It is very weird to totally have that kind of packaging. Using internal codenames as external branding too much. This is the kind of stuff Steve is letting pass more and more, IMHO, as he delegates out a lot of tasks. iPhone 3GS .That was also a weird name. "3G with an S for Speed!". Un-Apple.
"Err.. it's called Snow Leopard, so, what the heck, put a picture of a Snow Leopard there and just use our standard type, voila!" ...Strange.
But the good Un-Apple bits are the MacBook Pro 13" all with SD, backlit-keybaord, all supporting 8GB of RAM, etc. etc.
Our favourite fruit company continues to evolve, and is it just me or is Steve Jobs SUPER LOW PROFILE since the transplant operation. He is far, far below the radar right now.
Not taking a side on whether Apple was brilliant or classy or lazy or this is a fake or anything, just trying to express my general daze and confusion here.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the (Apple press) screenshot of QT player has a "Share" menu. Presumably this is with the Youtube, MobileMe, Facebook etc integration that we've seen with iPhoto 09 for instance. Any other ideas???
Whoever did this is pretty decent with Photoshop but overlooked the concepts of brand identity, continuity, and packaging. A lot of design effort went into the "space/time machine" themes that evoke perceptions of advanced technological innovations accessible to common users. It's unlikely that they would suddenly drop the branding that they've spent the last two years developing and gradually rolling out (to ditch for a nature theme). Also, there are so many inconsistencies with the package design: The objects on the box cover are not centered and aligned appropriately. On the back box cover, the columns are not centered correctly, the icon images are left justified, and the description of Microsoft Exchange Support seems to be missing the MS Exchange icon-- that would never happen. The icons are missing their reflections and there is no mention of Quicktime X. The box is the wrong size and has too much white (empty) space. Apple branding and packaging is usually cleaner, tighter, and more dynamic (reflecting the company image). This would never leave Cupertino.
Weird... Doesn't look good. Looks very un-Apple..?
NOW I just want to ask whether you (or anyone else who's commented similarly) about how long you've owned a Mac for. Don't act like you know Apple's branding and design ethics until you've seen where their recent motif started (around 2002, with their change to Myriad Pro as their corporate font).
Quote:
Originally Posted by TomRiddle
The box is the wrong size and has too much white (empty) space. Apple branding and packaging is usually cleaner, tighter, and more dynamic (reflecting the company image). This would never leave Cupertino.
BTW I had a dream last night or a few nights before, where the way you determine whether your Mac will support Snow Leopard 64bit *kernel* is based on "everything from serial number ***888 an onwards" or something like that. Yes, it was a dream, it doesn't make much sense now that I think about it... But it could be something Apple might do... at least in terms of setting a cut-off date of some kind...
NOW I just want to ask whether you (or anyone else who's commented similarly) about how long you've owned a Mac for. Don't act like you know Apple's branding and design ethics until you've seen where their recent motif started (around 2002, with their change to Myriad Pro as their corporate font).
Get an iLife box.
Yeaaa mate I do recall when Apple used a lot of Adobe Garamond, IIRC? Back when I was a wee lad just learning mah web design and typography. Bought my first Mac in 2001, an iBook G3 I believe.
There's still two possibilities in my mind. A: This is a very elaborate fake. B: Without Steve realy actively involved this kind of stuff can slip out. Design-wise the sudden switch to a Nature picture on the disc is not something you would really expect from Apple.
And yes, like I said before, I remember when Apple was in deep love with Adobe Garamond and that gelatinous blue-ish pseudo-3D stuff ie. Aqua. I have been surfin the Apple website since about the year 2000 so I think I know a little about what I am saying.
All the public branding out there for Snow Leopard really does stylishly, sensibly tie-in with how they are positioning Snow Leopard as "Leopard-gets-even-better". To totally ditch the space imagery for a animal picture is abrupt. Not saying it can't happen, it's just very strange.
I think the nature picture box, if it truly originated somewhere in Apple HQ, is a honeypot of sorts to trace leaks.
Whoever did this is pretty decent with Photoshop but overlooked the concepts of brand identity, continuity, and packaging. A lot of design effort went into the "space/time machine" themes that evoke perceptions of advanced technological innovations accessible to common users. It's unlikely that they would suddenly drop the branding that they've spent the last two years developing and gradually rolling out (to ditch for a nature theme). Also, there are so many inconsistencies with the package design: The objects on the box cover are not centered and aligned appropriately. On the back box cover, the columns are not centered correctly, the icon images are left justified, and the description of Microsoft Exchange Support seems to be missing the MS Exchange icon-- that would never happen. The icons are missing their reflections and there is no mention of Quicktime X. The box is the wrong size and has too much white (empty) space. Apple branding and packaging is usually cleaner, tighter, and more dynamic (reflecting the company image). This would never leave Cupertino.
