Well, you have provided a good perspective on a seemingly insignificant design flaw on a relatively low end Apple product. The implication you have pointed out, however is ginormous. Apple's current success has to do with Steve's relentlessness attitude to say No, for him saying no means staying the course and focus (1997 WWDC). His ability to say "No to bad design" ended up saving the company from destruction and turning it into a 98 billion cash cow. I have been playing around with the new Apple TV for days now and I really like it. Something however, has been nagging me and I don't know what that is. Now I do, it is the interface design.
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Former Apple TV Engineer Claims New Apple TV Interface Discarded 5 Years Ago [Updatedx2]
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Well, you have provided a good perspective on a seemingly insignificant design flaw on a relatively low end Apple product. The implication you have pointed out, however is ginormous. Apple's current success has to do with Steve's relentlessness attitude to say No, for him saying no means staying the course and focus (1997 WWDC). His ability to say "No to bad design" ended up saving the company from destruction and turning it into a 98 billion cash cow. I have been playing around with the new Apple TV for days now and I really like it. Something however, has been nagging me and I don't know what that is. Now I do, it is the interface design.
Ever since the cancer news came out, I have noticed many many instances of things like this (and as another example, the vertical 'traffic light' controls that iTunes had for a while, instead of horizontal...a fundamental UI inconsistency that I never understood) and thought to myself that people would be going crazy if Steve had already died, saying he would never have approved such things, yet Steve was alive and well.
Mere mortals like us simply cannot predict what Steve would and wouldn't have done, and we shouldn't even try. Apple made questionable decisions when Steve was alive, and they will still make them now.
Wirelessly posted
Everyone should just chill, and stop this "Apple is going downhill" nonsense.
I too think the new interface is ugly and quite frankly a bit tacky. Though not the best, I miss the Tiger Front Row UI. They should have kept the "less is more" mantra; big shinny incons really take away the elegance and simplicity Apple is known for. However, pinning this on the fact that Steve Jobs isn't around is.. Dumb. First, Steve probably did approve this design, we all know Apple prepares updates months and months ahead. Second.. Even if he did reject it at first, how can you tell he wouln't approve now. Steve wasn't known for always sticking to his word (see no video on iPods, people don't read, etc). Lastly, it's not like Steve passed and suddenly Apple makes bad design choices. Remember the new iTunes icon? Or Facetime's? Or iOS 5 music app on iPad? Calendar? Or the inconsisten OSX UI that continued for years? Apple sometimes makes weird decisions, and bad design choices, but in the end it all turns out pretty good. They WILL improve it. The always look for how to make things better, what should be polished, where something can be tweaked. Just give them time. Don't scream and shout like it's the apocalypse. It's not because Steve Jobs passed. It's because they probably have a new idea in mind (Apps), or are testing new things.. Or simply because they sometimes make wrong decisions.
Everyone should just chill, and stop this "Apple is going downhill" nonsense.
I too think the new interface is ugly and quite frankly a bit tacky. Though not the best, I miss the Tiger Front Row UI. They should have kept the "less is more" mantra; big shinny incons really take away the elegance and simplicity Apple is known for. However, pinning this on the fact that Steve Jobs isn't around is.. Dumb. First, Steve probably did approve this design, we all know Apple prepares updates months and months ahead. Second.. Even if he did reject it at first, how can you tell he wouln't approve now. Steve wasn't known for always sticking to his word (see no video on iPods, people don't read, etc). Lastly, it's not like Steve passed and suddenly Apple makes bad design choices. Remember the new iTunes icon? Or Facetime's? Or iOS 5 music app on iPad? Calendar? Or the inconsisten OSX UI that continued for years? Apple sometimes makes weird decisions, and bad design choices, but in the end it all turns out pretty good. They WILL improve it. The always look for how to make things better, what should be polished, where something can be tweaked. Just give them time. Don't scream and shout like it's the apocalypse. It's not because Steve Jobs passed. It's because they probably have a new idea in mind (Apps), or are testing new things.. Or simply because they sometimes make wrong decisions.
I was appalled when I updated my Apple TV and saw the new UI. Its atrocious and extremely cumbersome to use.
Wow, is this really happening? I HATED the old Apple TV interface with a passion. It looked like crap to me. The new design is more aesthetically pleasing to me. I love the app icons. It streamlines it with the iPhone and iPad. What's wrong with streamlining the interfaces between all the Apple products.
Conclusion: I like this design a lot better than before. It's nice.
Conclusion: I like this design a lot better than before. It's nice.
Steve Jobs also rejected the idea of iTunes on Windows or third-party apps on iOS.
The new
TV UI is fine. It would be perfect if they got rid of the advertisement at the top-half of the screen.
The new
TV UI is fine. It would be perfect if they got rid of the advertisement at the top-half of the screen.To me it sounds more like as the guy who had a lot to do with ATV 2 UI design, he's not liking the change. Since I don't have a ATV, I can't tell myself one way or the other, though.
I'm not a huge fan of the colored buttons either but nobody liked the new iTunes logo at first and now I think it's great. I like the bigger buttons though, much easier to navigate.
To be honest the Apple TV interface has never been perfect and has always been a work in progress. I don't really look at this as a "things to come" type situation.
