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[Dalek]

Column/ Apple takes its eye off the ball: Why Apple fans are really coming to hate Apple software

There always have been two great virtues in Apple's policy of keeping the development of hardware and core software in-house: their seamless integration with each other and their quality.

Lately, however, these virtues have started to disappear. The last few weeks have seen an explosion of discontent with the quality of the core apps of Apple's iPhones, iPads and Mac computers -- not only its OS X and iOS operating systems, but programs and services such as iTunes, Music, iCloud and Photos. Not only do the programs work poorly for many users, but they don't link Apple devices together as reliably as they should. These complaints aren't coming merely from users but several widely followed tech commentators who used to fit reliably in the category of Apple fans.

Walt Mossberg, for one. As a technology reviewer at the Wall Street Journal and subsequently co-founder of the tech news site Re/code, Mossberg consistently rallied in favor of Apple products. Steve Jobs reportedly once slammed a problem-plagued rollout of a new service by shouting, "Mossberg, our friend, is no longer writing good things about us."

But just last week, Mossberg pointed to "a gradual degradation in the quality and reliability of Apple’s core apps." He fingered iTunes for the desktop ("I dread opening the thing"), and the Mail, Photos, and iCloud programs. Not even Mossberg could get a cogent response from Apple, which told him: "We have dedicated software teams across multiple platforms. The effort is as strong there as it has ever been."

Veteran Apple-watchers John Gruber and Jim Dalrymple have joined the chorus. General tech consumer sites such as Engadget have taken notice that Apple has been pushing new apps that consumers don't want or use, while its traditional programs have yielded to better offerings by non-Apple developers. "Raise your hand if you have a folder on your iPhone full of native Apple apps you never use ... yup, that's a lot of you," Engadget's Nathan Ingraham wrote last week. "Now raise your hand if you use iCloud Mail, iCloud Drive or the default iOS Notes or Reminders apps instead of third-party options like Gmail, Dropbox, Wunderlist, Evernote and so on. Not nearly as many of you are raising your hand this time."

Conjectures about why Apple can't get its software act together abound. The most common is that the company has become so trapped in its cycle of annual hardware upgrades -- a new iPhone had better appear every September, or else -- that it's simply incapable of keeping its software maintained. Programmer Marco Arment, in a widely-read comment last year, speculated that "the rapid decline of Apple’s software is a sign that marketing is too high a priority at Apple today: having major new releases every year is clearly impossible for the engineering teams to keep up with while maintaining quality. ... They’re doing too much, with unrealistic deadlines."

Others wonder if Apple isn't running into the same problem that bedeviled its arch-rival Microsoft for years: It's building new functions on top of an outdated core, rather than scrapping the core and rebuilding from scratch. This process turned Microsoft Windows into a barnacled monstrosity, and the same thing could be happening with OS X and iOS.

Programming veterans know that turning out glitch-free software can be the most onerous task in any organization. IBM project manager Frederick Brooks showed in his classic 1975 book, "The Mythical Man-Month," that adding manpower to a software project only slowed it down, and the search for a "silver bullet" to improve software productivity was fruitless.

It's doubtful that Apple's millions of devoted users, locked into its interoperable ecosystem of Macs, iPhones, and iPads, will think about abandoning the company any time soon. But new phone, tablet, and laptop customers may be taking a closer look at alternatives, including Google Android-powered units as well as Microsoft devices, than they might have only a couple of years ago.

The risk for Apple is that, hounded into keeping its hardware products secure at the top of the consumer pyramid, its reputation is changing from a company whose software "just works" (as Steve Jobs used to declare) to one that just doesn't give a damn.

I have to agree with Uncle Walt-those apps he mentions: iTunes, Mail, Photos-all run very sluggish for me as of late.

 

[HUELEN10]

I will never understand hate for iTunes. It is not sluggish, it's just not light.

 

[BocoDragon]

I will never understand hate for iTunes. It is not sluggish, it's just not light.

Then you aren't a PC user.

iTunes on Mac is alright. iTunes on PC is a giant NOPE, and yet iOS users are forced into it.

 

[nhlducks35]

Then you aren't a PC user.

iTunes on Mac is alright. iTunes on PC is a giant NOPE, and yet iOS users are forced into it.

Since when are you forced to use iTunes

 

[massoluk]

I will never understand hate for iTunes. It is not sluggish, it's just not light.

Of course you would... Itune is shit on my pc, absolute shit. And if you want to sync anything to ipod touch, you have to use itune, oh the horror.

