“The other day I was looking through the Apple.com accessories section for a keyboard and I ran across a few items that I was kinda shocked that Apple still sells,” Terry White blogs. “In most cases these items have probably been forgotten about and just never removed from the site, but nonetheless it’s interesting to still see them listed.”
“Especially when Apple is quick to tell us that it was because of ‘courage’ they removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7,” White writes. “Or how it was bold to stop putting floppy drives in Macs back in the day. In no particular order.”
5. The Apple Mouse (wired)
4. Apple USB SuperDrive
3. Apple iPhone Bluetooth Travel Cable
2. Apple Composite AV Cable
1. Apple iPod shuffle
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple, do not discontinue the iPod shuffle and, everyone, do not eat iPod shuffle.
The USB SuperDrive is essential. Some people still need access to DVDs. It is a cheap and easy was to bring back that capability if needed.
It would be nice if they’d upgrade it to Bluray and USB-C. Then maybe people wouldn’t question its existence. But until then, yeah.
Exactly Kate! Could not of said it better myself!
YES!!!! Macs need to support BluRay. Seriously, discs are not dead. As anyone who lives outside of Cupertino knows.
Too bad the SuperDrive (and I have one) only works on Mac’s and only works on ones that did not come with a built-in optical drive and only those manufactured after 2008.
Any other vendors external drive works on any computer with or without a built-in drive, from any year (that supports the interface i.e. USB) and also almost every Mac.
What’s up with that, Apple?
If a iMac/Mini/MacBook/Air/MBP/Mac Pro internal optical drive dies, one cannot even use the SuperDrive with it?
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202665
The Apple wired mouse and Superdrive are still big sellers, especially the Superdrive.
The composite AV cable is very odd that it is still being sold. It’s not compatible with iOS 8 and higher. I’ve done testing in our store on multiple cables and devices and could not believe it.
I’ve never ever seen the bluetooth travel cable. Didn’t know it existed.
The Shuffle is a strange egg. I don’t like them, but some people love them (mainly for workouts). It’s the last with a tactile controls.
Aaarrgh! I love my shuffle. When they were rumoring them to be killed a year ago or so, I bought another. I wear it everywhere I go!
The shuffle is ideal for playing music during a workout. I have a set f earbuds with a fairly short cable (and an extension cable that I can use to hook up to the treadmill, etc). I clip the shuffle hear my left shoulder and I can workout with full freedom of movement and no cable tangling. The shuffle is light and durable, the controls are simple, and the battery lasts for a number of workouts before needing a recharge.
**Keep the shuffle!**
How could the shuffle improve? I suppose you could enable Bluetooth earbuds. An FM tuner might come in handy in some cases. Apple could add a thought control interface. The shuffle is so close to perfect now that I would be more than happy for it to stay basically the same..perhaps a storage upgrade.
Supply and demand dictate
Yeh, because Apple still has a few million of those old cables collecting dust. 🙂
Wired accessories are better for many people. For desktop use, battery powered bluetooth devices are often a pain in the ass.
Superdrive will be essential for another decade to come. Actually, though, Apple is well behind because the optical content of UHD video and whatnot will require BluRay, which Apple whiffed on. They were on the BluRay board and then backed out at the last minute because they knew it would compete against iTunes downloads. Well, given the state of iTunes video service and the total lack of capability for many users in rural regions have for fast UHD downloads of any kind, Apple probably should revisit the decision and start selling USB-C connected BluRay drives so that people can record, create, and play 4K videos on their Macs.
The Shuffle needs an update and to be fully waterproofed, but it remains a viable market if Apple would just pay attention.
Apple should stop selling Dock cables of any kind and move the license to free domain. It’s insulting to be charged so much for obsolete tech, let the aftermarket companies support the remaining legacy users.
