forgotten one very basic precept. KISS. In less formal terms: Keep It Simple Stupid. In trying to do all and be all in some sort of Swiss Army knife fashion they run a high risk of devaluing their product in the eyes of their customer. It's a smart device, yes. But it's really just a gussied up phone, with certain other attractive features. This is how I use mine ('Droid).
Beyond that core set of features there is zero true need for anything else. Indeed, as this article makes plain, features become an impediment. Juxtapose this against the reality that the product those feature sets rests on is increasingly a commodity and a huge problem for industry incumbents emerges. It comes to this; the cognoscenti and exec's need to stop looking so adoringly at their reflection in the "feature/app" mirror and get back to core principles. Else the market will decide the fate of their product for them.
John~
American Net'Zen
Beyond that core set of features there is zero true need for anything else. Indeed, as this article makes plain, features become an impediment. Juxtapose this against the reality that the product those feature sets rests on is increasingly a commodity and a huge problem for industry incumbents emerges. It comes to this; the cognoscenti and exec's need to stop looking so adoringly at their reflection in the "feature/app" mirror and get back to core principles. Else the market will decide the fate of their product for them.
John~
American Net'Zen
9
I thought this article was going to be about my own Apple pet peeve-- they put new apps on my device with the latest (terrible) update which I don't want and cannot uninstall. I own this thing, I pay for it, why can't I choose which app logos appear on my screen?
Thank you all who have mentioned their frustrations, and perhaps anger with iTunes. I'm relieved to find out I haven't lost my marbles although I've lost plenty of music!!
I have, over the years, accumulated many versions of the iphone and iPod. A few years back I could sync these to iTunes and each device would have identical music content loaded on. Alas, no more! Much of my favorite music has vanished (probably to cyberspace on the far side of Pluto) never to be heard again. Sad to say that when I hike to music in a local nature preserve I use the old iPod classic because it somehow retained most of my music that my iphone cannot recover. That's defined as "progress" these days, I guess!
Bring back KISS! (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
I have, over the years, accumulated many versions of the iphone and iPod. A few years back I could sync these to iTunes and each device would have identical music content loaded on. Alas, no more! Much of my favorite music has vanished (probably to cyberspace on the far side of Pluto) never to be heard again. Sad to say that when I hike to music in a local nature preserve I use the old iPod classic because it somehow retained most of my music that my iphone cannot recover. That's defined as "progress" these days, I guess!
Bring back KISS! (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
63
I am so frustrated by this exact issue.
6
As one with the same itunes problems, I sympathize! But you may find a blessing in turning off devices and actually listening to the birds, crickets, breezes and other joyous and restorative wonders while hiking a nature preserve.
8
From your "lips" to Cook's ears!
1
Would like to see Apple focus on simple fixes. For example, this morning I deleted 25 downloaded Podcasts... one at a time. Apple does not provide a delete all functionality. There are numerous other small annoyances Apple could fix.
28
Neither does Windows Phone or Android for emails. You'da think, wouldn't you? My ancient Symbian phones had a Select All feature.
I, too, have no idea what this article is about and I text, message every single day for work and for my personal life on my iphone7.
I think enhanced features, particularly for my work, may be interesting but it seems like too much work and too cumbersome to figure out for little gain. When I do want to learn something new about my phone, I turn to the teenagers in my life. So, I just texted some teenagers and they said they had no idea these features existed and they aren't so interested in learning - but they would figure it out if I needed them to for me.
If teenagers - who absorb technology with little effort - cannot figure it out or aren't interested then Apple has a problem.
I think enhanced features, particularly for my work, may be interesting but it seems like too much work and too cumbersome to figure out for little gain. When I do want to learn something new about my phone, I turn to the teenagers in my life. So, I just texted some teenagers and they said they had no idea these features existed and they aren't so interested in learning - but they would figure it out if I needed them to for me.
If teenagers - who absorb technology with little effort - cannot figure it out or aren't interested then Apple has a problem.
17
I now quite a few folks who own an iPhone simply as a status symbol. They don't understand or care about the apps at all. It's all about cachet.
2
To be fair, iPhone/iOS users are the last bulwark in the war on mobile security. No one - literally, no one - has one ounce of security with an Android or other OS.
One thing Apple does very well is security, because of their near 40-year history of proprietary operating systems. People can complain about the walled off garden, but in my decades of Apple Mac/OS and decade of iOS, the security features have never failed me.
