That's not a priority or care really. As long as a certified technician can do the same task consistently without breaking pieces, it's fine.
And that's the problem. Once a Mac laptop has been opened up, it's never looks quite the same after it has been put back together. Gaps start to appear between the top and bottom case where they did not exist before. The flimsy tabs in the top case often break off. The tiny philips screws are very soft and prone to stripping. The hard drive is connected to the logic board by a flimsy ribbon cable rather than a direct plug-in connection. The DVD slot in the 15 inch MacBook Pro often becomes bent during normal usage, which makes inserting or removing disks impossible. This requires removing every single internal component and then replacing the bottom case.
As for the aluminum iMac, every take apart procedure requires first removing the glass panel and handling the bare lcd screen. You have to be an Intel Bunny Man working in a fab cleanroom if you hope to disassemble and reassemble the new iMac without trapping dust or leaving prints behind the glass panel. As a result, iMacs are returned to the customer with specks of dust behind the glass panel.
So no, things are not fine right now. These design issues are affecting customer service. The ridiculously complicated, time consuming procedures that Apple expects technicians to do are not realistic for a field service environment. And it's going to get worse as Apple's market share increases and repair shops start seeing more Macs. Apple expects service providers to support their customers, but Apple needs to do more in order to make that possible.
If you have not read the link supplied for Mr. Jobs and the Seqway, I recommend it. It gives some good insight into how he thinks.
I have to second the recommendation for this article if you haven't read it yet. What a fascinating story: put Jobs in a room with a bunch of other high-tech bigwigs and he alone zeroes in on the crux of the design and marketing issues at hand.
I have to second the recommendation for this article if you haven't read it yet. What a fascinating story: put Jobs in a room with a bunch of other high-tech bigwigs and he alone zeroes in on the crux of the design and marketing issues at hand.
Of course, Jobs is a marketer at heart... a salesman... in addition to his knowledge of computers.
A Segway uses some of the most advanced gyroscope technology. The iPhone teem probably would appreciate the experience in the field that he will bring.
It amazes me that ONLY IVAN saw the wisdom on bringing this guy in Apple's house. Segway's gyroscope technology is very important to Apple's future motion sensor technology, like in the iPhone and iPod Touch or a future Wii type controller. It sets the stage for new and better game controllers for these and future products.
Of course, Jobs is a marketer at heart... a salesman... in addition to his knowledge of computers.
Especially interesting were these lines:
"Partly, explained Tim, because giving our code to someone else would be a great risk. Not a good reason, in Jobs's view, because the code could easily be reverse-engineered."
"Plus, Singapore was a nest of pirates, and the company would end up spending a fortune fighting them."
"We have a few things they can't get," said Dean. "Specialty components with only one source."
"They'll figure out a way around that," said Jobs.
The guy is a specialist in getting things actually made and brought to market. He'll be the route for more of Jonny Ive's 'visions' to actually hit the shops. Good hire.
If you have not read the link supplied for Mr. Jobs and the Seqway, I recommend it. It gives some good insight into how he thinks.
That is the true brilliance of the Segway. For decades we've seen Sony and others struggle to make a bipedal android that could actually walk on various surfaces.
Dean Kamen's new water distiller is interesting. I knew he was working with Sterling engine patents but I figures it was for a form of transportation. His new device distills water from any source without chemicals, and while it uses power to operate, a byproduct of the sterling engine is that it generates power, too. So a solared powered device cold generate clean water all day and then have power backed up to batteries for use at night.
"...So revolutionary, it was capable of removing the salt of over 500 million gallons of sea water a day. Do you realize what that could mean to the starving nations of the earth?"
Nick:
"Wow, they would have enough salt to last them forever."
"...So revolutionary, it was capable of removing the salt of over 500 million gallons of sea water a day. Do you realize what that could mean to the starving nations of the earth?"
Nick:
"Wow, they would have enough salt to last them forever."
The guy is a specialist in getting things actually made and brought to market. He'll be the route for more of Jonny Ive's 'visions' to actually hit the shops. Good hire.
Spot on.
"Haggar" understands also, although the exaggerated rant disguises his point.
This has nothing to do with any specific technology that Segway uses like gyroscopes etc. They are hiring a worker, not buying Segways patents.
