Evans’ six great Apple failures:
• The Hockey Puck Mouse
• The G4 Cube
• iPod Hi-Fi
• FireWire
• Apple Pippin
• Steve Jobs’ irreplaceability
Full article, with Evans’ reasoning behind each of his choices, here.
MacDailyNews Take: The Hockey Puck Mouse certainly was a design failure. We’ll go along with the iPod Hi-Fi and Pippin, too. But, FireWire is “a failure” that “the company should never have been part of?” Puleeze. And, the G4 Cube likely helped Apple learn important design lessons that were later put to use in a variety of very successful products, including the Mac mini, MacBook Air, iPods, and iOS devices. We don’t consider the G4 Cube as a “failure” in anything but unit sales (and this was mainly due to its price). The machine worked as advertised and, because of its stunning design, it also turned a lot of eyeballs Apple’s way at a time when not so many were looking at Apple at all. And nobody is irreplaceable. When Jobs is no longer Apple CEO, things will change, but that doesn’t mean that Apple won’t be able continue to lead the tech world (especially since most of the tech world seems rabidly intent on copying whatever Apple does). It certainly helps ease our minds that Apple now has extremely competent people like Tim Cook in place and ready to go.
I still use and love Firewire. Don’t understand in what way it’s a “failure”.
Funny, I’ve been thinking about buying a G4 Cube just to have it around and soak up the simplicity of the design. AND, after reading this article and the subsequent comments I went on ebay and bought a hockey puck mouse! Goes to show you, with Apple even the so called “failures” enjoy an afterlife that the likes of Dell, HP, etc can only wish for.
Firewire great, USB bad.
I also admire the cube in my office (sitting beside the half dome Mac). I use it only for Music and people still comment on the design after all these years.
For me, one failure at Apple was the iBook motherboards! Not to mention the present MacBook keyboards. Maybe not a failure, but I just don’t like those keyboards, have two MacBooks.
What about an all time best success (in terms of quality product) Mac? I vote for PowerBook Pismo – best Mac I have ever used!
Love my Hi-Fi, got it at a discount. I just think Apple didn’t want to bother with a easily saturated market. High end speakers cant really compete with the cheapies who sell something competent for 100 bucks.
Firewire is great. Still use it, thanks anyway.
Disagreed highly on the iPod HiFi. I’ve used mine everyday since it came out and still enjoying it. And FireWire a failure?! Ah, no.
G4 Cube Introduced: August 2000: TEN years old yet still commanding $900 – $1200 on ebay.
http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=g4cube&sort=date&performa=off&order=ASC
Some failure, eh?
I would say these and other “failures” are simply expanded R&D efforts.
Here are a few more “R&D” experiments:
Apple Lisa
Mac Office
QuickTake Camera
A/UX
Taligent
Nubus Cards
I would say these and other “failures” are simply expanded R&D efforts.
Here are a few more “R&D” experiments:
Apple Lisa
Mac Office
QuickTake Camera
A/UX
Taligent
Nubus Cards
I would say these and other “failures” are simply expanded R&D efforts.
Here are a few more “R&D” experiments:
Apple Lisa
Mac Office
QuickTake Camera
A/UX
Taligent
Nubus Cards
I would say these and other “failures” are simply expanded R&D efforts.
Here are a few more “R&D” experiments:
Apple Lisa
Mac Office
QuickTake Camera
A/UX
Taligent
Nubus Cards
I would say these and other “failures” are simply expanded R&D efforts.
Here are a few more “R&D” experiments:
Apple Lisa
Mac Office
QuickTake Camera
A/UX
Taligent
Nubus Cards
I would say these and other “failures” are simply expanded R&D efforts.
Here are a few more “R&D” experiments:
Apple Lisa
Mac Office
QuickTake Camera
A/UX
Taligent
Nubus Cards
I would say these and other “failures” are simply expanded R&D efforts.
