Apple Stores' Buttonless Elevators

Here we have another literally unpressable button - this time, it's unpressable because... it doesn't exist. Apparently, multi-story Apple Stores have elevators with no buttons at all - they simply go up and down, stopping at every floor. This certainly helps accomplish a clean visual design, and is a bold battle won in Steve Jobs' war against buttons.

But what does it do for usability? It could be frustrating, since the user will start by looking for a button that will never be found. Then once the reality is understood, it may take a bit longer to get where you're going than in a button-studded version. But, Apple Stores are places to browse and explore in the first place - something which is in the interest of both the consumer and the retailer. If you stop on a floor you never would have discovered otherwise, and end up finding something you like... well, this no-button thing might not be such a pain after all.