 

[jadedm17]

My issue with Apple software comes from how painful it becomes on Apple hardware that isn't the latest.

My iPhone4 years ago was great until I updated it, became unbearably sluggish. My iPad mini 1 is now doing the same. Both started when I updated the OS roughly 2 years into ownership. Currently I get reminders to update every day on my mini I ignore for fear of further sluggishness.

 

[Guevara]

Honestly, I like my MacBook and iPhone, but almost all the software I use is third-party.

 

[Emarv]

I will never understand hate for iTunes. It is not sluggish, it's just not light.

It's just so many things crammed into one app, on both desktop and iOS.

 

[elrechazado]

Then you aren't a PC user.

iTunes on Mac is alright. iTunes on PC is a giant NOPE, and yet iOS users are forced into it.

Yep. Absolute garbage

 

[minor effort]

I will never understand hate for iTunes. It is not sluggish, it's just not light.

It's become a sprawling, confusing mess of a program that should have been spun off into two, possibly three separate programs years ago.

I dread any time I think about syncing my iOS devices through it, because the syncing process is an unpredictable gamble.

Integrating their streaming service into the program made the local music curation portion of the app - the original focus of the app 15 years ago - also incredibly complicated. I went back to Spotify simply because I wanted my music streaming app separate from my local music database.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

While I'm still impressed with the iOS & OSX integration (Continuum or whatever the fuck it's called), I'm saddened by how bad things have gotten for Apple's apps.

• iTunes is barely tolerable on the Mac and insufferable on Windows.
• Mail on OSX is bad; Mail on iOS is just as bad.
• Aperture was buried for Photos, a terrible and basic app.
• Final Cut Pro devolved from a top-tier video editing suite to iMovie with 4K support.

 

[FStubbs]

As long as Apple customers believe that as bad as things are in the Apple ecosystem it's better than the alternatives, Apple has little to fear.

That being said, you'd think a company as big as Apple could juggle all of these balls.

And of course iTunes sucks on the PC. They want you to buy a Mac.

 

[BocoDragon]

Since when are you forced to use iTunes

You didn't have Genius Bar stormtroopers show up to your house and force you to install QuickTunes + iTunes at gunpoint?

Anyway I'm aware there are alternative tools. 99% of people don't use them, Apple doesn't want you to use them, and it's unlike Android where you can just drag n drop files. ITunes on PC is one of the worst experiences that millions of people struggle with on a daily basis.

As long as Apple customers believe that as bad as things are in the Apple ecosystem it's better than the alternatives, Apple has little to fear.

That being said, you'd think a company as big as Apple could juggle all of these balls.

And of course iTunes sucks on the PC. They want you to buy a Mac.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was very true under Jobs. He didn't even want to allow PCs to run iPods at first. iTunes on PC was a concession, and he put very little resources into it.

But at this point, I'd think a less tribal CEO would understand that iTunes on PC is a touchpoint with the brand, whether they like it or not. They should put effort into it. I'd be just as likely to think "Apple is garbage, I'm not buying their products" after using it.

 

[SoulUnison]

I will never understand hate for iTunes. It is not sluggish, it's just not light.

It's horribly, confusingly laid out and every change seems to only make it worse.
The iOS Music app has a similar downward trajectory.

iTunes has a perfect UI layout and solid functionality in, like, 2009/2010, and the iOS nailed the Music app layout almost right out of the gate in 2007 and what we have now is a confusing mess that is actually *missing* some ofthe basic functionality we had a decade ago, like, for one, how the bottom toolbar is no longer customizable and Apple decided that half the real estate would be dedicated to their Apple Radio and Apple Connect services. Smart playlists don't even have artwork anymore.

 

[jmood88]

My issue with Apple software comes from how painful it becomes on Apple hardware that isn't the latest.

My iPhone4 years ago was great until I updated it, became unbearably sluggish. My iPad mini 1 is now doing the same. Both started when I updated the OS roughly 2 years into ownership. Currently I get reminders to update every day on my mini I ignore for fear of further sluggishness.

I was considering keeping my iPhone 5 until the 7 but it started freezing and crashing so often that it was becoming unusable and I had to upgrade to a new phone.

 

[MMarston]

Then you aren't a PC user.

iTunes on Mac is alright. iTunes on PC is a giant NOPE, and yet iOS users are forced into it.

iTunes is strictly used as the one program to sync my music to my iPhone.

