Heuristic Evaluation of the MacBook Pro

Michael Bautista | CSC 486 - Human-Computer Interaction Theory and Design | October 20, 2021

Introduction

Apple has a history of implementing drastic changes to their product designs in an attempt to innovate and improve the user experience. Regarding the iPhone, Apple has made two innovations that caused controversy amongst Apple consumers. In 2016, Apple decided to remove the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 to adapt to the rise in bluetooth headphone use. In 2017, Apple removed the home button on the iPhone X and replaced the fingerprint authentication with facial recognition. Their MacBook models have gone through similar changes. In 2016, Apple removed all ports except for the headphone jack and replaced them with USB-C ports. Now, in 2021, with the introduction of the new MacBook Pro and M1 CPUs, Apple has reintroduced the MagSafe charger, HDMI port, and SD card reader. As an iOS developer and as someone that has used the MacBook Pro with USB-C ports since its release, I thought it would be interesting to conduct a heuristic analysis of Apple’s reintroduction of the widely popular computer ports into their new MacBook Pro for 2021.

Consistency

Consistency is easier to achieve the more a product is aligned with user interface standards of design (Nielsen, 1993, p.133). Providing a variety of ports on laptops has been a design standard for all laptops, including previous MacBooks, so the removal of ports on the 2016 MacBook Pro made the device inconsistent with its own predecessors and the rest of the market. Now that Apple has reintroduced the HDMI port, MagSafe charger, and SD card reader, their MacBook Pro model is now more consistent with the pre-2016 MacBooks and the rest of the laptops in the market.

Minimize User Memory Load

Having to learn and remember a large number of rules in order to correctly operate a system can put a heavy burden on the user (Nielsen, 1993, p.131). In 2016, by removing popularly used ports on the MacBook Pro, users had to learn and remember new rules about how to use different devices with the laptop. In order to display the screen on a monitor or TV, connect a USB mouse, or read an SD card, users had to purchase additional peripherals and remember to bring those with them wherever they go. “Ditching [these ports] have created a bit more of an uproar among users that aren’t psyched about needing a dongle on-hand at all times to connect the devices they need” (Matney, 2016). This greatly increased the user’s memory load when using the laptop. Now that the 2021 MacBook Pro reintroduced those ports, users don’t have to remember to bring an adapter with them wherever they go.

Shortcuts

It should be possible for advanced users to perform frequently used operations in a fast and efficient way (Nielsen, 1993, p.131). In 2016, Apple removed many of the shortcuts that were popularly used by MacBook users. The HDMI port and SD card readers saved users time when sharing their screen or transferring photo or video files. As two of the most used ports on their laptop were withdrawn, two of their most used shortcuts were subsequently withdrawn as well. However, with the 2021 MacBook Pro, productivity users regained their beloved ports and shortcuts.

Conclusion

Apple is known to make risky changes to their product designs. One of the most controversial was the removal of widely used ports on their 2016 MacBook Pro. The 2021 MacBook Pro, however, reintroduces these ports, allowing their top of the line laptop to be more consistent with user expectations, minimize user memory load, and reintroduce popular shortcuts.

References

Nielsen, J. (1993). Usability Engineering (1st). CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc.

Matney, L. (2016, October 27). Apple's new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need. TechCrunch. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/27/apples-new-macbook-pro-just-killed-off-most-of-the-ports-you-probably-need/.