I wrote in my last blogpost about how Apple has been doing just about everything right and are winning over PC addicts like myself.
One of the things that really irks me though, besides the price, is that you can't read anything on Apple's website because they are using a dark grey font against a black background. (http://www.apple.com/macbookpro)
Please write a comment below to tell me if you can read it!
Anyways, here's my correspondence with Steve Jobs on the matter (yes, I was surprized he replied to me, even though it was somewhat curt)
On Apr 24, 2006, at 4:09 PM, Henk Kleynhans wrote:
Dear Mr Jobs,
The text at http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/ is entirely illegible. Dark gray against a black background? What were you thinking???
If you fix the contrast on your webpage, I’d bet your sales will increase significantly!
If I’m right, I wouldn’t mind an all-expenses paid trip to Silicon Valley and a Macbook Pro.
If I’m wrong, well, you’ll have a place to stay with a young entrepreneur in Cape Town, South Africa. (I’ll even throw in a township tour)
I have a pretty darn irritating habit of being right quite often, but you’re still welcome in Cape Town in any case.
Best Regards,
Henk Kleynhans – CEO
Skyrove (Pty) Ltd
Tel: +27 (21) 4488843
Fax: +27 (86) 6204077
henk@skyrove.com
blog: www.yeahfi.com
p.s. See my blog post on How to convert a Hardcore PC user into a Mac Fanatic: http://www.yeahfi.com/2006/04/how-to-convert-hardcore-pc-user-into.html
________________________________________
From: Steve Jobs [mailto:sjobs@apple.com]
Sent: 25 April 2006 03:52 AM
To: Henk Kleynhans
Subject: Re: calligraphy & what went wrong with macbook pro
Importance: High
I think its fine.
Best,
Steve
________________________________________
From: Henk Kleynhans [mailto:henk@skyrove.com]
Sent: 25 April 2006 11:06 AM
To: 'Steve Jobs'
Subject: RE: calligraphy & what went wrong with macbook pro
Importance: High
Dear Steve,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I’ve now browsed the site www.apple.com/macbookpro from a few different machines in our office. It does look fine on LCD screens, but really horrid on normal CRTs.
As I posted on my blog, I think Apple is doing everything right. But it really is truly impossible to read the text on your website.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for you, so I don’t mean to sound cocky, but my wager stands!
You’ll save many people from the fate of Windoze if they were able to read the text on your website.
Best regards,
Henk Kleynhans
Skyrove (Pty) Ltd
Tel: +27 (21) 4488843
Fax: +27 (86) 6204077
henk@skyrove.com
blog: www.yeahfi.com
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10 comments:
I can only see the headings. The rest just kinda melds into the background.
Maybe it's because I'm using Windows? Perhaps if a Windows user thinks of buying a Macbook Pro online, Microsoft just makes the Mac website illegible!
I could kinda make out what it said. But I totally agree that it was pretty dark.
I thought it looked fine. I actually quite like it.
woah! Can hardly see anything!! (using a CRT)
Yeah, I can't really blame him for being so terse - you kind of sounded like a jerk, especially with that "What were you thinking???" bit.
greg,
I agree, I wrote it in the early hours of the morning and didn't really think Steve Jobs would personally reply to my email.
So my colorful question "What were you thinking???" was more aimed at the minion I expected to do the email filtering.
Lesson learnt!
I don't think you can fault him for being curt in response to your email,
"Dark gray against a black background? What were you thinking???"
I can see it no problem, but then I'm very lucky to be using Firefox on a Macbook Pro :)
I think I agree with Steve's response. It's fine.
Shows up perfectly on my nasty old CRT.
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