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While I appreciate the reasons Apple wants to step away from version-marking their devices, it causes massive confusion in a few important areas, at least assum

While I appreciate the reasons Apple wants to step away from version-marking their devices, it causes massive confusion in a few important areas, at least assuming they aren't ready to lock down form-factors and connector cable formats forevermore. eg: "Does this case fit my new iPhone, or does it fit the old new iPhone or the old old new iPhone?" I guess one way to deal with this would be for the aftermarket industry to start working with model years as is done with cars. If you're going to buy aftermarket add-ons for your Apple devices, know the year model, and then have the case/cable/etc people publish year model compatibility.

nuclear_eclipse 14y ago
I think Apple would love to solve that "confusion" by just having you step into an Apple store with your device and ask the helpful employees for whatever accessory you want, and let them deal with figuring it out for you. Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all.
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  That works great if every [potential or current] Apple customer lives near one of the 364 Apple stores, but the vast majority of people in the world do not.
  - polynomial 14y ago
    It also works great if you don't mind burning all that time having to make the appointment, get to the store and then wait in line, just to end up dealing with someone who can't actually tell you which device you have, because his company never bothered to name it correctly in the first place. Apple part matching in this scenario becomes much like the famous definition of obscenity- I don't know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
    - greedo 14y ago
      So, I take it you haven't actually been in an Apple Store, since you don't need a reservation to make a purchase, or to ask a question of one of the employees. Nor is there a queue to have a clerk assist you. And the clerk not knowing which device you own is laughable. Pretty sure I've just been trolled, but whatever.
- pbhjpbhj 14y ago
  >Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all. // Don't you mean "control". Apple doesn't want to allow the customer control over that at all. Like you say it makes it for more difficult to access after-market products that fit your device. I've been really frustrated by a similar thing with an old laptop recently. The company reuses the exact same model name for vastly different devices - it's really hard to get good information, to access support, to purchase parts &c. simply because the idiots can't use a unique model name. It's like a family choosing to name every male David Davidson ...
  - forensic 14y ago
    Control slices two ways. Control can be a burden.
    - creamyhorror 14y ago
      Give me a break. Is knowing what version your iPhone is a burden when you want to purchase an aftermarket accessory? How is knowing a name a burden to the customer? Under a named system, even if the customer forgets the model number, he's still no worse off than if he were under Apple's lack-of-naming scheme. Intentionally making naming confusing is not a benefit to the consumer AFAICT; it only potentially benefits Apple.
      - forensic 14y ago
        Some tech nerds are unable to empathize with normal people. From the perspective of the majority, their naming is less confusing not more confusing. This is why people love MacBook and loathe the Dell InspironXE E1795fpw-A
        pbhjpbhj 14y ago
        So you're saying that people loved their polycarbonate bubbling base Macbooks because Apple refused to print a model id on the bottom? I'm pretty sure that's factually incorrect. You think InspironXE users hate it because when they want more an fru or to access model specifid support they just look on the back and type in the code rather than having to have in depth knowledge of a companies development cycle?? Do you think car drivers hate that tyre makers print the id on the tyre enabling buying a replacement or that auction/sale sites can refer to specifc model numbers that act as a primary key on all the cars features? In your world presumably all coffee drinks in Starbucks would just be called 'coffee' because having names like latté and cappuccino is too confusing?
3JPLW 14y ago
> I guess one way to deal with this would be for the aftermarket industry to start working with model years as is done with cars. Which is also how Apple themselves handle most of their laptop models, eg the "MacBook Pro (Late 2011)"[1] or the "MacBook Air (Mid 2011)"[2]. This would seem to be the most sensible solution. [1]: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP644 [2]: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP631

nuclear_eclipse 14y ago

I think Apple would love to solve that "confusion" by just having you step into an Apple store with your device and ask the helpful employees for whatever accessory you want, and let them deal with figuring it out for you. Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all.

georgemcbay 14y ago
That works great if every [potential or current] Apple customer lives near one of the 364 Apple stores, but the vast majority of people in the world do not.
- polynomial 14y ago
  It also works great if you don't mind burning all that time having to make the appointment, get to the store and then wait in line, just to end up dealing with someone who can't actually tell you which device you have, because his company never bothered to name it correctly in the first place. Apple part matching in this scenario becomes much like the famous definition of obscenity- I don't know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
  - greedo 14y ago
    So, I take it you haven't actually been in an Apple Store, since you don't need a reservation to make a purchase, or to ask a question of one of the employees. Nor is there a queue to have a clerk assist you. And the clerk not knowing which device you own is laughable. Pretty sure I've just been trolled, but whatever.
pbhjpbhj 14y ago
>Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all. // Don't you mean "control". Apple doesn't want to allow the customer control over that at all. Like you say it makes it for more difficult to access after-market products that fit your device. I've been really frustrated by a similar thing with an old laptop recently. The company reuses the exact same model name for vastly different devices - it's really hard to get good information, to access support, to purchase parts &c. simply because the idiots can't use a unique model name. It's like a family choosing to name every male David Davidson ...
- forensic 14y ago
  Control slices two ways. Control can be a burden.
  - creamyhorror 14y ago
    Give me a break. Is knowing what version your iPhone is a burden when you want to purchase an aftermarket accessory? How is knowing a name a burden to the customer? Under a named system, even if the customer forgets the model number, he's still no worse off than if he were under Apple's lack-of-naming scheme. Intentionally making naming confusing is not a benefit to the consumer AFAICT; it only potentially benefits Apple.
    - forensic 14y ago
      Some tech nerds are unable to empathize with normal people. From the perspective of the majority, their naming is less confusing not more confusing. This is why people love MacBook and loathe the Dell InspironXE E1795fpw-A
      - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
        So you're saying that people loved their polycarbonate bubbling base Macbooks because Apple refused to print a model id on the bottom? I'm pretty sure that's factually incorrect. You think InspironXE users hate it because when they want more an fru or to access model specifid support they just look on the back and type in the code rather than having to have in depth knowledge of a companies development cycle?? Do you think car drivers hate that tyre makers print the id on the tyre enabling buying a replacement or that auction/sale sites can refer to specifc model numbers that act as a primary key on all the cars features? In your world presumably all coffee drinks in Starbucks would just be called 'coffee' because having names like latté and cappuccino is too confusing?

3JPLW 14y ago

> I guess one way to deal with this would be for the aftermarket industry to start working with model years as is done with cars. Which is also how Apple themselves handle most of their laptop models, eg the "MacBook Pro (Late 2011)"[1] or the "MacBook Air (Mid 2011)"[2]. This would seem to be the most sensible solution. [1]: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP644 [2]: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP631