Briefly: On last minute iMac and iPhone design changes

[AppleInsider]

A slow day for Apple news gives us the opportunity to post some tidbits regarding last-minute design changes affecting the company's recent product launches -- the iPhone and iMac.

iPhone's two-week delay

iPhone, which went on sale nationwide on June 29th, may have made its debut several weeks earlier had it not been for a last minute material swap on the handset's top surface.

In a June 18th press release, the company announced that the entire top surface of iPhone, including its 3.5-inch display, was being upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity.

This move cause a two-week delay in the initial manufacturing ramp of the device, according iPhone touch-screen component supplier, Balda. In a recent financial report, the German-based firm revealed that the last minute design change prompted it to redesign parts of its production line from scratch, causing a material impact on financials.

Balda, which partly owns touchscreen factory TPK in Xiamen China, said it now expects lower revenues for 2007, but anticipates an uptick in sales beginning early next year.

iMac logo goes black

Meanwhile, Apple may have also called for a small, but last minute design change to a the facade of its new iMac enclosures. Although purely aesthetic, observers note a disparity in the color of the desktop's Apple logo as seen in the company's marketing materials.

A .Mac Sync video tutorial released alongside the new all-in-one desktops correctly presents the iMac with a black logo on Apple's U.S. website. However, the same tutorial on its European website depicts the systems with a silver logo -- akin to the iPhone's mirror-like emblem.



While introducing the new iMacs last week, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs acknowledged that his design team took cues from the iPhone in designing the new Macs, including the use of black, glass and aluminum.

The disparity could indicate that Apple originally planned to mimic the iPhone's exterior more closely with the iMac. (Alternatively, the silver-logoed model may simply represent a graphical error.)

Update: A source who provided an accurate description of the latest iMacs ahead of release claims that the original design indeed called for the mirror logo. However, it was subsequently scrapped, the source says, as people "do not like to look at themselves in the mirror all day."

White, black and grey were said to be candidates for a replacement color, with black winning out despite its slightly conspicuous appearance.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Mobius]

I much prefer the look of the silver Apple logo. Black looks too business-like for my tastes.

[Bageljoey]

Slow news day indeed...

[Lafe]

Originally Posted by Mobius

I much prefer the look of the silver Apple logo. Black looks too business-like for my tastes.

I didn't care much for the black logo, either. It sticks out too prominently.

I would have vastly preferred that the logo be silvery, and pulse with light when the unit is asleep!

[Bacillus]

In other news...

1. Apple insider has discovered, that when measured, the box that the iPhone comes in is 27 microns taller, and 11 microns narrower then the box that houses the Apple bluetooth headset. Inside sources that can only be described as reliable, have indicated this difference is a clear indicator that the iPhone is going 3G by January 2008.

2. Apple Insider has found that Apple has really scredwed the pooch, and have a ring tone not in correct alphabetical order. It has been noticed that ring tone names are all in alphabetical order EXCPT marimba, which is that the top of the list. This is a clear indication that the underlying OS is breaking down - which what could be described as a design flaw. Stay tuned for further developments as they happen!

[tbehunin]

Originally Posted by Lafe

I didn't care much for the black logo, either. It sticks out too prominently.

I would have vastly preferred that the logo be silvery, and pulse with light when the unit is asleep!

I too think a pulsing apple logo (when asleep) would have been much cooler.

[addabox]

However, it was subsequently scrapped, the source says, as people "do not like to look at themselves in the mirror all day."

A tad ironic, given the screen surface they went with.

[Mr. H]

It's difficult to believe that the decision to switch from plastic to glass was made just two weeks before they sold over 250,000 iPhones. Could they really have done it in that short a time?

[SpinDrift]

Im not that keen on the black Apple logo either.

[netdog]

Originally Posted by addabox

A tad ironic, given the screen surface they went with.

Thank God somebody said it.

[msantti]

I prefer the black logo.

One would get sick and tired of seeing yourself all day with the mirrored one.

[Frederick]

Originally Posted by msantti

I prefer the black logo.

One would get sick and tired of seeing yourself all day with the mirrored one.

I haven't had an opportunity to try the new iMac, but isn't this exactly what you will have to do with the new glossy display coating?

[k3n]

definitely the black, id say because it matches the overall look more, with the outer black rim around the display.

its looks niiiiice!

[aplnub]

Originally Posted by Bacillus

In other news...

1. Apple insider has discovered, that when measured, the box that the iPhone comes in is 27 microns taller, and 11 microns narrower then the box that houses the Apple bluetooth headset. Inside sources that can only be described as reliable, have indicated this difference is a clear indicator that the iPhone is going 3G by January 2008.

2. Apple Insider has found that Apple has really scredwed the pooch, and have a ring tone not in correct alphabetical order. It has been noticed that ring tone names are all in alphabetical order EXCPT marimba, which is that the top of the list. This is a clear indication that the underlying OS is breaking down - which what could be described as a design flaw. Stay tuned for further developments as they happen!

A tad harsh don't you think?