One thing Apple does very well is security, because of their near 40-year history of proprietary operating systems. People can complain about the walled off garden, but in my decades of Apple Mac/OS and decade of iOS, the security features have never failed me.
3
With this I agree. Security is a BIG issue. Read the book "Future Crimes" and you will come away with an appreciation for Apple security. But in their race to have all of this excess added, I wonder if security is being lost. Anyone know?
1
I love my iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro. The watch doesn't attract me; it seems fussy and redundant. But as to Apple itself? The service is outstanding and the products are superb. Kudos.
9
I don't know. I went to the Apple Store with a problem with my iPad and they told me I had to make an appointment for the Genius Bar for a few days hence--but not too many because they open appointments only a few days at a time. So I went to the AT&T store because my cellular on the iPad is with AT&T. Five shirt friendly minutes and I was done. So next time, I had a oroblem with my iPhone and went straight to AT&T and presto, fixed in two minutes.
2
I'm a UX designer and have applied the basic tenen to apps and web products that I learned over 30 years when I was a student: Less is more. The true test of any product I design? I give it to my 9 year old to play with. If she can figure it out, it works. Reading all the comments just solidifies this. Customers shouldn't have to work to figure out how "brilliant" a product is. It should siliently guide the user to show the user either 1. how fun this product is and/or 2. how easy it is, It improves their lives, makes them cooler, etc should be a a given, not a chore.
42
Huh? If you give it to a young kid and they like it/easily figure it out, you might be going down the wrong path. Kids are used to this stuff and it comes naturally because they grew up with it. Give it to me and see what I can do (I am 60+ but not a Luddite). Maybe there should be two paths on this stuff--some users want fun, multiple cool apps, excess functionality. Some of us want simple but good. Apple should be able to satisfy both.
This reminds me of the burgeoning but not yet well functioning market for electronic monitoring and other devices designed for seniors. Problem is they are not designed by seniors. Read about this. There is a literature out there and I believe the NYT ran an article on it a while back.
Simple but reliable is often better.
This reminds me of the burgeoning but not yet well functioning market for electronic monitoring and other devices designed for seniors. Problem is they are not designed by seniors. Read about this. There is a literature out there and I believe the NYT ran an article on it a while back.
Simple but reliable is often better.
3
The last time around, I bought a Galaxy S6. My wife bought an iPhone 6. We're still paying for them. I'm pretty happy with my Android phone, except Google keeps updating it and the result usually looks like the same features in smaller type fonts. My wife absolutely hates her iPhone. In addition to the mountain of apps she doesn't use, the iOS operating system has features that aren't immediately obvious, which makes the iPhoine a constant battle to use for even the simplest of things. Plus it doesn't relate well to the Win 10 OS on her PC. I doubt we'll buy another Apple product. They simply aren't that easy to use.
6
Perhaps this comment shows the vast differences in people and needs .....I am a long-time Apple user - even have a 14 year old Mac Book which will is usable...have an iphone, Macbook new, yet at work I use a lenovo and Windows. even with the touch screen, it does not come close to Apple with ease of use. Never has. Iphone is easy to use, too.
7
There is nothing in the world that could ever persuade me to buy any Microsoft device. Ever. You're trying to shore up the wrong system that has since the 1980s been a Swiss cheese OS, even after stealing GUI from Apple. Were it not for Mac, Microsoft would not have had Windows and thus would've died on the vine. The number of multiple functions and time it takes to navigate Windows to get it to do what OSX does intuitively is not worth the cheaper price of those MS and Windows devices. LIfe's too short.
2
@Mary - As Gale said, there are "vast differences in people and needs". There is absolutely nothing "intuitive" about Apple products for me. I occasionally get confounded by Windows products--with anything Apple, it happens constantly. I waste so much time trying to figure out what I'm told is "intuitive" and mostly finish by just giving up.
Some people yearn for the Motorola flip phone, others do not. That said, even for those of us who buy Apple, the paradox is one of a giant, secretive, faceless corporation telling us that spewing out lots of "anything" is helping the customer. Yet when something goes wrong with their products or their IOS needs a fix, good luck with that! There's the brand Apple wants us to think they are, and there's how they actually treat their customers outside of retail.
16
I know that smartphones have become extremely important for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. But obviously there are limits, and convenience imposes them. The phrase "more trouble than it's worth" springs to mind after reading this article. I use my phone for calling and for the occasional text, and refuse to turn into someone who's tethered to it throughout the day, staring at a small screen while life passes me by.
