Multiple Options

There used to be a time when Apple was all about clean breaks and clear choices. Moving from MobileMe to iCloud meant them stopping all MobileMe services. Want to use the new iWork? Okey, but these new files won’t be compatible with prior versions. Want to use the new iCloud Drive in iOS 8 or Notes in iOS 9? It’s a one way street so you better don’t regret your decision.But users installing iOS 8.2 discovered that, after they upgraded to iCloud Photo Library, Photo Stream was still in place. It’s confusing to users and makes an otherwise easy understandable service complicated. Instead of all your photos on every device in the same albums and folders, there’s now still a stream of 1000 photos syncing across devices following its own rules.

And now with the nascent release of  Music the same thing will happen again: instead of replacing their existing platform with this new service, they somehow thought it was a good idea to keep offering iTunes Match as a complementary service. It’s not integrated into  Music, and no one is sure how the two will co-exist. From what I see on their website the new platform included all that iTunes Match offered? I’m not sure. What they should have done is kill one to make place for the other.

**Does Apple Music work with iTunes Match?**Yes. Apple Music and iTunes Match are independent but complementary. – Apple.com

It’s not difficult to see where this came from: it’s about pleasing every customer instead of drawing a line. It’s the same reason the iPad 2 still exists and why the current iPad line up has five different models, ranging over three storage sizes, three colors and with both cellular and wifi options. And while we’re on the topic: any idea why the classic MacBook Pro still exists?

Apple used to offer a clean and controlled product line-up, but the days of Jobs’ famous four-part-grid is far away.I hope when WWDC2016 comes around the corner they’ll clear out the inventory a bit and scrap a few of these redundant services.