Wouldn't a dedicated AirPods forum category make sense?

[SW3029]

Now that the AirPods are officially a line of devices sold by Apple, wouldn't a dedicated forum category make more sense? I wasn't sure where to post my earlier question about AirPods.

Or maybe a combined "AirPods and HomePod" category?

 

[CarlJ]

Funny, I just found this post because I was looking for the dedicated AirPods forum so that I might see and benefit from the collected wisdom of severals years worth of forum members consensus on usage hints and accessories, now that I finally have a pair, much as I frequently visit the Watch forums here, as an Apple Watch owner (and a bandaholic, shhh). I assumed there would be one already.

Also, it's a bit surreal that I have two different "wearables" now. Thirteen year-old me would have not believed that possible. How could you even fit a 6502 into a watch, or headphones?

 

[Weaselboy]

iPhone Accessories

stuff for your iPhone

forums.macrumors.com

I think most of the Airpods discussion is occurring in iPhone Accessories forum now.

I'll bring this up for discussion with the other staff.

 

[maflynn]

Or maybe a combined "AirPods and HomePod" category?

I don't see this being a good fit, and it makes more sense in the accessories sub-forum.

The homepod area is focused on home automation which includes the homepod, the earpods really have no connection to that topic. Whereas the accessories sub-forum fits very well and makes sense for people to go there for the discussions - just my $.02

 

[willmtaylor]

Airpods are iPhone Accessories, so discussion should be in the iPhone Accessories forum. Not sure how that’s unclear.

I don't see this being a good fit, and it makes more sense in the accessories sub-forum.

Nice.

 

[arn]

I’m torn on this.

If anything I’ve been trying to reduce the sprawl of forums - but the AirPods are a major product line and getting even bigger.

If AirPods overwhelm the accessories forum then ya, I could see it being its own. But I wonder how much AirPods talk there will be in 2 months.

arn

 

[arn]

Ok ya. I think it is the way to go. Stay tuned

 

[CarlJ]

Arguably there should be a "Wearables" section, which would currently consist of Apple Watch forums and AirPods forums, with potential for iGlasses and whatever in the future.

One can easily argue that AirPods are an accessory. That argument is much harder to make for the Apple Watch (it's getting to be a pretty standalone device, and it's just a matter of time before it moves out of iPhone's house). And Apple speaks of them collectively as being their wearables category, so...

Also, I'm not seeing an Accessories forum here (literally, doing a "find on page" in the Forums section).

I'm seeing "iPhone Accessories", "iPad Accessories", "Apple Watch Accessories", "Mac Accessories" (and similar choices under MarketPlace).

Which one of those subforums do you imagine that AirPods fit under? They work with all of them. Or should AirPods discussion be fragmented across all those subforums? (By that logic, there should also be an "Apple TV Accessories" subforum.)

Glancing at the iPhone Accessories forum, it's pretty hard to pick out the actual iPhone accessories (cases and such) discussion, because its swamped by all the AirPods discussion. Anyone looking for what it says on the tin ("iPhone Accessories") is going to be frustrated.

 

[CarlJ]

Airpods are iPhone Accessories, so discussion should be in the iPhone Accessories forum. Not sure how that’s unclear.

It's unclear, because it's true that that is an attribute of AirPods, but the inaccuracy is in what it leaves out. AirPods do not require an iPhone for use (you don't, for instance, need an iPhone to set them up, the way you do an Apple Watch), rather, iPhones are simply one device they can work with. If we're simply listing things they can be used with, then they're iPhone accessories, but they're just as much iPad accessories, Apple Watch accessories, Mac accessories, Apple TV accessories....

By your logic, since iPhones can be used with Macs, iPhones should all be under the Mac accessory forum. Would you propose moving iPhones there? And Apple Watch can only work in conjunction with the iPhone, so, again, by your logic, clearly the Apple Watch forums should be moved under the iPhone forums.

