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Former Apple TV Engineer Claims New Apple TV Interface Discarded 5 Years Ago [Updatedx2]
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I neither love nor hate it.
My personal opinion is that if Apple makes a standalone HDTV, it will have apps. And if it has apps, it makes sense to have an iOS-style interface with colorful buttons like an iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch.
So it's possible this is a "public beta" of the HDTV interface.
My personal opinion is that if Apple makes a standalone HDTV, it will have apps. And if it has apps, it makes sense to have an iOS-style interface with colorful buttons like an iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch.
So it's possible this is a "public beta" of the HDTV interface.
Er... yes?
One of Apple's design strengths is minimalism, elegant use of empty space and restrained use of colour. I hope the next generation of MacBooks aren't going to be covered with the sort of go-faster stripes and logos that encrust non-Apple laptops. Haven't you seen this warning video?
...also, its cluttering up everybody's front page with icons for very specific services which many people won't want to sign up for (MLB? I 'm not from the US, but I think its a bit like the game "rounders" that the girls used to play at school - either that or some sort of religious sect) while something all-encompasing like "Radio" languishes at the bottom (and hence can't display favourites in the top bar like the first row of apps).
Good design is something you use without realising. Bad design is something you learn to work around. Note which one takes time. "Grows on you" is not the words I would use to describe the process. That suggests acceptance.
Saying "no" and then "yes" later doesn't make it a bad thing.
A four person car isn't what I wanted five years ago, maybe it's more useful to me now for different reasons (a simple analogy).
This implies they've rewritted and debugged this version of the Apple TV OS (iOS?) since fall and released it? They must have started hours after Mr. Jobs died, that DOES NOT seem likely.
The AppleTV has always been lacking (but supposedly Jobs figured it out). Most TV interfaces have been lacking IMHO. XBMC, Boxee, AppleTV (versions 1 and 2 and 3) all missing a little (I liked Boxee, personally). Actually, I always liked my TiVo interface but it's very NON-graphical and that doesn't sell well.
Honestly, choosing (instantly consumable) media hasn't been my favorite option on any of my iPhone Apps. Except Pandora, but I don't really choose there, do I?
I like iTunes on the computer because I can sort and search very quickly and easily.
Gary
A four person car isn't what I wanted five years ago, maybe it's more useful to me now for different reasons (a simple analogy).
This implies they've rewritted and debugged this version of the Apple TV OS (iOS?) since fall and released it? They must have started hours after Mr. Jobs died, that DOES NOT seem likely.
The AppleTV has always been lacking (but supposedly Jobs figured it out). Most TV interfaces have been lacking IMHO. XBMC, Boxee, AppleTV (versions 1 and 2 and 3) all missing a little (I liked Boxee, personally). Actually, I always liked my TiVo interface but it's very NON-graphical and that doesn't sell well.
Honestly, choosing (instantly consumable) media hasn't been my favorite option on any of my iPhone Apps. Except Pandora, but I don't really choose there, do I?
I like iTunes on the computer because I can sort and search very quickly and easily.
Gary
The original interface was great. I liked that one the most.
The second generation interface was complete rubbish as far as i was concerned.
The third generation interface (the current one) is just as rubbish, BUT i can see some logic in it if they were paving the way for apps (which i'm hoping they are).
I don't see this as a "Post jobs" issue as the 2nd gen interface which i think was easily the worst of the 3 was brought in under job's tenure.
I think an ATV SDK will be introduced at WWDC this year (well, more of a hope really lol), if so it mostly vindicates the new design. Apps would simply not have worked with the first 2 designs; well, not in a way that user friendly enough for a 5 year old to use.
The second generation interface was complete rubbish as far as i was concerned.
The third generation interface (the current one) is just as rubbish, BUT i can see some logic in it if they were paving the way for apps (which i'm hoping they are).
I don't see this as a "Post jobs" issue as the 2nd gen interface which i think was easily the worst of the 3 was brought in under job's tenure.
I think an ATV SDK will be introduced at WWDC this year (well, more of a hope really lol), if so it mostly vindicates the new design. Apps would simply not have worked with the first 2 designs; well, not in a way that user friendly enough for a 5 year old to use.
Not necessarily. One of the biggest reasons people reject a different design is because it doesn't convey to their workflow and habits. So they have to change their ways. It's only a question of how appropriate their original workflow was. Change always makes things worst at first, but most of the time, after a get to know period, everything is better and faster than it was before if the change was a smart one to begin with. But of course, if the potential gain as very small and the get to know period is long, then it just might not be worth it.
this guy really gets the proportion of the situtation...
If the guys at apple were as dumb this guy it would be the end of the world, not just apple.
