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If Apple releases a wearable, it'll be an interesting test to see if competitors have learned from Apple's success. As in, will the iWearable be as fundamentall

If Apple releases a wearable, it'll be an interesting test to see if competitors have learned from Apple's success. As in, will the iWearable be as fundamentally different from other watches/bracelets as the iPhone was from prior smartphones? Or will it be essentially the Apple version of the Pebble/Jawbone Up? Being late to the game didn't stop Apple from dominating smartphones and mp3 players, but at those times (6 and 12 years ago respectively), they were the only ones focusing on design, simplicity and ease-of-use.

josh2600 13y ago
I don't think it's fair to say Apple was the only company focusing on design, simplicity and ease-of-use prior to 2001. For example, the palm treo was much easier to use than other "smart" phones of the day. The difference between iPhones and other phones was epic, but it was also generational. There were people at Motorola focused on these things and they made the RAZR, which dominated the world mobile market for years. Compared to other "feature" phones of the day, it was remarkably awesome (granted some people hated it but its hard to deny its success). Apple did it better, but they weren't the only ones trying. The fact that they did it much much better than their competition does not necessarily indicate that other companies weren't trying. /end rant In other news, Apple watch should be a solid touch screen bracelet. IMHO.
- bookwormAT 13y ago
  And don't forget Google, who got famous for some of their design decisions early on. E.g. the minimal design of google.com, and the "undo replaces confirm dialog" pattern.
  - ernie_ 13y ago
    Your "undo replaces confirm dialog" quote blew my mind the second I read it. Is there a specific article discussing this design element? It's crazy how something simple goes unnoticed when you use it, but when pointed out you realize the thought process behind it.
    - mdenny 13y ago
      I'm sure it's not the first documented instance of the principle, but it's part of Android's Design Guidelines. "Decide for me but let me have the final say." - http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.html http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.h...
    - bookwormAT 13y ago
      Aza Raskin discusses the feature in 2007: http://alistapart.com/article/neveruseawarning http://alistapart.com/article/neveruseawarning . I don't know if there is more/better material on the topic. Personally, I have a very positive memory of when I discovered this feature in the early days of Gmail. Edit: Guide van Rossum also wrote about this in 2005: http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=97581 http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=97581
      - jasomill 13y ago
        Aza Raskin's father Jef incorporated the idea in his design for the Canon Cat, released in 1987. Notably, he felt Undo was such an important operation that it deserved its own large key[1]. He discussed many ideas behind the design, including universal undo as an alternative to confirmation, in his book The Humane Interface[2]. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canon_Cat_keyboard.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canon_Cat_keyboard.jpg [2] http://books.google.com/books?id=D39vjmLfO3kC&q=undo http://books.google.com/books?id=D39vjmLfO3kC&q=undo
blantonl 13y ago
Apple's ability to turn relatively new product categories into caché products is impressive. But one thing to consider is that the wearable market has been around far longer than the other markets that Apple has moved into. For instance, the long term existence of a wearable time keeping device has allowed others to cultivate over time the caché market that exists today. Think Rolex, Cartier, etc. Apple is going to have a hard time breaking into that high margin market.
- daegloe 13y ago
  Would you consider the prior portable music market (Walkman, Discman, etc) a parallel? Of course, time pieces have a much longer history. But as far as the modern consumer/brand marketplace is concerned, portable music devices certainly predated earlier MP3 players by decades, at least.
- youngerdryas 13y ago
  Underestimate Apple at your peril, as has been amply demonstrated.
- reneherse 13y ago
  It's very unlikely that any Apple product would be designed to compete against the ultra-luxury brands you cite. With consumer oriented products, Apple shoots for the high-middle, where they can capture a high margin on a vast scale. Think BMW 3-series, not a Rolls Royce or Veyron.

josh2600 13y ago

I don't think it's fair to say Apple was the only company focusing on design, simplicity and ease-of-use prior to 2001. For example, the palm treo was much easier to use than other "smart" phones of the day. The difference between iPhones and other phones was epic, but it was also generational. There were people at Motorola focused on these things and they made the RAZR, which dominated the world mobile market for years. Compared to other "feature" phones of the day, it was remarkably awesome (granted some people hated it but its hard to deny its success). Apple did it better, but they weren't the only ones trying. The fact that they did it much much better than their competition does not necessarily indicate that other companies weren't trying. /end rant In other news, Apple watch should be a solid touch screen bracelet. IMHO.

bookwormAT 13y ago
And don't forget Google, who got famous for some of their design decisions early on. E.g. the minimal design of google.com, and the "undo replaces confirm dialog" pattern.
- ernie_ 13y ago
  Your "undo replaces confirm dialog" quote blew my mind the second I read it. Is there a specific article discussing this design element? It's crazy how something simple goes unnoticed when you use it, but when pointed out you realize the thought process behind it.
  - mdenny 13y ago
    I'm sure it's not the first documented instance of the principle, but it's part of Android's Design Guidelines. "Decide for me but let me have the final say." - http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.html http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.h...
  - bookwormAT 13y ago
    Aza Raskin discusses the feature in 2007: http://alistapart.com/article/neveruseawarning http://alistapart.com/article/neveruseawarning . I don't know if there is more/better material on the topic. Personally, I have a very positive memory of when I discovered this feature in the early days of Gmail. Edit: Guide van Rossum also wrote about this in 2005: http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=97581 http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=97581
    - jasomill 13y ago
      Aza Raskin's father Jef incorporated the idea in his design for the Canon Cat, released in 1987. Notably, he felt Undo was such an important operation that it deserved its own large key[1]. He discussed many ideas behind the design, including universal undo as an alternative to confirmation, in his book The Humane Interface[2]. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canon_Cat_keyboard.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canon_Cat_keyboard.jpg [2] http://books.google.com/books?id=D39vjmLfO3kC&q=undo http://books.google.com/books?id=D39vjmLfO3kC&q=undo

blantonl 13y ago

Apple's ability to turn relatively new product categories into caché products is impressive. But one thing to consider is that the wearable market has been around far longer than the other markets that Apple has moved into. For instance, the long term existence of a wearable time keeping device has allowed others to cultivate over time the caché market that exists today. Think Rolex, Cartier, etc. Apple is going to have a hard time breaking into that high margin market.

daegloe 13y ago
Would you consider the prior portable music market (Walkman, Discman, etc) a parallel? Of course, time pieces have a much longer history. But as far as the modern consumer/brand marketplace is concerned, portable music devices certainly predated earlier MP3 players by decades, at least.
youngerdryas 13y ago
Underestimate Apple at your peril, as has been amply demonstrated.
reneherse 13y ago
It's very unlikely that any Apple product would be designed to compete against the ultra-luxury brands you cite. With consumer oriented products, Apple shoots for the high-middle, where they can capture a high margin on a vast scale. Think BMW 3-series, not a Rolls Royce or Veyron.