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For all the things the Airpods do right, they're still easy to miss, in-ear headphones with sub par audio quality. > Apps SHOULD have a context-sensitive input

For all the things the Airpods do right, they're still easy to miss, in-ear headphones with sub par audio quality. > Apps SHOULD have a context-sensitive input device Like the mouse. And the screen. Not a separate screen I have to look down to be able to use because it has no proper tactile feedback unlike a proper key. > A minor but VERY nice design and attention to detail. An extremely minor thing that's not worth all the downsides. I can get a better version of that gimmick on my mouse just using the side button+scroll wheel. > For example, when I'm editing a contact's phone number, the buttons for labels like "Home" or "Work" appear on the Touch Bar. You don't need a separate screen to have context sensitive buttons. This sounds like an UX compromise just to push the touch bar rather than something I'd want. Also "in a scrolling list on the Touch Bar." That cannot be faster than a mouse or keyboard shortcut, and would be trivial to replicate with the keyboards F-keys (two keys for scrolling forward/backward, rest for selection). Another example on how it's just a gimmick. > The new MacBook Pros. Modern computers SHOULD have a single type of port, and we should be able to use any port for charging. I value more being able to connect all my devices without 5 different dongles hanging from my laptop than idolizing an ideal, non-existent world. > Unlocking my MacBook by just raising the lid if I'm wearing my Apple Watch. You can do this with any other programmable smartwatch. I remember people were doing this with a Pebble. It's still a gimmick. > Touch ID on Macs. Can't wait for third-party apps to use it for authentication like on iOS. You're praising fingerprint readers under a marketing name. I literally have this on a cheap refurbished HP laptop from 2010 or so I've been using as a server. > Being able to seamlessly copy/paste across your Apple devices is one of those things you never knew you needed, but you'll sorely miss when you work on devices that don't have it. So... KDE Connect? So indeed, Apple seems to be doing nothing but gimmicks and more proprietary lock-in. This is a good thing, somehow?

Razengan 10y ago
> For all the things the Airpods do right, they're still easy to miss Anecdotal, unproven. It's YOUR fault if you easily forget about foreign objects in your ear, and does not negate "all the things the Airpods do right." In any case, Find My Phone will have support for tracking them in the next iOS update. I've gone running with them, used them in crowded environments with hundreds of people jostling me, and I have yet to lose or even drop one. The freedom from wires (and excellent microphones) are a HUGE convenience and far outweighs any minor subjective quibbles. Can you tell me how YOU would design something without any wires that's not easy to miss? > sub par audio quality. Subjective. Source? They're good enough, no worse than the previous EarPods, and not bad at all. ---- > I value more being able to connect all my devices without 5 different dongles hanging from my laptop than idolizing an ideal, non-existent world. Hyperbole. If you carried 5 different devices with your laptop, you would need to carry at most one USB/USB-C adapter and maybe a multiport USB hub. I have an iPhone, iPad, a Bluetooth Mouse, a Bluetooth keyboard (for games) and a WiFi harddisk. I haven't needed to plug them into my 2016 MBP yet, nor do I carry all of them in my backpack, but I do have one small USB/USB-C adapter for when I need it. File transfers of even several GBs work flawlessly with AirDrop. See [1]. Apple already did this long ago for the original USB standard, when the first iMac came with nothing but USB ports. ---- > I remember people were doing this with a Pebble. It's still a gimmick. It still doesn't change the fact that it's still convenient. ---- >I literally have this on a cheap refurbished HP laptop from 2010 or so I've been using as a server. It still doesn't change the fact that it's still convenient, and I would wager more secure than the tech in a 2010 HP laptop. Moreover, it integrates very nicely with authorizing App Store and Apple Pay purchases, and giving permission for administrative actions. Did older laptops integrate fingerprint authentication deeply into Windows? ---- > Like the mouse. And the screen. Not a separate screen I have to look down to be able to use because it has no proper tactile feedback unlike a proper key. Does not diminish its advantages. "No proper tactile feedback unlike a proper key" can be used to downplay the utility of all the phone and tablet touchscreens in the world, too. A mouse does not provide visual feedback depending on what you're doing. I'm looking straight at the screen right now on a 2016 MBP, and the Touch Bar is within my field of vision. In any case, it's no worse than having to discover, learn and remember what each FN does in each app. >An extremely minor thing that's not worth all the downsides. I can get a better version of that gimmick on my mouse just using the side button+scroll wheel. Which "all downsides?" To change brightness/volume, all I need is to swipe on the Touch Bar. Do you have any of your mouse buttons permanently set to controlling volume and/or brightness? The Touch Bar is not replacing the mouse, trackpad or keyboard. You still have a mouse, trackpad and keyboard. Why are you comparing it with them? The Touch Bar replaces FN keys, and it's better than them. > You don't need a separate screen to have context sensitive buttons. Also "in a scrolling list on the Touch Bar." That cannot be faster than a mouse or keyboard shortcut Say I have contacts named after companies/organizations, and I use tens of different custom labels for each phone number/email for the different people working at them. Which of these is faster/better? • I keep 10+ different keyboard shortcuts, for each label, and remember which one maps to which label on which contact. (!) • I