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posted by LaminatorX on Sunday October 19 2014, @11:58PM   Printer-friendly
from the tomorrow dept.

Erik Karjaluoto writes that he recently installed OS X Yosemite and his initial reaction was “This got hit by the ugly stick.” But Karjaluoto says that Apple’s decision to make a wholesale shift from Lucida to Helvetica defies his expectations and wondered why Apple would make a change that impedes legibility, requires more screen space, and makes the GUI appear fuzzy? The Answer: Tomorrow.

Microsoft’s approach with Windows, and backward compatibility in general, is commendable. "Users can install new versions of this OS on old machines, sometimes built on a mishmash of components, and still have it work well. This is a remarkable feat of engineering. It also comes with limitations—as it forces Microsoft to operate in the past." Bu Apple doesn't share this focus on interoperability or legacy. "They restrict hardware options, so they can build around a smaller number of specs. Old hardware is often left behind (turn on a first-generation iPad, and witness the sluggishness). Meanwhile, dying conventions are proactively euthanized," says Karjaluoto. "When Macs no longer shipped with floppy drives, many felt baffled. This same experience occurred when a disk (CD/DVD) reader no longer came standard." In spite of the grumblings of many, Karjaluoto doesn't recall many such changes that we didn’t later look upon as the right choice.

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Monday October 20 2014, @04:34AM

    by Hairyfeet (75) <{bassbeast1968} {at} {gmail.com}> on Monday October 20 2014, @04:34AM (#107713) Journal

    What is hilarious to me is how if this EXACT SAME MOVE would have been done by Ubuntu or Windows? They would be screaming about fucking retarded using a font that looks like shit on anything but super ultra HD screens, but because its Apple? It just shows what I've said for years, history will show that Jobs greatest skill was BRANDING, he spent his entire life building this image of an "outsider" yuppie company that even years after his death his patented RDF is stronger than it ever was.

    As for whether they are thinking "ahead"? yeah, talk to MSFT about that with Vista and Windows 8. There is NO WAY you can predict what is coming even a year from now...I mean did everybody forget what ultimately killed Vista? MSFT looked at how Intel and AMD was going "bigger is better" and so built their OS for that...and then a little company called Asus built a teeny tiny thing out of scraps later called a netbook that blew the fuck up, and likewise they looked at how these big OEMs were pushing touchscreens and thought convertibles was the way to go only to find users didn't want to stick their greasy fingers on their brand new screen!

    The only buffer Apple has is they have a loyal 30%-40% which is so hardcore Appleite that Cook could model a new device based on the crap he took this morning and sell a couple million "iDooky" but the others just aren't that easy to keep, look at the dropping sales of iPad. Will Apple be able to sell an ugly font? Who knows but we have yet to see any indicators that Cook can find and exploit new markets like Jobs coiuld and THAT more than anything will decide Apple's future. And I really don't think throwing change ups is a bright idea when Google is firing on all cylinders and it looks like MSFT is gonna have another XP on their hands with Win10..is this REALLY the time to rock the boat?

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  • (Score: 2) by E_NOENT on Monday October 20 2014, @09:40AM

    by E_NOENT (630) on Monday October 20 2014, @09:40AM (#107759) Journal

    It just shows what I've said for years, history will show that Jobs greatest skill was BRANDING, he spent his entire life building this image of an "outsider" yuppie company that even years after his death his patented RDF is stronger than it ever was.

    Hear, hear!

    Someone forwarded me the 'green site' link to this story (yesterday?) and I responded by telling him "Oh, that's what's known as a Slashvertisement, which partially is why a lot of us left the Slash/Dice juggernaut."

    . . .

    --
    I'm not in the business... I *am* the business.
    • (Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Monday October 20 2014, @12:39PM

      by Hairyfeet (75) <{bassbeast1968} {at} {gmail.com}> on Monday October 20 2014, @12:39PM (#107790) Journal

      This is something I've always given Jobs all the props for with all sincerity, that man knew how to build and market an image. From the posters on the walls of an Apple store to having stoned Jeff Goldblum in full hipster mode in their "candy Mac" ads every thing was well thought out to sell an upscale image while avoiding the "pass me the grey poupon" douchebaggery that so many that try to sell upscale. In this he has yet to have an equal, his ability to brand is simply unmatched.

