Skip to main content

The Good and Bad of Apple.

This article is my roster of good and bad product moves by Apple.  I only mention things that I think are important. Feel free to let me know your opinion and I will consider it.

2018

  • [Bad] Apple has dropped its excellent "Airport" WiFi router line, and tells customers to buy other vendors' junk. Apple promotes the WiFi marketing gimmick called "mesh". The pundits that promote mesh are either profiteering, or idiots.
  • [Bad] Apple completely fails to make headway making the Apple TV an awesome, must-have device.  It is shackled by how Apple lets developers use the OS.  Instead it is sold as a glorified Homekit hub integrated with a $30 Roku.  Why the fuck doesn't Apple get the excellent Apple TV hardware to play an important role in home WiFi?  Idiocy.
  •  [Good] Apple updates the "entry level" iPad without increasing its price.  The new iPad even retains the useful "legacy" headphone port, which has really only evaporated from the iPhone line.

2017

  • [Bad] The iPhone X is released at $1000+. It's impossible for Apple to excuse the price point, despite their feeble attempts. The iPhone 4 was an even bigger step up from the iPhone 3GS, yet Apple managed to control its pricing.  I am not going to buy an iPhone X.
  • [Good] Apple updates the software of the long-discontinued Apple TV v3 with Amazon Prime support.
  • [Bad] The new MacBook Pro was delivered with another proprietary SSD, as if the industry standard PCI.e interface wasn't "good enough".  If it wasn't good enough, why doesn't Apple develop a new industry standard like they did for USB-C, nano SIM, Firewire, etc?  And on some MBPs, Apple resorts to soldering in some SSDs to prevent device upgrades.
  • [Good] The replacement for the iPad Air 2 is a better, and significantly more affordable iPad. The pundits that complain about it are idiots.
  • [Bad]  Apple stops releasing security patches for iOS 10 - the version of iOS that is required for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C. Some of these devices were sold as new less than 3 years old. Customers of these products can no longer securely use them.  Shameful.
  • [Good] The Apple Watch product line is clearly becoming more compelling.
  • [Bad] The iPod line is completely abandoned - the shuffle and the nano are dead.  Customers are advised to use an iPhone or Watch with bluetooth during their workouts - which, of course, costs at least 5x more than the iPod Shuffle.   Instead, many people go to eBay to buy used iPods.

2016

  • [Bad] Apple states during the 2016 October Special Event that the MacBook Air is basically not a great machine, yet Apple fails to improve the MBA in any important way.  Apple offers the low-end MacBook Pro, at a 30% premium, as an alternative. WTF?
  • [Bad] With the release of the new MacBook Pros, it is clear that Apple is eliminating their use of the excellent MagSafe connector.  Apple fails to provide any compelling alternative.  Happily, MagSafe continues to be used on the MacBook Air, but only because Apple *never* updates the MacBook Air.
  • [Bad] For the first time in 4 years, Apple releases an operating system, Sierra, that refuses to be installed on Macs that Apple no longer wants to support - despite the fact that there are literally zero technical reasons why Sierra can't work with the older hardware.  Apple couldn't even be bothered to fake a technology excuse.  Thuggish behavior: buy new hardware or risk your security.
  • [Bad] The iPhone 7 loses the headphone port for no particular reason other than "it's legacy", with comparisons to the Mac's elimination of the DVD drive, Floppy drive, and dial-up modem. The difference is that those legacy devices were bulky, unreliable, poor performing, rarely used, and long displaced by other technology. Now we get a dongle and need to balance using a headset and charging.  Very dumb "form over function".  No matter how Apple spins it, it is not a bold or logical move except if you want to sell bluetooth headsets.

Notes below:

No notes yet!

Popular posts from this blog

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, part 1: Disassembly Guide

I've had my SodaStream Jet for years, and once in a while something has gone wrong. Disassembly is the first step to repair.  Start with this article to see how to disassemble the SodaStream, and then once you have that down, scroll through my other articles to see how I repaired specfic SodaStream problems. SodaStream Jet Disassembly Guide Tools Required Flat head screwdriver Phillips head screwdriver 1. Remove the Carbonator.  Duh. 2. Remove the black panel lever The front big black tilt lever needs to be removed first. Removing this panel is tricky, but it isn't impossible. Looking up at the bottom of the black panel, there are two tabs, one on the left and one on the right. These tabs fully secure the panel in place. The trick is to use a flat-head screwdriver under the plastic to gently lever the tabs out of the way.  Note in the pictures how I approach these tabs with my screwdriver.  I usually release the left side first, and then I release ...
Read more

