Best Apple Products of the Decade: iPad, iPhones, Apple Watch, Macs, and More

[MartiNZ]

Compare this to their previous decade, and the likes of the g4 iMac, Quicksilver tower, coloured iBooks, TiBook, iPhone 3gs, and of course any number of fun iPods.

That was definitely the form over function decade, and for many that was what made the products desirable. They had to weigh down the base of the 20" g4 iMac just so it could hold the screen up.

Since then it has just been about thinner and lighter ahead of everything else, with much less interest in the form as a whole. Not to say that the products have been poor, at all, but something has definitely been lost.

 

[B4U]

About the design of the 6, it is quite questionable. Only thing special making it bigger. If the rumor of the iPhone 9/SE2 is true, it would have been used far longer than it should. 😓

 

[PickUrPoison]

New Mac Pro best of the decade..



Oh Wait..

Best Mac Pro of the decade, for sure. Best desktop of the decade for me would be an iMac, I’m split between the late-2015 3.2/3.6GHz Quad-core—$1,799, including that amazing display?—and the 2017 iMac Pro.

But for me, the 2010 iPad is the product of the decade. Got one for my Dad’s 75th birthday a few months after it was released. Never used a PC in his life, but he could use that (well, sort of lol). In any case, iPad was a game changer.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

I agree with the contention that the iPad is the '10s Apple product of the decade.

You can't just go with what's newer; We're talking revolutionary here.

Neither the Watch nor the AirPods have made as significant a dent in the computing landscape, as successful as they've been comparatively speaking with other wearables (I'd place them third and second, respectively). The iPhone is still essentially the same (particularly because of its software limitations). The iMacs including the Pro are iterations of prior existing designs. The new Mac Pro is an update of the 2012 machine.

Apple has had BIG breakthroughs that changed the landscape and redefined their categories, and these are: Macintosh, iMac, iPod (along with the iTunes Store in particular), iPhone (and the App Store), and the iPad, which truly solidified the Post-PC promise of the iPhone (the iPad was being developed first).

Wearables are an accessory and extensions of the above, in one form or another, regardless of how great they are.

Now, if we're talking about my FAVORITE Apple product of the decade, then it's hands-down the 2011 17-inch MacBook Pro I'm typing this on. To this day it has NO equal. Expandable, upgradeable, powerful, great assortment of ports, awesome battery life (for its class), non-retina-envy screen, still flawless keyboard. It's not perfect (graphic card issues), but if Apple had released an updated version (updated graphics, processors, and add TB3, no more changes) of this instead of the 16", I would have bought one already instead of waiting for my 2011 to die.

 

[anthorumor]

Best product: iPad
Accessory: AirPods (W1 chip)
Worst: MacBook 12 (one port / butterfly keyboard) tied with Apple Magic Mouse (design, comfort)

 

[Darth Tulhu]

...I also think, Mac Pro (the trash can) should be there along with the new one as even the trash can was great engineering product. Sure, it had limitations that essentially killed the product but the triangle desing, the small package etc. make it super cool. Very portable.
I actually think that they could have kept it and have 2 Mac Pro lines. One trash can (light) and one we have now (hardcore). The light version would be cheaper and maybe wouldn't use all the server parts and the cheesegrater would be as it is now. That way people could have better machine than silly mac mini if they wanted to have a desktop class machine rather then laptop one or (imac).

Although I guess I'm just being silly here.
I would love Apple to make a prosumer Display again and maybe entry level Mac Pro.

I agree and argued to no end the point of having 2 Mac Pro lines when the Trash Can was released, and boy was I flamed for that by the fans. I had to break out my lightsaber every time I mentioned that the Trash Can was the new G4 Cube, and boy did I get that right (thermal and performance issues, neglected, then EOL'd).

I think Apple could've fixed/updated the tube and not neglected it for 7 years, but alas, Tim gave up on it back then. I personally think that getting a used 2012 Mac Pro today is a better option than getting these Tubes at a discount.

An entry level Mac Pro ain't happenin', the mini now fills that niche as well as the Tube's.

It'd be nice to get a new TB Display from Apple too, but I just don't see them polluting sales of their "luxury" Pro Display & Stand.

I think Apple's "Pro" Mac devices will continue to push upwards in price and to the high-end market, because Apple wants to sell more iDevices. For the average consumer, Apple is targeting the iOS ecosystem hard, which includes wearables: iPad, Pencil, iPhone, Watch, and AirPods combo.

It wouldn't surprise me if in the next decade the iMac and MBAir become A-series-iOS-based, the iMac Pro becomes the "Macintosh".

 

[CmdrLaForge]

My personal choice is
1. original iPad
2. original Apple Watch
3. iPhone 5
4. iPhone Xr

 

[zephonic]

My personal favs this decade:

2013 13” MacBook Air - easily the best computer I have ever owned. They just got everything right on that one. Still going strong in my son’s possession (and he’s a college CompSci sophomore)​

Apple TV 3rd gen - everything you needed at the time, nothing you didn’t, easiest remote ever, and most importantly, the right price. Two of them still going strong in our household, although it’s lacking in features now.​

iPad 4 - with 128GB and cellular, this was the computer I use most of the time, anywhere. With a Logitech keyboard, it was pretty much a laptop replacement.​

Also own, but not as impressed:

iPhone 5S - solid replacement for my iPhone 3GS, but nothing more.​

​

iPad 5th gen - better than the iPad 4 in every way, as expected. The matching Logitech keyboard is not as nice.​

​

2015 13” MacBook Pro - more powerful than the MBA, but inferior battery life and impractical retina display resolution make it the lesser machine over all.​

​

iPhone 8 - good, but no headphone jack is really impractical for those without in-car bluetooth.​

I also have the 2009 Mac Pro, which has been a solid workhorse, but it’s not from this decade. My favorite iPhone was actually the 3GS, but again not from this decade. Same goes for my ‘07 iMac, which is still working, even though it’s stuck on Snow Leopard and only Firefox and OpenOffice still work on it.