Apple is just addressing it's recent "fit and finish" problems by hiring one of the best guys in the world at working out such problems. In combination with Ives talents, this will almost guarantee that quality don't get any worse, and may actually improve.
"Haggar" understands also, although the exaggerated rant disguises his point.
This has nothing to do with any specific technology that Segway uses like gyroscopes etc. They are hiring a worker, not buying Segways patents.
Apple is just addressing it's recent "fit and finish" problems by hiring one of the best guys in the world at working out such problems. In combination with Ives talents, this will almost guarantee that quality don't get any worse, and may actually improve.
Apple would seem to "fit" the area of personal robotics to a tee. They know how to make software, understand synthetic speech and speech / text recognition, know something about manufacturing, battery power, etc., and of course they know a great deal about human interface and overall good design.
Back when Bill Gates told his mom that he envisioned a personal computer in every home, few people at the time believed it would ever happen. I think the day will come when every home has at least one personal robot, and I'd love to see Apple be at the vanguard.
What's the difference between Product Design and Industrial Design?? I assume Field will be reporting to Mr. Ive!
To second JeffDM's comment, "Product Design" is indeed probably a very different thing from "Industrial Design" and I don't think that this position is closely related to what Jonathan Ive's group does. I think it has more to do with the system design & electrical design of Apple's products.
Apple would seem to "fit" the area of personal robotics to a tee. They know how to make software, understand synthetic speech and speech / text recognition, know something about manufacturing, battery power, etc., and of course they know a great deal about human interface and overall good design.
Back when Bill Gates told his mom that he envisioned a personal computer in every home, few people at the time believed it would ever happen. I think the day will come when every home has at least one personal robot, and I'd love to see Apple be at the vanguard.
I completely agree with you. One day, not far off (as opposed to "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...") helper robots will be commonplace. Both the Japanese and Korean governments have committed to massive robotics programs with the goal of creating assistant 'bots for their elderly populations. With the enormous shortfall of workers just around the proverbial bend, these robots will be very necessary for societies on all continents to make it through the next 25 to 35 years. Eventual strong AI will also enable astounding abilities for these robo-butlers and companions.
That's not a priority or care really. As long as a certified technician can do the same task consistently without breaking pieces, it's fine.
It's always been that way and proves to be no bane for the company.
(The original Macintosh required, what, foot-long Torx screws? And Jobs STILL forced his electrical team to reprint the circuitry to look more pleasing.)
repair efficiency is important, especially to corporations. If it takes 15min to replace a hard drive on a Dell & 45min on a Mac this has to be calculated into the IT repair costs. You can swap a whole motherboard in a Dell in 30min & the same process takes about 2 hours on a Mac.
True you replace a lot fewer parts on a Mac but these are things that must be considered. Technicians make about 10 - 20 bucks an hour, that can add up quick when you are looking at double time in Mac repairs.
If you have not read the link supplied for Mr. Jobs and the Seqway, I recommend it. It gives some good insight into how he thinks.
That is the true brilliance of the Segway. For decades we've seen Sony and others struggle to make a bipedal android that could actually walk on various surfaces.
Dean Kamen's new water distiller is interesting. I knew he was working with Sterling engine patents but I figures it was for a form of transportation. His new device distills water from any source without chemicals, and while it uses power to operate, a byproduct of the sterling engine is that it generates power, too. So a solared powered device cold generate clean water all day and then have power backed up to batteries for use at night.
repair efficiency is important, especially to corporations. If it takes 15min to replace a hard drive on a Dell & 45min on a Mac this has to be calculated into the IT repair costs. You can swap a whole motherboard in a Dell in 30min & the same process takes about 2 hours on a Mac.
True you replace a lot fewer parts on a Mac but these are things that must be considered. Technicians make about 10 - 20 bucks an hour, that can add up quick when you are looking at double time in Mac repairs.
That's a non issue where I work. If my box dies they replace it with another one. They don't fix any hardware. They send it all out. Maybe it impacts TCO but no one where I work is pulling out a screwdriver to swap a harddrive or motherboard.
Comments
Cool it Jeff - it's too early in the morning for grumpiness..
Oh come on that wouldn't be Jeff then now would it lol
That's not a priority or care really. As long as a certified technician can do the same task consistently without breaking pieces, it's fine.
