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Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

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Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#41

Post by mirkules »

dmix wrote: post #10

Design isn't just about aesthetics, its about balancing aesthetics AND functionality. Apple's designers certainly knows this. This was a poor design choice on their part, not just the design department taking precedent over engineering and customer service. The designers are personally responsible, not just the structure

There is no reason they couldn't take a flimsy piece of a plastic tube and cover the ugly-but-functional rings on the old style adapters. That way the rings retain functionality, and they are covered, everyone is happy. When the tube breaks, it just exposes the "ugly" rings, but the cable won't actually break.

Why they couldn't do this - I don't know. But there must be a good technical reason for it - if I -a software person- can think of something like that, I'm sure they already thought of it too

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#42

Post by ugh »

adamesque wrote: post #26

Except, there are strain relief features built in to Apple power adapters. Power Adapter: http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t LED Cinema Display Power Adapter: http://www.cl.ly/3i1B3R142q0S25223q2U These may not be adequate, but clearly Apple industrial design has taken a pass at the problem. Anybody have photos of older power adapters to see if that sheathing has always been there?

I have a 2007 magsafe power adapter. It looks pretty much the same.

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#43

Post by sil3ntmac »

adamesque wrote: post #26

Except, there are strain relief features built in to Apple power adapters. Power Adapter: http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t LED Cinema Display Power Adapter: http://www.cl.ly/3i1B3R142q0S25223q2U These may not be adequate, but clearly Apple industrial design has taken a pass at the problem. Anybody have photos of older power adapters to see if that sheathing has always been there?

The OP is referring to Apple's iPhone power/usb connector cable, as seen in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/yAywo.jpg. The dock connector strain relief is decidedly weaker (I have had two or three break on me personally) than other Apple products.

One thing that is interesting is how Apple's Industrial Design team, mentioned in the post, affected the design of the new Macbook power adaptors (like the one you linked to, http://www.cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t). The old ones had the cord coming out perpendicular to the laptop. I liked that design a lot better than the new style, which is a bit awkward to plug in and leaves you either:

1. With a cord facing out the back of the laptop, then (probably) looping around 180 degrees and back to the power outlet, or

2. With the cord running parallel next to the laptop, completely blocking the ethernet port.

Obviously neither of these solutions is streamlined or Apple-like, so I wonder if the ID dept made the trade-off of a parallel connector with minimal strain relief, or a perpendicular connector with built-in strain relief.

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#44

Post by cgislason »

bxr wrote: post #30
cgislason wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Simple: it carries data. If the power cord on your laptop is yanked off for a minute it's usually not a big deal. If you disconnect the iOS device cable you could interrupt a data transfer. There is a higher risk to disconnection.

It is USB, and the host could lose power at any time (it doesn't have to be a laptop). Communication interruption is a likely case they should plan for. A more probable explanation is that even with a magnet the devices are light enough that a yank on the cable would send the device flying before the magnet connection came loose.

I'm sure they do plan for interruption, but with magsafe you invite it, in a sense. Especially on a portable device.

You're probably right that the physics of the magnet don't make it as useful. That makes me wonder how thoroughly Apple has investigated it.

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#45

Post by nostromo »

adamesque wrote: post #26

Except, there are strain relief features built in to Apple power adapters. Power Adapter: http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t LED Cinema Display Power Adapter: http://www.cl.ly/3i1B3R142q0S25223q2U These may not be adequate, but clearly Apple industrial design has taken a pass at the problem. Anybody have photos of older power adapters to see if that sheathing has always been there?

Yeah, here's the adapter from my 2004 PowerBook: http://imgur.com/RTLKM

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#46

Post by ugh »

sil3ntmac wrote: post #43
adamesque wrote: post #26

Except, there are strain relief features built in to Apple power adapters. Power Adapter: http://cl.ly/0r2n2S2z1b3K0L1E0R3t LED Cinema Display Power Adapter: http://www.cl.ly/3i1B3R142q0S25223q2U These may not be adequate, but clearly Apple industrial design has taken a pass at the problem. Anybody have photos of older power adapters to see if that sheathing has always been there?

The OP is referring to Apple's iPhone power/usb connector cable, as seen in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/yAywo.jpg . The dock connector strain relief is decidedly weaker (I have had two or three break on me personally) than other Apple products. One thing that is interesting is how Apple's Industrial Design team, mentioned in the post, affected the design of the new Macbook power adaptors (like the one you linked…

Huh? My power outlet is nearly always right behind where my laptop is. A cord facing out the back of the laptop is perfect for this - no more 90 degree turn.

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#47

Post by flamingbuffalo »

mirkules wrote: post #41
dmix wrote: post #10

Design isn't just about aesthetics, its about balancing aesthetics AND functionality. Apple's designers certainly knows this. This was a poor design choice on their part, not just the design department taking precedent over engineering and customer service. The designers are personally responsible, not just the structure

There is no reason they couldn't take a flimsy piece of a plastic tube and cover the ugly-but-functional rings on the old style adapters. That way the rings retain functionality, and they are covered, everyone is happy. When the tube breaks, it just exposes the "ugly" rings, but the cable won't actually break. Why they couldn't do this - I don't know. But there must be a good technical reason for it - if I -a softwar…

well, that still wouldn't satisfy the designers because now they have a "flimsy" plastic tube on their adapter.

(not saying it's not a good idea, my pile of broken cables is evidence of that!)

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#49

Post by [deleted] »

e-dard wrote: post #16
Aloisius wrote: post #3

I understand the æsthetic decision, but there is no reason why Apple couldn't have made the wire that runs from the brick to your laptop detachable. That way I could actually replace it for a reasonable amount.

Surely the mag-safe cables shouldn't get so damaged, because the cable detaches from the laptop under significant strain? In terms of mag-safe on iOS devices, I guess it's not feasible due to it transmitting data.

[deleted]

Re: Redditor Explains Why Apple Continue Making Frail Power Cables

#50

Post by mirkules »

flamingbuffalo wrote: post #47
mirkules wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no reason they couldn't take a flimsy piece of a plastic tube and cover the ugly-but-functional rings on the old style adapters. That way the rings retain functionality, and they are covered, everyone is happy. When the tube breaks, it just exposes the "ugly" rings, but the cable won't actually break. Why they couldn't do this - I don't know. But there must be a good technical reason for it - if I -a softwar…

well, that still wouldn't satisfy the designers because now they have a "flimsy" plastic tube on their adapter. (not saying it's not a good idea, my pile of broken cables is evidence of that!)

I think if it was any harder than "flimsy" (on a scale from flimsy to unbendable), the stress angle would happen at the end of the stress relief part, which would be the same thing as not having the stress relief part. So, I think there needs to be some compromise that leverages the durability of the old model, but the design of the new model (I think it's better to have a more functionally-durable product, than design-durable product)
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