I agree in terms of the icons not making any sense. Time Machine and iChat on the left hand side? What's so new about them? And on the right hand side no Exchange icon? Just iCal and Mail and Address Book? Very very fishy.
NOW I just want to ask whether you (or anyone else who's commented similarly) about how long you've owned a Mac for. Don't act like you know Apple's branding and design ethics until you've seen where their recent motif started (around 2002, with their change to Myriad Pro as their corporate font).
Get an iLife box.
All I'm saying is that I think it looks really unprofessional. Messy layout and composition and a questionable choise of photo. It's all a mess in my eyes. Even though I didn't quite like the Leopard box personally I think it was really professional and cool with the holographic stuff and all.. but this..? I don't care a second about style guides and stuff, I just think it looks really unprofessional. You're free to think it looks great of course
I like the Snow Leopard picture. It's elegant, graceful and crisp.
I generally think Apple has good taste...that is why in the last few years they have slowly but surely begun to take M$ down.
I feel pretty confident that Snow Leopard will improve my iMac. I'll be buying it. That's for sure.
*Shrugs. For £29? What's there to complain about?
It's a Landmark deal. Even people like me who regularly whine about the overpriced and misaligned nature of Apple's desktops has to accept...this is unprecedented.
But I guess even Apple recognise, they need this release to be widely accepted by the Intel userbase so they can flog a 'feature fest' of 'consumer' 'features' in the next release. It's a very deft political move to kill PPC once and for all, move on...and in the same breath put another stake in the walking zombie that is M$.
...but it's ironic that as Snow Leopard leads the way to a 'desktop/laptop' revival against the Wintel hedgemony...the true blueprint for 'OSEX' victory is being prepared on the 3rd Age of Computing. The true portable ie iPhone and the pending iTab (macbook netbook replacement?)
Apple are handing M$ their a** in the next great age.
I really don't get the backlash. I'm hearing a lot of "oh this is so un-Apple"...As if Apple's design ethic is a static target. Apple re-brands itself all the time. And I, for one, think the Snow leopard photo artwork is pretty good. It's strikingly dissimilar from OS X 10.5, which it should be. This is the foundation of the next generation of OS X releases, its art should reflect that.
Also, to the commenter on the First Page who claimed this looks like something MS would do, you can't just invoke MS whenever you dislike something Apple does. This artwork is nothing like Microsoft, their artwork is all primary and secondary colours with abstract shapes and patters in ludicrously over complicated boxes. Apple's boxes are small and simple, with simple art. Kind of like our friend the Snow Leopard as seen in these photos.
I'm springing for the $49 Family Pack. We only have two Intel-based Macs in the house.
I know I could just get the $29 Single and install it on both machines. But $49 is a reasonable compromise versus the $129/$199 of previous OS X upgrades.
My karma/conscience is clear.
I intend to do the same, the family pack is offered at an amazingly low price.
If Apple really wanted to score points with the environmentalists, they'd donate a few pennies of each sale of Snow Leopard to a "Save the Snow Leopard" foundation. It's one thing to profit off the image of a highly endangered species, it's another to actually kick some $$$ back to help keep said animal around. And well within Apple's latest greener, gentler image.
Comments
"Err.. it's called Snow Leopard, so, what the heck, put a picture of a Snow Leopard there and just use our standard type, voila!" ...Strange.
But the good Un-Apple bits are the MacBook Pro 13" all with SD, backlit-keybaord, all supporting 8GB of RAM, etc. etc.
Our favourite fruit company continues to evolve, and is it just me or is Steve Jobs SUPER LOW PROFILE since the transplant operation. He is far, far below the radar right now.
Not taking a side on whether Apple was brilliant or classy or lazy or this is a fake or anything, just trying to express my general daze and confusion here.
Weird... Doesn't look good. Looks very un-Apple..?
NOW I just want to ask whether you (or anyone else who's commented similarly) about how long you've owned a Mac for. Don't act like you know Apple's branding and design ethics until you've seen where their recent motif started (around 2002, with their change to Myriad Pro as their corporate font).
The box is the wrong size and has too much white (empty) space. Apple branding and packaging is usually cleaner, tighter, and more dynamic (reflecting the company image). This would never leave Cupertino.
Get an iLife box.
NOW I just want to ask whether you (or anyone else who's commented similarly) about how long you've owned a Mac for. Don't act like you know Apple's branding and design ethics until you've seen where their recent motif started (around 2002, with their change to Myriad Pro as their corporate font).