Here are a few more “R&D” experiments:
Apple Lisa
Mac Office
QuickTake Camera
A/UX
Taligent
Nubus Cards
Didn’t you have a keyboard or screen refresh failure somewhere?:-)
@John000,
That was a well documented problem with the first run of the Cubes. I called Apple and reported my problem. They said they had never heard of it and to call back a few weeks later. I did call back and they told me that I was the first person to report it and that others had followed suit. They overnighted me a shipping box, I overnighted it back to them at Apple’s cost, it took them one day to fix it and then another overnight back. I was without my Cube for only 3 days – that’s what I call customer service!
I think your warranty may have run out by now.
FireWire? Couldn’t capture from my DVX without it. The HiFi? Still the only audio dock I use at home and friends and family are still impressed with it’s output and design. Sigh.
I can’t believe the list of Apple failures didn’t include the deletion of matte, anti-glare screens from the entire range of Mac’s except for the 15″ and 17″ MBP’s.
The people that need matte screens include:
– the percentage of the population that is susceptible to eye-strain and migraine headaches from the glossy screen;
– graphic artists
– photographers
– people who use their Macs in bright sun-lit areas
We’re not saying matte screens are for everyone — but there should be a choice.
If you’re in desperate need of a matte screen on your iMac, you might add your petition to the growing list at http://macmatte.wordpress.com/comment-page-1/#comments
well, firewire is failed. why don’t people admit it anymore? if fireware was successful, why don’t we see more that on mac or PC today? it has been totally replaced by USB. USB is role. whoever mentioned here something that firewire is not failed, those of you are totally idiot to understand technology faster trend. if you think you are right, just explain me why firewire port is not used for PC even mac or portable device anymore today? can you explain why USB 3.0 will replace the whole USB 2.0 faster (not necessary to explain firewire obsolete)? what you say doesn’t make any sense. what Apple invented is not all successful idiot!
Edward, is English your 2nd or 3rd language?
MM- GIVE IT UP. I was in a best buy the other day, and nearly every monitor and laptop on display (NOT including the Apple section) was Glossy…….. I don’t see you petitioning HP Dell or Acer…..
Oh, and I have two fully functional cubes with matching ADC monitors, speakers, and keyboards.
@ R&D:
I agree partially.
Apple Lisa can’t be called a failure. It was a commercial flop, but it was a revolutionary computer, ahead of its time, but in an era with low computing power.
Nubus Cards… I don’t know. In an era where pretty much everybody was inventing new buses (MCA anyone?), it wasn’t much of a crazy idea.
I’d say Taligent was a major failure, since nothing came out of it. Taligent ended up being irrelevant, pushed nothing forward.
“We’ll go along with the iPod Hi-Fi…”
Halt! iPod Hi-Fi was not a failure! iPod Hi-Fi was the tool for the Apple to show what the partners could do (should do). When the partners finally realised what to do with the iPod line of products Apple discontinued immediately iPod Hi-Fi (because Apple loves partners that are alive). iPod Hi-Fi was a demo case for the parners! Nothing else. Now iPod Hi-Fi’s are worth more money that they costed.
The cube lives on and it is nowadays called Mac mini.
FireWire is not a failure. It still lives strong till it will be replaced by the Light Peak.
Steve Jobs is always in the heart of Apple no matter what happens to him. Everybody in the Apple knows what to do because of him.
“The Hockey Puck Mouse” = hickup.
“Apple Pippin” = We don’t care anymore, because we have iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone and tomorrow so many more cool things.
Newton = iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch+we will see…
Microsoft Bob, Windows Vista (+all of them)..
Too long list to continue.
Android, Wave, Google…
Nevermind…
I still have my iPod HI-FI. I have it sitting on a bookcase with a plant on top of it. Haven’t used it in years… but it still keeps my place looking Appley
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I’m surprised the Newton didn’t make the list. That was a bigger failure than Firewire.
I love my iPod HiFi. It sounds fantastic even at lower volume. Looks great and compared to other systems out there, wasn’t even that expensive.