Picking a Cable Modem for Xfinity

There are a lot of cable modems on the market, and many are compatible with Xfinity service. However, that doesn't mean that every modem is perfect. My basic requirements are: Currently certified by my ISP.  Buying a cable modem that isn't currently certified is simply unlikely to work. Capable of supporting needed service speeds.  Buying a cable modem which cannot deliver the service needed is going to be an immediate bottlebeck.  Buying a cable modem which is far more capable that the service speed is likely a waste of money, No built-in WiFi capability or Telephone line capability.  A personally-owned WiFi router is likely a better choice than an all-in-one unit that will need to be positioned exactly where the cable is within the house.  Don't over-buy.  Cable modems do not last forever.  Manufacturers abandon support, and cable modems aren't infinitely durable due to things like lightning strikes and being powered on for years at a time. So what ...
Read more

Old Apple gear that keeps on ticking

I've been dealing with Apple computer gear for a long time, as have my friends and family. Here is a list of the old gear that me and/or my friends have in active service.   Note that this gear is in real service, and isn't treated as museum pieces or as part of a retro-computing hobby. 2008: Apple Airport Express, draft-N, first generation 2009: Apple MacBook, late 2009 (utility use only) 2010: Apple iPod nano, 6th generation 2013: Apple Airport Extreme AC 2015: Apple TV HD (4th generation) The big winner here is the Airport Express, which is modern enough to do its job, and it just keeps on going.  The device that my friend runs has been in operation for more than 125000 hours.  It received its most recent firmware update on 28 August 2018, 10+ years after its initial release. In terms of security: it has no open, unpatched CVE vulnerability reports.  Many generations of other routers have come and go while this one keeps going.
Read more

Transitioning to Comcast Now!

I've transitioned to Comcast NOW, a lower speed, lower cost alternative.  The kids have grown up and moved out.  I'm spending much more of my time traveling.  I don't need the high speeds at home like I used to. This transition promises to save me $240 dollars a year versus my old "discounted" plan. Xfinity to Comcast Now transitioning process I went to the Xfinity store and told them I was cancelling two weeks out.  This isn't weird - people move all the time, so they do have a process for cancelling at a future ("move-out") date. Later the same day, I was able to go to the Comcast website and order the NOW modem for the new service. Note that Comcast didn't let me do this until I had a future cancel order in place.  Three days later, the modem arrived via FedEx. The cancel date came and went - Xfinity seems to have a grace period, so the old modem wasn't unceremoniously yanked out of service at midnight.  This made the transition smooth.  ...
Read more

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, Repair #2 - Broken Fill Button

My Soda Stream Jet's fill button broke, which means I can not longer carbonate water by pressing the pushbutton. This caused all sorts of grief in my household. Here is how I managed to repair my Jet to give it another 10 years of life (hopefully). First, a look at the button The fill button on the top of the SodaStream is actually a simple lever. Pressing down on the button moves a pin that does the actual work of pressing open the Carbonator's valve. Unfortunately, the axis point is fairly thin and can see a lot of stress. That's where my Soda Stream button cracked. [ I think the usage tip here is "don't over-press the button like a gorilla, it doesn't do anything but put high stress on the button."] Cracked levering point of the button The Pesky Lever Retaining Pin The Fix It was pretty easy for me to replace the button: Take off the back of the Soda Stream and remove the carbonator. Push out the the button lever's steel retaining pin. This takes qu...
Read more

Sodastream Carbonator Leakage, Usage, and Weight

SodaStream 60L "Carbonator" CO2 cylinders have a specific weight when empty, plus about 410 or so grams for the CO2 they should have when they're "full".  A little while ago I went to buy a replacement Carbonator from my local hardware store. The dealer pulled a new Carbonator out of the box and sensed it was lighter than usual.  He put the "light" Carbonator in the "empty" pile and sold me a different one.  At that moment I concluded that it would be smart of me to weigh both new and empty SodaStream carbonators.  Here are the results. Weighing a SodaStream Carbonator - for both Science and Consumer Protection.       The dealer told me that sometimes the carbonators leak after they leave the SodaStream filling facility.  That means there could be an opportunity for customers like me to get ripped off! The SodaStream cylinders I buy claim to have a net product weight of 410 grams - and that means that a full Soda Stream Carbonator shou...
Read more

Other Posts

Show more