 

[willmtaylor]

It's unclear, because it's true that that is an attribute of AirPods, but the inaccuracy is in what it leaves out. AirPods do not require an iPhone for use (you don't, for instance, need an iPhone to set them up, the way you do an Apple Watch), rather, iPhones are simply one device they can work with. If we're simply listing things they can be used with, then they're iPhone accessories, but they're just as much iPad accessories, Apple Watch accessories, Mac accessories, Apple TV accessories....

By your logic, since iPhones can be used with Macs, iPhones should all be under the Mac accessory forum. Would you propose moving iPhones there? And Apple Watch can only work in conjunction with the iPhone, so, again, by your logic, clearly the Apple Watch forums should be moved under the iPhone forums.

Oh, c'mon now, Carl. Let's be real here; it's just you and me.

Firstly, AirPod's originate from EarPods which were shipped first and foremost with iPhones.
Secondly, I think we both know the overwhelming majority of AirPods are use primarily for iPhones.

So both their origins and primary use case both point towards being iPhone accessories.

Let's not overthink it and make things more complicated or convoluted than they ought to be.

 

[maflynn]

Arguably there should be a "Wearables" section,

I like that idea, that's something I could get behind

 

[arn]

It's here...

AirPods

AirPods, AirPods Pro and other headphones

forums.macrumors.com

 

[CarlJ]

Oh, c'mon now, Carl. Let's be real here; it's just you and me.
... I think we both know ...
Let's not overthink it and make things more complicated or convoluted than they ought to be.

Trying to buddy up to me will not turn what you originally presented as unassailable truth into, you know, something that's actually true.

If you want to say, "I think they ought to be in the iPhone Accessories forum", that's fine, if that's your opinion, but smugly asserting, "Airpods are iPhone Accessories, ... Not sure how that’s unclear"... yeah, I'm gonna call you on that, because it's not true in the way you're claiming. Something being true in many cases does not automatically promote it to being true in all cases. And I'm going to drop this at this point.

On a practical level, go look at the iPhone Accessories subforum, and try to quickly find all the posts about things are aren't AirPods. It's a pain, because AirPod discussion drowns out the other topics. That's an indication that AirPods ought to be in their own separate subforum.
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It's here...

Thank you for this. Looks good! I'm impressed with how substantially you've rearranged the forums since this morning.

Despite some of the forum members here*, MacRumors remains a very valuable resource, that I find myself checking first thing every morning, to keep up on what's going on in the world of Apple. Thank you for all your hard work.

*: (Note that is not at shot at willmtaylor, rather I'm talking about the contingent of relentlessly negative "everything Apple does is horrible" forum members who seem like they'd be happier somewhere else.)

 

[willmtaylor]

Trying to buddy up to me will not turn what you originally presented as unassailable truth into, you know, something that's actually true.

If you want to say, "I think they ought to be in the iPhone Accessories forum", that's fine, if that's your opinion, but smugly asserting, "Airpods are iPhone Accessories, ... Not sure how that’s unclear"... yeah, I'm gonna call you on that, because it's not true in the way you're claiming. Something being true in many cases does not automatically promote it to being true in all cases. And I'm going to drop this at this point.

On a practical level, go look at the iPhone Accessories subforum, and try to quickly find all the posts about things are aren't AirPods. It's a pain, because AirPod discussion drowns out the other topics. That's an indication that AirPods ought to be in their own separate subforum.
[automerge]1572637868[/automerge]
Thank you for this. Looks good! I'm impressed with how substantially you've rearranged the forums since this morning.

Despite some of the forum members here*, MacRumors remains a very valuable resource, that I find myself checking first thing every morning, to keep up on what's going on in the world of Apple. Thank you for all your hard work.

*: (Note that is not at shot at willmtaylor, rather I'm talking about the contingent of relentlessly negative "everything Apple does is horrible" forum members who seem like they'd be happier somewhere else.)

Never thought we were buddies. That's just my style and turn of phrase. I don't feel the need to walk anything back. I believe my statements to be true and my interpretations as valid.

Regardless, as per Arn's housekeeping, it's all moot.

Also, didn't take it as shots fired, but thanks for the asterisk regardless. All the best.