Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The company is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and is known for its innovative hardware and software products, including the Mac computer, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
Apple is also known for its popular software, including the iOS and macOS operating systems, iTunes, and the App Store. The company is one of the largest technology companies in the world, with a market capitalization of over $2 trillion as of 2021. Apple is also recognized for its sleek and minimalist design aesthetic, and its emphasis on user experience and privacy. However, there have been a few Apple products that were widely criticized for their design choices. Here are some examples:
The “Hockey Puck” Mouse: The “Hockey Puck” Mouse was a circular mouse released by Apple in 1998 with the iMac G3. It was designed to match the colorful and playful aesthetic of the iMac, but it was widely criticized for its awkward shape and uncomfortable design. The mouse was small and difficult to grip, and its circular shape made it difficult to orient properly. The single button was also criticized for being too small and difficult to press. Despite its flaws, the “Hockey Puck” Mouse became an iconic symbol of the iMac G3 and Apple’s design philosophy of the time. It was eventually replaced with a more traditional mouse design in later models.
The “Butterfly” Keyboard: The “Butterfly” keyboard was a type of keyboard design used on Apple laptops, starting with the 12-inch MacBook in 2015 and later on MacBook Pro models. The name “Butterfly” referred to the shape of the mechanism underneath each key, which was designed to be flatter and more stable than the traditional scissor-switch mechanism used on previous Apple keyboards.
However, the Butterfly keyboard design was widely criticized by users for being prone to issues such as keys getting stuck or becoming unresponsive, as well as being more difficult to repair. In response, Apple introduced a new keyboard design in 2019 called the “Magic Keyboard,” which uses a scissor-switch mechanism and has been generally well-received by users.
The “Trashcan” Mac Pro: The “Trashcan” nickname comes from its cylindrical design, which is reminiscent of a small trash can. It was a departure from the traditional rectangular tower design of previous Mac Pro models.
The Mac Pro (Late 2013) was designed to be a powerful workstation computer for professional users, with high-end components such as Intel Xeon processors, dual AMD FirePro graphics cards, and support for up to 64GB of RAM. It also had fast flash storage and multiple Thunderbolt 2 ports for connecting external devices.
Despite its impressive specifications, the “Trashcan” Mac Pro was criticized by some users for its limited upgradability and lack of internal expansion options. The compact design made it difficult to upgrade components such as graphics cards or storage, and users had to rely on external peripherals to expand their systems.
In response to this feedback, Apple released a new version of the Mac Pro in 2019, with a more traditional tower design that allows for more internal expansion and upgradability.
The iPhone 4 Antenna: The iPhone 4 antenna was a controversial issue that arose shortly after the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010. The antenna was built into the metal band that wrapped around the sides of the phone, and some users reported that holding the phone in a certain way could cause a decrease in signal strength and potentially result in dropped calls.
The issue became known as the “Antennagate” controversy, and Apple initially responded by suggesting that users hold the phone differently or use a case to prevent their hands from coming into contact with the antenna. However, after widespread criticism and a Consumer Reports review that did not recommend the iPhone 4 due to the antenna issue, Apple held a press conference in which they announced they would provide free cases to all iPhone 4 owners and offer refunds to those who had already purchased one.
The iPhone 4 antenna issue ultimately resulted in a class-action lawsuit against Apple, which was settled in 2012 for $15 million. While the antenna issue was a notable controversy for the iPhone 4, subsequent iPhone models have not had similar issues with their antennas.
It’s important to note that these design choices were not universally disliked and that Apple has also released many products that have been praised for their design innovation and functionality.