The client is sometimes right .
“ If I had asked the great unwashed what they wanted , they would have said faster buck , ” pronounce Henry Ford . Like the machine pioneer , Apple has long eschew focus groups and popular opinion in find out how make its product insanely great , focus instead on making its own designing decisions without soliciting its client ’ anterior blessing . But even Apple and CEO Steve Jobs may not always get laid best . Sometimes , the society has revisit its decision in light of exploiter call — though certainly there are clock time that user complaints have n’t spurred any Apple variety . Here are some model of each .
The iPad hardware switch
Apple pull a switcheroo with the iPad ’s hardware transposition .
When the iPad was precede last April , its hardware electric switch was devoted to orientation locking . By flicking the electrical switch , you could foreclose your iPad ’s accelerometer from kicking in — create it possible to keep the screen steady while lie down or in other unusual positions . With the fall 2010 arrival of iOS 4.2 , however , Apple switched the switch , on the face of it in an effort to make the iPad ’s hardware switch mirror the functionality of the iPhone ’s .
Many iOS devotees — among them the devilishly charmingMacworldcontributor Lex Friedman — sound off about the modification . Phones demand mute switch , but pill do n’t . The iPad already had a hardware Mute mastery , trigger by view as the Volume Down button for a moment . Those of us who had make out to rely on the computer hardware orientation course lock mourn Mute ’s overtaking the switch .
Apple pulled a switcheroo with the iPad’s hardware switch.
Remarkably , in the first developer prevue ofiOS 4.3 , Apple relented : a new choice in the preferences app now rent you set which of the two behaviors you ’d prefer to link up to the electrical switch .
Verdict : Apple regard customers — sagely .
Farewell to the floppy
The original iMac . Say , where ’s the floppy driving force ?
In 1998 , a year after Steve Jobs ’s return to Apple , the caller liberate the very first ( Bondi blue ) iMac . Customers ( and the tech printing press ) mostly loved the new look , but many were stunned that the floppy record thrust had work the way of Gil Amelio .
“ How will we re-create files without a 3.5 - inch disc ? ” we wonder . “ Am I hypothesise to burn down a brand new CD each time I change a file ? ” we asked in disbelief . As it twist out , no . You ’re supposed to rely on the cyberspace . ( Things only get down better if you could finagle to await a decade or so for magical service like Dropbox and the tremendous advantages of ever - increase bandwidth . ) But while Apple was hounded with calls to bring back the floppy parkway , the ship’s company never , ever did .
The original iMac. Say, where’s the floppy drive?
Verdict : Apple brush aside customer — sagely .
Two buttons or not two buttons
Apple made the computer mouse popular . Early on , the company ’s one - button coming to the mouse made dependable horse sense : the world involve to learn how to use the darn things , so keep things round-eyed helped . But from the 1983 ’s Apple Lisa black eye , and for 20 yr of successive Apple mouses , the company hold steadfast to its One Button Per Mouse mentality .
Over meter , Windows personal computer began almost universally to embark with multibutton mice . Third - company vendors created some for Macs , too . But folks who relied on Apple ’s admit mouse were forced to rely on the Control - click , need a combination of a key - press and a computer mouse get across to feign the tough right wing - chink . command - clicking take both hands work in tandem , and many Mac user wished Apple would join the rest of the PC industry in recognise the benefits of a two - clit computer mouse with a true right click .
It was n’t until 2005 and the introduction of the Apple Mighty Mouse that the companionship would finally yield and extend a two - release gadget — sort of .
The Apple USB Mouse was not well-received in its day.
In keeping with Apple ’s button - phobic school of thought , the Mighty Mouse actually lackedanybuttons , alternatively employing a twosome of capacitive sensors . That meant in purchase order to actuate a right pawl , you actually needed to lift your left digit up off the mouse ’s open , make physical contact only with your proper finger . That flaw was — astonishingly , in my view — not corrected with 2009 ’s Magic Mouse , which still need that you nobble your leftover digit to trigger a proper click .
Verdict : Apple spend age discount customer requests , and only very , very , veryslowly succumbs — and rather incompletely when it finally does .
Round and round the mouse did go
The Apple USB Mouse was not well - received in its twenty-four hour period .
While we ’re talking about Apple ’s strange black eye decisions , it ’s worth briefly mentioning the Apple USB Mouse . That ’s the one that was introduced in 1998 with the original , floppy - free iMac . You probably recall it as The Hockey Puck black eye .
referee after reviewer — and client after customer — complained about the black eye ’s nonstarter to consider bioengineering , and its literally irritating focus on form over function . form as it was , the Apple USB Mouse proved especially awkward to use . More than one manufacturer offered “ crack - on ” moldable attachments to elongate the Robin Goodfellow into a more traditional shape .
Careful how you hold that iPhone 4, mister.
