IVE MISTAKE 1
Hockey
puck
mouse,
1998
The iMac G3 was undoubtedly
a design breakthrough in the
world of computers. Nothing
before it had allowed you to
gaze into the guts of the
machine. Nothing before it
had appeared so friendly
and pulled back the veil of
mystery that had previously
obscured PCs.
But that radical approach
didn’t translate quite so
successfully to the iMac G3’s
mouse. Designed to be fully
circular, it became known as
the “hockey puck” mouse.
Sadly, it wasn’t as beloved as
the Mac it came with.
Its circular shape made it
difficult to orient in your
hand. If you were looking at
your screen and placed your
hand on the mouse, there
was no tactile feedback
telling you that you were
holding it correctly. Though
Ive defended it, deep down
we think he knew he made
a mistake, as his next mouse
took on a much more
conventional shape.THE IPOD WAS by no means the first
MP3 player, but it was the first one that
really got it right. Previous attempts by
Apple’s rivals were ugly creations with fiddly
controls and tiny screens. In other words, they
were a design and usability nightmare.
With a large screen and simple design, the
iPod was very different to the other MP3
players on the market. It gave you “1,000
songs in your pocket”, and even automatically
synced your songs when connected to a
computer — notable for the time.
But what really made it stand out was the
ingenious scroll wheel. To move down a list or
increase volume, you’d move your thumb
clockwise; to do the reverse, you’d move it
anti–clockwise. It was so easy to grasp that it’s
a wonder no one had thought of it before.
The whole device, from the hardware to the
software, emphasized Apple’s legendary status
in the world of consumer electronics design.JONY IVE ONCE said the iMac G3 was
“unashamedly plastic”. But in 2007, the
first aluminium iMac hit the streets. Apple
described it as “elegant and professional”,
and the new look showed it had regained its
confidence after years of trying to convince
buyers that computers were not their enemy.HOW DO YOU make wireless
earphones sound great and
look great at the same time? That
was Ive’s task with AirPods. The
press howled that they’d fall out
of your ears, but Ive knew what
he was doing. They’ve become
a roaring success, with people
wearing them on every street
corner and every gym treadmill.iPOD 2001
AIRPODS 2016
ALUMINIUM iMAC 2007
Image rights: Apple.
Feature
36 SEP 2019 maclife.com