Comment on Apple’s first Mac mini redesign in 14 years looks like a big aluminum Apple TV
GhostlyPixel@lemmy.world 1 year agoRemember though that these are the same engineers who put the Magic Mouse charging port on the bottom, making the mouse unusable while you charged it
People treat it like a mistake but not be able to use the mouse while it’s plugged in is the entire point of the design. Right or wrong the Apple designers thought a cord drag was a bad experience and designed to prevent it.
They probably looked at their target audience and realized there was a certain percentage of folks that would just leave the mouse on the cord 24/7 and wanted to prevent that.
I don’t understand what was wrong with the original version that just took 2 AA batteries. Reaching for the AA charger and swapping cells too much effort or something?
Smart and elegant design would be hiding a battery charger in the iMac it self (maybe even use something smaller than AA), not expect you to flip and plug in your mouse every time ya leave it. The Nintendo Switch, while a completely different form factor, is a great example of an elegant “wireless” charging solution.
I’m getting really sick of the Apple esthetic of sticking out wires, be it the mouse or the dozen dongles for every portable device they now make. Uh! Can’t forget the world’s only pen that needs charging, for seemingly no reason.
IT here. They were terrible.
Very insightful comment Mr. IT of lemmy.
They can fit a bigger rechargeable battery in the same space as a battery bay for replaceable batteries. Plus it eliminates the waste of throwing away batteries, and has longer battery life than similarly sized alkalines.
Honestly don’t feel like a slight reduction on a month long battery life is of much concern. As for waste, I’d say being able to replace a dead battery should reduce waste if anything, also nobody said it must be a AA (on a side note, you seem to imply the use of non-rechargeable AA, which holy shit, if they’re still a thing, must be purged, sweet jesus…who’s dumb enough to waste money on em???). Personally, I’d much prefer having a second battery charging separately somewhere, ready to swap, as opposed to being forced to stop using my computer. Or like the Nintendo Switch I mentioned before, have some spot I can put it away for charing, that way the mouse is also cleaned up and not fucking dangling and wobbling around freely on the table.
They also know their target audience has plenty of people who gobble up every bad design decision and even defend it online years later.
I don’t understand why this is so hard to understand. You’re supposed to stop using the mouse while it is charging, and use the mouse unplugged. That’s the purpose. It’s not a stupid decision, it just prevents some user’s preferred operation of using the mouse while it is charging
You’re supposed to stop using the mouse while it is charging, and use the mouse unplugged.
Why? Says who? There’s been a few times where I’ve booted my work laptop up in the morning and my mouse is dead and I’ve had to plug it in. Once it’s charged I unplug it. What’s the harm in that? I’d be way more furstrated if I had to open up my laptop (I keep it closed with an external monitor) and use the trackpad instead.
Says the designer or design team, backed by whoever is over them who approved the decision.
As for why? For design reasons. To make it prettier so it sells more units. To fit in with the brand’s minimalist theme they’ve got going on.
it prevents some users’ preferred operation of using the mouse while its charging
…
It’s not a stupid decision
It’s not a stupid decision, but a stubborn one.
I’m 100% OK with that; Apple is heavy on design aesthetics. If a user doesn’t like that, they can just use their own preferred mouse - wired or otherwise.
I used to buy Macs when I was a teenager and young adult, but finally grew tired of the “my way or the highway” approach to design.
Windows is guilty of this too, but it’s more subtle, but getting worse all the time with w11.
Linux has more of a “you break it, you buy it” approach to design lol
People treat it like a mistake, but the Emperor has no clothes and people are catching on.
Yeah and I hear they might bring that back lol. Why haven’t there been any wireless mice that use wireless charging? They could include a super thin coil that you could place under any mouse pad. It doesn’t even need to charge fast so heat shouldn’t be an issue. Just trickle charge when it’s not being used.
Honestly, the mouse charger screams marketing or management. Apple’s brand is partially form over function.
PARTIALLY!? The Vision shipped without a lens cover. It did ship with a cover for the outside face.
It was very likely a designers decision. It forces the use the use case they wanted; wireless mice should be used wirelessly. I would bet they fought marketing and management to get this on the final product.
Marketing would want the mouse they can advertise as being useable with and wireless. Female ports are easier to mount and manufacture with they have depth to set the socket. So a plug on the front is much cheaper and easier to manufacture.
The fact the charging cable doesn’t get used in motion means it will last longer and you wouldn’t have people useing fraying cables on the front of their mouse.
What marketing genius uses a mouse upside down.
It’s better for display
Users aren’t trying before they buy so the display is the most important aspect
Users aren’t trying before they buy so the display is the most important aspect
Trying before you buy is literally the entire point of the apple store
JWBananas@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Even worse, that was done intentionally. They wanted to prevent retail stores from leaving them plugged in at all times.
todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 1 year ago
That’s not true at all. Apple likes minimalism, and putting ports and buttons where you can’t see them adds to the aesthetic.
blackn1ght@feddit.uk 1 year ago
I get that, but it doesn’t really make sense with a mouse as I pretty much never see the front of it as it’s always ahead of me. The only person who would see it would be if someone were to be sat opposite.