take my fingers away from the keyboard to move the mouse pointer to open the dropdown list, scroll it and click on a label. • I keep my hands on the keyboard and tap a label on the Touch Bar. ---- >So indeed, Apple seems to be doing nothing but gimmicks and more proprietary lock-in. This is a good thing, somehow? Subjective. "Gimmicks" can be used against any feature from any company. All of these things highly increase user convenience within the ecosystem without any setup required beyond signing-on once with your Apple ID. This is bad design, somehow? ---- Your dismissals are a classic example of the tall poppy syndrome; Were Apple a smaller company, you probably wouldn't be putting so much effort in downplaying their accomplishments. The fact that others companies came out with [half-baked] versions of some features first, or anecdotes about misplacing equipment or subjective opinions of audio quality, does NOT diminish the fact that Apple DO do a lot of things right. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy-free_PC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy-free_PC
- mixedCase 10y ago
  > It's YOUR fault if you easily forget about foreign objects in your ear I don't use them. My friends do, and they don't lose them when they're in their ear. Also, guess what? I don't risk losing my headphones just because I fall asleep on long trips. It's not my fault, it's Apple's product being poor at fitting an extremely common usecase. > Subjective. Source? Go to an audio store and ask them for monitoring headphones. You can't explain audio quality to someone that has never experienced it, these things are a night/day difference. > Can you tell me how YOU would design something without any wires that's not easy to miss? I would use shorter, interchangeable wires for the right occasion rather than go wireless and have to charge my headphones, tolerate a worse audio quality than I'm accustomed to and risk easily losing them. > Does not diminish its advantages. Yes it does, same pros but with an extra con and on top of that, the touch bar is not a free addition to a screen and keyboard you already have. >"No proper tactile feedback unlike a proper key" can be used to downplay the utility of all the phone and tablet touchscreens in the world, too. Smartphones and tablets have a single screen, or at worst, they're contiguous on the same plane. > A mouse does not provide visual feedback depending on what you're doing. No, that's the screen's job. I don't have to look at my mouse to change volume, I just look at the screen. Or rather, I use my keyboard (caps lock+[s/d] in my case), since I don't see the benefit of more than 5% stepped increases. > I'm looking straight at the screen right now on a 2016 MBP, and the Touch Bar is within my field of vision. And my phone is technically in front of me beyond my monitor, but without focusing on its smaller screen with a different DPI I can't read it. Which is why I started using KDE Connect after all: to get notifications on my desktop. > In any case, it's no worse than having to discover, learn and remember what each FN does in each app. In how many apps do you exactly use its FN-options? And how is it any different from labeling them in the screen next to the button it means? You'd still not have to look at the keyboard. You can even do it for apps using the Touchbar API: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-get-a-touch-bar-on-your-old-mac/ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-get-a-touch-bar-on-your-o... > Hyperbole. If you carried 5 different devices with your laptop, you would need to carry at most one USB/USB-C adapter and maybe a multiport USB hub. For 5 yes. For 4, no. The old laptop I mentioned has 4 USB ports, where I regularly plug an external kb and mouse, an USB stick and my phone for tethering or debugging an app on a real device. > I have an iPhone, iPad, a Bluetooth Mouse, a Bluetooth keyboard (for games) and a WiFi harddisk. I haven't needed to plug them into my 2016 MBP yet, nor do I carry all of them in my backpack, but I do have one small USB/USB-C adapter for when I need it. File transfers of even several GBs work flawlessly with AirDrop. Cool. I only need my laptop charger when I leave home. > Which "all downsides?" Again, cost and having to actually look down at the small thing to be able to use it. > You still have a mouse, trackpad and keyboard. Why are you comparing it with them? The Touch Bar replaces FN keys, and it's better than them. Last time I checked, the FN keys are on the keyboard. > Say I have contacts named after companies/organizations, and I use tens of different custom labels for each phone number/email for the different people working at them. Which of these is faster/better? Assuming you have more than 10 of them, the keyboard and input with autocompletion rather than the scroll list on a separate screen. Or the same thing as the touch bar but on the screen. We've had this technology for a while: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Norton_Commander_5.51.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Norton_Comman... > Subjective. "Gimmicks" can be used against any feature from any company. All of these things highly increase user convenience When all you can offer is copies of barely useful things that have already been done, you can hardly call your company "amazing" or "futuristic". The rest of the quote speaks for itself. > Your dismissals are a classic example of the tall poppy syndrome; Were Apple a smaller company, you probably wouldn't be putting so much effort in downplaying their accomplishments. And your relentless shilling is a classic example of blind fanboyism (as redundant as it sounds) and choice-supportive bias. You're literally attaching a label to anyone criticizing a corporation you're trying to sell. Do I need to link my comments shitting on smaller companies too? Or when I praise Apple/{insert corporation here} when they do a good thing? Do yourself a favor and reflect on your thought process for a bit. Unless you're doing marketing work for Apple, in which case you should grab a PR book.