 

[brianjones]

I will never understand hate for iTunes. It is not sluggish, it's just not light.

its a bit sluggish for me on my 8 year old iMac

my library is rather large though

also my system could probably use a fresh install but I'm too lazy

 

[Skux]

When users move most of the iPhone apps to a folder named "Apple trash", you know you fucked up.

 

[Risette]

OS X has been a total mess since the yearly updates. Every first release feels more like an alpha, it doesn't feel finished until like a year later. They really need to do something, whether it be slowing development down to the old OS X cycle or increasing team size or doing something.

 

[Herbs]

yup

 

[BocoDragon]

When users move most of the iPhone apps to a folder named "Apple trash", you know you fucked up.

I was playing on my mother's iPhone, and I found a folder labelled "Crap". I smiled, knowing what it was.


^ oh, that's even better lol

 

[minor effort]

When users move most of the iPhone apps to a folder named "Apple trash", you know you fucked up.

yup

The most egregious was the recent addition of Apple Watch app to everyone's phone as a default app. Just pure advertising taking up valuable space on my 16GB iPhone.

 

[massoluk]

yup

Haha. I have the same folder for Google, but I actually use all the apps in it.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I've disliked iTunes for many years now. It's better on OS X than Windows but still bad.

The only Apple core apps I use regularly are Quicktime, Mail, and Messages, and Preview. Then there are a bunch of others like Preview and Calendar that I use occasionally. There are a bunch of others though—Photos, iTunes, and several others I can't remember—that I dislike so much I've forcibly uninstalled them from my Mac.

That said, I don't think Apple's apps overall have gotten worse over the past few years in particular. iMovie is better than it's been in a looong time, and I really like the iWork suite.

The main changes they've made recently that I absolutely can't stand are the post-Yosemite visual redesign, and the new Spotlight.

 

[WordAssassin]

Uh I use iTunes, iCloud Mail & Drive, and the built-in notes app all the time. They.. do what they're supposed to do. If I wanted something more, I have the option of going out and buying a different app.

Problem!??!?

I mean it'd be nice to be able to delete the stock apps but sheesh

 

[infiniteloop]

Photos is nice, much better than iPhoto was.

iTunes however, really needs to be killed off in favor of separate apps in 10.12. Although, i'm sure it'll be Apple Music focused and people will complain about that.

 

[Stinkles]

Copying Music to an iPod is Orwellian.

I defy even the biggest fanboy to describe the process with a straight face. Mac or PC.

 

[mooooose]

All Apple platforms are bloated, but there are many iOS 9 features I enjoy. I'm deep into the Apple ecosystem at this point, but there is no denying that they need to refocus on the software side before it's too late, and find a way to streamline applications and further increase synergy in platforms.

I think the visual rehaul of iOS 7/Yosemite did a lot of damage too, we basically had 3 years of stagnation and bugs.

 

[Servbot24]

Apple fans use iTunes on Macs. It works flawlessly. I feel like I'm in some alternate reality whenever I step into an iTunes sucks thread.

Copying Music to an iPod is Orwellian.

I defy even the biggest fanboy to describe the process with a straight face. Mac or PC.

Drag and drop.

 

[gamz]

Do they even care about iWork anymore?

 

[Dan]

iTunes on Mac is plenty buggy. Mine's been crashing a lot lately, and for years it's had stupid little bugs like double clicking a new album to play it and the screen jumps back to whatever you were previously playing. Or random artist names constantly not appearing in album view.

Any suggestions for alternatives?

 

[mightynine]

Copying Music to an iPod is Orwellian.

I defy even the biggest fanboy to describe the process with a straight face. Mac or PC.

- Open iTunes
- Select albums
- Right-click, add to playlist "iPhone"

 

[minor effort]

Apple fans use iTunes on Macs. It works flawlessly.



Drag and drop.

Drag and drop one album to iPhone, iTunes begins syncing hundreds of old apps as part of the process. At no point did I request iTunes to sync all of this. I just wanted to drag and drop one, single album.

You often have no idea what will begin syncing when you begin the sync process. It's off-putting enough that I avoid syncing my iOS devices with iTunes at all costs because it's so fraught with pitfalls.

It's bad design.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

I'm still using iTunes 10.4 because 11 sucked arse and 12 sucks donkey balls.

 

[Hasemo]

I have "the folder" with stock apple apps.

As for iTunes, it was so bad on Windows, that I refused to install it after changing my PC and went with a 3rd party software allowing me to drag and drop music on my device.

I think I used iTunes to back up my phone maybe once, so I don't care about that feature that much.

