Apple fumbles user interface
Category: Apple/Mac OS... Usability Hall of Shame...
Posted Monday, March 28, 2005 at 04:34 PM [GMT-6]

I bought MLB an iPod shuffle, making us a four 'pod family. She doesn't need a shuffle, but then, who does? That's not even a relevant issue.

She thinks it's just the cutest thing...as do we all...but right out of the box she made an observation that confirms what I've been thinking for a couple of months, since I got my shuffle: Apple fouled up the power switch. Unless you are equipped with gecko-like fingers or perpetually sweaty hands, it's dang near impossible to slide the switch on or off. Kudos to Apple for achieving such close manufacturing tolerances, but the flush-mounted switch provides no traction to operate it.

I suggest that the next generation of the shuffle come with tiny serrations on the surface of the switch, providing the user's finger with some purchase that's sorely lacking on the current smooth and seamless mechanism. Because, frankly, it's a little uncool to have to lick your finger before you can groove to your shuffling tunes, if you know what I mean.

And the shuffle is all about cool.

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Comments

One suspects that's already on the drawing board. I look at earlier generations of the big iPod and shudder at the prehistoric selection wheel (or whatever they call that doohicky that selects music).

Posted by: bryan at March 28, 2005 08:35 PM

Apple is generally good about learning from the few mistakes it makes. (The Finder in OS X being a notable exception.)

Posted by: Eric at March 29, 2005 10:02 AM
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