33
Heresy I know but I wonder if the problem might stem from hiring of all those newbies who need something to do, so they move useful bits around the screen from one side to the other, or from the top to the bottom, or rename them; they invent apps all day long in order to earn their keep. Doesn't do the consumer any good whatsoever but they are all busy as bees, working, working, working.
60
And just raises the cost of all of the products. Gotta pay all those "tech geniuses"..... and give 'em lots of stock options.
6
Apple's primary market has been the 2 billion+ population of Asia and SE Asia for years. That's who they're developing for, not the limited U.S. market.
3
Indeed. I have a theory about tech companies; they hire another MBA and the latter has to prove it was a good decision. Sot they change things. Move stuff on the interface screen, rename functions, add some (slower to download) glitz. EBay has done this often.
As much as I hate using Amazon because they are so big, I do appreciate the fact that their page layouts haven't changed in years.
As much as I hate using Amazon because they are so big, I do appreciate the fact that their page layouts haven't changed in years.
We have plenty of choices to pick up a phone. iPhone is just one of them. If people are compelled to learn every Apps available on the phone, then it is their own doing. No one is forcing them to learn. I, on the other hand, use an old Galaxy S5 phone and am satisfied with it.
2
The major problem with all these devices is that user interfaces are so different that mastering a device is like learning a new language. I have 3 cars. The best one is 13 years old. It mainly uses a few buttons and dials to control it. If I want more complex functionality. I just plug in my iPhone. The good news is that Apple, Google and Amazon are moving to voice activated controls using natural language. We'll lose more privacy, but the interface is our voice. That simplifies things enormously. Then the device can provide contextual hints about functionality. Until then it's just a morass. Personally I'm waiting for a chip implant that has a combination hearing aid, cell phone, MP3 player, and navigation connected to my auditory and optical nerves. Then I won't even have to use my voice, I can just think it.
5
Voice activated devices often go far astray. Digging you into deep holes in the far reaches of applications and operating systems. I just do not see them as the savior of where we are in complexity of our personal devices. As an example, I just dictated this comment; and then corrected five or six ridiculous errors. I sure hope driverless cars work better than this!
13
"In the year 2525..." (brrr).
5
Voice interaction still has a long, long way to go. Try dictating simple commands in an Indian accent! Much hilarity will ensue ...
For many of us there is simply too much on offer...new automobiles with inch thick owner's manuals, PDAs that intrude into life several times a day with unwanted alerts...on and on. Try to find a new car that comes without a sliding moon-roof. They are installed not to enhance the driver's experience, but in order to add to the price of the product. "Simplify, simplify, simplify" will be the watchword for the next generation of tech advancements. Just watch. (Not the Apple watch.)
15
Maine must be a magical place. PDAs are still around, every car has a moonroof, and "simplicity" is the "watch"word. I miss New England.
After owning a car with a moon roof, I had one installed in my next car. I loved them. Almost a convertible w/o the issues.
I am in the process of replacing all my Windows devices with Apple products simply because I am tired of Microsoft telling me how I must do things. My suggestion to Apple...get back to simple. Provide all the required core technology in your products and allow customers to load the functionality they want or need without the clutter.
83
It's a Catch-22 sort of theme. People get bored and want more, new, better, different; but when those things are handed to them, they're too lazy to explore them and complain that they're not easy enough to use. Yes, the developers could do a little better job of simplification and APPLE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF EDUCATION...ahem. Then there's the fact that we consumers are a finicky, lazy, demanding lot who should be grateful for what we have; while at the same time, these devices are horribly expensive and we should get what we want because we pay so dearly for it. Personally, all I want is auto-correct that reads my mind.
6
Apple is much worse than Microsoft in telling you how you must do things.
2
Apple under Tim Cook has been morphing into Microsoft under Steve Ballmer:
1- copy everyone else
2- iteration instead of innovation
3- no quality control
4- lack of a unified vision
5- no fire in the belly
Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and those like them can tell you exactly why they are at work doing the things they do. Tim Cook is a nice man who knows how to make the trains run on time.
I do not know who should be running Apple, but suggest the Board clean house and find a team of hungry people with vision.
1- copy everyone else
2- iteration instead of innovation
3- no quality control
4- lack of a unified vision
5- no fire in the belly
Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and those like them can tell you exactly why they are at work doing the things they do. Tim Cook is a nice man who knows how to make the trains run on time.