 

[haddy]

Mine is the AW 5 Cellular
Great not to carry an iPhone around any more.

 

[SeattleMoose]

Trashcan Mac Pro in 2013. Bought it and it still grinds nicely thru everything I throw at it. And the base model was 1/2 of the cost of new MP base model.

 

[Mainsail]

My two votes:

• 2010 - 2017 MBA: This wedge shaped beauty defined the ultra portable laptop and became the affordable go-to computer for college students and everyday consumers.
• iPad: This product has come so far over the past 10 years. The original had to be plugged into a Mac just to set-up. Now, it is a completely independent stand alone device. With iPadOS, the 7th gen base iPad for $330 (~ 2/3 of the 2010 entry level price) is a very capable machine. During the holidays, it has been on sale for as low as $250 (~1/2 the original 2010 price). Amazing.

 

[Bob Dudek]

Does Apple still make iMacs ?

 

[Woyzeck]

Overall it was a rather boring decade, as there were no significant advances in hardware technology. Notebooks look and feel the same as 10 years ago, smartphone innovations have slowed down to virtually nothing, desktops don't advance either and wearables are perhaps the only niche with some considerable improvements.

Thinking back 30 years makes me feel old...

 

[idmean]

I think Macrumors should also have the biggest fails of the decade. There have been some massive ones, Siri, keyboards, mac pros, etc.

If this forum only highlights the good, then it becomes a propaganda tool for Apple. Keeping them honest, we should also really talk about Apple's failures, or else we will be living in dongle filled landfills forever!

I think the forum is doing an amazing job at this already...

 

[PickUrPoison]

Does Apple still make iMacs ?

Yup. They sell millions every year; it’s Apple’s best selling desktop, and was just updated in March. The 21.5” has dual-(don’t buy it)/quad-/six-core and starts at $1,099/$1,299/1,499, respectively. The 27” starts at $1,799 and comes in six/eight-core only.

While still technically an iMac, the iMac Pro is in a different category. It’s a Xeon workstation meant for business use, those whose workloads demand eight to eighteen cores and 256GB RAM (max). Starting at $5k, fully-loaded configs can hit upwards of $15k. The current models were introduced in December 2017 and will likely be updated in March or June.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I think the forum is doing an amazing job at this already...

Yes the forums are overwhelmingly critical, nearly every news article flooded with negative comments. The news site covers the bad as well as the good. Anyone who thinks there is a lack of critical coverage on the news side is clearly not paying attention lol. Apple news, good or bad. But in either case, comments are mostly negative.

But I’d have no problem with a biggest fails of the decade article, it would be quite entertaining to see the Apple-hate crowd lose their **** Apple does plenty wrong, there wouldn't be any shortage of nominations lol. AirPower, anyone? 🤣

 

[MarkAtl]

I agree with the 2012 MBP...but the non-Retina model. Last MBP to be fully user-upgradeable. With 16GB of RAM, SSD, USB 3 and TB it’s still usable today.

 

[jayducharme]

There's no mention of the 2018 Mac Mini, which was an unexpected powerhouse of a refresh and can compete with high-end computers.

Interesting to see all the love for the original iPad. I remember when it was first released, most of the comments said it would never sell because it was just a big iPhone without the phone. It still amazes me how Apple can see the future before any of us.

 

[MarkAtl]

There's no mention of the 2018 Mac Mini, which was an unexpected powerhouse of a refresh and can compete with high-end computers.

Interesting to see all the love for the original iPad. I remember when it was first released, most of the comments said it would never sell because it was just a big iPhone without the phone. It still amazes me how Apple can see the future before any of us.

The 2010 iPad is what got me back into the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Azeroth1]

MacBook Pro 2012! #1. Great design, upgradeable components. I salute you.

 

[ScreenSavers]

The original 12.9” iPad Pro isn’t on here? That’s a big oversight.

 

[mazz0]

I can’t believe people voted for the Apple TV with Siri Remote! The previous remote was incredible, and they went from that to the almost unusable Siri remote, in my opinion Apple’s worst interface design since, well, any of their mice.

Should thank Samsung and their Galaxy Note for iPhone 6 Plus.
I remember when Samsung announced the Galaxy Note. Literally, everyone laughed at it.

Literally everyone? Literally?

Sooooo...... which product was the winner, MacRumors?
[automerge]1577490731[/automerge]

Why iMessage???? Maybe in your country text messages are expensive? In Australia, every phone plan now comes with unlimited texts. Am I missing some advantage of iMessage?

Several, for me: multi-person chats; multimedia (expensive in normal texts here in the UK at the time); cross-platform (texting people from my iPad or Mac); a simple, no-nonsense, ad-free interface (as opposed to horrible cluttered interfaces like WhatsApp and FaceBook Messenger).

 

[return2sendai]

Let’s start a new thread. Worst Apple product of the last 9 years.

Yosemite

 

[B.A.T]

Mac Mini 2014
Homepod
Butterfly keyboard (all generations)
IPad 3
Original Apple Watch
IPhone 6+
Apple News +
Fusion Drive

 

[Gutwrench]

The top Apple products of the decade were the HomePod and the Apple Battery Charger. Special mention for the Time Capsule.

I read the article just to see if MR mentioned HomePod.