As for people preferring the Plex interface, I disagree. While Plex is a nice program, it's far to complicated to certain tasks in my opinion.
To be honest the Apple TV interface has never been perfect and has always been a work in progress. I don't really look at this as a "things to come" type situation.
As for people preferring the Plex interface, I disagree. While Plex is a nice program, it's far to complicated to certain tasks in my opinion.
I wouldn't make too much of the opinion of one employee. The new layout is functional, albeit a little less pretty than before. It looks completely touch-ready, like it could be an iPad app, which I'm sure it will be. Having a direct mirror between the TV interface and the iPad interface makes perfect sense. I don't think categorizing Internet vs TV, etc. makes any sense, too much convergance for that sort of thing, so I like that the buttons for sources of content are now up front and all on the same level. Apple still has great hardware and software designers, and leadership. The sky is not falling at
A little perspective, people.
Remember the Bondi Blue iMac? Lovely, wasn't it? What about that horrible hockey puck mouse? Jony Ive designed, Steve Jobs approved.
Remember OS X? Gorgeous, yes? What about the dock, breaking every rule of interfaces, including Apple's own? It's poorly-designed eye candy. We're just used to it now that it's in its umpteenth iteration.
Look at the keyboard on the mid-2011 MacBook Air on which I'm typing. Look at the Delete key, located right below the power button. Care to guess which one my fumble finger hits more often than not?
Steve Jobs had an unusually well-developed sense of aesthetics. He wasn't perfect. There really is no such thing when it comes to design, and that's good for Apple, because it means they can continue to improve.
Remember the Bondi Blue iMac? Lovely, wasn't it? What about that horrible hockey puck mouse? Jony Ive designed, Steve Jobs approved.
Remember OS X? Gorgeous, yes? What about the dock, breaking every rule of interfaces, including Apple's own? It's poorly-designed eye candy. We're just used to it now that it's in its umpteenth iteration.
Look at the keyboard on the mid-2011 MacBook Air on which I'm typing. Look at the Delete key, located right below the power button. Care to guess which one my fumble finger hits more often than not?
Steve Jobs had an unusually well-developed sense of aesthetics. He wasn't perfect. There really is no such thing when it comes to design, and that's good for Apple, because it means they can continue to improve.
You mean flying spaghetti monster Steve Jobs?
Because Steve Jobs didn't say anything about this design. This was a former engineer talking, not SJ. Even if you believe 100% what he says SJ SAID 5 years ago about this product, that is totally meaningless WRT the new Apple TV.
It was my understanding that Steve left Jonathan Ives in charge of vetoing bad design. While its true Steve Jobs was a control freak, he had a lot of respect for Ives as an artist.
iPad ready UI
The reason that this AppleTV UI will work in the near future is because soon Apple will update Remote to show this screen on your iOS device. Once you can manipulate this UI from your iPad all the problems with it will go away.
The reason that this AppleTV UI will work in the near future is because soon Apple will update Remote to show this screen on your iOS device. Once you can manipulate this UI from your iPad all the problems with it will go away.
There is a difference between industrial design and product design. Industrial design is what it looks like, product design is how it works.
In some ways, you could think of it as a design hierarchy: product design is an umbrella for all sorts of things that includes industrial design. More than that, though: product design is how they all fit together as a package.
At Apple, Ive was the industrial designer but Steve was the product designer. He was the one they'd bring iPhone prototypes to, who'd tell them to go back to the drawing board despite everything they'd put in to it already. "We don't have a product yet" is what SJ is reported to have told them.
We don't know who's leading product design at Apple. The danger is that in the absence of Steve, they'll resort to a consensus of all the other designers. That isn't what Steve did. The big problem with committee design is that you often get a lowest-common-demoninator; when you have a single perfectionist in charge, everything must be just so.
You can't push a vision in a committee. Apple needs a new dictator.
It's the exact same with additional crap at the bottom. If you find that difficult it may be from the hole in your head rather than the ui itself.
Ever see the dashboard of any late-model toyota? Consumers have said "Yes!" to those monstrosities. Prius interior is the worst.
This is key. There are elements of both of these interfaces that I like and dislike. I really liked the old one in some ways, but it was feeling more and more cluttered every month when they added new things. Five years ago, I could see why this would be rejected as it didn't make sense then, but now that we live in an app-based world more and more, and now that there's a lot more content available on Apple TV, this new UI direction does make sense. I do think it needs polishing, and customization would be great, but I think that will all come in time.
That last sentence is Apple's rule for everything, i.e., the user will get use to it. Apple breaks traditional rules for just about everything. It's why Apple is Apple and not DellHPSamsungSony.
But going back to OS X, it is just NeXT, one more generation up. It is pure Steve Jobs. Apple bought NeXT b/c it was out of ideas at the time and Copeland was an utter bust. But, honestly, the only problem w/ the dock was it's initial inflexibility to be pinned anywhere but the bottom of the screen. Many OS 9 users had 3rd party dock-like program launchers though.
I've wondered why I couldn't do this so many times. I love being able to navigate my computer content on the iPhone/iPad Remote App, but why can't I tap an icon for Netflix or anything else for that matter too?