And that's the problem. Once a Mac laptop has been opened up, it's never looks quite the same after it has been put back together. Gaps start to appear between the top and bottom case where they did not exist before. The flimsy tabs in the top case often break off. The tiny philips screws are very soft and prone to stripping. The hard drive is connected to the logic board by a flimsy ribbon cable rather than a direct plug-in connection. The DVD slot in the 15 inch MacBook Pro often becomes bent during normal usage, which makes inserting or removing disks impossible. This requires removing every single internal component and then replacing the bottom case.
As for the aluminum iMac, every take apart procedure requires first removing the glass panel and handling the bare lcd screen. You have to be an Intel Bunny Man working in a fab cleanroom if you hope to disassemble and reassemble the new iMac without trapping dust or leaving prints behind the glass panel. As a result, iMacs are returned to the customer with specks of dust behind the glass panel.
So no, things are not fine right now. These design issues are affecting customer service. The ridiculously complicated, time consuming procedures that Apple expects technicians to do are not realistic for a field service environment. And it's going to get worse as Apple's market share increases and repair shops start seeing more Macs. Apple expects service providers to support their customers, but Apple needs to do more in order to make that possible.
If you have not read the link supplied for Mr. Jobs and the Seqway, I recommend it. It gives some good insight into how he thinks.
I have to second the recommendation for this article if you haven't read it yet. What a fascinating story: put Jobs in a room with a bunch of other high-tech bigwigs and he alone zeroes in on the crux of the design and marketing issues at hand.
I have to second the recommendation for this article if you haven't read it yet. What a fascinating story: put Jobs in a room with a bunch of other high-tech bigwigs and he alone zeroes in on the crux of the design and marketing issues at hand.
Of course, Jobs is a marketer at heart... a salesman... in addition to his knowledge of computers.
A Segway uses some of the most advanced gyroscope technology. The iPhone teem probably would appreciate the experience in the field that he will bring.
It amazes me that ONLY IVAN saw the wisdom on bringing this guy in Apple's house. Segway's gyroscope technology is very important to Apple's future motion sensor technology, like in the iPhone and iPod Touch or a future Wii type controller. It sets the stage for new and better game controllers for these and future products.
Of course, Jobs is a marketer at heart... a salesman... in addition to his knowledge of computers.
Especially interesting were these lines:
"Partly, explained Tim, because giving our code to someone else would be a great risk. Not a good reason, in Jobs's view, because the code could easily be reverse-engineered."
"Plus, Singapore was a nest of pirates, and the company would end up spending a fortune fighting them."
"We have a few things they can't get," said Dean. "Specialty components with only one source."
"They'll figure out a way around that," said Jobs.
If you have not read the link supplied for Mr. Jobs and the Seqway, I recommend it. It gives some good insight into how he thinks.
That is the true brilliance of the Segway. For decades we've seen Sony and others struggle to make a bipedal android that could actually walk on various surfaces.
Dean Kamen's new water distiller is interesting. I knew he was working with Sterling engine patents but I figures it was for a form of transportation. His new device distills water from any source without chemicals, and while it uses power to operate, a byproduct of the sterling engine is that it generates power, too. So a solared powered device cold generate clean water all day and then have power backed up to batteries for use at night.
Dr Flammond:
"...So revolutionary, it was capable of removing the salt of over 500 million gallons of sea water a day. Do you realize what that could mean to the starving nations of the earth?"
Nick:
"Wow, they would have enough salt to last them forever."
Dr Flammond:
"...So revolutionary, it was capable of removing the salt of over 500 million gallons of sea water a day. Do you realize what that could mean to the starving nations of the earth?"
Nick:
"Wow, they would have enough salt to last them forever."
The movie "Top Secret". A classic.
The guy is a specialist in getting things actually made and brought to market. He'll be the route for more of Jonny Ive's 'visions' to actually hit the shops. Good hire.
Spot on.
"Haggar" understands also, although the exaggerated rant disguises his point.
This has nothing to do with any specific technology that Segway uses like gyroscopes etc. They are hiring a worker, not buying Segways patents.
Apple is just addressing it's recent "fit and finish" problems by hiring one of the best guys in the world at working out such problems. In combination with Ives talents, this will almost guarantee that quality don't get any worse, and may actually improve.
Spot on.
"Haggar" understands also, although the exaggerated rant disguises his point.
This has nothing to do with any specific technology that Segway uses like gyroscopes etc. They are hiring a worker, not buying Segways patents.
