9 Exceptionally Bad Apple Products and Business Decisions
July 28, 2009 at 06:07:18 AM, by Gilberto J. Perera
When we think of Apple, we think of innovation, style, and ease of use. We rarely think of words like failure, disappointment, or bad business decisions.
But in fact, Apple is not as infallible as some may want you to believe. As you will soon discover, Apple has not always hit the mark. I’ve listed some examples.
The list below is not limited just to products, but also business decisions and ideas that were ill-conceived or just plain stupid (disclaimer: Apple fanboys would probably call them “ahead of their time”).
1. The Puck Mouse (1998)
The puck mouse is without doubt one of the worst mice ever produced, period. Talk about ergonomics, what were they thinking? The idea of the single button instead of two and the eventual disappearance of mouse buttons in later versions of Apple mice would support that this is a product that was a stepping stone to the newer, more ergonomically shaped, and stylish mice that Apple currently offers. On the other hand that's no excuse for putting this piece of crap on the market.
2. Allowing Motorola to use the iPod interface on the ROKR E1 phone (2005)
Although a great idea in theory, the ROKR E1 suffered from three serious flaws; songs were capped at 100, physical design was not enhanced, lastly Motorola used USB 1.x instead of the already available 2.0 that would have provided transfer speeds of 480mbps instead of the slow 12Mbit/s found in the USB 1.x specification. If Apple was aware of these limitations as I’m sure they were they should have waited around for the E6 or just waited for the release of the iPhone 20 months later. Apple could have prevented the mishaps and bad press surrounding the product loaded with their software.
3. The Infamous Apple /// (1980)
The Apple /// was meant to extend Apple’s reach into the business market, however poor design choices and other issues plagued the computer with hardware problems. There was also a lack of software and limited acceptance by businesses. At the end Apple ended up replacing the first 14,000 units free of charge. Oh, I forgot to mention: the Apple /// carried a price tag ranging from $4,340 to $7,800.
4. Macintosh Interfaces in Exchange for Word and Excel (1993)
One of Apple’s most defining moments was losing the lawsuit against Microsoft over Microsoft’s use of GUI (Graphical User Interface) elements in Windows 1.0 and later Windows 2.0 that resembled those found in Apple’s GUI. Would have Apple been the platform of choice had it won the lawsuit? Probably not, unless they had decided to open up their platfom.
5. The Apple Cube (2000)
Even thought it was a technical and visual wonder, the Apple Cube failed to capture the sales (about 150,000) that would have catapulted the design wonder as a top seller. It did however serve as the inspiration for the Mac Mini that was later released.
6. The Lisa, Ahead of its Time (1983)
Let’s start with the $9,995 it cost to buy one. Unfortunately the market does not always respond well to products that requires selling both kidneys and a lung to afford. Sure, at one time in history the Lisa may have been the most advanced personal computer in the market; It offered multi tasking via an easy to use GUI, but at cost, virtual memory and slow disk access caused the computer to perform at a sluggish rate. Sluggish performance and a high price tag kept buyers focused on the cheaper IBM/PC platform. Eventually the Lisa was replaced with a more affordable and useful Macintosh XL which was later discontinued and supplanted by the Apple Macintosh.
7. Killing off the Newton (1998)
If Apple would have stuck with the Newton we would have had iPhone’s or iPod’s with similar capabilities 5-10 years earlier. Just as the market for PDA’s was taking off, Apple pulled out. They missed 11 years that they could have been perfecting the concept, they could have introduced a small version (the iPod) and then a larger version (Kindle DX type) and have been in the market that much longer, instead they sat on it and let others reap all those years of sales and market share.
8. Designed By Apple in California. Made in a sweat-shop in China (2006)
Apple’s debacle with Foxconn’s Chinese employees working 15 hour shifts at minimal pay struck hard at Apple’s decision to outsource the manufacturing of its successful iPod lineup. Although it did not mar Apple’s image as a socially responsible company it certainly left a dent that has ensured that Apple meets and exceeds compliance.
As Leander Kahney stated, "For Apple’s demographic — well-heeled urbanites — human rights and labor practices are, presumably, important matters. They buy fair-trade coffee, but iBooks and iPods are not an issue?"
9. MacBook Air (2008)
Problems with the MacBook Air start with the lack of user-replaceable parts, lack of basic features like Ethernet connectivity, FireWire ports, and the standard Kensington Security Slot. The laptop has also been plagued with cracking hinges, over heating issues, and display distortions.
This specific product is a coin toss, I could not find sales figures, but the fact of the matter is I don’t see people carrying these around in college, airports, really anywhere. The MacBook Airs I've seen were at Best Buy, the Apple Store, and online. However everywhere I turn someone has an iPhone.
Is the MacBook Air another computer "ahead of its time" or does it simply fail to meet customer needs and quality expectations anticipated from Apple?
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