Apple is dropping the “ease of use” ball

I love my iPhone., I love the iOS UI and apps as a developer and user.  It is beautiful!  When the first iPod came out a million years ago, it was a computing user experience revolution! GLORY!!  Previously, I had used the “Creative mp3 player” for music and it was terrible and so difficult.  The Creative mp3 player carved out my soul each time I used it or tried to change the music on it.  It was a pure torture device made by truly evil computer scientists. A big-time computer-overlord.   

The iPod was amazing!  When you plugged it in you followed simple prompts and were DONE, BABY!!!!   Beautiful!  People would show others how easy it was to use iPods.  A testament to the device and experience.  As co-founder and co-creator of InstallShield, I understand setup/installation of programs/apps and “making it easy” is “very hard”.  IPod and subsequent versions changed that and made it beautiful and fun to consume music.

Some years back, however, each time I needed to setup/update my, my kids, wife, mother in law, etc. new iPhone/iPods,  I began to NOT LIKE Apple as much.  While I’m probably spoiled, every iteration over the years and to be honest since Steve Jobs seems to be slightly more and sloppier to update/setup.  Sloppy in the sense of a regular person wondering during the process: “what do I do now?”, “Why isn’t it working?”,  “ Why do I need a new iTunes?”,  “Why is my old backup not compatible with my new iPhone?”, “Why is there a cryptic error saying ‘Unable to install 10.3.3’”.   What @#$@#$@#$@ is Apple doing?  The process is more and more like Microsoft Windows now.  I don’t care what version of iTunes/iPhone/iOS etc.…I’m running. JUST ask me simple or NO settings questions and just DO IT.  If you need to convert files/etc… then DO IT, convert file versions.   I just want to plug it in (assuming I even need to do that, Wi-Fi/cellular) and it’s done.   I, of course, eventually get it done because I have to but end up being pissed at the device and company I love.   They have the $$, we all pay the big margins for their stuff, please use that $$ to get “this” fixed.  

Don’t be like Windows.  We love you !!