[Rot'nApple]

Originally Posted by addabox

A tad ironic, given the screen surface they went with.

Beat me to it, but AMEN!

[telekon]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

A slow day for Apple news gives us the opportunity to post some tidbits regarding last-minute design changes affecting the company's recent product launches...

Personally, I hate the design.

Firstly, Apple are trying to "pull the wool" with the black trim. The screen looks larger than it actually is. The sides look thinner than they actually are. Clever, yet deceptive and you really aren't supposed to deceive your buyers!
Second, the white mouse. Silver keyboard with white keys AND a white mouse. Oh dear, oh dear.
Third, the logo looks aweful. Why black for God's sake. OK, the trim is black but the logo just looks stuck on, like a cheap sticker. I too agree with the white / pulse logo as on the laptops. Way better.

Now if silver (ai) was going to be the main "feel" of the iMac then, aluminum body with black logo, black trim, silver (ai) keyboard with black keys and a silver/black mouse would have been much nicer. A windows box it may have resembled but this looks like SH**!

[CosmoNut]

The G4 "sunflower" iMac had a mirrored logo on the front. I notice it every time I use my dad's iMac.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Lafe

I didn't care much for the black logo, either. It sticks out too prominently.

I would have vastly preferred that the logo be silvery, and pulse with light when the unit is asleep!

Tacky.

[melgross]

A tad ironic, given the screen surface they went with.

Thank God somebody said it.

I haven't had an opportunity to try the new iMac, but isn't this exactly what you will have to do with the new glossy display coating?

Beat me to it, but AMEN!

Very cute, guys, but once it's on, you can't see your reflection.

[Ireland]

Black looks infinitely better. If you don't want to see yourself in the glossy display turn it on then

This is the same argument people make for plasma TV's, but when you take them home you appreciate the design choice. I much prefer glossy displays, and the new keyboard (by the way) is way better too. The only change I'd make to the new keyboard (British version) is I'd make the 'return' key a little bigger.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by melgross

Very cute, guys, but once it's on, you can't see your reflection.

Yeah totally, I don't get this at all. People are calling out reflections mostly when seeing the iMac at an angle, but head on in normal indoor lighting the reflections are pretty much non-existent, and the gloss just makes the computer and its desktop more pleasing to the eye.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by Mr. H

It's difficult to believe that the decision to switch from plastic to glass was made just two weeks before they sold over 250,000 iPhones. Could they really have done it in that short a time?

Good grief. The change from plastic to glass caused a two week delay. It wasn't made two weeks before launch.

Originally Posted by melgross

Very cute, guys, but once it's on, you can't see your reflection.

...or you've got black areas on the screen.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

...or you've got black areas on the screen.

Which Apple's apps and OS are increasingly emphasizing. Fun!

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by Ireland

Yeah totally, I don't get this at all. People are calling out reflections mostly when seeing the iMac at an angle, but head on in normal indoor lighting the reflections are pretty much non-existent

If it was a matte screen they wouldn't be 'pretty much non-existent', they'd just not exist, at any angle, even in bad lighting. My iMac is sat at 90 deg to a big window. I like my big window. Also on the desk was a Macbook, which was unusable in that location whereas the iMac was great. The MacBook also suffered when I switched on the overhead halogens.

Originally Posted by Ireland

and the gloss just makes the computer and its desktop more pleasing to the eye.

Or less pleasing to the eye if you have eyes in your head that actually function correctly.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by addabox

Which Apple's apps and OS are increasingly emphasizing. Fun!

I'm gonna back up my face in Time Machine.

[city]

I just opened the box on my new iMac and the logo is red. What gaves?

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by city

I just opened the box on my new iMac and the logo is red.

O RLY?

[Matthew Yohe]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

A .Mac Sync video tutorial released alongside the new all-in-one desktops correctly presents the iMac with a black logo on Apple's U.S. website. However, the same tutorial on its European website depicts the systems with a silver logo -- akin to the iPhone's mirror-like emblem.

...

The disparity could indicate that Apple originally planned to mimic the iPhone's exterior more closely with the iMac. (Alternatively, the silver-logoed model may simply represent a graphical error.)

Update: A source who provided an accurate description of the latest iMacs ahead of release claims that the original design indeed called for the mirror logo. However, it was subsequently scrapped, the source says, as people "do not like to look at themselves in the mirror all day."

White, black and grey were said to be candidates for a replacement color, with black winning out despite its slightly conspicuous appearance.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

I think there is too much reading into this going on... It's a glossy black and can be different colors depending on lighting and viewing angle. This is demonstrated in the iMac ad even. (I understand it's probably digitally added, but that 'effect' still happens in reality.)


Next up... I was floored when I read this:

Originally Posted by telekon

Personally, I hate the design.

Firstly, Apple are trying to "pull the wool" with the black trim. The screen looks larger than it actually is. The sides look thinner than they actually are. Clever, yet deceptive and you really aren't supposed to deceive your buyers!