I can’t believe that Apple is still attempting to sell:
– a Mac Pro that hasn’t been updated in 3 years at the same prices UPDATE IT ALREADY
– a Mac Mini that hasn’t been improved since before 2011, which was dumbed down with cheap processor and a 5400 RPM drive — poor usability and performance for Ive’s stupid aesthetic reasons only UPDATE IT ALREADY
– iMacs that are so thermally challenged that they cannot sustain processing speed for any length of time. UPDATE IT ALREADY
– iPods that haven’t been improved in years, all with inadequate memory and speed. UPDATE IT ALREADY
– Apple TVs that from the start were behind in performance and at least $50 more expensive than the competitors who offered 4K capability. KILL IT OR UPDATE IT ALREADY
Meanwhile, where is a nicely matching Apple Display?
Where is the new family of Airport networking?
Where is the new family of improved Time Machine backups/ NAS home servers?
Where is the user-upgradeable mini tower?
Where is the entry-level MacBook for education?
Where is the pro level upgradeable workstation?
Where is macOS Server?
Where is the replacement for Aperture?
Where is the the 17″ MacBook Pro with full keyboard and kickass performance and actual all-day battery life?
Where is the new Apple file system?
Where is the improved Maps in CarPlay?
Where are the many user-requested fixes for Mail, iTunes, Photos, and iWork?
Where is the upgrade to iOS to allow actual file management?
Where is the family of USB-C peripherals for pen, touchpad, or precision trackball inputs?
Where is the native Dashboard-like software to allow any iOS app to be used on a Mac?
Where is the native software to allow iOS touchscreen devices to become auxiliary inputs or displays?
Where is the native support for the latest A/V standards?
Where are the large (>30″) screen Macs or displays?
Apple disappoints more due to not delivering state of the art hardware and software more than they disappoint by continuing to sell old hardware.
Sad but true!
So much so wrong.
But three jumped off the page to start for me.
Firstly, have you ever tried to get blank Blu-ray disks without driving miles or waiting for days to have them delivered? Even here, Best Buy doesn’t carry them in store.
Secondly, as an app developer do you expect that we should support our <$5 iOS apps on Dashboards?
Thirdly, as seen at the most recent CES, are you expecting Apple to compete with the most advanced display technology?
Question: Do you buy all your groceries at the same store or only dine at MacDonalds?
I can’t believe you are trotting out such weak arguments.
There are thousands of things your local Best Buy doesn’t sell. Of course, a 30 second search on their website shows you that they do in fact sell blank optical BluRay media: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?cp=1&searchType=search&st=bluray&_dyncharset=UTF-8&id=pcat17071&type=page&sc=Global&nrp=&sp=&list=n&af=true&iht=y&usc=All%20Categories&ks=960&keys=keys&qp=category_facet%3DBlank%20Discs%20%26%20Labels~abcat0515001
Or perhaps you prefer Mainstreet Killer, Amazon.
Secondly, yes. There is no rational reason why a consumer who purchased an iOS device and has his apps backed up to his Mac via iTunes shouldn’t also be able to run that app on his Mac if he wants to. There is no technical reason not to, and the user legitimately paid for the app.
Thirdly — and this is the most troubling — nobody expects Apple to compete in the home anymore. Apple only cares about ultraportables and fashion now. So yeah, maybe it’s time to stop expecting Apple to keep up with all the other tech advancements like large displays.
I don’t understand your last question, but I can tell you that I haven’t seen the inside of a McDonalds for at least 25 years. One can do so much better elsewhere. What does this have to do with Apple’s race to irrelevance?
Yes, I don’t want my iPhone 6+ bouncing up and down on my arm or in my pocket when I’m running.
May the iPod shuffle never die.
Get an Apple Watch Nike+. You’ll be glad you did.
No doubt !
Because audio from the $400 Watch is so much better than the audio from the $99 Shuffle. Sure….
Isn’t the shuffle $69 now?
I still use and love the wired mouse on my MacPro.
Add my voice to those that say the Superdrive is still a necessity. Optical disks still serve a useful function. I actually still burn CDs to play in our car.