No, they should not. If you know anything about Steve, what was his advice to Apple before he passed? "I don't want Apple to get like Disney after Walt passed, frozen constantly trying to think like Walt. Don't try to think what I would do, just do what's right."
Basically the gist of what he said. So no, Jonny and everyone shouldn't try to think like Jobs, they should follow their own intuition and instincts, because the only person who could think like Steve Jobs is sadly gone now. Either fret the past, or embrace the future.
I just think its funny how a disgruntled ex employee can say whatever he wants and it's reported as fact. I'd be highly skepticle of this statement. The design is clearly designed around the recent advancements made in ATV in terms of apps. Those weren't there 5 years ago. And the rest of the UI seems highly inspired by their advancements in iOS UI design, again which didn't exist 5 years ago.
It's not like the ATV interface has always been perfect up until now. They've redesigned it several times under Steve. So it's not like he never OKd "bad design." (Even though I think the new UI is much better than the previous)
yes, they are way too big and all the colors look more like Windows 7. blech! Does not look like a high-end Apple product until after the main screen. I also wish the star ratings on movies were on the thumbnails so I don't have to click on each one to know whether it's a one-star loser. People's star ratings have been a pretty good guide for avoiding bad movies. Sorting by rating would also be nice.
Steve Jobs didn't want third-party apps on the iPhone and initially rejected the classic dancing silhouette iPod ads. He wasn't perfect.
There's no way we could say Steve wouldn't have approved of using this new design today; after all, Steve approved of the new iTunes icon everyone also complained about when it came out, and he would have been aware of this in-development Apple TV interface before he died. This article is just people looking for things to claim that Apple is now falling apart, as if Steve Jobs single-handedly designed everything at Apple to begin with.
There's no way we could say Steve wouldn't have approved of using this new design today; after all, Steve approved of the new iTunes icon everyone also complained about when it came out, and he would have been aware of this in-development Apple TV interface before he died. This article is just people looking for things to claim that Apple is now falling apart, as if Steve Jobs single-handedly designed everything at Apple to begin with.
Really? You must not have been an Apple follower during the Aqua days. Last time I checked, OSX was born with the design goal of "when you see it, you want to lick it"
Ever check out that iOS home screen? Looks pretty damn colorful to me. ATVs new interface clearly designed like that. Big, colorful, easy to discern icons.
I still haven't seen exactly what makes the ATV interface "bad" design. Different? Yes. Bad? I don't think so. In fact, given all the new apps and content offerings, I'd say the old ATV interface was absolutely horrendous for people taking advantage of these services. I mean, lumping them into one vertically scrolling list simply titled "Internet". That's not great design from Apple.
People don't like change, it's that simple. I'm sure many of you called the last UI redesign horrible and the front row interface was so much better. Because you get used to a certain workflow, and get all upset the minute that workflow is interrupted and forced to relearn something. Fortunately, it's not hard to learn the new UI. So either take a few weeks to get used to it, or go and make a better product yourself if you're such an expert on design.
I would have to agree with this, the old design was much easier to navigate.
With the new design I went to the movies app and wasn't expecting to end up in the iTunes music store. The new design is cluttered and confusing, it works on an iPhone but not for AppleTV.
If I could I would revert to the old menu format.
With the new design I went to the movies app and wasn't expecting to end up in the iTunes music store. The new design is cluttered and confusing, it works on an iPhone but not for AppleTV.
If I could I would revert to the old menu format.
Hopefully Apple hasn't forgotten that a consumer wants a new product to:
1. Look different
2.Feel different
3.Be identifiable
Only reason why I say this is that the the Iphone 4S, and New Ipad are almost like the previous model and the New Apple TV feels just like any other user interface around.
Bottom Line: Not good, even though sales of the Iphone4S may say differently.
1. Look different
2.Feel different
3.Be identifiable
Only reason why I say this is that the the Iphone 4S, and New Ipad are almost like the previous model and the New Apple TV feels just like any other user interface around.
Bottom Line: Not good, even though sales of the Iphone4S may say differently.
I actually like where the new design is going. Like many others have said, we need to be able to rearrange and eliminate a number of the icons. Especially, if what I hope happens that add much more like Hulu, HBO Go, Max Go etc. Like the early iPhones did not have an App Store and did not have folders or even cut/paste. These were added later. I just hope that get on with it soon.
Apple isn't and (hopefully) never will be the type of company to make cosmetic changes just for the sake of making it "different." This is part of what makes them special. Changing for the sake of change is going to be the day when the management has lost it.
Mr. Ive is an industrial designer. He creates the outward look of the products.
He's most likely not the kind of person at Apple who should make decisions about user interfaces.