Clark on Apple’s weak type
Apple has a typography desk. It is not exactly crowded with developers vying for every square centimetre, but it really exists. Have you ever heard of it? …
Then compare Microsoft, which has two divisions focussed on type and reading (Typography and Advanced Reading Technologies). Esteemed colleagues Simon Daniels and Kevin Larson are but two of many people with a high profile in the type business who work for Microsoft (in those departments respectively). MS Typo itself does a great deal of work. Apart from commissioning the confusable Microsoft C-fonts, the department does everything from creating box-drawing characters for teletext fonts to designing Liberian symbol systems….
As you’d expect, I urge Apple to get back into the business of type design. The chief lesson of the Web must be observed: Do what works and don’t do what doesn’t work.
Worth reading in its entirety, rereading, bookmarking, and sharing (especially with friends at Apple): Where Microsoft beats Apple on the Personal Weblog of Joe Clark, Toronto. Nobody does it better.
Filed under: Advocacy, Apple, Fonts, type
3 Responses to “Clark on Apple’s weak type”
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It’s hard to beat Joe’s passion and advocacy for subjects he cares about.
In all fairness, the number of desks belonging to Apple employees who are concerned with typography is greater than one. Also, John D. Berry is now in the Microsoft Typography group as well.
By all accounts, typography on the iPad – the supposed “Kindle Killer” is atrocious.
Joe’s got it exactly right. A must-read.