      But what amazes me about it is how strong the RDF truly is, how the faithful will try to rally about "price equals quality" even when "you'e holding it wrong" was becoming the punchline of jokes and Samsung is shaming them into replacing defective batteries in their flagship phone. But I tell those followers just what I tell the (frankly fanatical) followers of GNU...If you LIKE this brand, if its aesthetic or look or philosophy is something that appeals to you? Then enjoy it, I wish you nothing but the best. I buy Asus laptops and Asrock boards because their design and software appeals to me personally, everyone has different tastes.

      What I DO have a problem with and will happily deal a smackdown over is when they make the leap from "I like this because it appeals to me personally" to "This product IS TEH BEST" especially when their metrics are built on bullshit like Apple using higher quality parts and design (see the battery and design fails above) or the FOSSies with "Open Source equals awesome security because many eyes myth and source is magic" to which I retort Heartbleed and the BASHing attack that is Shellshock. Just as I loved to lay the smackdown on the Softies trying to sell the "LULZ I Iz A Cellphone LULZ" UI of Win Mist8ke as "innovation"...so is replacing a steering wheel on your car with a joystick, don't make it a good idea!

      If you like something and think its great? I'm glad you have found something that makes you happy, I'm really glad...but don't delude yourself into thinking that because YOU like something or have invested considerable time or money into it that its somehow "better" than alternate choices, because that is delusional. To me THAT above all should be Steve Jobs legacy, that the man was so fucking awesome when it came to branding that even when they have a massive fail, from MacDefender to Bumpgate, shitty support for the latest mobile wireless tech to lousy batteries, even when the evidence to the contrary is literally front page news the faithful will STILL fully believe the RDF...now THAT is some class AAA branding work right there, it doesn't get any better.

      --
      ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Monday October 20 2014, @11:33AM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 20 2014, @11:33AM (#107775)

    "using a font that looks like shit on anything but super ultra HD screens"

    Welcome to my world. I make my living using computers. Unlike some fools in the general public I've always dumped money into my UI. Lighting isn't right? Change it. I have a top of the line original model M keyboard and have been typing since 1981 and not a hint of carpal tunnel and I believe those two facts are related. My chair cost several days pay although its not trendy its super comfy "executive chair". I shim my desk to precise ergonomic height for me, not for a OSHA theoretical model. Anyway one of many UI improvements I've done is when I buy a monitor, which isn't all that often, I buy top of the line for obvious reasons, so I've had 1600x1200 since the mid/late 90s. I downgraded it to LCD because of a CRT problem and the LCD just won't die (probably because it, too, was top of the line at the time). So I still have 4:3 monitors.

    Anyway using 1600x1200 on linux in an era when "web designer" idiots were doing graphics arts with the assumption that all desktops (ALL!) were 640x480 or at most 800x600 was visually painful. The "craft" of web design seems to have grown up a bit over the years with phones and tablets and higher res displays so its not so awful anymore.

    I've been thinking about upgrading the three monitors on my desk but its very hard to find a monitor with equal or better pixels per inch. I can get 2560 x 1600 but its a yard across which must mean pixels the size of my thumb and I don't have space on my desk for three of them (probably?)

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @03:59PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @03:59PM (#107859)

    The only buffer Apple has is they have a loyal 30%-40% which is so hardcore Appleite that Cook could model a new device based on the crap he took this morning

    That reminded me of this: Icrap [youtube.com]

  • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Tuesday October 21 2014, @04:24PM

    by Reziac (2489) on Tuesday October 21 2014, @04:24PM (#108283) Homepage

    Cuz Apple is all about forcing users to buy newer hardware, from Apple of course. Haven't upgraded to the latest Apple hardware? You WILL, after seeing how the latest MacOS looks on your crappy last-year's model.

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