What I think Apple should change...

[JeremyK]

Hi all,

Over the past few days, alot has happened. My sister crashed her car, I got a job, and I found an old PowerBook lying in a rubbish dump.

Now this really has nothing to do with anything, but it did get me thinking about Apple.

I love Apple, I really do, but, there is just a few minor things that should be changed...

1. Start thinking! Cmon Apple, release a new Magic Mouse and not have the software to run it? Release the software and not have the mouse in stock? Cmon... Whatever happened to common sense!

2. Change front row! I love the new user interface of Apple TV, and I really hate the frontrow one, PLEASE change it to something new

3. Get rid of that Air! No offence, but the air is a lightweight, amazingly thing piece of engineering... With performance levels we saw coming from 2004! Cmon? Seriously pay over 3 grand (Australian) for a computer with a 1.86GHz processor, 1gb ram, 80gb hard drive, no cd drive, 1 USB port, always having to worry about it breaking in half the moment you use it... Just buy a
MacBook pro! It's not that much fatter or heavier, but you get more bang for less buck! What's a MacBook pro Now 1800 for the 13 inch?

4. Instead of the air as being your "netbook" (pretty expensive netbook" make a 8/9/10 inch version of the MacBook (and maybe even MacBook pro)... That would sell through the roof

5. Have an upgrade discount... Let's say you buy a MacBook.... And 4 months down the track they bring out the newer, better model for the same price.,. Or less in some
cases... You should be able to had in the old one, and, depending on the condition, sell it or swap it for the newer model, or recieve the value of the old model subtracted off the price for the new one

That's about it I think... Any other suggestions? All comments appreciated!

[bendrucker]

1. I could have sworn the Magic Mouse software was released before it was even for sale.
2. I never use Front Row, so I can't really comment. Nor do I have an AppleTV.
3. The Air is a niche machine, but there's nothing wrong with its specs. It's for checking email, browsing the web, and maybe editing photos. Yes, there are other Macs with a greater amount of performance per dollar, but that's not who the MBA is aimed at.
4. I just can't see that happening. The netbook market is not at all profitable. Apple is a very financially prudent company, and I just can't see it rushing to join a failing market as all the PC manufacturers have.
5. To be blunt, this is just a ridiculous idea. Why would Apple want your old Mac? That's what used markets are for. Apple isn't a car dealership. It shouldn't be giving token discounts for people's old stuff.

[philbowell]

1. Start thinking! Cmon Apple, release a new Magic Mouse and not have the software to run it? Release the software and not have the mouse in stock? Cmon... Whatever happened to common sense!

Err, there's an update that is availbable for download to enable people not using the new iMac to use the Magic Mouse. How do you think everyone I've seen on Twitter buying one is using it!?

2. Change front row! I love the new user interface of Apple TV, and I really hate the frontrow one, PLEASE change it to something new

Personally the only change to FrontRow I would like to see is the ability to control it using the Remote App on my iPhone in the same way as AppleTV.

3. Get rid of that Air! No offence, but the air is a lightweight, amazingly thing piece of engineering... With performance levels we saw coming from 2004! Cmon? Seriously pay over 3 grand (Australian) for a computer with a 1.86GHz processor, 1gb ram, 80gb hard drive, no cd drive, 1 USB port, always having to worry about it breaking in half the moment you use it... Just buy a
MacBook pro! It's not that much fatter or heavier, but you get more bang for less buck! What's a MacBook pro Now 1800 for the 13 inch?

As Ben said, the Air is a niche Mac. I've seen many people in London carrying/using one and all they do is check their email etc. That's what it does well, it's what it's designed for as a secondary machine to use away from the office without the bulk of other MacBook's.

4. Instead of the air as being your "netbook" (pretty expensive netbook" make a 8/9/10 inch version of the MacBook (and maybe even MacBook pro)... That would sell through the roof

Not going to happen. Have you used a netbook? They're awful. I have small hands and found the keyboard cramped on the one I tried, horrible experience and exactly the opposite of Apple's ethos. They're all about good user experience, it's ingrained into them. They're also about high end products with large profit margins, that's why they have over 90% of the market on computers over US$2000, they make lots of money. I'd rather Apple kept the quality than went for tacky, profitless market share ala Dell & Acer.

5. Have an upgrade discount... Let's say you buy a MacBook.... And 4 months down the track they bring out the newer, better model for the same price.,. Or less in some
cases... You should be able to had in the old one, and, depending on the condition, sell it or swap it for the newer model, or recieve the value of the old model subtracted off the price for the new one

As Ben said what would Apple do with all the Mac's people traded in? I know of no companies that do this, beyond car dealerships which is a different style of market. People buy a Mac when they need it, I got burned by this. I needed a new iMac, 3 weeks laters Apple released new ones, irking but I never blamed Apple and I was happy with my purchase.

[JeremyK]

Originally Posted by philbowell

Err, there's an update that is availbable for download to enable people not using the new iMac to use the Magic Mouse. How do you think everyone I've seen on Twitter buying one is using it!?

That doesnt make sense... Apple released the new iMac, which I presume already had to new software on it for the mouse. But every other Apple computer doesnt, so if you wanted to buy a new Magic Mouse with your Mac Mini, then youll get home to find that it doesnt work. Then after Apple released the software update, anyone (ie me) who wanted the magic mouse, has to wait until SOMEONE has one.