I do not know who should be running Apple, but suggest the Board clean house and find a team of hungry people with vision.
I own an Apple Watch, and a Samsung watch. The Samsung is far better because I don't need to have my phone with me to make or receive calls, and it has a web browser. To be honest if I had not received the Apple Watch as a gift I would have returned it within a half an hour. I carry a small Bluetooth earpiece and if I get a call I can pop that right in. Of course the Watch is synchronized to my truck and my computer. It's nice though to not carry around a large smartphone some days. Apple seems to be running out of good ideas, while Android devices continue to expand and become even smarter.
One thing I will give to Apple is that their devices just work and are much more stable. Whereas Android seems to evolve past the functionality of even 2 year old devices.
One thing I will give to Apple is that their devices just work and are much more stable. Whereas Android seems to evolve past the functionality of even 2 year old devices.
5
Is Apple developing anything really interesting, innovative and future looking? I really hope so. After so many years with same product, the iPhone has become just another gadget, no matter how fashionable, expensive and how cool its design is. Let's see what they will bring for cars. Hopefully not just futile onboard entertainment.
2
It is too much. People are wasting their lives, spending hours, looking at a screen and then can't do what they want. Put down the phones. People are becoming passive observers. Active people will be the decision makers not observers.
35
A shame you can't tell who's organizing an event, who's transferring funds or who's writing copy for a press release from someone who's simply "staring at a screen." Many people can work and study today from wherever they are thanks to smartphones. Condemn them if you will, but they're likely getting things done, not simply wasting time.
Or, as I ask, "Do you own your device, or does it own you?"
Bring back the one-click mouse and the Apple User Interface guidelines. I'm so tired of swooshing or swiping by mistake, and something happening which I had no idea would happen.
72
The so-called "beautiful" iPhone interfaces are truly hideous things.
Not knowing whether you can scroll a pane (because the damned scroll bar on the side is hidden until you attempt to scroll), the confusing rubberband effect (great for making tech-challenged parents come to you, the tech help, with confused puppy eyes), the Home button that decides what *it* wants to do dependent on whether you press it for a touch too long, the tiny onscreen keyboard, the hidden margin pulldowns...UGH!!! All of that makes me desperate to get back to my computer and take solace in KDE or Windows 7!
Not Windows 8 and 10, though...those OSes and their "modern" apps try hard to follow iOS's general inscrutability and creepiness, because hey, follow the "leader". They succeed at it too.
Sigh.
Not knowing whether you can scroll a pane (because the damned scroll bar on the side is hidden until you attempt to scroll), the confusing rubberband effect (great for making tech-challenged parents come to you, the tech help, with confused puppy eyes), the Home button that decides what *it* wants to do dependent on whether you press it for a touch too long, the tiny onscreen keyboard, the hidden margin pulldowns...UGH!!! All of that makes me desperate to get back to my computer and take solace in KDE or Windows 7!
Not Windows 8 and 10, though...those OSes and their "modern" apps try hard to follow iOS's general inscrutability and creepiness, because hey, follow the "leader". They succeed at it too.
Sigh.
4
Here's an idea, Apple: stop trying to pack all that functionality in right out of the box. Most people don't need half the apps or functionality you clutter the interface with. Strip it all back to the bare essentials, then put the excess in the App Store. If people want the advanced functionality, they are advanced enough users to get it themselves. If they don't want it, it won't be forced on them. Win-win.
232
Apple is making exactly the same thing in different sizes and colors and calling it innovation. And how useful was that watch? As for their software, just look at the Maps fiasco. Don't even get me started about Siri. Their operating systems are getting cumbersome, and their need for their interface to look cool is losing functionality sense. Just try out an Android phone or a Windows 10 laptop and you'll see what I mean. Also have you looked into a Samsung Edge phone recently with the curved screen? It feels like a magical portal in your hand. Seriously. Just try it. I'm sure Apple will steal other peoples ideas and say they can make it better but not really. Seems like that's all they're doing now. At a certain point Apple fans will realize they can get the same or even more for less money. Use the difference for a vacation, car payments or rent. Maybe it's time to innovate your life instead of Apple's revenues.
6
Given my recent experience with Samsung support, I'll never buy another Samsung product. I'm still waiting for a "24 to 48 hours" call back on a product repair where they lost several things without which, the product is unusable.
