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Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

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Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#151

Post by mevile »

valine wrote: post #31

With the iPhone X Apple put serious R&D into a display that folds back on itself for the sole reason that a phone is more ascetically pleasing when the boarders are symmetrical. Even after a year and a half every phone except the iPhone has an asymmetrical chin. Will Apple still be able to make decisions like that without Ive in a leadership position? For Apple's sake I really hope so.

I have never heard of nor noticed the chin difference of iPhones before. I don't see how the loss of attention to detail at that expense would materially impact Apple, except maybe for the better.

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#152

Post by interlocutor »

Apple used to be known for their amazing designs. That was when Steve was running the company. Since his death Apple has been in a free fall in the design space. Most of the comments here seem to be about their awful hardware design. Yes, the thin macbook is not very usable, and the Homepod which is shaped like an amorphous blob is uglier than any Bose speaker. But what about their software? Their UI design is super unusable too. (See some specific examples here https://uxcritique.tumblr.com/ ) Flat design is a usability disaster; see studies from Nielsen Norman group and others https://www.nngroup.com/articles/flat-design-long-exposure/

I am glad Ive is gone. Maybe Apple can now recover.

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#153

Post by CharlesColeman »

kshacker wrote: post #114
mrkstu wrote: post #70

Hopefully this signals the end of the designers tyranny at Apple. While physical design has been of paramount importance in Apple's rise to the top, it has been more and more detrimental as Jony and his group wandered into worshipping at the altar of luxury and Platonic idealism. When combined with /not/ ignoring other than luxury market segments and usability that was fine. But when Jony's star was completely ascend…

Tyranny of design. Interesting thought. What if he was let go after seeing the reaction to the new Mac compared to the trash can?

Wouldn't surprise me if something like that is what sealed the deal, but the criticism of Apple's design decisions has been building for some time now.

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#154

Post by thinkling »

bradknowles wrote: post #145
jedberg wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing wrong with USB-C and the big trackpad is fine too, and I would love to have touchID on my 2015MBP. But getting rid of mag power and the USB-A ports, HDMI port, and SD card slot was a big step back. Maybe you don't ever need to present anything from your laptop, but if you talk to anyone who does, they will tell you how awful it is to not have an HDMI port. The USB-C to HDMI is the worst adapter I've ever seen…

So, on the power side of the equation, I have come to understand why they chose to go the direction they did. With the previous generation of MagSafe/MagSafe II power supplies, if the cable gets frayed, you have to replace the entire power supply. If the MagSafe connector gets hosed, you have to replace the entire power supply. Basically, if anything goes wrong beyond the AC input side, you have to replace the whole…

> if the cable gets frayed, you have to replace the entire power supply

This is true for the existing design but it would have been easy to redesign the power supply to avoid it.

Just look at the other end: the wall-plug end has long been replaceable; it slides out so you can put on a different plug or a longer cable. This could be true on the MagSafe side as well -- then any Mac power supply could be used with any generation Mac, just by switching out the MagSafe/USB-C end.

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#156

Post by threeseed »

Reedx wrote: post #110
jedberg wrote: post #42

Given his penchant for thinness over function, I hope this means we can have a thicker pro laptop again, with all the ports back and a more robust keyboard.

That they removed MagSafe boggles the mind. The usability was objectively better than the replacement. You could easily plug it in even if blindfolded. And no problem when the cord got unexpectedly pulled or tripped on. Every time I plug in my new macbook I miss it.

USB-C is infinitely better than Magsafe.

You can use any charger, use battery packs and any third party cable which means far more reliability and quality.

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#157

Post by Tempest1981 »

magic_beans wrote: post #132
jkw wrote: post #93

He’s making more money at Apple than he will leading his own design agency. This makes me think that he no longer finds his work compelling at Apple. Or Apple decided it’s time for a new leader, but wants things to have a soft landing.

Or maybe he just got bored. It's been 20 years.

I know, actually 27 years, so from age ~25 to 52. Pretty much his whole adult life.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#158

Post by cmiles74 »

mstade wrote: post #94
jedberg wrote: post #42

Given his penchant for thinness over function, I hope this means we can have a thicker pro laptop again, with all the ports back and a more robust keyboard.

It’d be interesting to see the results of a survey on this I think, I and I know many of my peers are of the exact opposite opinion. I like the move to usb-c, I like the new keyboard, I don’t mind (but also don’t really use) the Touch Bar but I can’t live without Touch ID at this point. The big trackpad is magical to me, and the thickness and weight of the 13” is just right. I have an older MBP as well, 2013 maybe, a…

The current batch of laptops is too brittle, in my opinion. They should be able to function with a small amount of crumbs, liquid or other detritus.

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#159

Post by threeseed »

jedberg wrote: post #102
mstade wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’d be interesting to see the results of a survey on this I think, I and I know many of my peers are of the exact opposite opinion. I like the move to usb-c, I like the new keyboard, I don’t mind (but also don’t really use) the Touch Bar but I can’t live without Touch ID at this point. The big trackpad is magical to me, and the thickness and weight of the 13” is just right. I have an older MBP as well, 2013 maybe, a…

Nothing wrong with USB-C and the big trackpad is fine too, and I would love to have touchID on my 2015MBP. But getting rid of mag power and the USB-A ports, HDMI port, and SD card slot was a big step back. Maybe you don't ever need to present anything from your laptop, but if you talk to anyone who does, they will tell you how awful it is to not have an HDMI port. The USB-C to HDMI is the worst adapter I've ever seen…

I use two USB-C to HDMI adapters every day and never had issues.

Maybe try a different manufacturer.

Re: Jony Ive to form independent design company with Apple as client

#160

Post by gnachman »

jedberg wrote: post #102
mstade wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’d be interesting to see the results of a survey on this I think, I and I know many of my peers are of the exact opposite opinion. I like the move to usb-c, I like the new keyboard, I don’t mind (but also don’t really use) the Touch Bar but I can’t live without Touch ID at this point. The big trackpad is magical to me, and the thickness and weight of the 13” is just right. I have an older MBP as well, 2013 maybe, a…

Nothing wrong with USB-C and the big trackpad is fine too, and I would love to have touchID on my 2015MBP. But getting rid of mag power and the USB-A ports, HDMI port, and SD card slot was a big step back. Maybe you don't ever need to present anything from your laptop, but if you talk to anyone who does, they will tell you how awful it is to not have an HDMI port. The USB-C to HDMI is the worst adapter I've ever seen…

> worst adapter I've ever seen

I can help with that:

https://www.apple.com/sg_smb_5200/shop/product/MB571Z/A/mini...

Half the charm is lost without seeing the two DVI cables that plug in to it.

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