Because Apple no longer makes objects for the OP alone and nobody else, hence they ruined it for them.
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Why have Apple ruined the MacBook Air design?
- Thread starter Ken91
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The design language changed with Jony left. I think in many respects for the better. I never understood the obsession with thinness at apple. I get that with normal laptops thinner can be better, but up to a point. They then took that philosophy and applied it to the iMac and that makes zero sense. Why have a razer thing AIO when it doesn't server a purpose.
To each their own I guess, I never though the original wedge was all that interesting and this new look is great for me.
Yes, its true that since Jony left, designs have become disastrous at Apple, possibly the current Line up too looks ugly, from MacBook Pro to Air
That's possibly the trashiest design from Apple for MacBook Pro since 2016, I still prefer those good old days design, apart from Silicon, everything is slowly turning bad, I hope Jony returns
Let's not go pretending Johnny Ive was a flawless God of design. Yes, he had some amazing ideas but he also designed the current Magic Mouse which charges from the bottom and is an ergonomic nightmare.
As a result of my own career as a designer, I'd like to think I have a decent understanding of the connection between a product or object's design and how its marketing conveys an ideal or set of emotions. I appreciate Apple for giving design a key seat at the table. However, in my opinion (others may feel differently, and I respect that), Apple traveled so obsessively far down this path that the line between "mass-market consumer electronics" and "functionally-compromised snob objects" became ridiculously blurred. Completely out of control.
They're functional, practical tools intended to sell by the tens of millions to all classes of users, not bespoke totems to be coveted by the cognoscenti. The design changes over the last 24 months represent a much-needed course correction that, again in my opinion, doesn't fundamentally abandon design as an aesthetic consideration. Function first, always.
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Wrong. There is a reason the new M2 Air is the worst selling Apple product in 25 years. As the OP already suggested, outdated design in comparison to the wedge, cheaper build quality and the M1 Air is as powerful if not more powerful than the M2 in most common circumstances, and over half the price cheaper. There is also a reason why the midnight colour has only sold 26,000 units globally since the M2 air was released in comparison to the M1 Air which has sold in its millions form day one
Functionally, I like the M2 MBA, but from a design standpoint, I much prefer the the original. They should have called the M2 MBA the “MacBook” but the Apple Marketing dept. just didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to use the famous “Air” branding.
Here’s hoping Apple brings back the wedge shape design for a redux of the 12” MacBook with ASi.
Okay stop. "Flat design is boring and already looks outdated."
I guess the iPhone is boring and already looks outdated then because that uses a flat design too. So do the 14- and 16-inch Macbook Pros.
Sure, wedge is iconic, but flat is justice and more practical. Not to mention it's somehow thinner and lighter than the previous Macbook Air, going from 1.61 to 1.13 cm. Plus flat is necessary to bring magsafe back to it while remaining impossibly thin.
So would any other Macbook, or iPad, or iPhone
OH FOR GODS SAKE SHUT UP ABOUT THE NOTCH ALREADY! I'm so tired of hearing it everywhere I go Reddit, Twitter, Discord, and this dumpster fire of a forum about "notch bad" on Macbooks. I thought we were done with this since the iPhone X proved that no the notch does not stick out on the phone, and it doesn't stick out on the Macbook. All your content is under the notch so you never notice it at all. Not only that but the notch is not cutting into any content and is adding screen space to move the menu bar up giving you MORE screen real estate.
Dunno about you but the flat ultrathin laptop already looks pretty futuristic especially in Midnight Black.
You mean reversing Jony Ive's form over function designs that made the Mac an overpriced overheating underperforming joke from 2015 to 2020? GOOD. There's a reason the Mac is now outselling every PC notebook in their categories since they reversed course, admitted mistakes, and make computers people actually want to buy instead of just trying to make it look futuristic.
Bro you're crazy if you think the M1 iMac is a "step backwards" with how thin it is. That new iMac has been eyecatching and a technical marvel for all in one desktops, and it brought fun colors back.
