Apple's Most Questionable Design Decisions in Recent Memory

[fooobar]

the list is missing these obvious entries:

1. notch (iPhone X/11/12) - just plain hideous.
2. updated notch (iPhone 13) - slightly smaller, but still an abomination.
3. notch (MacBook Pro 2021) - can sometimes be hidden, but still terrible.

 

[PygmySurfer]

I would love to see the trash can Mac Pro design return. Position it between the Mini and the Pro, maybe price it around $1200. Doesn’t need the graphics cards like the Mac Pro did (wonder if the Apple Silicon Pros will even have that option), could potentially be space inside for multiple drives, though.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

Actually I do have a design decision that seemed questionable on the Mac Air. You have two ports for the Lightning C USB on one side, and on the other side you just had one port for the Microphone. You didn't want to put another port on that side, or have the regular USB port? That decision seemed odd to me.

 

[Umacga]

It’s. A. Wireless. Mouse!!!

Apple didn’t intend for it to be used connected. With only a few minutes to reach a satisfactory charge, go make a hot drink, check the news, a toilet break, stand up and stretch for a moment.

And if it still seems weird or off-putting, then buy a WIRED mouse. Simple!!!

No lying, no hypocrisy, just simple logic…

Or just buy literally any other wireless mouse on the market, which has the option to charge during use in a pinch.

 

[Tr55]

The worst design decision that affected me was the Sidebar redesign in the iPad Safari browser In iOS 15.

It’s an abomination even with the later fix.

 

[Mug_narwhal.0m]

One day they will make a new pricey MagSafe Magic Mouse.

 

[ikramerica]

The whole 2016 MBP package should be there...a total failure.

Absolutely. Apple lost a sale from me. I kept my 2012 all the way through to the 2021 M1 Pro. I honestly could have really used an upgrade in 2016/17 but wanted nothing to do with the overpriced monster mistake design. So I added RAM, faster and larger SSD, and kept my 2012 i7 for 4 more years.

 

[NPC Compliant]

How does this list not include the Touch Bar?

No rational thinking person could include it; it’s useful, intuitive, and unobtrusive

 

[ikramerica]

IMO the Touch Bar was always doomed to flop on “Pro” devices. Pros mostly use keyboard shortcuts and the like. Most don’t really do or want to look at their keyboards/beneath the screen while working on the screen. The TB also didn’t introduce much features that were both unique to it and useful only with it.
Also, the fact that there was never an external keyboard with a TB meant that had you gotten used to using it for a lot of essential stuff for your workflow, using a machine that didn’t have a TB, like a Mac Pro or iMac Pro, which a lot of professionals do, they switch machines for different workloads, locations, etc., they couldn’t continue as they were. Keyboard shortcuts were always more “universal” and it didn’t matter what Mac you were on. That’s the reason why I always called the TB to flop as long as there wouldn’t be an external TB Keyboard. For normal people it might be very handy, as it essentially visually displays shortcuts and other functions and features in a very simple and easy to access way. Apple got the whole thing wrong.
That you couldn’t get specific models without one and basically had to pay for an expensive “new” technology that you might never use or like never made much sense either. Luckily it’s gone (for now).

This. Without a TB keyboard for the imac, mini or Pro (or MBP in clamshell), the touchbar became useful only to a subset of users: MBP owners who use only the MBP and nothing but the MBP.

 

[4tune8chance]

My pet peeve is having the all the ports at the back of the Mac, so inconvenien.

 

[Cats01]

Magic Mouse Have it. Had an extra blue tooth mouse to use while the Magic Mouse was charging. Blue tooth mouse died and haven't replaced it. Have resorted to charging the Magic Mouse overnight. Dumb design.

 

[waterfta]

The trashcan is the only real choice for champion here, right? What an awful product...

Actually, a pretty sweet design if you never wanted to upgrade, add custom parts, or use your product like an actual professional would want to do. I mean, Microsoft essentially used this concept for the Xbox Series X but shaped it like a mini-fridge instead of a mini-trashcan. Thermally, a super interesting idea and probably wouldn't exist if Apple hadn't done this first.

 

[nvmls]

People have different opinions. If something works for you then the design decision is no big deal. I never had an issue with the butterfly keyboard other than the feel was not to my liking; but mine never broke in the 3 years I owned it. I, OTOH, don't like the old Siri Remote because I find it a pain to use. A friend loved his trash can Mac Pro. I liked the original Pencil because it made writing on an iPad useful while other companies tried and fell short; though I thought the charging design was a bad one.

