Does the Mac Lineup Need a Makeover?
Like any business, Apple finds it necessary to periodically refresh its image, sometimes with big jumps in its designs. Take for instance, the switch from their original apple logo to the newer blue and silver styles. While the old style was classy, Apple definitely benefited from the update. The new symbol is smoother, sleeker and much more impressive.
And though big changes are sometimes required, other times only small ones are needed. For instance, with every iteration of OS X the operating system’s look and feel changes slightly. Certain textures become smoother, the brushed metal becomes darker, and everything is polished up a bit. Nothing drastic is altered from the previous version, however, when 10.0 is compared to 10.4, very noticeable differences can be found.
Sometimes the changes are immediate, sometimes they are phased in over a period of years, but Apple is definitely a company that is constantly reinventing itself. For the last three to four years Apple has gone with a silver and white theme. And it has worked well for them. Meanwhile Dell has continued with its theme of dull black while most of the other major PC makers have stuck with various combinations of bland colors and boring themes.
But lest we forget, Apple is in the middle of a major transition. Soon the PPC chip set will be just a bad memory while the Intel chips make their big debut. During this time of new beginnings, might not it be fitting if Apple redesigned its product lines? It wouldn’t have to completely drop its white and silver motif, but perhaps bringing back some color would be fitting. Of course, color in moderation is what we are looking for. Because as much as I liked the dalmation and flower power iMacs, I fear that I was in the minority.
I think that Apple should bring back the multi-colored iMacs and turn the PowerMacs completely white. Lets start with the iMac first. Anyone remember the iPod Mini? It was fairly popular. And one of the reasons for that popularity was that it came in different colors. So, the next crop of iMacs should come in several different colors. I am not suggesting Apple go back to their clear plastic colors but rather a dark and metallic look.
As for the PowerMac, I want to see the silver played down and white included in the design. This would help give it a cleaner, more polished feel. The PowerBo-, I am sorry, MacBook Pro could become all white as well. Meanwhile the iBook line could incorporate the same dark, metallic colors as the iMac line. This would serve to shift the pro line over to a white/silver mix while giving the consumer line a refreshingly bright look. Could this work? I think the Mini proved that it can. And while Apple is at it, they should bring back the Mini’s colors for their iPod line. After all, who wouldn’t want their metallic blue iPod to match their metallic blue iBook?
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Comments
The Mac Mini case and the tower case are beautiful. I am glad they came out with Intel Mac Mini and hope they do the same with the towers.
Keeping the current exterior designs the same as they switch to the Intel processor makes users that perhaps just bought a PPC before the switch feel like they are still pretty current… which is important.
I don’t think there should be a drastic switch in case design unless there is a compelling reason ... such as going to a smaller form factor, etc.
Introducing new colors might be cool but it also makes manufacturing logistics more complicated. Probably at this point they should focus on staying as streamlined as possible.
I for one think that Apple is doing the right thing by keeping the Intel systems as close to the PPC systems as possible. A reason that Apple should remain with the status quo for case design / system design is their track record with new products.
Changing the CPU while keeping the other existing components the same (with minor upgrades) is limiting what can go wrong with this major change.
If Apple rolled out completely new products along side the Intel switch & there were a few major bugs, they may lose new switchers that had waited for the Intel Macs. There have been a few defects talked about with the Intel Macs on the Apple support page discussions forum, but they seem to be mostly defects that the PPC Macs have as well.
I haven’t read them all, so I could be wrong, there may be a whole new crop of Intel Mac specific defects. I’m sure someone will point those out to me. I would like to see them, as I’m currently considering replacing my PB.
I seriously hope the pro line doesn’t go plastic. I *love* the look of the powermac. I’m not saying it’s perfect of course, but personally I think plasticky dark multicolours would be horrible. Each to his own, I guess.
That’s NOT the original Apple logo, this is:
http://web.espy.org/links.html
MacGlee, I think James probably knows that already, but he was talking about the famous original Apple logo, the one they had used for years and years.
I see where James is going with this and I think a change of colours could be good, but I personally hate the multi-coloured iMacs from the past. Perhaps they could do something like that on special edition, but I’d prefer to stick to my white or silvers.
