Linked List: February 18, 2009

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Unnoticed Problems 

How Oxo designed a better measuring cup.

Regarding Microsoft’s Foray Into Retail 

Farhad Manjoo, recommending in Slate that Microsoft shamelessly copy Apple’s retail store design in their own upcoming stores:

The Microsoft stores might also cut down on tech problems by selling a small range of specially designed PC systems, machines that would come with an Apple-like promise of free tech support for life. Indeed, this would neatly solve Microsoft’s perennial problem — the perception that Windows computers are cheap and prone to failure.

I say the problem isn’t with perception, but rather that Windows computers really do tend to be junkier and more prone to failure. Apple’s retail success doesn’t start with perception, it starts with well-designed products.

What’s telling to me is that Microsoft’s new retail chief, David Porter, comes from Wal-Mart. Apple’s retail chief, Ron Johnson, came from Target. Target stores are nice. Wal-Mart stores are hellholes. And don’t forget that Mickey Drexler — long-time CEO of Gap, currently CEO of J. Crew — is an Apple board member. You are who you hire.

Pepsi Throwback, With Real Sugar, Coming to the U.S. in April 

So sad that Pepsi is doing this but Coke is not. If you’ve never had real Coke — Coke made with sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup — you don’t know what you’re missing.

Gregory Raiz’s Proposed Kindle Redesign 

The Kindle’s new hardware design is clearly better than the original’s, but my first impression is that it’s still way too noisy. Why are the side buttons labeled with text? And why is there a huge “Amazon Kindle” logo at the top of the device? The front face of the Kindle is effectively white space surrounding the text of each page you read — so it’s like reading a real book where the publisher has stamped a two-inch logo at the top of each page and printed “turn here” in left and right margins of each page. The iPhone gets it right: no logos on the front face, no text on hardware buttons.

Gregory Raiz’s proposed redesign is much better. I disagree with Raiz that a color screen is essential, but I’m completely on board with his central premise: reducing the visual clutter.

Windows Mobile 6.5’s Shortcomings 

Microsoft introduced Windows Mobile 6.5 at Mobile World Congress this week; Engadget’s Joshua Topolsky runs down the list of reasons it’s disappointing. Still no support for capacitive touch screens, for example. But I think the most damning thing is that it’s not even set to ship until the end of the year. What seems so odd is not just that Microsoft is way behind the state-of-the-art in mobile OSes, but that they don’t seem set to catch up any time soon.

Mike Clark’s ‘Becoming Productive in Xcode’ Screencasts 

I agree with Duncan Davidson — screencasts are an extremely productive way to learn how to use software. Mike Clark’s new series of screencasts on Xcode seems like a winner.

Replacement iPhone Earphones 

Alex Watson reviews half a dozen sets of earphone replacements for the iPhone.