
Usability Analysis of Apple.com: Why is it so Good? - rlm
http://www.spoonfeddesign.com/usability-analysis-of-applecom-why-is-it-so-good
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unalone
Great analysis.

Back before I got a Mac, I'd go to Apple's web site just to look at all their
redesigned pages whenever something new came out. It was beautiful looking at
how they displayed their products, and the manner in which they'd move things
around to display everything as prettily as possible.

Now I _do_ have a Mac, and I have friends who do the same thing I once did.
Reading Apple.com is like reading a glamorous car brochure: you get the same
thrill looking at the way they present information.

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sfk
apple.com is very difficult to navigate for me. It is optimized for people who
are conditioned to click on large glossy pictures. Examples of good usability
would be <http://cr.yp.to/> or - if you are looking for a corporate example -
amazon.com.

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michaelneale
I am the same - I often don't know where to find something on it. I just never
think to even look at clicking on big glossy images.

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alecco
I respect that as I come from a text-mostly low-level hacking background. But
don't you notice the mouse cursor changes when it hovers over the pictures?
Also the shadows and backgrounds of click-able pictures resemble buttons
(smooth round edges.) Apple is famous for working very hard on perfecting the
user experience.

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michaelneale
Yes I do notice, but for some reason the cursor isn't enough. I probably
assume it will unpleasantly popup a larger picture of the same.

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phoxix2
The top menu is not an Apple innovation, rather an Amazon.com innovation.
During the dot-bomb era, _EVERYONE_ ended up having one.

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trezor
That goes for most of the stuff on that list really.

I forced myself into reading the full piece but just the way this piece was
written smelled of Apple-camp brainwashing and gave the impression that there
is nothing in the world the author would wish for more than personally be
within the same room as Steve Jobs.

While some of the points on good design were certainly valid, they are hardly
exclusive to apple. All in all it was quite an embarrassing read, really.

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Retric
I would suggest that Apple is useable because they don't need people to
navigate a wide range of products. Just ~7 top level items, then get more
specific.

    
    
      Download, songs.   
      Buy, iPod
      Buy, MacBook Pro
    

And then they get a world of options. Amazon is stuck because, most of their
options don't really help. I want to buy Electronics, Home Appliances> Air
Conditioners, Fans & Heaters> Space Heaters > (Showing 1 - 24 of 1,338
Results) now what?

While I do most of my shopping at Amazon, I think the sight is clunky but
functional. Type what you want into the search bar or pick one of the nice
pictures that looks correct, and is in your price range. Granted it works, but
it's not really elegant.

