Despite being a powerful line of personal computers, the Apple III (1980), Mac Pro 2013, 12-inch MacBook… were all the biggest disappointing Mac devices of all time.
Apple's Mac line of computers has always been a big hit when it comes to new product launches. Earlier this year, the new Macbook Pro and Mac mini were just released by Apple, continuing the 39-year cycle of the Mac computer line. The product is strongly upgraded with new Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max processors and new WiFi 6E technology.
The speed of the new processor is rated by Apple as 80% faster than the Intel Core i9 processor chip. Thereby, Apple gradually affirmed its position in the personal computer market.
However, in the past, Apple has caused great disappointment many times when releasing lousy, inefficient computer products that are not worth the money.
Apple III (1980)
Launched in 1980, Apple III was expected to bring great fame to Apple. Unfortunately, 20% of the units sold were recalled shortly thereafter.
Apple founder Steve Jobs at the time emphasized that Apple III should not have fans and vents to ensure quiet operation of the device. However, this was his worst and wrong decision.
As a result, the Apple III computer suffered from overheating and unstable performance. Besides, the internal circuit board design is also unreasonable. Many parts have too little space or are too small to fit all the components of the computer.
Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, said the problems all stem from design flaws. The reason is that Apple has let the marketing team do the design instead of computer engineers, he added.
Apple III was released at a time when Apple was only 4 years old. After the incident, many people were skeptical about Apple's arrogance in producing devices. Therefore, Apple III is still considered Apple's most forgettable computer.
Macintosh 20th Anniversary Edition (1997)
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Apple brand, the company decided to launch a personal computer to mark this memorable milestone. Thus, the Macintosh 20th Anniversary Edition was born.
This product is considered as a display of all the technological quintessence of Apple. Advanced cloud computing technologies are demonstrated, accompanied by a door-to-door delivery service for customers who order products.
However, because of the collection of all the most quintessential things, the price of the 20th anniversary Macintosh was blown up.
The starting price then was $7,499 (equivalent to $14,000 today when adjusted for inflation). This is too high a price compared to the majority, many customers see it as an expensive collectible.
Just a few months later, the price of the product was reduced to $3,500 . One year after the product was introduced, Steve Jobs stopped production and reduced the price of inventory to $ 1,995 .
Many people expressed dissatisfaction with Apple's continuous price reduction decision. Besides, customers who paid the initial price were even more disappointed.
Despite its shortcomings, the 20th anniversary Macintosh remains a pioneer. This was the first Mac designed by Jony Ive, the beginning of many of today's Apple staples such as the iMac, Magic Trackpad, etc.
Mac Pro 2013
Apple is known for its distinctive and trend-leading designs. However, Mac Pro 2013 seems to be a product with a different design to the point of "weird" of the company.
The device is formed into a cylinder, the components are arranged around the central column, which is also the place to dissipate heat for the machine. Sadly, this design is unintentionally seen by users as a trash can, they even call it "Mac Pro trash".
Besides, the Mac Pro's heat dissipation performance is not guaranteed with this strange design. At the same time, users cannot upgrade to new, more powerful components, except for RAM and hard drives.
Because of this, the performance of the Mac Pro 2013 just stood still while the electronics industry was growing. The product is aimed at professional customers but creates many limitations for users.
Although before the product launch, many rumors suggested that this new Mac Pro will bring a special tower design and allow users to customize many modules in the machine. However, the result brought satisfaction to the Apple design team but was a great disappointment for users.
MacBook 12 inch (2015)
The 12-inch MacBook is the result of an engineering team's challenge to create the thinnest and lightest personal computer.
If you only look at the appearance, the design team of Apple has succeeded in making the most beautiful, thin and light Apple product. Up to now, the 12-inch MacBook is still considered the pinnacle of Apple's compactness and portability.
However, the above advantage is the big problem of the device. Because the design is too thin, the heat dissipation of the machine is almost very poor. At the same time, the performance of the product is significantly reduced.
Besides, because the design is too thin, Apple does not have many options for the number of connections. Instead, Apple decided to bring to the device only one USB Type C connector, which was not common at the time.
Although the USB Type C port is becoming more and more popular these days, the high price of the device with the performance it brings is still a big reason why many people turn away from the 12-inch MacBook.
MacBook Pro 2016
If the 2015 MacBook Pro generation is considered Apple's most comprehensive, the 2016 MacBook Pro launch further increases sales for its predecessor.
The biggest drawback comes from the butterfly keyboard of the MacBook Pro. Although the keys are thinner than the previous generation, the typing feeling is much worse. Shallow key travel, jammed keys, dirt getting in ... are the feedbacks from many users of MacBook Pro 2016.
In addition, the company has replaced a series of connection ports with only USB C ports, causing users to have to buy additional switching hubs to connect.
The integrated Intel processor is not powerful and causes overheating of the device. In addition, the Touch Bar strip is a new innovation of the company, but it does not bring much applicability, easy to mistakenly press and expensive repair costs.
Fortunately, today's MacBooks have perfected the mistakes of the past such as integrating multiple ports, removing the Touch Bar, developing their own processor, improving the keyboard ...
However, users had to wait a long time for Apple to release a more complete product. Consistency in design changes is also something that Apple also needs to modify.
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