Apple is just addressing it's recent "fit and finish" problems by hiring one of the best guys in the world at working out such problems. In combination with Ives talents, this will almost guarantee that quality don't get any worse, and may actually improve.
Self-balancing rolling iMac... here we come!
Apple would seem to "fit" the area of personal robotics to a tee. They know how to make software, understand synthetic speech and speech / text recognition, know something about manufacturing, battery power, etc., and of course they know a great deal about human interface and overall good design.
Back when Bill Gates told his mom that he envisioned a personal computer in every home, few people at the time believed it would ever happen. I think the day will come when every home has at least one personal robot, and I'd love to see Apple be at the vanguard.
What's the difference between Product Design and Industrial Design?? I assume Field will be reporting to Mr. Ive!
To second JeffDM's comment, "Product Design" is indeed probably a very different thing from "Industrial Design" and I don't think that this position is closely related to what Jonathan Ive's group does. I think it has more to do with the system design & electrical design of Apple's products.
I'd love to see Apple compete for the lead in the fledgling personal robotics market. Let's face it, Sony is in the game (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3330183.stm), as is Honda (http://www.honda-robots.com/english/...frameset2.html) and Microsoft (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/robotics/default.aspx), to name a few.
Apple would seem to "fit" the area of personal robotics to a tee. They know how to make software, understand synthetic speech and speech / text recognition, know something about manufacturing, battery power, etc., and of course they know a great deal about human interface and overall good design.
Back when Bill Gates told his mom that he envisioned a personal computer in every home, few people at the time believed it would ever happen. I think the day will come when every home has at least one personal robot, and I'd love to see Apple be at the vanguard.
I completely agree with you. One day, not far off (as opposed to "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...") helper robots will be commonplace. Both the Japanese and Korean governments have committed to massive robotics programs with the goal of creating assistant 'bots for their elderly populations. With the enormous shortfall of workers just around the proverbial bend, these robots will be very necessary for societies on all continents to make it through the next 25 to 35 years. Eventual strong AI will also enable astounding abilities for these robo-butlers and companions.
That's not a priority or care really. As long as a certified technician can do the same task consistently without breaking pieces, it's fine.
It's always been that way and proves to be no bane for the company.
(The original Macintosh required, what, foot-long Torx screws? And Jobs STILL forced his electrical team to reprint the circuitry to look more pleasing.)
repair efficiency is important, especially to corporations. If it takes 15min to replace a hard drive on a Dell & 45min on a Mac this has to be calculated into the IT repair costs. You can swap a whole motherboard in a Dell in 30min & the same process takes about 2 hours on a Mac.
True you replace a lot fewer parts on a Mac but these are things that must be considered. Technicians make about 10 - 20 bucks an hour, that can add up quick when you are looking at double time in Mac repairs.
If you have not read the link supplied for Mr. Jobs and the Seqway, I recommend it. It gives some good insight into how he thinks.
That is the true brilliance of the Segway. For decades we've seen Sony and others struggle to make a bipedal android that could actually walk on various surfaces.
Dean Kamen's new water distiller is interesting. I knew he was working with Sterling engine patents but I figures it was for a form of transportation. His new device distills water from any source without chemicals, and while it uses power to operate, a byproduct of the sterling engine is that it generates power, too. So a solared powered device cold generate clean water all day and then have power backed up to batteries for use at night.
The reason the gyroscope technology is considered brilliant is because the best gyroscope technologies are tied up in military guidance systems.
repair efficiency is important, especially to corporations. If it takes 15min to replace a hard drive on a Dell & 45min on a Mac this has to be calculated into the IT repair costs. You can swap a whole motherboard in a Dell in 30min & the same process takes about 2 hours on a Mac.
True you replace a lot fewer parts on a Mac but these are things that must be considered. Technicians make about 10 - 20 bucks an hour, that can add up quick when you are looking at double time in Mac repairs.
That's a non issue where I work. If my box dies they replace it with another one. They don't fix any hardware. They send it all out. Maybe it impacts TCO but no one where I work is pulling out a screwdriver to swap a harddrive or motherboard.
It doesn't seem the Segway was as life altering as its inventor had hoped, so it had to be sold to somebody...
I think they got beat out by these:
Why stand when you can sit?
- Jasen.