Design Directions

dhagan4755dhagan4755
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Is 2005 the year where we return to some color contrast in Apple's hardware?



I am speaking, of course, about the fact Apple's product designs have been monochromatic with little, if any, distinctive contrast. Take for example, the eMac, the iPod, the Power Mac G5 and the PowerBook G4s.



Remember the Titanium PowerBook G4? Titanium enclosure, light silver trim, black keyboard?



I think some contrast is returning. I note that the new Mac mini has a silver aluminum enclosure with a white top. Additionally, the iMac G5 has a silver base with a white frame around the display. Will these types of schemes continue through the year with future product revisions and what will they hold in store for the professional lines?



Speculation...
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    slugheadslughead Posts: 1,169member
    I've got it

  • Reply 2 of 32
    spyridonspyridon Posts: 3member
    I hope the Mac mini gains the iPod mini colors, but other then that, I like Apple's current designs. I hope Apple doesn't switch to something lame just for the sake of changing.
  • Reply 3 of 32
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Spyridon

    I hope the Mac mini gains the iPod mini colors, but other then that, I like Apple's current designs. I hope Apple doesn't switch to something lame just for the sake of changing.



    Colours for a computer? Like the iMac you mean, this can be quite expensive and also means supply is less on each one. As the current Mac minis are out of stock everywhere I don't see the need. It would only put people off (longer waits for certain colours) or confuse people. It worked with original iMac but in the end they simplified their offerings.
  • Reply 4 of 32
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    I just hope Apple stops catering to their flamboyant gay community and start kicking out some Joe manly black Carbon Fiber housings. How about some Bling around the edges YO!
  • Reply 5 of 32
    ajpriceajprice Posts: 320member
    As for different colour computers, I say no. They did it with the later G3 iMacs, and they got stuck with supply problems, everyone wanted a Blueberry one because it was closest to the Bondi original colour. No one wanted the red (Strawberry?) one, because it was actually pink. Then there is the Flower Power and Blue Dalmation stuff, which went too far completely and flopped. But contrast and material changes I'm all for. The aluminium/white mix they have now is pretty good.
  • Reply 6 of 32
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ajprice

    As for different colour computers, I say no. They did it with the later G3 iMacs, and they got stuck with supply problems, everyone wanted a Blueberry one because it was closest to the Bondi original colour. No one wanted the red (Strawberry?) one, because it was actually pink. Then there is the Flower Power and Blue Dalmation stuff, which went too far completely and flopped. But contrast and material changes I'm all for. The aluminium/white mix they have now is pretty good.



    I really wanted a FlowerPower but by the time I got round to it there was only Snow left. :-( But yeah as I said earlier, it's not a great idea.
  • Reply 7 of 32
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DHagan4755

    Is 2005 the year where we return to some color contrast in Apple's hardware?



    I am speaking, of course, about the fact Apple's product designs have been monochromatic with little, if any, distinctive contrast. Take for example, the eMac, the iPod, the Power Mac G5 and the PowerBook G4s.



    Remember the Titanium PowerBook G4? Titanium enclosure, light silver trim, black keyboard?



    I think some contrast is returning. I note that the new Mac mini has a silver aluminum enclosure with a white top. Additionally, the iMac G5 has a silver base with a white frame around the display. Will these types of schemes continue through the year with future product revisions and what will they hold in store for the professional lines?



    Speculation...



    because my first PowerBook was a TiBook G4 667(?)mhz, i still think fondly of it as *the* hardcore PowerBook G4, full of sexy, no-nonsense, apple goodness... i am not such a big fan of the Alubook, it's kind of like an iBook in curvature, TiBook had nice blend of edge and curve...



    .........

    written on iBook G4 10.3.8 256mb 933mhz 14"
  • Reply 8 of 32
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sunilraman

    because my first PowerBook was a TiBook G4 667(?)mhz, i still think fondly of it as *the* hardcore PowerBook G4, full of sexy, no-nonsense, apple goodness... i am not such a big fan of the Alubook, it's kind of like an iBook in curvature, TiBook had nice blend of edge and curve...



    .........

    written on iBook G4 10.3.8 256mb 933mhz 14"



    Agreed, if it wasn't for the cheep paint job the TiBook would problably be the sexiest looking notebook out there. Time for Carbon-Fiber, the Alu is just to dent prone for my test, and puffy looking. It's like a Ti with an alergy problem.
  • Reply 9 of 32
    guarthoguartho Posts: 1,208member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    I really wanted a FlowerPower but by the time I got round to it there was only Snow left. :-( But yeah as I said earlier, it's not a great idea.



    My cousin got a flowerPower iMac last year. It old him "Hold on to that, they didn't sell well and were discontinued pretty quickly." I was jealous.
  • Reply 10 of 32
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Relic

    Agreed, if it wasn't for the cheep paint job the TiBook would problably be the sexiest looking notebook out there. Time for Carbon-Fiber, the Alu is just to dent prone for my test, and puffy looking. It's like a Ti with an alergy problem.



