Newsletter Issue #563: Apple and Silly Changes
September 13th, 2010With plenty of justification, it’s common to complain when Microsoft makes changes in the Windows or app interfaces that seem there solely for the sake of change. Well, I suppose you’ll be told that those changes are actually based on focus group studies. You see, Microsoft’s customers wanted them all along. They told them so, but some of the design decisions simply don’t make much sense. How many, for example, really adore those notorious ribbons on Office that will soon come to the Mac?
Now it’s commonly believed that Apple doesn’t survey customers. Steve Jobs and the gang sit back, stretch out, have some cups of java, and decide the user interfaces we are all destined to see on future Apple products.
While that may, in part, be true, how often have you heard Jobs announce at a media event that Apple is fixing something, or introducing a new feature, because you asked for it? Clearly they are consulting customer feedback, using such information as a guide over what to change and how.
On the other hand, sometimes they do things that seem so peculiar you wonder what mindset was responsible for the silly decision.
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