Razengan 10y ago

> For all the things the Airpods do right, they're still easy to miss Anecdotal, unproven. It's YOUR fault if you easily forget about foreign objects in your ear, and does not negate "all the things the Airpods do right." In any case, Find My Phone will have support for tracking them in the next iOS update. I've gone running with them, used them in crowded environments with hundreds of people jostling me, and I have yet to lose or even drop one. The freedom from wires (and excellent microphones) are a HUGE convenience and far outweighs any minor subjective quibbles. Can you tell me how YOU would design something without any wires that's not easy to miss? > sub par audio quality. Subjective. Source? They're good enough, no worse than the previous EarPods, and not bad at all. ---- > I value more being able to connect all my devices without 5 different dongles hanging from my laptop than idolizing an ideal, non-existent world. Hyperbole. If you carried 5 different devices with your laptop, you would need to carry at most one USB/USB-C adapter and maybe a multiport USB hub. I have an iPhone, iPad, a Bluetooth Mouse, a Bluetooth keyboard (for games) and a WiFi harddisk. I haven't needed to plug them into my 2016 MBP yet, nor do I carry all of them in my backpack, but I do have one small USB/USB-C adapter for when I need it. File transfers of even several GBs work flawlessly with AirDrop. See [1]. Apple already did this long ago for the original USB standard, when the first iMac came with nothing but USB ports. ---- > I remember people were doing this with a Pebble. It's still a gimmick. It still doesn't change the fact that it's still convenient. ---- >I literally have this on a cheap refurbished HP laptop from 2010 or so I've been using as a server. It still doesn't change the fact that it's still convenient, and I would wager more secure than the tech in a 2010 HP laptop. Moreover, it integrates very nicely with authorizing App Store and Apple Pay purchases, and giving permission for administrative actions. Did older laptops integrate fingerprint authentication deeply into Windows? ---- > Like the mouse. And the screen. Not a separate screen I have to look down to be able to use because it has no proper tactile feedback unlike a proper key. Does not diminish its advantages. "No proper tactile feedback unlike a proper key" can be used to downplay the utility of all the phone and tablet touchscreens in the world, too. A mouse does not provide visual feedback depending on what you're doing. I'm looking straight at the screen right now on a 2016 MBP, and the Touch Bar is within my field of vision. In any case, it's no worse than having to discover, learn and remember what each FN does in each app. >An extremely minor thing that's not worth all the downsides. I can get a better version of that gimmick on my mouse just using the side button+scroll wheel. Which "all downsides?" To change brightness/volume, all I need is to swipe on the Touch Bar. Do you have any of your mouse buttons permanently set to controlling volume and/or brightness? The Touch Bar is not replacing the mouse, trackpad or keyboard. You still have a mouse, trackpad and keyboard. Why are you comparing it with them? The Touch Bar replaces FN keys, and it's better than them. > You don't need a separate screen to have context sensitive buttons. Also "in a scrolling list on the Touch Bar." That cannot be faster than a mouse or keyboard shortcut Say I have contacts named after companies/organizations, and I use tens of different custom labels for each phone number/email for the different people working at them. Which of these is faster/better? • I keep 10+ different keyboard shortcuts, for each label, and remember which one maps to which label on which contact. (!) • I take my fingers away from the keyboard to move the mouse pointer to open the dropdown list, scroll it and click on a label. • I keep my hands on the keyboard and tap a label on the Touch Bar. ---- >So indeed, Apple seems to be doing nothing but gimmicks and more proprietary lock-in. This is a good thing, somehow? Subjective. "Gimmicks" can be used against any feature from any company. All of these things highly increase user convenience within the ecosystem without any setup required beyond signing-on once with your Apple ID. This is bad design, somehow? ---- Your dismissals are a classic example of the tall poppy syndrome; Were Apple a smaller company, you probably wouldn't be putting so much effort in downplaying their accomplishments. The fact that others companies came out with [half-baked] versions of some features first, or anecdotes about misplacing equipment or subjective opinions of audio quality, does NOT diminish the fact that Apple DO do a lot of things right. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy-free_PC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy-free_PC

mixedCase 10y ago