These statements are almost too ridiculous for words. "Pull the wool", "Looks larger than it is", "The sides look thinner than they actually are". What?! They tell you the exact specs of each model. What is your deal? The black trim has nothing to do with it "looking bigger". (which by the way, I use my iMac by looking at it, and am not constantly thinking about the dimensions of it. If it looks big, that's because it is.) The trim is there to to give contrast between the LCD and the surface. Apple isn't deceiving anyone at all.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

Good grief. The change from plastic to glass caused a two week delay. It wasn't made two weeks before launch.



...or you've got black areas on the screen.

It's only a problem if your lighting is VERY bad, as it would be in MacWorld's labs, with the entire ceiling covered with florescent lights, each four feet long. There's almost no way to position a monitor to get rid of all reflections.

I'm not advocating this as a universal solution. There will be times when the sharp reflections of a glossy surface will overcome the viewer. People don't always seem to notice the overall dulling of the image from overhead lights on a matte screen, but it's there.

Also, Aegis, I've been thinking about what you've said about a matte screen under the glass.

Apple says that the glass has both anti scratch and anti-reflection coatings, probably something like magnesium fluoride, but not that, as it would be too expensive.

These coatings don't do as much for the front surface as they do for the ones below. The glass therefor, keeps light from reflecting off the screen surface below, keeping it from being dulled by reflections when directly hit by light, as it normally would be.

That's why everyone seeing these machines comments on how contrasty and vivid they look, with deep blacks, even the guys at the MacWorld testing center who have all of the machines there, and on, at the same time, so they can make a side by side comparison.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

If it was a matte screen they wouldn't be 'pretty much non-existent', they'd just not exist, at any angle, even in bad lighting. My iMac is sat at 90 deg to a big window. I like my big window. Also on the desk was a Macbook, which was unusable in that location whereas the iMac was great. The MacBook also suffered when I switched on the overhead halogens.

Matte screens get reflections. They are just more spread out on the screen, and thus are dimmer, but they are there. The screens look more washed out under high lighting conditions as well.

Or less pleasing to the eye if you have eyes in your head that actually function correctly.

That's nasty, and, if anything, just the opposite of the truth.

[Denton]

Originally Posted by city

I just opened the box on my new iMac and the logo is red. What gaves?

Originally Posted by Mr. H

O RLY?

Pay particular attention to the HTML tag

[trevorlsciact]

Originally Posted by city

I just opened the box on my new iMac and the logo is red. What gaves?

[Denton]

Someone needs to lay down some basic axioms for Apple fan-boys. The first is quite obvious:

1. No matter how good an Apple product, a vocal minority will always complain about every design choice made by Apple.

[zorinlynx]

All the flame wars about what's better, glossy or matte... etc....

Really, we're all right. We each like what we like, whether it be glossy or matte. It really is a personal preference.

Which is why I'm so pissed off at Apple for not giving us a *CHOICE*. They did it with the Macbook Pro; why can't they do it with the Macbook and iMac?

No, they FORCE glossy on you. Maybe it's a scheme to make more money; people who can't stand glossy have to spend more on a Macbook Pro or a Mac Mini + non-glossy display? Or even a Mac Pro?

Apple should have given us a choice. The difference is just ONE part, the cover that goes over the screen. Once they find out how much demand there is for each type they can just build them in the appropriate amounts. NOT HARD!

-Z

[melgross]

Originally Posted by zorinlynx

All the flame wars about what's better, glossy or matte... etc....

Really, we're all right. We each like what we like, whether it be glossy or matte. It really is a personal preference.

Which is why I'm so pissed off at Apple for not giving us a *CHOICE*. They did it with the Macbook Pro; why can't they do it with the Macbook and iMac?

No, they FORCE glossy on you. Maybe it's a scheme to make more money; people who can't stand glossy have to spend more on a Macbook Pro or a Mac Mini + non-glossy display? Or even a Mac Pro?

Apple should have given us a choice. The difference is just ONE part, the cover that goes over the screen. Once they find out how much demand there is for each type they can just build them in the appropriate amounts. NOT HARD!

-Z

That's not it at all, as you should know.

The more SKU's Apple has, the more it add to the cost. If Apple offer both, then it migh have raised the price by $50.

Why do you think Apple puts cheap gpu's in its machines? To save a few bucks.

[thebaint]

Originally Posted by melgross

That's not it at all, as you should know.

The more SKU's Apple has, the more it add to the cost. If Apple offer both, then it migh have raised the price by $50.

Why do you think Apple puts cheap gpu's in its machines? To save a few bucks.

Hmm.... sounds like Dell to me. Apple could also save a few bucks not offering glass, and going for the less-pure/cheeper plastics like other OEMs do.

[city]

Apple should sell different color thin translucent plastic insert logos for $39 that we can apply to front our new iMacs

[icfireball]

The beginning of those videos look animated, so it seems the animation team forgot to change it.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by thebaint

Hmm.... sounds like Dell to me. Apple could also save a few bucks not offering glass, and going for the less-pure/cheeper plastics like other OEMs do.

I don't know why they went for glass.

Was it purely for style, or was there something else?

But, it does make it easy to change the glass.

[S10]

beige logo would have been nice