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Sometimes Apple “Misses It” - the ipod calendar “add” button

Yesterday I opined that Apple “got it” - and indeed, in most ways they do.

However: Apple doesn’t acknowledge that technologically savvy early adopters can see through “Value Proposition Engineering.” Case in point: the ipod Touch, identical to the iPhone in hardware and software (phone & bluetooth excepted) cannot “add” an appointment to its calendar (despite having the software/hardware to do so), making it functionally crippled as an organizer, thus “clarifying its value proposition” vis-a-vis the iPhone.

Killing zero-cost, value-added features for the sake of brand positioning does not sit well with those in the know. So says Gizmodo, Engadget, TechWhack, TechShout, AppleTell,
iPhoneAtlas, MacUser, AppleGazette, Technovia, ack/nak, etc.

To be honest, brand-engineering like this is something General Motors would do. That’s about the biggest insult I can imagine for Apple - comparing them to an out-of-touch corporate behemoth famous for its pathetic, superficial badge & feature engineering. Lets hope this Calendar Add function is an abberation.

Of course, to the mass-market the move makes sense - as most things Apple usually do. 95% of the ipod buying public will not recognize the bald-faced chicanery behind this move; indeed, 95% of the public will probably never use the calendar at all anyway. Its just the loyal Apple-fan base and techno-savvy geek-corps who feel let down - not an uncommon sensation from Cupertino these days.

apple, calendar, iphone, ipod touch

4 Responses to “Sometimes Apple “Misses It” - the ipod calendar “add” button”

bob corrigan | September 14th, 2007 at 11:47 am

I think that the calendar add function will be included in a software update - it’s absence from the feature list is an artifact of previous iPod functional requirements that were driven by previous iPod’s interface limitations. Take away those limitations and the functional requirements should change. If they’re paying attention.
Rod | September 14th, 2007 at 1:59 pm

Hey Bob - thanks for stopping by. If it were Microsoft we were talking about, I’d be quick to agree with you. But (IMHO) Apple is too deliberate in its product design to let a functional consideration (that doubles a product differentiator) take place haphazardly. As to whether they will enable it going forward: who knows. Lets hope so.
ex2bot | September 14th, 2007 at 9:02 pm

We can’t rely on Apple for everything. Thank goodness it won’t take long for someone to solve the modify-calendar problem!

Bot

_iPod Touch: My dreams have been answered._
Rod | September 17th, 2007 at 12:33 pm

ex2bot: I thought my dreams had been answered too, until I read the iLounge mega review:

“That said, we cannot in good conscience generally recommend the iPod touch to all of our readers. The essential elements of the “true video iPod” we and others have been waiting for are obvious—an iPhone-matching screen with iPod classic-matching capacity and battery life—but between its so-so screen, limited storage and below-nano battery life, iPod touch doesn’t equal or surpass the best portable products Apple has released this year. If you need similar storage space and don’t need a big video screen, get an iPod nano. If audio quality and capacity are important to you, buy an iPod classic. And if you’re a video fan, consider an iPhone if it’s available in your country, or save your money. Wait until Apple (or someone else) gets the “true video iPod” formula right. We sincerely hope that it will be sooner rather than later.”

From:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ipod/review/apple-ipod-touch-8gb-16gb/P9