    *reluctantly agrees with Relic about Alubook being Ti with allergies* you're f8cking on fire tonight Relic..!!



    I want to see Carbon-Fibre PowerBook G5 Vaio-destorying shitnatz in 6 months!!!!! YEAHHHH woot! woot! woot!
  • Reply 11 of 32
    dhagan4755dhagan4755 Posts: 2,152member
    When I posted this yesterday, I wasn't thinking per sé about the return of iMac colors...I was referring to some contrast in the product's stylings. The Titanium PowerBook G4 has some contrast and it wasn't uniform in color throughout. It gave it character. I noticed that Apple only recently started putting some contrast into their products. Like the new iPod click wheel. I want to see all lines move back into these distinctive designs.



    Old vs. New



    Old vs. New



    Get it???
  • Reply 12 of 32
    zozo Posts: 3,117member
    with nanotech, I think Apple should go towards irridescent fish-scales



    or fur



    yeah.



    fur.



    cool
  • Reply 13 of 32
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    So what your saying is Apples design team is color blind? That's cool I get it, probably explains the Gold iPod. It's Gold? I thought it was yellow know wonder why it didn't sell!
  • Reply 14 of 32
    feraliferali Posts: 175member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ajprice

    Then there is the Flower Power and Blue Dalmation stuff, which went too far completely and flopped.



    uhh what was wrong with them? i gotta dalmation one when it came out and it was pimp, i dont think they went to far. plus.. that kinda stuff was kool back then. it still is of course! what i really liked was the color ibooks. they were the koolest looking. even though they were real thick. if they brought them back and they looked exactly the same just upped the internal parts i would so buy one. hell yes.
  • Reply 15 of 32
    slugheadslughead Posts: 1,169member
    single-color is in as far as apple is concerned.



    I don't care, personally.



    I'm actually thinking about doing a casemod on my G5 to add more hard drives, I hear it's a pain to weld aluminum though, that ought to tell you how little I give a crap about their "style."



    If I had the time, I'd turn every icon on every file to a square with the type of file written on it, and color coded based on "kind".
  • Reply 16 of 32
    brendonbrendon Posts: 642member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DHagan4755

    Is 2005 the year where we return to some color contrast in Apple's hardware?



    I am speaking, of course, about the fact Apple's product designs have been monochromatic with little, if any, distinctive contrast. Take for example, the eMac, the iPod, the Power Mac G5 and the PowerBook G4s.



    Remember the Titanium PowerBook G4? Titanium enclosure, light silver trim, black keyboard?



    I think some contrast is returning. I note that the new Mac mini has a silver aluminum enclosure with a white top. Additionally, the iMac G5 has a silver base with a white frame around the display. Will these types of schemes continue through the year with future product revisions and what will they hold in store for the professional lines?



    Speculation...



    I wouls like to see a deep metalic red used as a high light to the aluminum. But you are correct contrast is the way to go from here.
  • Reply 17 of 32
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Relic

    I just hope Apple stops catering to their flamboyant gay community and start kicking out some Joe manly black Carbon Fiber housings. How about some Bling around the edges YO!



    Apparently, the gay community is quite affluent and has a eye for good taste and fashion.



    The bling crowd, not so affluent.

    But I'm generalizing.
  • Reply 18 of 32
    fallenfromthetreefallenfromthetree Posts: 338member
    Well they did manage to add some extra magenta to their $1600 dollar

    23" HD displays
  • Reply 19 of 32
    9secondko9secondko Posts: 929member
    no contrast please.



    the white highlight ot aluminaum is very appealing. They should keep that going. pleas don't start looking like dell pcs! I mean look at the dell 9200. it is an almpst exact copy of the old Tibook.



    And it is ugly. The current aluminum albooks look tremendous. I hope the G5 pbs carry that style over. I took a freind to see macs the other day and they wer blown away by the "smooth" style.
  • Reply 20 of 32
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by 9secondko

    no contrast please.



    the white highlight ot aluminaum is very appealing. They should keep that going. pleas don't start looking like dell pcs! I mean look at the dell 9200. it is an almpst exact copy of the old Tibook.



    And it is ugly. The current aluminum albooks look tremendous. I hope the G5 pbs carry that style over. I took a freind to see macs the other day and they wer blown away by the "smooth" style.



    Apple's designs are and should be, SIMPLE. They are designed to complement the OS but not distract you and allow you to get on with your work. As long as Jobs and Ive are at Apple this will carry on. Ive's designs have matured over recent years. Compare the old iMac (original) to the current. Do the same with the PowerBooks, iBooks, PowerMacs. The iPod is also a brilliant example of design innovation that has evolved. If you ever listen to the Apple videos Ive always states that he wanted to create a design that was so simple the solution was inevitable. How else could it have been done? Look at the iPod, I struggle to see ways to improve it's appearance without changing it's features.



    Contrast does not help the eyes on a PowerBook, apart from on the keyboard. I want to see my computer screen not flashing lights or bright colours elsewhere. PCs have lots of contrast and lights on them - that's not useful or Apple.
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