Interview With iMac designer, Jonathan Ive

rleyton writes "The Independent has an interesting interview with Jonathan Ive, the designer of the new imac (and the iBook, the iPod and original iMac...)" It's actually a pretty interesting even if you think the new iMac is repulsive. Personally I dig it.

Comments

Apple Is Taking the First Big Step...

[Catiline]

...toward having computers that you don't notice anymore. I would love to have a computer that wasn't subject any manifestation of 'beige box syndrome'. Unforunately, what I think of as beige box syndrome includes connecting cables from mouse (keyboard, monitor, scanner, network hub, etc) to computer, not just visual astetics. One look behind my desk at home (or the office) shows just what I worry about. Sure, you can bundle the cables together, but even then they make an auful mess.

My dream computer is one that stands out while I activly interact with it, but when I'm not using it seamlessly blends right into the background. Kindof the way the computer works on Star Trek. While we're still years away from having this concept being actively sold to the consumer (though all the pieces seem to be falling into place), in the past few years I have considered Macs ever more seriously when thinking about new computers (and know that now, with WinXP, if&when I succumb to the lure of a laptop, it will be an iBook- unless Linux has become the dominant x86 OS in the interim).

Re:Apple Is Taking the First Big Step...

[smagoun]

Andy Inhatko wrote a column that's floating around online about how he wired his house with omnidirectional microphones plugged into his mac. He wrote a few Applescripts, downloaded a few more, and now he can control his computer from anywhere in the house.

"Andy, you have new mail"
"Is it important?"
(computer looks up the sender in a list of ppl that Andy has designated as 'important')
"Yes"
"Read it to me"
(computer reads Andy the email)

It's not that hard to do with the Mac's 5 year old speech recognition tools.

While there's a fair amount of setup required and it's not a universal solution (the computer can only respond to predefined queries), it's pretty damn cool. I've set up something similar with my macs, and it's enough to make people say, "whoa".

Lump, Stick, Rectangle. and awesome.

[certron]

OK, so I borrowed the 'Lump - Stick - Rectangle' from somewhere else. :-)
I don't understand how people can be so critical of this. It is truly innovative, with a 700-800MHz G4 packed into the small package (as well as 128MB of RAM and a GeForce2 card.) The only things I don't like are the price, and the screen size. Still, it's a marvelous piece of engineering and design. If you need something else to like about it, take a gander at all the ports in the back. Definitely impressive.

Don't like it? don't buy it. But at least acknowledge the craftsmanship and vision.

(No, I am not affected by the reality distortion field... otherwise I would have put down the money and bought one, and not seen any shortcomings. :-)

[OT] That guy that had the sketches...

[bbum]

Re: the guy that had the sketches of a similar iMac last summer.

If he even remotely claims Apple 'stole' his ideas, he should be laughed off the face of the planet.

Consider the incredible number of conceptual drawings and sketches about possible new iMac designs that have made the rounds in the last two years. Combine that with the fact that every computer needs a spot for ports, a display, and something to contain the cpu/drives/ram/etc. Now, combine that with the industrial design directions Apple set by announcing the death of the CRT [last may @ WWDC, I believe] and the icebook/tibook look and feel.

All told, it is no surprise that *one* of the myriad concept sketches that appeared on the net look similar! As innovative as Apple is, they have yet to be able to entirely break the bonds of reality (i.e. say, a completely detached floating display).

As well, the guy *sent* his concept sketches to Apple-- including to Steve Jobs. Apple's policy on such matters is quite clear; anything submitted becomes the property of Apple and they can do whatever they bloody well please with it-- including giving it to a competitor, if they saw fit to do so.

Re:Go read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenan

[3am]

i think the point is that truly well designed functionality has intrinsic aesthetic appeal.

i mean, there are often many solutions to a problem - but the one that has the most thought and work applied to it is usually the most elegant.

Re:What I'd ask

[mblase]

What could be more simple than the same connector used on 99% of the world's personal computers?

How about not using any connector at all, and simply sticking with the flat panel display that comes with the iMac and iBook?

There's no good reason for Apple to waste space on a computer designed to be as small as possible to hook a second monitor up to what's supposed to be, and this is important, a consumer PC. Pros and developers need second monitors. Consumers almost never do.

Re:The Computer for your Parents?

[CMiYC]

My mother is a couple of years over 50. Up until a few months ago, her computer at work was still DOS based. So I tried giving her a couple of different computers that ran Windows 95. I spent more time talking her through things than she actually spent using it herself. Everyday something new confused her. So, in a desprete attempt, I decided to give her my old Performa. It was a basterdly slow machine. Once I showed her how to connect to the internet, her only complaint/issue came 3 weeks later.

"Son, I have to reset the clock everytime it turns on." So I started explaining how to do that on a Mac... She interrupted me and said "No Son, I know how to do that. I don't know how to fix it. It says something about its battery." Realizing she had jumped in useability, I decided for Christmas this year (she had the other one for 1 or 2) to get her a used iMac. She's very happy with how much faster it is. Of course, now that it doesn't run slow, I'm being bombarded with Instant Messages, Emails, and pretty looking weekly Cookbooks from her. Maybe for mother's day I'll look into the new iMac. Then I can play with it for a while too.

ugg.. fud.

[Pengo]

Henry Ford said the same thing about the first car. Basically it was a Tractor high-bread that will allow people to drive the store in the same vehicle after plowing the fields.

I happen to appreciate the elegance of something like OSX. It's out of my face so I can get the work I need done, done quicker.

The rumors about it being slow or buggy are just plain fud. They have fixed almost all of the anoying problems after version 10.1 and it's just getting better.

I find that I am actually able to do the things using the tools I am used to (Unix/GNU tools that I am used to such as VIM, wget, Lynx, php/apache, etc.) I can also play games (Wolfenstein) that I love, and co-habitate with my co-workers that are a MS Office establishment.

I don't know how you can say that interface improvments are regressive. The UNIX/Linux world would still be using TWM if we all kept that mentality.

Re:Good read

[mr100percent]

Thank you for presenting a clear, logic arguement, rather than foaming and reciting "macs suck" nonsense.

I use a mac because they suit my purpose. They are fast enough for me, run graphical apps fine, allow me to use the CLI in OS X while photoshop running next to it.

The perception is that most mac users go for style over substance...nah. We're pretty savvy, and while looks are important, they're not the most important thing.

Then again, there was the cool linux chick who sat next to me in the computer cafe, and commented on how sexy the Titanium Powerbook G4 was....