Former Apple TV Engineer Claims New Apple TV Interface Discarded 5 Years Ago [Updatedx2]

[Andronicus]

I think it looks great.

[danny_w]

Originally Posted by jonnysods

I'm not saying anything new here, I really don't like it. Just updated my ATV last night. It's definitely an out of character move for Apple, given their love for user interfaces.

Agreed 100%

[Thunderhawks]

Originally Posted by mabaker

What is so bad about it? The fact that it uses the screen estate? Or that the icons are actually colorful?

Yes, all of it!

Perfection (in design) is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but rather when there is nothing more to take away.

-- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

[RemE]

I won't say it's horrible, but the fact that I can't delete icons and organize them IS horrible. It does take more real estate and there are so many apps that I have no interest in that I'm forced to scroll around.

I also agree that Steve can't be the only one with taste at Apple, and if it was his taste that defined the look of the Calendar and Contacts apps in IOS, I would say I'm looking forward to some fresh input as they pain me to look at.

[LFMNX]

Once you get past the big icons I like the UI. Especially after playing with samsung smart TV apps and the interface for roku xs.

[danny_w]

Originally Posted by admanimal

With one quick scroll you can see every single content option on the device represented by big, colorful icons.

Right, big colorful icons that are very difficult to tell which one is currently selected. I hate it!

[Kebabselector]

I don't mind the new layout to be honest, though I'd like the ability to delete stuff I don't want (MLB, WSJ etc). I found the old menu system o.k. at first, but the more they add it the more of a pain it was to scroll down to find the option you wanted.

[WeegieMac]

Originally Posted by MultiMediaWill

This looks like the end of Apple. Without Steve here there is no QA.

It was, sadly, always going to be the case. I get slated by friends for this, but I keep saying I miss the Steve era, it was a hell of a ride. Even though he said he didn't want people to ask, "What would Steve do", I still liked to think that somehow they'd keep to his principles. I can see only two people at Apple keeping Steve's principles, and that's Jony Ive and Scott Forstall. They're in the Steve "mould", the same mindset.

Tim Cook, I'm sorry, is not inspiring, he's God awfully boring on stage, too slow, too pedantic, almost robotic. He may well be a great CEO, but there's nothing to suggest that without Steve he'll be nothing but another Gil Amelio. Especially if he begins selfishly and forcefully thinking his visions are what "Steve would want" when they're actually far from that.

[ouimetnick]

At least the icons aren't all greyed out like iTunes is.

[Avatar74]

I think instead of saying that there's no one to say "no" to bad design, I'd put it this way: There may not be a singular person currently at Apple who has the fundamental instinct for discerning elegant design from bad design in an instant.

The danger this presents for Apple is that if they don't retain someone who does possess this kind of insight, and entrust that person with final authority to can a bad design, they may turn back to consumer testing...

The moment Apple starts designing by committee again, it's hello Pippin, hello Newton, hello Performa... hello garbage... all over again.

[oliversl]

Wirelessly posted

Of this is true, I'm scared.
I do get loss in the new UI because the blue aura around the icons is too thin.

[WeegieMac]

Originally Posted by Avatar74

I think instead of saying that there's no one to say "no" to bad design, I'd put it this way: There may not be a singular person currently at Apple who has the fundamental instinct for discerning elegant design from bad design in an instant.

The danger this presents for Apple is that if they don't retain someone who does possess this kind of insight, and entrust that person with final authority to can a bad design, they may turn back to consumer testing...

The moment Apple starts designing by committee again, it's hello Pippin, hello Newton, hello Performa... hello garbage... all over again.

Agreed.

People keep saying that Scott Forstall is the next CEO in waiting.

I hope he is, he's got that Steve-esque arrogance and the personality to match. On stage, he's enthusiastic, he's almost arrogantly mesmerising, he holds attention, he makes things interesting and shows a real passion for his product.

[damir00]

Originally Posted by Kilamite

I hate it. They should buy Plex.

No thanks - don't like the Plex interface.

Each to their own, I guess.

[danny_w]

Originally Posted by oliversl

Wirelessly posted

Of this is true, I'm scared.
I do get loss in the new UI because the blue aura around the icons is too thin.

Exactly right, it is too hard to tell which icon is currently selected. Plus you can't delete icons for unused applications.

[adztaylor]

The old UI was just as bad and Steve did approve that one.

[Eves apple]

I preferred the older version, the new one is a bit clunky but I do like the colours.
And it's not a Pioneer plasma.