In the end, no one is "right," they are just opinions based on experience and preference.

Because you love a product doesn't mean you can't objectively see a flaw, it's not about "opinions".

 

[Takeo]

I love the original Siri Remote and actually stocked up them on eBay because I spent 2 weeks with the new “improved” Siri Remote and didn’t like it at all.

 

[theluggage]

I would love to see the trash can Mac Pro design return.

I suspect that the rumoured Apple Silicon Mac Pro Mini and/or the Mac Mini Pro will be closer to the Trashcan in concept - basically non-upgradeable and reliant on Thunderbolt, with a dual or quad M1 Max system-on-a-chip (the Jade 2C/4C that people are talking about). I doubt that it would look like the Trashcan after the fate of that machine, though.

In a sense, the Trashcan would make more sense in the Apple Silicon world: the problem that Apple admitted to was that they'd painted themselves into a thermal corner so there was no upgrade path using Intel chips. With Apple Silicon, thermals should be less of a problem and it would be down to Apple to make sure there were suitable successor chips.

Of course, there were other problems with the trashcan - like people who actually wanted internal PCIe expansion (inc. for specialist audio/video cards, high speed data interfaces etc. - not just GPUs) and internal storage - and the real problem of the Trashcan was that there was no alternative if the concept didn't work for you - the old cheesegrater had been effectively abandoned a couple of years previously. This time round, the Intel Mac Pro is reasonably up-to-date and could be kept going for several years.

 

[FelixDerKater]

Mac Pro still looks neat, even if it isn't a terribly functional design.

 

[ericwn]

Or just buy literally any other wireless mouse on the market, which has the option to charge during use in a pinch.

The availability of more functional accessories is well known and not the topic. Plenty people buy other peripheral devices for the reasons outlined in this discussion.

 

[ghostface147]

This is the last year of the extended butterfly keyboard for my 2018 MB Pro. I haven’t had any issues at all, but I’m sure “something” will pop up between now and August. They’ll replace it with the 4th gen version.

 

[ericwn]

No rational thinking person could include it; it’s useful, intuitive, and unobtrusive

Would you like a broader brush?

 

[1madman1]

The Mac Pro 6,1 is at least user serviceable while being priced within reach of mere mortals unlike literally everything they make today.

If you asked me about Mac Pro in 2013 I would've never thought things would be so bad that I'd be at the point of defending it, given the questionable thermal performance at the time.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

Absolutely. Apple lost a sale from me. I kept my 2012 all the way through to the 2021 M1 Pro. I honestly could have really used an upgrade in 2016/17 but wanted nothing to do with the overpriced monster mistake design. So I added RAM, faster and larger SSD, and kept my 2012 i7 for 4 more years.

I'm using my 2012 right now, with no plans to replace it. 16GB RAM isn't great, but I've got 4TB of internal SSD, and just put a new battery in it a few months ago.

The notch is a dealbreaker on the 2021.

 

[clevins]

To all of you hypocrite saying you like the Magic Mouse and charging it is a non-issue. You need to get better lying… ? it’s a complete failure when it’s completely inoperable due to charging. I can’t think of a single other product that has that issue aside from Apple Pencil 1.

You have to be a complete idiot to ignore the various warnings about the low battery so that you're stuck needing it when it runs out. I've had it get really low. I plug it in at the end of the day when it warns me (or at lunch if it's really low) and... problem solved.

That you can't do this is more a commentary on you than on the mouse.

 

[clevins]

I vote for the iPhone MacBook Pro notch, however unpopular I may be.

"Give us smaller bezels!"

"But we need space for the camera"

"SMALLER. BEZELS"

"fine, here. We kept a small notch the camera"

"WAAAAAAA....."

 

[loby]

This is the last year of the extended butterfly keyboard for my 2018 MB Pro. I haven’t had any issues at all, but I’m sure “something” will pop up between now and August. They’ll replace it with the 4th gen version.

No, they will not...Apple replace mine and I asked them. They said they will replace it with the same gen. version.

They have plenty of returns probably, so their supplies will last..

 

[kaycrystal626]

Yup, some of these design decisions are terrible! What are they thinking!