I'm sorry where the hell were you during the Macbook Pro's dark age from 2016 to late 2019? The age of super thin that got rid of legacy ports and magsafe and forced everyone on USB-C dongle life for their professional workflows. Computers that got rid of the function key row and escape key and forced a touchbar that only caused more problems. A computer that thermal throttled from just one second of a Intel benchmark because of how thin they made it. It's a pro computer, it does not need to be thin or have a crazy design. Professionals just want a computer that is super powerful and gets the job done, which that old design did not do at all.
Oh...okay so you're one of those. Function over fashion sweetheart. I dunno about you but when I look at a rugged watch or dive computer I ain't thinking "damn, this watch is ugly what happened to the futuristic design?"
if all you think about in a computer is looks and not price, performance, build quality, and features, then you really need to reevaluate yourself.
And yes it's because Ive left, and thank god he did. The moment he left they could reverse course on his bad form over function designs that crippled so many Apple Products.
Friendly reminder of Ive's two best creations that helped make the Mac the laughing stock it was during the 2010s:
Its just subjective fashion.
To me the new lineup is beautiful and consistent across iPad, iPhone and Macbooks. No silly wedges. Macbook pros aren’t a boiling noisy jet engine anymore stuffed into an envelope.
Why do people moan about the mouse with its charging point underneath? , it was designed to placed on a shelf with a cutout so it could charge flat in a higher position until they scrapped the apple shelf , you’re not meant to charge it on the floor.
To me, the 2018-2021 MBA design always looked a bit cheap. And I owned and used the original 2008 and a 2015 model for years, so I had experience with both previous Air chassis.
The M2 looks different but not in a bad way.
The M2 looks different but not in a bad way.
Some will call me crazy, but I purposefully bought a Surface Mouse solely because I didn't want to deal with the inconvenience of not being able to use it while it charged. If it dies, I just swap a couple of AAAs into it and I'm back up in 30 seconds.
(Before someone accuses me of being environmentally unfriendly, I'm using rechargeable AAAs. I have a pile of them ready to swap at any time.
)
(Before someone accuses me of being environmentally unfriendly, I'm using rechargeable AAAs. I have a pile of them ready to swap at any time.
)
Sorry to rub you a little bit on this one. Notch on MacBook is one of the stupidest design compromise ever, more so when the camera array doesn’t house Face ID. They could’ve made the notch thinner but didn’t for various reasons. That extra screen space got cut in half and make menubar looks incomplete, and way thicker than before. Yes, you get more “Content”, but at the expense of menubar usable space.
I agree with other stuff you are mentioning there.
I took my SO to Apple Store to hear her impression on the M2 MBA. She owns the M1 MBA.
She immediately assumed it was the MBP since the body was so thick.
I think removing the wedge design was a big big design. It really looks thicker now.
She immediately assumed it was the MBP since the body was so thick.
I think removing the wedge design was a big big design. It really looks thicker now.
While I don’t dislike the M2 MBA design, I prefer the M1 MBA wedge design. To me and maybe for others it’s an optical illusion with the tapered form, edges and design that makes it look and seem thinner compared to the M2 MBA. To me the M1 MBA seems more feminine (can we say that anymore 😝) with its curves compared to the M2 MBA which is more straight and flat more masculine (can we say that anymore as well 😝).
I did find that given the wedge form it makes it easier to hold between a thumb and finger on the thicker end compared to the overall thinner profile of the M2 MBA when the display is open. A preference really than anything else. I did like the previous MBA squarish design as I had a 17” MBP a long time ago.
Yes, but you start your thread with a headline question with the only goal to get confirmed. It also seems like your question sounds like it is already the „ultimative common opinion“ of the new MacBook Air design - which obviously is not as many people like the design of the new machines.
I agree that the darker machines look like they are not manufactured well as they get fingerprinted very fast, but the rest of the design was exactly what many, many people wanted.