[CupertinoRat]

It is becoming very clear that without Steve in charge things are going downhill rather quickly.

I'm sorry but you can't call milking same old designs (see 4S or iPad 3) innovation. And now bringing back old UI rejected by Steve.

Shame.

[URFloorMatt]

Originally Posted by Avatar74

I think instead of saying that there's no one to say "no" to bad design, I'd put it this way: There may not be a singular person currently at Apple who has the fundamental instinct for discerning elegant design from bad design in an instant.

The danger this presents for Apple is that if they don't retain someone who does possess this kind of insight, and entrust that person with final authority to can a bad design, they may turn back to consumer testing...

You say this like the old Apple TV design was genius and in the few months since Jobs' death, Apple completely revamped the design by committee. Fact is, the interface has always been a problem, and the Apple TV has never been a success. The new design is lipstick on a pig--lipstick, in all likelihood, approved by Jobs himself.

My point is simply this: it's one thing to say that the Apple TV interface sucks. It's another thing to say it sucks because Jobs isn't in charge anymore. The former is perfectly reasonable; the latter is bordering on Cult of Jobs nonsense.

It seems highly unlikely to me that the production pipeline allows for the possibility that someone other than Jobs approved this revamp of the interface. This thread is a case study in people seeing what they want to see (namely, a decline in decision making at Apple following Jobs' death).

[nagromme]

In other words, this reminded him of something Jobs didn’t like 5 years ago. It has something in common.

It’s obviously not the same thing that was rejected 5 years ago.

There’s probably an interesting nugget of Apple historical trivia hiding here, but I doubt we’ll find it.

[verniesgarden]

Originally Posted by roland.g

There are elements of the first Apple TV OS which was essentially Front Row that I miss and while I got used to the Apple TV 2 OS as well, I can also see how this one leads the way for apps. I don't know how I feel about the icon based design. Ironically, even though they changed the front page interface each time, the sub level design (especially within Computers) has not changed. I can't bring up my movies in billboard. And I still don't know how I feel about the Computers categorization instead of My Movies, My TV Shows, My Music under each of the respective headings.

I totally agree, I want my content to be intuitively in there respective spots, as long as they are on my homeshared macs. less clicks to get to content better UX.

[dethmaShine]

I for one don't like this design majorly because of the stale icons. They obviously are colourful but look ridiculously simplistic without an appropriate gradient. The rest of the UI is fantastic. It's just the icons that bug me.

[adztaylor]

Originally Posted by CupertinoRat

It is becoming very clear that without Steve in charge things are going downhill rather quickly.

I'm sorry but you can't call milking same old designs (see 4S or iPad 3) innovation. And now bringing back old UI rejected by Steve.

Shame.

Interesting, seeing as Steve did work on the iPhone 4S and probably knew something about the new iPad (of course that's just conjecture)

Some people need to get a grip.

[Reach9]

Wirelessly posted

I.e. without Steve, Apple will lose that sense of design and perfect UI experience? Ouch.

[Lek]

Originally Posted by DanteMann

I just LOVE how Apple continues to use the Pioneer Plasma as an image to represent their TV. I truly hope they are paying Pioneer for this. But the most hilarious thing about all this, they FINALLY realized the Kuro TV they were using looked so dated with it's massive bezel that they now edited the image with a smaller bezel. Oh Apple, when will you start inventing your own products.

I have a Kuro and I LOVE the bigger bezel, it's the most elegant TV ever designed. I'll keep it and its perfect picture quality over I'm sure Apple's forthcoming average picture quality with I'm sure great ergonomics and ease of use.

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by CupertinoRat

It is becoming very clear that without Steve in charge things are going downhill rather quickly.

I'm sorry but you can't call milking same old designs (see 4S or iPad 3) innovation. And now bringing back old UI rejected by Steve.

Shame.

1. Design isn’t how it looks, it’s how it works. Changing a perfectly good shape is easy—that isn’t true innovation. That’s why Apple design is better than flavor-of-the-month design from other companies who just dream up new shells (or copy Apple’s old designs). Apple doesn’t need to be like the companies that are struggling.

2. You’ve never seen a company use the same casing for two years? Apple has re-used excellent casings far longer than that—look at the entire Mac lineup. Innovation goes on inside, and in the software, as it should. Nothing about making the new iPad look like the old one is at all different than Apple ever was. Steve Jobs was most definitely involved in the new iPad, and in the re-use of other great Apple casings in past years.