Originally Posted by philbowell

As Ben said, the Air is a niche Mac. I've seen many people in London carrying/using one and all they do is check their email etc. That's what it does well, it's what it's designed for as a secondary machine to use away from the office without the bulk of other MacBook's.

I still think... $2000AUD for checking e-mails? the Polycarbonate MacBook costs half of that, and is only three times as fat and weighs 2 kilos... Whats the point?

You could buy an iTouch to check your emails... That only costs like $220 here.

Originally Posted by philbowell

Not going to happen. Have you used a netbook? They're awful. I have small hands and found the keyboard cramped on the one I tried, horrible experience and exactly the opposite of Apple's ethos. They're all about good user experience, it's ingrained into them. They're also about high end products with large profit margins, that's why they have over 90% of the market on computers over US$2000, they make lots of money. I'd rather Apple kept the quality than went for tacky, profitless market share ala Dell & Acer.

True... I guess...

Anybody used that Acer Netbook (forgotten the name) the new one... now THAT is awful...

[JeremyK]

Few more things to the list:

1. DONT DO IT! Steve, listen to me, if you go through with this Ad-Supporting OS rumour.... Then I'm switching BACK to Vista!

2. Get some new Headphone people! The Apple headphones (the ones that come stock with the iPods and iPhones - Yes all versions, but excluding the in-ear headphones) Are HORRIBLE! Yes, the sound quality is pretty good, and those buttons on the later versions are very handy... But seriously, they last about 3 weeks, and then start crackling, and eventually just die, so then you have to fork out another $30 to buy new ones.

Or just buy some $20 Sony headphones, that have just died after 2 YEARS! Yes, years, of use.

3. Make OS X Customisable... Yes... I know, I keep going on about it, but I hate the gray! Yes you can download third-party apps, but often you dont have a spare $90 lying around to pay for them. Just build them in, have them on the Apple downloads page... SOMETHING!

[philbowell]

That doesnt make sense... Apple released the new iMac, which I presume already had to new software on it for the mouse. But every other Apple computer doesnt, so if you wanted to buy a new Magic Mouse with your Mac Mini, then youll get home to find that it doesnt work. Then after Apple released the software update, anyone (ie me) who wanted the magic mouse, has to wait until SOMEONE has one.

What's hard to understand? Buy the mouse, install this or this (depending on OS) and it works.

2. Get some new Headphone people! The Apple headphones (the ones that come stock with the iPods and iPhones - Yes all versions, but excluding the in-ear headphones) Are HORRIBLE! Yes, the sound quality is pretty good, and those buttons on the later versions are very handy... But seriously, they last about 3 weeks, and then start crackling, and eventually just die, so then you have to fork out another $30 to buy new ones.

Mine are fine. Had my iPhone since Feb, use the headphones nearly everyday they still work fine. In fact I've owned 3 iPod's and only once had to replace the headphones, which was because I trapped an earbud in the car door and it smashed.

3. Make OS X Customisable... Yes... I know, I keep going on about it, but I hate the gray! Yes you can download third-party apps, but often you dont have a spare $90 lying around to pay for them. Just build them in, have them on the Apple downloads page... SOMETHING!

No thanks. I like the fact the OS gets out the way, even Windows 7 is too glitzy for me.

[JeremyK]

Originally Posted by philbowell

What's hard to understand? Buy the mouse, install this or this (depending on OS) and it works.

And where are the mice? There arent any at my local Apple Store, MyMac Store, &@#%&@#%&@#%&@#% Smith, NextByte... ETC...

Originally Posted by philbowell

Mine are fine. Had my iPhone since Feb, use the headphones nearly everyday they still work fine. In fact I've owned 3 iPod's and only once had to replace the headphones, which was because I trapped an earbud in the car door and it smashed.

Maybe I've just had an unlucky streak...

Originally Posted by philbowell

No thanks. I like the fact the OS gets out the way, even Windows 7 is too glitzy for me.

Meh...

Quick Question for all of you:
Would you switch back to Windows over the Ad-Supporting OS from Apple if it were released?

[bendrucker]

Nope. But if Apple started inserting ads in the OS, I'd expect the computer prices to drop and the OS to be free. But if not, I still wouldn't switch to Windows. My Mac is worth so much more to me than a Windows machine would be, so Apple would have to suck a lot of value out of the OS to make me leave.

[JeremyK]

Originally Posted by bendrucker

Nope. But if Apple started inserting ads in the OS, I'd expect the computer prices to drop and the OS to be free. But if not, I still wouldn't switch to Windows. My Mac is worth so much more to me than a Windows machine would be, so Apple would have to suck a lot of value out of the OS to make me leave.

Really? I'd hate to have ad's popping up every 10 minutes or however frequent it is supposed to be.

Then again, I'm using Windows XP in BootCamp right now... Its not too bad... But I only installed it like 2 weeks ago...

[philbowell]

I wouldn't, like Ben it would take a lot for me to use Windows over a Mac. I doubt this would ever happen, I think it's just something they've done because they can. I can't see it getting past the Jobs seal of approval, would reduce the nice experience of using a Mac slightly and he likes perfection.