這家公司的設計為何能勝過蘋果

即便全球最偉大的設計公司也不可能每個設計都完美——想找證據的話，蘋果筆記本電腦確實酷炫，但看看旁邊那又大又厚的電源適配器吧。MacBook Air確實極為輕薄，電源適配器卻比電腦本身厚好幾倍，插在墻上充電的時候還很容易掉下來，真的很煩。

一家名叫Ten One Design的公司不久會推出一種簡單得不得了的解決方案。該公司定于今年4月底發布Blockhead，售價20美元，可以取代現在被戲稱為“鴨頭”的蘋果電源適配器。新產品調整了插頭的角度，讓適配器較大的一面服帖地插在墻面，不會像現在一樣伸出墻面2英寸以上。

Ten One Design指出，Blockhead的設計讓插頭更容易插在家具后面，也能讓插頭插得更牢。設計師還將電源線的方向從水平角度變為向下，應該能延長電源線的壽命。

當然，蘋果的電源適配器不是唯一難看的設計。市面上所有的筆記本都需要所謂的“小型變壓器”（wall wart），將電源轉換為設備所需的特定電壓和類型，外形大多不美觀，不便使用也難以攜帶。

我們一直希望蘋果能解決困擾這一其他設備生產商的難題，然而并沒有。Blockhead的問世顯示出，如果能多點創意，蘋果原本是能解決這個問題的。（財富中文網）

翻譯：Pessy

審校：夏林

Even the world’s greatest product designers don’t get everything right—for proof, look no further than the big, awkward hunk of plastic that provides power to Apple’s sleek laptops. In the case of machines like the MacBook Air, the power adapter is several times thicker than the computer itself, and has an annoying tendency to fall out of the wall.

A company called Ten One Design is introducing a shockingly obvious solution. Set to ship in late April, the Blockhead is a $20 attachment that replaces the Apple adapter’s AC plug, or “duckhead.” It shifts the plug’s angle so the big adapter block sits flush with the wall, instead of jutting out more than two inches.

As Ten One points out, this makes it easier to plug in the adapter behind furniture, and helps it stay plugged in more reliably. It also re-orients the power cable to a downward instead of horizontal angle, which should increase your cord’s lifespan.

Of course, Apple’s adapter isn’t uniquely ugly—every laptop needs a so-called “wall wart” to convert power to the particular voltage and type that your machine needs. And they’re all varying degrees of unsightly, inconvenient, and cumbersome.

But we’ve come to expect Apple to transcend the issues that plague other device makers. The Blockhead shows that they could have, with just a little more creativity.