> It's YOUR fault if you easily forget about foreign objects in your ear I don't use them. My friends do, and they don't lose them when they're in their ear. Also, guess what? I don't risk losing my headphones just because I fall asleep on long trips. It's not my fault, it's Apple's product being poor at fitting an extremely common usecase. > Subjective. Source? Go to an audio store and ask them for monitoring headphones. You can't explain audio quality to someone that has never experienced it, these things are a night/day difference. > Can you tell me how YOU would design something without any wires that's not easy to miss? I would use shorter, interchangeable wires for the right occasion rather than go wireless and have to charge my headphones, tolerate a worse audio quality than I'm accustomed to and risk easily losing them. > Does not diminish its advantages. Yes it does, same pros but with an extra con and on top of that, the touch bar is not a free addition to a screen and keyboard you already have. >"No proper tactile feedback unlike a proper key" can be used to downplay the utility of all the phone and tablet touchscreens in the world, too. Smartphones and tablets have a single screen, or at worst, they're contiguous on the same plane. > A mouse does not provide visual feedback depending on what you're doing. No, that's the screen's job. I don't have to look at my mouse to change volume, I just look at the screen. Or rather, I use my keyboard (caps lock+[s/d] in my case), since I don't see the benefit of more than 5% stepped increases. > I'm looking straight at the screen right now on a 2016 MBP, and the Touch Bar is within my field of vision. And my phone is technically in front of me beyond my monitor, but without focusing on its smaller screen with a different DPI I can't read it. Which is why I started using KDE Connect after all: to get notifications on my desktop. > In any case, it's no worse than having to discover, learn and remember what each FN does in each app. In how many apps do you exactly use its FN-options? And how is it any different from labeling them in the screen next to the button it means? You'd still not have to look at the keyboard. You can even do it for apps using the Touchbar API: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-get-a-touch-bar-on-your-old-mac/ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-get-a-touch-bar-on-your-o... > Hyperbole. If you carried 5 different devices with your laptop, you would need to carry at most one USB/USB-C adapter and maybe a multiport USB hub. For 5 yes. For 4, no. The old laptop I mentioned has 4 USB ports, where I regularly plug an external kb and mouse, an USB stick and my phone for tethering or debugging an app on a real device. > I have an iPhone, iPad, a Bluetooth Mouse, a Bluetooth keyboard (for games) and a WiFi harddisk. I haven't needed to plug them into my 2016 MBP yet, nor do I carry all of them in my backpack, but I do have one small USB/USB-C adapter for when I need it. File transfers of even several GBs work flawlessly with AirDrop. Cool. I only need my laptop charger when I leave home. > Which "all downsides?" Again, cost and having to actually look down at the small thing to be able to use it. > You still have a mouse, trackpad and keyboard. Why are you comparing it with them? The Touch Bar replaces FN keys, and it's better than them. Last time I checked, the FN keys are on the keyboard. > Say I have contacts named after companies/organizations, and I use tens of different custom labels for each phone number/email for the different people working at them. Which of these is faster/better? Assuming you have more than 10 of them, the keyboard and input with autocompletion rather than the scroll list on a separate screen. Or the same thing as the touch bar but on the screen. We've had this technology for a while: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Norton_Commander_5.51.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Norton_Comman... > Subjective. "Gimmicks" can be used against any feature from any company. All of these things highly increase user convenience When all you can offer is copies of barely useful things that have already been done, you can hardly call your company "amazing" or "futuristic". The rest of the quote speaks for itself. > Your dismissals are a classic example of the tall poppy syndrome; Were Apple a smaller company, you probably wouldn't be putting so much effort in downplaying their accomplishments. And your relentless shilling is a classic example of blind fanboyism (as redundant as it sounds) and choice-supportive bias. You're literally attaching a label to anyone criticizing a corporation you're trying to sell. Do I need to link my comments shitting on smaller companies too? Or when I praise Apple/{insert corporation here} when they do a good thing? Do yourself a favor and reflect on your thought process for a bit. Unless you're doing marketing work for Apple, in which case you should grab a PR book.