Two years after infix the Hockey Puck , Apple returned to a more ball - alike shape with the Apple Pro Mouse , and to date has n’t regressed back to the puck physique factor .
Verdict : Apple listen to client — and , likely , a campus - full of employees complaining about mitt cramps — and rightly vacate the puck physical body .
Distant Antenna
measured how you control that iPhone 4 , mister .
You might remember a bit of a hullaballoo not long after the foundation of the iPhone 4 over something the less originative members of the tech press dubbedAntennagate . To recap as telegraphically as potential : Some customers feel that by touching a visual interruption inthe iPhone 4 ’s innovative exterior antenna , callers could cause their electric cell signals to decrease or drop . Apple calledan unprecedented insistency conferenceto discuss the job . Would the phone be retrieve ?
Well , no . Apple pointed out that all phones suffer from signal attenuation when refer in certain berth . The company further said that it was get word few returns from this manikin of the iPhone than any prior version , along with few technical school support calls . In fact , Apple ’s biggest point from the wardrobe conference was that the integral result was overblown .
But here ’s where the company displayeda genuinely singular bit of wizardry . Despite its contention that the issue was minor , over - reported , and in fact endemic to all phones , Apple still chose to listen to its customers — or perhaps to those in the press who claim to talk for those customers . Steve Jobs announced that Apple would provide devoid cases ( which dramatically reduce or eliminate the fading issue ) , and extend good will period for distressed iPhone 4 client to recall their phones . The free case program ended in September of 2010 , but by announcing it and assure customer ( and possible customers ) that Apple was standing by its phone , the company sell billion upon millions of the twist .
Verdict : Apple mind , even though it disagree — which was clearly the right move .
Farewell, FireWire
The very first iPod , originally released in 2001 , frisk an honest - to - goodness FireWire port wine . It was n’t until the dismissal of the third generation of iPod in 2003 that Apple switched to the Dock Connector we still use today . But beginning with the 5th coevals model , Apple dropped FireWire reenforcement from iPods . Ironically , that fifth - generation iPod ( released in 2005 ) was the first to support video — just the kind of large files you ’d prefer to transfer with FireWire ’s higher hurrying . But from then on , iPods switched to USB - only , disappointing many of Apple ’s Mac - using FireWire faithful .
transport G of call ( and picture ) is faster over FireWire . And Apple ’s abandonment of Firewire resulted in Dock Connector changes that broke compatibility for oodles of not - so - erstwhile iPod chargers and accessories . Though Apple try from many crestfallen customer who long for FireWire ’s prideful getting even to the iPod , it never re - appeared .
Apple had initially pushed firmly for the FireWire standard , and it became a fast , reliable banner not just for other iPods , but also for many consumer video cameras , hard campaign , and other peripherals . Over metre , though , USB 2.0 ’s ubiquityfar outpaced FireWire ’s acceptance , and Apple start dropping FireWire ports ( and speeds ) from many newfangled Macs .
It was fun while it hold out .
Verdict : Apple did n’t heed , and frankly seems to sell plenty of iPods and iOS gadget despite their USB - only setup . But that does n’t intend I have to care it .
iMovie to strike that from the record
When Apple first released iMovie ’ 08 , it was a tremendous departure from earlier versions of the company ’s television - editing software . It was a complete re - imagining of the software , one that aimed to be more welcoming to newcomers , but the new interlingual rendition miss some key features ( a traditional timeline , plug - in supporting , inline audio controls ) that oxymoronic iMovie pros depended upon .
In a rare exercise of Apple anticipate a minus client reaction in progress , the company treated the exit of iMovie ’ 08 ( as part of the iLife ’ 08 suite a snatch differently . Rather than replace the app when users upgraded their iLife installations ( as iPhoto , GarageBand , and the balance of the cortege was ) , the previous version of iMovie HD 6 was left untouched . to boot , the society offered iMovie HD 6 as a free download for anyone who purchased iMovie ’ 08 .
Recognizing that its “ improved ” variant of iMovie would n’t beseem everyone , Apple in this casepre - listenedto its customers , making iMovie 6 HD freely useable up until the liberation of iMovie ’ 09 — an update that restored many of the HD 6 features that the ’ 08 edition lacked .
Verdict : Apple ’s foreknowledge machine was in full essence ; the company take heed to its client before they even had the chance to complain .
But what does it all mean
Most of the time , Apple chart its own course . The company makes decisiveness that it considers best for itself and its customer , which of course makes good business sensory faculty . When those decisions are n’t immediately popular with customers , Apple does sometimes assay to heed its customers ’ demands . Of course , for every more popular customer request ( “ Give us a supported means to install iOS apps that do n’t go through the App Store ” ) , there are some that Apple will never , ever heed ( “ We desire Flash on the iPhone ! ” ) . distinctly , given the company ’s current point of success , Apple tends to make the right decisions on these matters most of the clock time — or at least , correct enough .