My M1 Air is I think the 4th or 5th MacBook Air I've owned at this point, going back to the first 11" models. I do very much like the wedge because it makes typing more comfortable on a flat surface. I used an old MacBook Pro (2012, I think) for a bit in the dark days of the butterfly keyboard, and the front edge always dug into my wrists a bit more than the Air's. Maybe the new M2 Air is thin enough that I wouldn't notice, though. Anyway, I'm a fan of the wedge for ergonomic reasons and it always felt like an iconic part of the MacBook Air design. I'm a bit sad to see it go, but I don't find it quite the travesty the OP does...
I stopped seeing the notch about 5-10 minutes into using the notebook. If it continues to be a problem for you it's because you want it to be and is obsessing ver it. There's no other reason that I can think of someone to have a constant problem other than they want to complain.
Everyone has their own opinions about design, and in my opinion, the new flat design of the M2 Air is more sleek and a bit industrial looking. To my eyes, the M2 Air makes the M1 Air look dated with those thick and uneven display bezels, small function keys and a rounded, pillowy chassis.
Also, the M2 Air is actually thinner than the M1 Air. The tapered design of the M1 Air creates an illusion and a perception that is not real, therefore the M1 Air is not actually thinner, lighter or more portable.
The only thing I don't like about Apple's recent design language is the lack of (subtle) branding. The new iMac with it's naked chin looks bland and generic, like a furniture store prop. The lack of Apple logo on that chin ironically brings more attention to it. It would have been a great opportunity for Apple to continue the contrasting color design by placing a contrasting, tasteful Apple logo on the chin, versus the gigantic one on the back that most people will never see.
I would have also liked 'MacBook Air' placed under the display where there is plenty of room. Maybe in the metallic tone of the chassis. To my eyes, it just completes the design, kind of like a small little insignia on a polo type shirt. Or, they could have embossed it on the bottom like on the MacBook Pros.
Also, the M2 Air is actually thinner than the M1 Air. The tapered design of the M1 Air creates an illusion and a perception that is not real, therefore the M1 Air is not actually thinner, lighter or more portable.
The only thing I don't like about Apple's recent design language is the lack of (subtle) branding. The new iMac with it's naked chin looks bland and generic, like a furniture store prop. The lack of Apple logo on that chin ironically brings more attention to it. It would have been a great opportunity for Apple to continue the contrasting color design by placing a contrasting, tasteful Apple logo on the chin, versus the gigantic one on the back that most people will never see.
I would have also liked 'MacBook Air' placed under the display where there is plenty of room. Maybe in the metallic tone of the chassis. To my eyes, it just completes the design, kind of like a small little insignia on a polo type shirt. Or, they could have embossed it on the bottom like on the MacBook Pros.
While the new MacBook Air M2 is a fantastic machine, I prefer the old M1 MacBook Air design. The old wedge shape design is much more iconic and made the device feel slim. I am glad they are still selling the MacBook Air M1. Also, I hope Jony Ive comes back.
The MacBook Pros were already rather staid squarish designs so the new ones really haven’t changed much. Hardly ruined. It’s a familiar design freshened up.
The new iMac is a clean and fresh evolutionary form of a basic design that really needed an update. Hardly ruined. Indeed I’d say it’s been largely improved, limited number of ports notwithstanding.
The new MacBook Air is nice, but it’s no longer distinctive with the loss of the wedge form. It’s not ruined, but it is more staid looking, a somewhat more colourful version of the MacBook Pro 13. My real disappointment is that the colours they introduced are so muted and conservative looking, they serve to make the new design less interesting.
The new iMac is a clean and fresh evolutionary form of a basic design that really needed an update. Hardly ruined. Indeed I’d say it’s been largely improved, limited number of ports notwithstanding.
The new MacBook Air is nice, but it’s no longer distinctive with the loss of the wedge form. It’s not ruined, but it is more staid looking, a somewhat more colourful version of the MacBook Pro 13. My real disappointment is that the colours they introduced are so muted and conservative looking, they serve to make the new design less interesting.
Form over Function should not be the deciding factor for a laptop.
I'm quite glad that the 2021-> macbooks are a bit bulkier to allow them to perform better ( you know, their purpose ).
Remember, they spent most of their time either open or in a case. who is sat their looking at the side profile of their laptop all day ?