By way of contrast, after a trip to the Apple Store, my problem was fixed in a matter of minutes, and the issue was clearly explained to me by a polite young lady for whom speaking English was not a new experience.
Samsung? I'm still waiting.
By way of contrast, after a trip to the Apple Store, my problem was fixed in a matter of minutes, and the issue was clearly explained to me by a polite young lady for whom speaking English was not a new experience.
Samsung? I'm still waiting.
13
Jesus! How I hate Siri! If I ask it a question on my iPad, my iPhone will turn on and answer the same question BUT give me completely different answers. What a waste of money!
Ah, yes, Siri. Rescently, she(?) suddenly appeared unasked on my iPad. When I said, "go away, Siri," I was reprimanded and told that "good bye would be more polite". Aside from the fact that I'm not sure I want to be given lessons in etiquette by a piece of electronic equipment, "good bye" didn't succeed in getting Siri to, well, go away.
Constant innovation does not help the user who does not want spend a great part of their life starring at a glowing screen. I have got better ways to spend my time than learning new twists and turns in increasingly changing and complex software. The technology industry is not making life easier. It is just subtracting it.
64
Here's a major benefit of having tons of apps on one's smartphone: When games like Candy Crush become just too crushingly boring, one can justify keeping one's face dipped in the glow of the screen by variously opening and then closing the many different, colorful app icons, and sliding between screens to access more of them. I'd guess that most people use fewer than five apps frequently enough to keep them permanently installed. But app-icon-whack-a-mole provides an alternative to way to keep getting the fix of the glow on the retina.
6
Obviously, the people who develop Apps have forgotten the purpose of Apps. The purpose of an App is to make a function simple. If the App does not simplify the function, it is of little or no usefulness.
113
The only app I want is the one that brings Steve Jobs back from the dead to rescue his rudderless company.
214
I think there's a séance app but I can't find in in all the app clutter.
2
They need someone like Steve Jobs to insist on simplicity.
96
I just want to find iTunes and all my music in the same state I left it before the update. I hate having to figure out what they've done with it this time.
264
Me too, Adrienne. iTunes is especially ham-handed with classical music. It's made it so that it's sometimes so hard to find the, for instance, Mozart concerto or Bach Two-Part Invention that I want to hear that I give up. And if/as/when I get everything rearranged the way **I** want it, iTunes "upgrades" [and I use the term very sarcastically] and mixes everything up yet again. I wish the Apple engineers would keep their paws off my music!!
4
Yeah that and the fact it has grown into the largest download size I see on my computer: +250 MB!!
My pet peeve with iTunes has become file management.
Inside the iTunes folder, the Music subfolder has disappeared and all the artist folders are in the root folder. But Movies and TV Shows still have folders. So whenever I need to do something in the TV Shows folder, I have to wait until all the music folders have loaded up [I have a very large library that resides on an external drive] before being able to open the TV Shows folder.
Then, inside each TV show folder, they eliminated the season folders. Now, instead of a Season 1, Season 2, etc, folder, all the TV shows are just there. And, since they all have the episode number appended at the beginning, it's impossible to find a specific episode by name.
And, imagine how much fun it is to find anything in Grey's Anatomy and The Big Bang Theory folders. Sure, it will say the episode number at the beginning of the file name but which season? No idea.
Both of these features were in previous versions but not any more. I truly do not understand the rationale for these changes.
Inside the iTunes folder, the Music subfolder has disappeared and all the artist folders are in the root folder. But Movies and TV Shows still have folders. So whenever I need to do something in the TV Shows folder, I have to wait until all the music folders have loaded up [I have a very large library that resides on an external drive] before being able to open the TV Shows folder.
Then, inside each TV show folder, they eliminated the season folders. Now, instead of a Season 1, Season 2, etc, folder, all the TV shows are just there. And, since they all have the episode number appended at the beginning, it's impossible to find a specific episode by name.
And, imagine how much fun it is to find anything in Grey's Anatomy and The Big Bang Theory folders. Sure, it will say the episode number at the beginning of the file name but which season? No idea.
Both of these features were in previous versions but not any more. I truly do not understand the rationale for these changes.
1
I have a dumb phone and never have to encounter an app. Thus, my life is full of joy.
75
I wonder if the question is not too much functionality, but the wrong kind of functionality --for example, iTunes had a simple but effective list layout with Coverflow for music. And then, for some reason, movies were added... and then iTunes was made the control center for phones(!) and the place to load and back up phone apps (!!) and then radio was added (!!!) and blogs, and iTunesU, and it all became so cumbersome that CoverFlow was removed, probably its best feature, and what took one click, became 5 clicks. Now, all of this functionality is wrong in a piece of software to play music, and would have made great sense to make separate killer clean apps for each function...
