Has Apple Lost the Steve Jobs Touch?

I am an avid and rabid Apple fan, have all the gadgets, my whole family of 5 have Macs and iphones. I have been a devout user for years. I followed Steve Jobs, his visions, but more importantly, his brand - which included great attention to detail. I admired this brand integrity deeply which helps to create the cult following. 

His integrated version that was light years ahead of its time with Lisa. 

The sleek macbook air - ipods, ipads, he continued to deliver on design and paid attention to details we wouldn't even think about - UNTIL they are gone. 

After frying my motherboard on my last Macbook Pro just a week ago - I entered into an Apple store awaiting the inevitable. I was given the spec on my latest Macbook Pro needs; the 1 terabyte drive I was particularly excited by (it made losing my Mac tolerable). The new online feature bar - I haven't used but who knows - it might be a feature that will grow on me - along with it's $300 price tag. 

Since what I needed wasn't in stock (which right off the bat is insane - you know we are coming in to buy). I drove to a different city, I was able to get one and bring it back to the point of purchase so they could transfer the hard drive. It was at that moment, I became horrified. 

The sales rep said by the way, none of your USB ports or HDMI ports will work, and yet again there is another plug design. I had to buy this side bar device to be able to use my IPHONE and anything else. Now perhaps they are at the front of the curve and this is a result of that, HOWEVER, Steve Jobs would be turning in his grave at the design flaw of having this leech of an attachment on his sleek and pristine design. It felt hurried and flawed. 

So now I have a precarious side gadget that must remain on my Macbook Pro at all times. Hmm.. not pretty. 

And it does not allow you to put a case on the base, because it won't fit with the side bar, AND it blocks your audio port so if you need that, and your Iphone or ANY USB device, sorry, you are out of luck. 

But lets put this aside and talk about the coveted cord. Two features I have cherished and become accustomed to. The first is the light that clearly lets you know it is connected. As an avid traveler when I sit down at the rare find of an airport plug, I quickly discover which don't work because the light doesn't go on. A true gift to quickly identify charging. And the coveted cliek - he worked so hard on so that when that magnetic element connected - you knew. So you can guess by now, the light is gone on the new plug. But it gets worse. 

I plug in with my gentle touch as before, expected the normal grab of the magnets, only to discover I WAS NOT plugged in completely because it takes a SHOVE to get it in. What kind of barbaric world are we living in when we have to SHOVE things into our MAC. But I didn't realize the true horror of that, until I remembered completely why I loved the magnetic click, when I got up in a rush to answer the door, and my foot caught on the plug (as it has done dozens of times), and instead of it quickly releasing and keeping my Mac safe where it sat, it flung my computer across the room. 

It was like a slow-motion apocalypse as I watched my brand new computer slam into a wall. 

So I know am I not the type to leave APPLE, I have been here too long, but I would encourage everyone who has a say in what happens when it comes to design, and who thought Steve was a perfectionist and put design ahead of profit, that you need to understand - that is the brand. We are connected to the sleek, sexy design, the bonus is everything else that makes Apple brand so unique. 

So if you are buying your next MAC, I warn you now, the sleek magnetic cord which cares for your MAC like a baby in its cradle, and the carefree design of not requiring extra gadgets to make it operational - are GONE. So with the latest profits in a plunge (and I know as I own stock), there is a fast need to restore the vision and work the plan that I would think was so deep in your culture, that to break away from it would be sacrilegious. Anyone can run a company, it takes a giant to nurture a brand, and build on that. 

Tracy Repchuk has been working with technology since she was 19 years old when in 1985, she started a software company. She was an early adopter of the internet, WWW, and now focuses on online branding and web design and integration of your message. https://TracyRepchuk.com 

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