 

[Stinkles]

Apple fans use iTunes on Macs. It works flawlessly. I feel like I'm in some alternate reality whenever I step into an iTunes sucks thread.



Drag and drop.

So you're claiming I can select any music from my collection and simply drag it to the iPod icon?


I must have wasted all that time making playlists for nothing.

 

[clav]

Do they even care about iWork anymore?

Seems like when Microsoft stepped on Apple's stage to demo Office for iPad, Apple became silent about it.

 

[Demigod Mac]

Lloyd Chambers at the Mac Performance Guide blog has been writing about this since 2013, referring to the phenomenon as "Apple Core Rot".
Good to see it finally getting some mainstream attention. Maybe now Apple will be forced to shape up?

Some highlights:

http://macperformanceguide.com/AppleCoreRot-intro.html

* OS X is degrading into a base for an entertainment platform. As it stands, the trend is entirely downhill for serious work (albeit a mild grade so far, but steadily downhill nonetheless).

* Core operating system quality is declining as resources are diverted to software development in more profitable lines: iPhone, iPad, iHaveNoRealWorkToDo products. Apple forgets its history and leaves it core professional base twisting in the wind.

* We begin to tread in dangerous territory: potential data loss in some cases due to haphazard design and apparently no testing in key areas outside a very narrow scope of usage (“who would make any changes to the awesome setup for novices that we Apple Geniuses provide?”).

* So-called OS X “upgrades” now consist largely of ill-conceived dilettante eye-candy features that reduce usability, clutter the user interface and introduce scads of new bugs. No true upgrades have occurred for at least two major releases.

 

[Ryaaan14]

It is rather strange that managing your devices is handled through a music app.

Apple needs to develop an iHub or sum shit where u can easily manage your content.

 

[darkazcura]

I still can't stand how they handle photos with iCloud.

 

[Servbot24]

Drag and drop one album to iPhone, iTunes begins syncing hundreds of old apps as part of the process. At no point did I request iTunes to sync all of this. I just wanted to drag and drop one, single album.

You often have no idea what will begin syncing when you begin the sync process. It's off-putting enough that I avoid syncing my iOS devices with iTunes at all costs because it's so fraught with pitfalls.

It's bad design.

Just turn off syncing. I did that the first time I ever opened iTunes and have never had to deal with it.

So you're claiming I can select any music from my collection and simply drag it to the iPod icon?

Unless you have a special case you're planning to "gotcha!" me with, yes. I do it all the time, takes 2 seconds.

 

[ZeroX03]

Then you aren't a PC user.

iTunes on Mac is alright. iTunes on PC is a giant NOPE, and yet iOS users are forced into it.

iTunes on Windows works perfectly for me. It had an annoying glitch where it would force me to type in my password once a day, but that's since passed.

Syncing is fine too. Handle my photos manually.

 

[pompidu]

Not to side track but I don't have an iPhone but curious, is there still no way to remove apps from the screen? (Not in folders either, like an app drawer like android)

 

[Servbot24]

Not to side track but I don't have an iPhone but curious, is there still no way to remove apps from the screen? (Not in folders either, like an app drawer like android)

Nope, Apple's apps can't be removed :/

 

[darkazcura]

So you're claiming I can select any music from my collection and simply drag it to the iPod icon?


I must have wasted all that time making playlists for nothing.

Wait what? What playlists are you making? Putting music on my iPod back in the day always used to be drag and drop within iTunes.

 

[Dalek]

I always get this issue when syncing my iOS devices where it sticks on "finishing sync" and I have no choice but to force quit iTunes.

 

[BocoDragon]

iTunes on Windows works perfectly for me. It had an annoying glitch where it would force me to type in my password once a day, but that's since passed.

Syncing is fine too. Handle my photos manually.

How fast is your PC? It's sluggish nonsense on mid-range PCs, which is ridiculous because it's just displaying album art.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

I prefer Google for software.

imessage and that term they used to describe all their products working together (ie. Receiving a phone call on your phone that can be answered via the iPad or MacBook)

Are the only thing, software wise that Apple does good.

Google >>>>>

 

[jman2050]

iTunes on Windows is one of the worst designed and worst performing piece of crap software I've ever used, and this has been true for years now.

It's like they don't care.

 

[Vyer]

I haven't used an OSX device in quite a long time, so I don't really know the state of that software these days. But the phone doesn't really give me any problems. I do prefer MS's Outlook app for mail though.

It also helps that I eliminated the need to plug into iTunes and 'sync' years ago.