And then, enter iCloud (ha!) and PasswordChain... Simplicity! Haha...
And then, enter iCloud (ha!) and PasswordChain... Simplicity! Haha...
167
"Functionality" is not a word. "Function " functions as a perfectly functional noun. It doesn't need 3 extra syllables!
2
Hey Word Nerd,
From Merriam-Websters online:
Definition of functionality
plural functionalities
The quality or state of being functional. A design that is admired both for its beauty and for its functionality; especially : the set of functions or capabilities associated with computer software or hardware or an electronic device.
From Merriam-Websters online:
Definition of functionality
plural functionalities
The quality or state of being functional. A design that is admired both for its beauty and for its functionality; especially : the set of functions or capabilities associated with computer software or hardware or an electronic device.
4
@Word Police -
Huh? Here are two uses of the word functionality:
1. The quality of being suited to serve a purpose well; practicality. Ex. ‘I like the feel and functionality of this bakeware’
2. The range of operations that can be run on a computer or other electronic system. Ex. ‘new software with additional functionality’
In the first example, you could not replace "functionality" with "function" and have it make any sense. Arguably, either word could be used in the second example with a slight difference in meaning.
Huh? Here are two uses of the word functionality:
1. The quality of being suited to serve a purpose well; practicality. Ex. ‘I like the feel and functionality of this bakeware’
2. The range of operations that can be run on a computer or other electronic system. Ex. ‘new software with additional functionality’
In the first example, you could not replace "functionality" with "function" and have it make any sense. Arguably, either word could be used in the second example with a slight difference in meaning.
1
Unfortunately, without Steve Jobs, Apple has lost its vision. Jobs famously would obsess about each feature, such as rounded corners for apps or other minute particulars of the user interface. He wanted the device to just work without a manual. As a longtime Apple user, I find myself frequently having to navigate websites to discover how to use a product I've had for a decade or more. I'm not sure Apple will ever innovate like it did with Jobs.
138
And the world lost a true super-hero when Thomas Edison died. But things are still moving along and getting better all the time when it comes to electronics, medical research and... lighting.
So tired of all the wishes for resurrection of Jobs to save Apple, which is doing pretty well right now. Things change. Life goes on. Grow up and look forward because that's where you are going to be living.
So tired of all the wishes for resurrection of Jobs to save Apple, which is doing pretty well right now. Things change. Life goes on. Grow up and look forward because that's where you are going to be living.
3
Jobs's belief that his products were intuitive never rang true for me. I've always found Apple products hard to use. Interesting to hear that it's just gotten worse.
Sounds like they're trying to emulate an Old Sony remote control with about 10 million fine buttons to choose from to do all kinds of god awful nothing when you just want to change channels and increase or decrease the volume
79
And one of the most relied on apps -reminders- simply fails to sync across devices. A massive miss for Apple.
15
And it no longer has the option to give a second reminder!
I mostly use music apps and some of them I will doubtless never fully understand. I still get use out of them, except a few I haven't taken the time to dive into yet. Apple's Garageband is pretty straightforward compared to most music apps I suppose. I like knowing there are apps I can still learn more about, and are complicated enough to provide a challenge, should I decide to take it.
1
I recently deleted 90% of my apps. The apps that apple provides, moved into a folder on the last page. I don't need more apps or features. All I truly want is for the apps that I use to be able to integrate with few apple apps that I use. Why can't google maps be my default map app or outlook be my primary email app?
93
You get to choose your own default apps on Android. Give it a try, it's great.
1
This issue with Apple has been clear for a while now.
While the company aims to constantly introduce new technology and features to feed its need to promote ongoing innovation... the corporate culture... existing products languish in half-realized form. For example, Pages is absurdly limited compared to MS Word. And the supposedly seamless integration of devices and apps via iCloud is far from smooth. And OS (operating system for Mac computers) has layers of features and options that most people don't use. And mistakes are hidden. For example, Macbook retina monitors tend to become stained and Macbook keyboards accumulate damage relatively quickly, rendering letters illegible. The innovation-above-all-else mentality of the company makes it difficult to honestly focus on such basic issues so that they can be addressed fairly and effectively.
