MacBook Charger

The MacBook charger qualifies as both good and bad design, as some elements place it in one category, others in another. I usually tend to explain it as a great design with serious flaws.

The Good: MagSafe

Unlike most laptop charging cables, the MacBook cable attaches solely by magnet. If for some reason the cable is yanked (or tripped over, or gets caught on something...), it quickly detaches to prevent the computer from tumbling to the floor. I have been saved by this feature countless times and the MagSafe adaptor is one of the features of my computer that I appreciate most.

The Bad:

This charger also qualifies as a bad design due to it's stunning lack of durability. My first charger came with my computer and looked like this:

As can be seen in this photo, the plastic sheathing tended to detach from the connector and leave wire exposed. This was a very common problem, leading to a class-action lawsuit and eventually a redesigned charger. After mine became unusable, I bought the new design, which looked like this:

This eliminated a lot of the stress on the connector, but caused a whole new slew of problems. First, the connectors on a MacBook look like this:

The port on the left is where the charger cable attaches. When the cable is attached in one direction, it blocks the Ethernet and mini-DVI ports. When attached in the other direction, it tends to bend close to the connector, and the plastic sheathing begins to split. In my experience, these chargers (both the old and new design) have a lifespan of about two years before they need to be replaced.

Reusable Shopping Bags

I do not mean to suggest that reusable shopping bags are a bad idea, merely that the majority of these bags that are sold are poorly designed.

Mistake #1: Cloth

All reuasable grocery bags should be waterproof. Things happen on the way home from the grocery store: eggs break, milk bottles leak, fluids escape from packages of meat. Cloth bags are not up to the task of containing these messes.

Mistake #2: Not Square Bottoms

This is an area where the plastic bag can not only be equaled, but surpassed. Reusable bags can take a much greater variety of shapes and sizes. Their sturdier construction means that they can be bigger and more rigid, leading to much more efficient packing of groceries. I use two very large reusable bags, and often fit about 5-8 plastic bags-worth of groceries into the pair.

Both of the types of bags pictured above do not efficiently meet the needs of the consumer, but many other reusable bags do.

Rubbermaid Chug Bottle

The Rubbermaid Chug bottle earns the distinction of being the worst water bottle I have ever owned. It was difficult to grip and would often slip out of my hand. It was small and had only 20 oz capacity. It was prone to sweating. But the very worst of all, it leaked. The white cap over the mouth piece opened far too easily- it would open on its own while being bounced around in my backpack, or when I dropped it. This $2.50 water bottle caused at least $200 worth of water damage before I finally threw it away. I needed a leakproof and durable water bottle (as do many other consumers), and this product did not meet my needs.

Cami Secret

As much as I do not believe that this video needs no further justification, this product seems to encompass all of the hallmarks of a bad design. First and foremost, it solves a problem that does not need to be solved: camisoles are not nearly as troublesome as this video suggests. It also solves the "problem" inefficiently and inelegantly.

Apartment Dishwasher

I despise the dishwasher in my apartment. It's racks are the most irritating that I have ever seen, severely limiting both the number and type of dishes that it can be used to clean.

Exhibit 1: The Top Rack

Bowls go in the middle, facing each other like soliders at war and wasting room that could be used to fit two additional bowls. I know that it was done so that it would be easier for the dishwasher to clean the bowls, but I have never seen another dishwasher with this set-up, and they all worked well enough. The racks for the cups are also unnecessarily wasteful. Eight bowls and 12 cups is the entire capacity of the upper rack.

Exhibit 2: The Bottom Rack

An enormous hub in the middle of the bottom rack means that only small plates can be placed in the center rows in both front and back as regular plates don't fit. Also, the silverware holder is part of the bottom rack, while the empty space on the inside of the door is wasted.

Dishwashers are one of the most energy- and water-intensive appliances in the house. THey should be loaded efficiently and run only when necessary, but the poor design of this diswasher forces us to run it at least one extra time per week.

Sterillite 3 Drawer Cart

I have been using these carts for storage for the past four years, and they drive me just as crazy now as they did at the very beginning. The drawers slide easily, until they are filled. The plastic frame is too flexible and begins to collapse, exerting pressure on the drawers and making them very difficult to move in or out. The weight limit that allows the cart to remain fully functional is unrealistically small. Even loosely filling the drawers with clothes or other lightweight objects prevents the drawers from opening and closing properly.

In addition to being too weak in compression, the frame is also too weak in tension. The plastic frame is made of three separate components which stack and snap together. These snaps are very weak, and often the frame will fall apart if lifted, even if all of the drawers have been removed.

The design does not adequately consider that users will be filling the drawers, or will ever need to pick up the cart.

2007 MacBook Body

I always thought that my MacBook was part of a strange batch where something went wrong. From about three months after I bought it, small chunks of plastic started to break off of the body, bit by bit.

Like this.

Or like this.

Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident at all. The plastic of the upper keyboard case is too thin and weak and snaps off when pressed down against the harder outer shell. The problem is especially common for people who carry the computer in a backpack, as pressure on the closed case forces the shell and keyboard cover together. It is a shocking lack of durability for a computer which is otherwise so well designed and engineered. Mine has handled multiple tumbles without a single problem, but is falling apart because I carry it to class in a backpack.