Get an iLife box.
Yeaaa mate I do recall when Apple used a lot of Adobe Garamond, IIRC?
There's still two possibilities in my mind. A: This is a very elaborate fake. B: Without Steve realy actively involved this kind of stuff can slip out. Design-wise the sudden switch to a Nature picture on the disc is not something you would really expect from Apple.
And yes, like I said before, I remember when Apple was in deep love with Adobe Garamond and that gelatinous blue-ish pseudo-3D stuff ie. Aqua. I have been surfin the Apple website since about the year 2000 so I think I know a little about what I am saying.
All the public branding out there for Snow Leopard really does stylishly, sensibly tie-in with how they are positioning Snow Leopard as "Leopard-gets-even-better". To totally ditch the space imagery for a animal picture is abrupt. Not saying it can't happen, it's just very strange.
I think the nature picture box, if it truly originated somewhere in Apple HQ, is a honeypot of sorts to trace leaks.
Whoever did this is pretty decent with Photoshop but overlooked the concepts of brand identity, continuity, and packaging. A lot of design effort went into the "space/time machine" themes that evoke perceptions of advanced technological innovations accessible to common users. It's unlikely that they would suddenly drop the branding that they've spent the last two years developing and gradually rolling out (to ditch for a nature theme). Also, there are so many inconsistencies with the package design: The objects on the box cover are not centered and aligned appropriately. On the back box cover, the columns are not centered correctly, the icon images are left justified, and the description of Microsoft Exchange Support seems to be missing the MS Exchange icon-- that would never happen. The icons are missing their reflections and there is no mention of Quicktime X. The box is the wrong size and has too much white (empty) space. Apple branding and packaging is usually cleaner, tighter, and more dynamic (reflecting the company image). This would never leave Cupertino.
I agree in terms of the icons not making any sense. Time Machine and iChat on the left hand side? What's so new about them? And on the right hand side no Exchange icon? Just iCal and Mail and Address Book? Very very fishy.
soooo lame. just as somebody else said - so un-apple
Couldn't disagree more.
NOW I just want to ask whether you (or anyone else who's commented similarly) about how long you've owned a Mac for. Don't act like you know Apple's branding and design ethics until you've seen where their recent motif started (around 2002, with their change to Myriad Pro as their corporate font).
Get an iLife box.
All I'm saying is that I think it looks really unprofessional. Messy layout and composition and a questionable choise of photo. It's all a mess in my eyes. Even though I didn't quite like the Leopard box personally I think it was really professional and cool with the holographic stuff and all.. but this..? I don't care a second about style guides and stuff, I just think it looks really unprofessional. You're free to think it looks great of course
I generally think Apple has good taste...that is why in the last few years they have slowly but surely begun to take M$ down.
I feel pretty confident that Snow Leopard will improve my iMac. I'll be buying it. That's for sure.
*Shrugs. For £29? What's there to complain about?
It's a Landmark deal. Even people like me who regularly whine about the overpriced and misaligned nature of Apple's desktops has to accept...this is unprecedented.
But I guess even Apple recognise, they need this release to be widely accepted by the Intel userbase so they can flog a 'feature fest' of 'consumer' 'features' in the next release. It's a very deft political move to kill PPC once and for all, move on...and in the same breath put another stake in the walking zombie that is M$.
*Applauds.
Lemon Bon Bon.
I think Snow Leopard will handle feature comparison to '7'.
Lemon Bon Bon.
Apple are handing M$ their a** in the next great age.
It's called poetic justice.
Lemon Bon Bon.
http://www.cheaplaptops.org.uk/wp-co...ow-leopard.jpg
Also, to the commenter on the First Page who claimed this looks like something MS would do, you can't just invoke MS whenever you dislike something Apple does. This artwork is nothing like Microsoft, their artwork is all primary and secondary colours with abstract shapes and patters in ludicrously over complicated boxes. Apple's boxes are small and simple, with simple art. Kind of like our friend the Snow Leopard as seen in these photos.
We need to name that Snow Leopard...
I'm springing for the $49 Family Pack. We only have two Intel-based Macs in the house.
I know I could just get the $29 Single and install it on both machines. But $49 is a reasonable compromise versus the $129/$199 of previous OS X upgrades.
My karma/conscience is clear.
I intend to do the same, the family pack is offered at an amazingly low price.
We need to name that Snow Leopard...
Snowball.
Here's the box my copy of Snow Leopard will come in :-)
However good the software art is I prefer that packaging I must say
- Jasen.
P.S. Woohoo! Top of page 3.