First of all, this post is not an appraisal of Apple in any way, quite the opposite, which is not normally what the posts in the Apple Everything category are.
2015 was not just an odd year for Apple but, in my opinion, one of the worst in terms of design.
The MacBook (Retina)
I was so hyped when the MacBook was being re-released but incredibly disappointed by a certain number of things about it.
The Retina display is a lovely addition to this computer and makes it one of the highest resolution displays in the market at the moment, alongside its bigger brother, the MacBook Pro.
I happen to be the owner of a Pro and feel somewhat disappointed by Apple's recent changes that they have been bringing to the Pros - particularly the miniaturisation of components since this has resulted in Apple taking away all of the possibility of upgrading components.
On the subject of the MacBook, absolutely nothing can be replaced, and the laptop itself features just one connector. A single USB-C connector provides the power inlet as well as the data connector and video connectivity. I'm not a fan of these designs where functionality suffers for design to gain.
This is why the MacBook fails to grab me.
As well as offering just one physical connector, the MacBook is powered by a measly 1.2GHz Core M - a mobile CPU that is intentionally cut down for better thermal design power. Again, this is well suited to making the computer smaller and thinner, but at the end of the day, this is still a laptop computer. Other than that, it is a stunning machine, and had it not suffered functionally, I would have considered one.
Apple Magic Mouse 2
The Magic Mouse 2 was released as the final release of 2015, along with a new Magic Keyboard and a new Apple Trackpad.
The Magic Mouse 2 is, in my personal opinion, the biggest design flaw in any wireless mouse ever.
The Magic Mouse 2 is finally a rechargeable Magic Mouse, meaning you can say goodbye to the AAs required in the previous version. The big flaw with this is how it is charged, however.
The Magic Mouse 2 is charged via the Lightning connector. This is alright, I suppose, although I'd rather have seen it being charged by MicroUSB, but I could never imagine Apple doing this since they like to use proprietary connections that they have developed for everything.
However, the charging connector is on the bottom of the mouse. This means that the mouse cannot be used while it is being charged. I mean, what?! This is so ridiculously stupid, and it may seem impossible to even think that this is the same Apple that designed the iPhone, the Unibody Macs and the iPad, but it is.
I'm not the only one to have complained about this, but this is entirely my own thoughts on this. Take a look at the picture here to see what I mean.
Apple Pencil
The Apple Pencil for the iPad Pro is a really great idea, something that has actually existed for many years on Windows tablets, like my 2010 Fujitsu Lifebook T4410.
The Pencil allows the user to simply write on the screen with a stylus but has the benefits of things like pressure sensitivity and angle detection so that the stylus produces more realistic results. This is great with things like Microsoft Onenote and taking handwritten notes and drawings.
The problem with the Pencil is one of the ways in which Apple has allowed users to charge the device. When the Pencil runs out of juice, the user has the choice to take it to a plug socket with the adapter included and charge it using that. Alternatively, if they only have the iPad Pro on them, they can charge it using the Lightning connector on the base of the Pro. This allows them to go completely mobile and leave behind all charging devices.
The problem is how it is charged, however. Putting the Pencil in the bottom of the iPad Pro and charging it makes the Pencil more susceptible to being broken. Remember all those USB ports that have been broken by leaning on the cable when it's plugged in? The same can be said with the Pencil when it is in the iPad Pro Lightning connector.
Take a look here for a picture of this.
iPad Pro Keyboard
The iPad Pro also came with a keyboard case thing as an option. I was very pleased to see that Apple added a physical connector for the keyboard since a Bluetooth keyboard is not an ideal solution for my idea. I was let down by the fact that it is what I refer to as a 'cloth keyboard'. I'd have really liked it to have been one of the hard keyboards, transforming the iPad Pro into a convertible tablet, somewhat like my Windows tablet.
Mac Mini 2014
I decided to include the end of 2014 in this post since I wanted to bring up the Mac Mini 2014. Once again, the Mac Mini received no updates in 2015, but a 2016 refresh with Intel Skylake is expected.
Nonetheless, the Mac Mini, the modder's machine, in Apple's words, was completely redesigned in 2014. This redesign involved removing any parts that were modifiable and replacing them with parts that could not be changed. What a disaster. The same will be with the 2016 version.
Conclusion
While I am happy with my current range of products, my favourite device is my Mac Mini due to the fact that I can change parts inside. I have a 2012 top model and refused to take the 2014 model due to the fact that there were no quad-core options available, as well as due to the lack of removable parts.
Apple has gone the wrong way recently with design, and knowing Apple, they will not change this and will stick to their guns. Who knows if I will ever buy another Apple product?