The styles and colours (Or shades, if you must.) I think are perfect for Apple right now. The steel Powermac and laptops really help Apple move on from the “Fisher-Price Toy” insult PC users threw at Apple during the original iMac and PowerMac G3/G4 days… which, I can’t blame them…
The uses of white/silver and steel allow Apple products a much more mature and serious look, while OS X offers the seriousness but fun that a computer should be.
Oh yeah, ease of use is good too…
I think the lineup is due for a refresh. Just got a new Macbook pro today (haven’t had time to take it for much of a spin yet!).
It is a great machine but design-wise it is time for something new from Apple. I used a wallstreet powerbook (lovingly) for years and I didn’t think they could improve on it. Then the new powerbooks came out and they did.
It is time for Apple to surprise and delight again on the powerbook side.
Don’t change the powerbook/macbook… Well, it could always be slimmer and lighter perhaps, but the aluminium case is very classy. White? I don’t think it would have the same striking appeal at all… Wouldn’t it just look like an iBook?
Maybe because I am fairly new to Apple I find the current line-up very attractive - The Mac Mini is very clever, the iMacs stunning, and the Mac/powerbooks are the best looking notebooks on the market,..
What you’re suggesting, James, is pretty much rearranging deck chairs, not new designs. But as we saw with the iMac lamp, they like to do more than mix and match what they’ve done before.
As with any designy designs, some of it works, some doesn’t. Personally, I think the Powermac case looks like it’s off the set of Robocop, circa 1985. It’s okay (and I mean the outside; the innards are the best I’ve ever seen). And it’s fucking heavy as a mutha fucka.
I think the iMac is an almost perfect design (save for the noodling detail of not being able to actually upgrade much of it). Ditto the Macbook Pro/iBook, although the iBook is comparitively flimsy next to the Macbook Pro.
But all that said, is anyone else getting just a little sick of white plastic and silver metal?
“Soon the PPC chip set will be just a bad memory while the Intel chips make their big debut.”
I don’t know. I have several PPC Macs that have served me very well (some still are). I have very fond memories of all of the Macs I have owned. I’m sure I will enjoy the new Intel Macs as soon as Adobe gets finished with CS3 next year but until then I am having a heck of a good time with my brand new 20” iMac with the PPC 2.1 GHz processor that replaced my aging 466 mhz Powermac.
Look for the addition of glossy black (as in iPods) to the line-up.
I don’t understand why Apple ever phased color out of the iMac lineup in the first place. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the choice of color one of the major reasons the original iMac did so well?
And color doesn’t have to look tacky (in my opinion, it kind of did with the “fruit flavors"), but many years on my grandmother’s indigo iMac G3 is still a thing of beauty.
I think that now, though, any color variations on cases would have to be subtle accents rather than solid color. (Can you imagine a solid red iMac G5? *Shudder*)
I guess I don’t understand why a different color for the iMac would be beneficial to Apple since the user doesn’t really see too much of it. The monitor nicely covers the rear portion where the guts are kept, and the only real visual is the stand, the keyboard, the mouse.
You’ve got some neat and interesting ideas about the other products and I also hope Apple comes out with something earthshatteringly new real soon now.
And I really like Dalmations!
-Tod
I have mixed feelings about a drastic design change across the Mac lineup.
On one hand, I love the simplicity of the PBook/ Macbook, mini, and iMac cases, but I really can’t stand the iBook design as the white plastic is really wearing on me. It just looks ‘clunky’ when compared to the pro notebooks.
Oh thank god it isn’t just me! I have been expecting a new Apple design for a while. I was a bit disappointed at the MacBook Pro keynote when Steve said, “why hasn’t the design changed? Well that’s because it’s already perfect.” - which is identical to what Sony said of the PS2 controller in regards to the PlayStation. Um, borrrrinngggg…
About every product you can say, “but the style is so perfect, I can’t see how it can possibly be improved upon.” but that’s how it is always. Style changes with time. Even if it seems perfect now, once the new iteration is introduced you’ll say, “what the hell was I thinking when I said that about the ol’ MacBook Pro?”
Apple just need to create the new style. Usually they’re pretty good at these things, but I’ll be a bit concerned if I don’t see any changes this year.