Apple: Please Design Better Serial Numbers

[emehrkay]

Here is a fix for computers that can turn on:

 > About This Mac > More Info > Highlight serial > Copy (command + c or edit > copy> > Paste (command + v or edit > paste> into form field

[jevinskie]

A checksum could always be added like a ISBN. Though you would still enter an incorrect serial number, you would know that it was incorrect.

[polyfractal]

Mountains out of molehills? Why is this newsworthy? And I say this as someone that doesn't even particularly like Apple or Apple products.

It's a serial number, and an employee made a mistake. End of story.

[mikeash]

It's not presented as "newsworthy", so why ask that question? It's a mild musing on a subtle design defect in Apple products, which is interesting for a company that prides itself on getting little details right. It's also interesting from a wider perspective, because the problem of making alphanumeric strings that can be entered by hand is pretty common, and there are some easy steps you can take to make the process easier that few people actually take.

[najhr999]

Why not just include it as a QR or Bar Code, then scan when you arrive?

[mhb]

Since they can't change the existing serial numbers, why don't they have autocomplete software suggest the possible alternatives to an incorrect one based on the likely character mistakes?

[arb99]

So an employee made a mistake? that doesn't happen anywhere else.

[jevinskie]

But if Apple is as innovative as they say they are, why don't they implement better serial numbers like the article suggests? I agree, the numbers can be hard to read, especially given their tiny size.

[scottoreilly]

Keep in mind that this was the second time an Apple employee screwed up a serial number in a year. Obviously something is wrong with the system.

[jsmcallister]

Maybe the employee needs to have his eyes checked. I have no problem reading my serial numbers and I have a 5 and an S.