I woke up with quite a headache on Sunday, but it wasn't because of the frozen mai tais I had Saturday night. If anything, the alcohol delayed the onset of this particular headache.
Apple is to blame. Or more precisely, the knucklehead architect who designed its newest store in Manhattan's trendy meatpacking district.
On Saturday at around 5:00 p.m. I tried to check out the new Apple store. Housed in a three-story building, the store has ground to ceiling plate-glass windows right next to the ground to ceiling plate-glass doors. Completely unadorned and super clean, these windows are difficult to distinguish from the actual doors because of the bright lights inside the store.
To my 20/20 eyes, it looked like Apple had opened that entire corner for the grand opening so I walked right into the plate glass — bam! Unfortunately, my right eyebrow took the brunt of the collision. I know. Bad form. Feet first.
I was so annoyed by the poor design I left and never entered the store. Besides, I had to get ready for dinner and those frozen mai tais. If I start reminiscing about catching Babe Ruth's 60th home run, please call an ambulance.
Apple, of course, is known for elegant yet simple design in both software and hardware. And I'm an unabashed fan. But critics argue that Apple's products lack features and are not necessarily intuitive, but instead just represent a different philosophy.
I still think these folks are mostly wrong, and point to Apple's stock price as Exhibit A and the iPhone as Exhibit B. But Apple does occasionally take its emphasis on "clean" design too far. For example: The ill-fated Mac G4 Cube, which was underpowered and poorly built. The Apple TV, which lacks a DVD player (not to mention a DVR). And those damned plate-glass windows at the new Apple store!
Should I sue? I'd settle for some black Apple logo stickers on the windows — and an Apple-designed all-in-one stand with three monitors.
Well, that might be a pipe dream, but at least one of those plate-glass windows now has a forehead smudge on it that might save someone else from my fate — though the store's janitorial team probably cleaned it off two minutes after I staggered away.
Now, if you'll excuse me I need to take some more aspirin.
Oh, one more thing: Happy Holidays from all of us here at TechnoLawyer!
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