It's neither practical nor wise to attempt to maintain focus on constant innovation without also committing substantial resources to optimization. Imagine constantly remodeling the house without ever getting many parts of it finished. Who wants to lives with bare studs or unfinished sheetrock all of the time? I think that the key is to find a dynamic and highly functional balance between innovation and optimization. Apple isn't doing this. Maybe someone else is or will. In the meantime, unless Apple undergoes a considerable course correction, I'd suggest unloading your stock in the next few years, before it's too late.
While the company aims to constantly introduce new technology and features to feed its need to promote ongoing innovation... the corporate culture... existing products languish in half-realized form. For example, Pages is absurdly limited compared to MS Word. And the supposedly seamless integration of devices and apps via iCloud is far from smooth. And OS (operating system for Mac computers) has layers of features and options that most people don't use. And mistakes are hidden. For example, Macbook retina monitors tend to become stained and Macbook keyboards accumulate damage relatively quickly, rendering letters illegible. The innovation-above-all-else mentality of the company makes it difficult to honestly focus on such basic issues so that they can be addressed fairly and effectively.
It's neither practical nor wise to attempt to maintain focus on constant innovation without also committing substantial resources to optimization. Imagine constantly remodeling the house without ever getting many parts of it finished. Who wants to lives with bare studs or unfinished sheetrock all of the time? I think that the key is to find a dynamic and highly functional balance between innovation and optimization. Apple isn't doing this. Maybe someone else is or will. In the meantime, unless Apple undergoes a considerable course correction, I'd suggest unloading your stock in the next few years, before it's too late.
30
Yes, and something as simple as storing a download can get crazy because it has to go to the Icloud. I have an iPhone and an iPad and love the latter, but if I need to download and go back to my documents I use my otherwise not so great kindle fire.
1
I love the Apple Watch, I wear about 23 hours a day. My iPhone is wrapped in a sturdy case with a passcode lock - in other words, not that easy to get out in a hurry. Being able to answer calls, get messages, set times, check the weather, get traffic directions, all on my wrist, that is huge.
I use about 25% of the app features Apple provides, the rest I ignore. But I sure appreciate that 25%.
Ok, I am a 66 Apple fan boy who owns an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and the Apple WiFi router. It is amazing how well these products itegrate. I take photos on the iPhone, edit them on the iPad, look at them on Apple TV, and share them with family on iCloud.
I use about 25% of the app features Apple provides, the rest I ignore. But I sure appreciate that 25%.
Ok, I am a 66 Apple fan boy who owns an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and the Apple WiFi router. It is amazing how well these products itegrate. I take photos on the iPhone, edit them on the iPad, look at them on Apple TV, and share them with family on iCloud.
49
I would only add as an FYI .. The statement that Apple Watches sales are being hindered .. has no basis in reality.
I would pay more money for less tech in my Apple products. If they would market something that was called Easy Apple or Basic Apple, I would pay for the convenience. I don't want all this crap that I will never use and can't figure out. I have old Apple products and never upgrade because they just keep making it more difficult and a more frustrating experience....
219
My daughter talked my husband into buying me an iPhone 6S a year ago. It went screwy about a month ago and I lost all my contacts. I hadn't backed up my iPhone because it was simply to difficult to do and I was busy dealing with my father's illness and death. I'm 63 yrs old and I regret not getting a phone through AARP. I would love to listen to music on my phone but I don't have the patience to figure it out. The same with reading a kindle book, so a I carry a kindle around with me instead. I read the news feed sometimes, but I have a subscription to NYT and WaPo and prefer to use my laptop or iPad. (Another difficult to use apple product--the camera? Forget it!). I'm not interested in Word with Friends or any of the other silly games that my kids seem to like. Easy apple or basic apple as suggested by sfdphd? Yep, that is exactly what I would like! Next phone that I get will be cheap and dummied down. No texting (What a waste of time!), just a phone!
Agreed! It would be so fabulous if major tech companies (AND automobile manufacturers) would offer a basic and/or more traditional product for those who do not want all the apps, don't want or need all the detailed technology and social media, don't want internet-connected or touch-screen automobiles. Simplicity can be so very valuable!
1
let's call it "Apple Classic"
1
hmm…I'm a reasonably bright semi tech savvy guy and iPhone 7s user. and I don't have the slightest idea what this piece is about. messenger app stickers - I've never heard of stickers, not even Disney stickers. as a professional photographer/videographer who uses an array of modern digital equipment I can say with certainty that most companies, Apple for sure, are virtually incapable of explaining how to use products and features they produce. my new Panasonic GH5 camera has 139 menu items - 119 of which are nearly incomprehensible with near nonexistent explanation. this is a significant 21st century challenge.