As for the iPod shuffle, I never understood why that existed in the first place, but then again, I like having control over my listening. Maybe I might feel like shuffling a playlist for some variety, but for the most part, I am very particular about the order songs appear in, not just the songs that are there. And you definitely don’t want to use shuffle for “A Pleasant Shade of Gray!” (Go ahead, google it. You’ll see what I mean. 😉 )
Wired Apple Mouse – I still use them at home, and the company I work for still uses them on all our desktops. Who wants to deal with having to keep batteries on hand (and disposing of dead batteries) for the wireless Bluetooth version.
USB Superdrive – Some of our Media clients still ask for files to be burned to disc for archiving, although it’s kind of rare. Most files are transferred digitally.
iPod Shuffle – I still have a coupe of these. It’s convenient to put a bunch of my favorite songs on them to listen to, and easily skip to the next or replay a song w/o having to look at a display.
Working in an Apple reseller store I can attest to the pain in the butt AA batteries presented. That problem went away with the rechargeable mice. We just put a lanyard on a USB cable so it didn’t disappear for recharging.
So the rechargeable mouse is more expensive, has a battery to wear out, a charging cable to manage, and accomplishes what that a reliable wired mouse doesn’t already do?
I don’t understand tho who think wireless battery gear is so great. If you want a great mouse and you don’t want to have to mess around with cord management on the road, Kensington offer a great mouse with retractable wire. https://www.kensington.com/en/za/4487/k72339eu/pro-fit-retractable-mobile-mouse
This list gets longer and longer with each passing year of Tim Cook’s position as CEO.
Who is Terry White? Is he really still around – I’m kinda shocked!
What the hell is a Bluetooth cable? A wireless wire?
So Looked it up and apparently Apple made a Bluetooth headset (who knew) and this cable charged it.
It’s been a while since I needed to do it, but isn’t a wired mouse and keyboard necessary for some types of re-starts, start ups, and/or reboots?
As for the SuperDrive, I never knew about the issue with using one with a Mac with an existing, but dead, internal drive. Good thing I got an inexpensive LG drive for my 2012, driveless Mac mini. It also works with my wife’s 2011 mini whose drive spins, but won’t mount or burn a disc.
Meant to mention I had almost got a SuperDrive. Was looking for a new external optical drive when my old one died. Good thing I found the LG on sale then. My wive’s mini had drive issues for a while, but we were able to work around it. Would have been tremendously pissed off to find out a SuperDive wouldn’t work with her mini.
You will never find anything but a wired keyboard and wired mouse on a Apple Service Technicians workbench.
Sure they will have wireless mice an keyboards around for testing purposes, but not for daily use.
Frankly I can’t understand why Apple still sells the wired mouse as it’s a severely flawed product.
The flaw is that the pea scroller picks up gunk way too easily and with my last one I got to the point where I had to vigorously rub an A4 piece of paper over the scroller daily to get it to work. In the end I bought a MacAlley Bumper mouse which “just works”.
As for the superdrive a lot of people still burn dvds. I actually bought a OWC bluray model which is fast and efficient. I really do think that getting rid of the internal drive was a means to end in making the iMac thinner and don’t even get me started on that issue.
On both scores it comes under the heading of form over function.
What about the iPhone 4 Bumper:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC839ZM/B/apple-iphone-4-bumper-black
“Wired accessories are better for many people. For desktop use, battery powered bluetooth devices are often a pain in the ass.” Agreed. As an IT person I cannot count the number of times people have complained “My computer died!” when it was that their stupid battery-powered keyboard ran out of battery. It’s sitting on a desktop, what’s the problem with the wires?
As far as the superdrive, OWC has an assortment of drives in both a slim case or a DVD drive enclosure. So the marketplace has DVD drives for mac. The OWC drives read and write blank drives. I have two bluray external drives. With Macgo’s software I can watch Bluray DVDs of movies on the mac. With Toast I can even write to Bluray discs.