223
To second the opinion of Mark Lebow below: When Apple doesn't present anything "new," the columnists say that they don't do anything new anymore. And when they do something new, it's too much for those same columnists. The fact is that none of it is needed for life; it's mostly luxury.
30
Thank you.
11
It's called technology backlash.
Some of the changes implemented in iTunes makes my user experience miserable. After the so-called enhancement I have a hard time trying to perform something that I was able to do relatively easily before.
So I have a simple advise for any 'enhanacement': do it only if it makes life simpler for the user.
Some of the changes implemented in iTunes makes my user experience miserable. After the so-called enhancement I have a hard time trying to perform something that I was able to do relatively easily before.
So I have a simple advise for any 'enhanacement': do it only if it makes life simpler for the user.
145
You mean to tell me that you didn't enjoy watching half of your music library disappear after updating iTunes?
129
I particularly liked the discovery that a set of CDs I had ripped to Itunes and put on my phone were no longer there when I went to play them. This was in a new car with no CD player and only a bluetooth interface so I can no longer use my ipod classic. I found out because it happened in a cell signal desert. I was not asked to approve this stripping of my property from my personal property, and am not at all happy about it.
47
It's an unintended consequence of "agile" design thinking in Silicon Valley. "Fail early and fail often" is the mantra there. Unfortunately, these tech companies have MASSIVE egos and can lose connection with the customer. Apple has lost connection. Amazon has not. See the difference?
1
So Apple is damned if they do, by cramming hard-to-use features into new iPhones and new versions of iOS, and damned if they don't, by not innovating fast enough to keep up with fickle technology pundits. And I expect that no matter what they announce on Monday, they'll be criticized again for both reasons.
65
I don't recall the technology pundits demanding messages stickers, iTunes bloat or hard screen presses.
I agree wholeheartedly. Apple has been making things more complicated for years, and it is undermining the basic philosophy, as well as the user-friendliness of its products. Why choose an Apple device that is complicated when you can choose a cheaper one that is only slightly more complicated?
I hope they return to their original design philosophy and make things not only beautiful, but easier and simpler to use.
I hope they return to their original design philosophy and make things not only beautiful, but easier and simpler to use.
162
My phone got broke today when I dropped it but Siri was still there and couldn't understand I wanted to POST… So I had to pay 140 and had screen replaced but Siri would not understand me and was getting worse and worser The more I needed it to "obey"… Go figure
I'm delighted to see all these articles and comments. I love Apple and their products are woven through my day. But I hope Cook hears these pleas for simplicity and stability. DON't change the location of items when there is no improvement in the change! Time is our challenge. We don't want to learn things over and over. I used to update immediately...now I wait weeks for the bugs to be worked out. And don't kill beautiful software like Aperture!! I miss it so much. FIX ITunes! Do less, do it BETTER.
5
Re: iTunes. By gawd, YES! Less would be more...
1
I have also found apps are becoming bloated in size. Facebook's recent update was 360MB+. The large size makes it hard to download on metered cell plans.
30
Then don't allow it to download using cellular data. Find a wifi hotspot if you don't have wifi at home and update apps then.
2
Most people use computers, tablets and phones to do basic things. Fun stuff is for kids, consultants and traveling business people to play with instead of Scrabble.
21
You want to see a 50 year old man cry? Watch me try to sync my music on iTunes. I should just give up and subscribe to a streaming service, ugh.
211
There so much on iTunes that isn't music... so why on earth is still called iTunes. Maybe it should be called i-everything-including-the-kitchen-sink. I avoid it as much as possible!
19
Har har, that was good except I don't have music on my thingamajig or my pad thingamajig… Heck I want to get my eight track player fixed,might get better sound than my FM radio in these hills
2
I gave up after Apple killed my old Mac with their hefty new operating system. I just stream music thru Spotify. I can play it on my iPad, phone, Kindle, Alexa and TV. I will probably be able to pick it up on my fillings if I stand next to my thirty year old microwave. I pay the ten dollars a month guilt money so no commercials. This is way cheaper than my previous music buying habit. Plus I get get Tuuvan throat music instantly....or Rage Against the Machine. Go for it dude. Music heaven.
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