Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, iMac, Apple, iPhone
The iMac, in a little more color
What do you all think of the iMac redesign? Most of the murmuring I've heard is lukewarm, and I tend to agree-- why bother, exactly? Yes, it looks just as cool as the old iMac (which is still very cool), but does a black Apple logo and a black back really make that much of a difference? Thin is nice (and that keyboard is awesome), but this is a desktop, and I'm not worried about a little bulk on my desk.
And here's the other question I have, though I think I already know the answer: Why are we still suffering that strip of metal across the bottom? Shouldn't the iMac's screen just go ahead and take over the rest of the front? I know, I know, it has to do with the insides, and all the room the ports and other guts need to function, but even if Apple made it a little thicker to fit everything in, I still think I'd rather see an iMac that was nothing but screen from the front. What do you all think?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jawzxy said 10:36AM on 8-11-2007
I'd much rather see a chinless iMac that was thicker than the current generations, than this "new" design. Even though the cinema display is nothing new in Apple's design scheme, I would have much rather seen an iMac that looked like a cinema display.
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Chris Gallahan said 8:04AM on 8-09-2007
I think the new design will sway anyone who has a desk that is not pressed up against a wall and is visually present in a room.
I know that I am actually considering buying one now, this is a computer that I actually would want in my house.
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CarbonFree said 8:23PM on 8-08-2007
I personally hate the changes. Glare, glare, and more glare. The bezel doesn't help, either. Honestly, the best iMac design was the iMac G4. That was the last perfect looking iMac.
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Mr.Clicky said 8:29PM on 8-08-2007
While an all-screen face might look 'cleaner' where else could you command such impressive branding? I tell ye there's market branding gold in that thar' space ...
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Cosjr said 8:31PM on 8-08-2007
That area at the bottom is the post-it-note section. Everybody knows that. duh! Can't live without that. What would really be kickin is if there were a smaller screen there on one side to act as a second monitor for say . . . itunes, tv, quicktime, widgets . . . just things you want to monitor but not take up the big screen.
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Hypercollider said 8:35PM on 8-08-2007
I think this could have been a really cool iMac, it just feels like they rushed it out the door. The color and texture combinations seem a bit off, and really dont have the "feel" of an Ive creation. The fact that it is built form a single piece of aluminum is really cool, and do make it a totally sleek object. The thing is that all the materials, colors and textures they used sort of seem to take away from that. I totally get the black border around the screen, making the colors pop and the full screen apps really stand out. I just think its a real shame they didnt go with the black anodyzed look of a 8GB ipod nano, that would have made it one sleek looking machine! Im sure they considered it, and black anodyzed imac might still make an appearence in the near future if you ask me, but truth be told... im sticking with my white polycarbonate iMac for now...
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Julian said 8:43PM on 8-08-2007
CarbonFree: Full ack. I mean—even in its 3D QuickTime preview you can see the keyboard mirroring in the glossy screen. WTF?! How can one be PROUD of that? Sickening. Also, black/metal is so horribly overused in the gadget industry, I just can't take it anymore. Incredible Apple jumped on that bandwagon. But I ranted about that in an earlier thread.
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Hypercollider said 5:52AM on 8-09-2007
im willing to gable my left nut that apple will be coming out with a black anodyzed imac... maybe even the 2.8GHz core2extreme no one has gotten their hands on so far...
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Brian said 9:21PM on 8-08-2007
I think this iMac is designed for Leopard. I think the Leopard we have seen is not what we will be using come October. Apple is just making us think that the new GUI will look similar to Tiger. Everyone knows that the grass was made famous by Vista betas. All Apple did was make some crappy new icons and threw in a transparent taskbar...simple stuff. Leopard is going to be so much more. Think iPhone, new iLife, Aperature, think blacks and silvers. No more Aqua in Leopard, mark my words.
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miguel said 5:58PM on 8-09-2007
i like the "old" imac ..I just think it looks cool when the computer is turned off, the white body with the black no glare screen just my 2 cent worth.
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Stephen P said 9:43PM on 8-08-2007
Wow. So I'm not the only one thinking this iMac may be a bit 'fugly'. (I'll save final judgement for after I see one in person). But the comment about a desktop not really needing to be super small cuts to what I see as the big flaw (no pun intended) with the Mac mini. Why not just make the mac mini a bit bigger and have a 160 GB, 7200 RPM hard drive? For a guy like me, the current setup means the purchase of an external HD. So my mini is no longer 'mini,' it's no longer quiet, and for all practical purposes, you can add the external HD to the price tag, so it's no longer a 'budget' PC.
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Eric said 9:54PM on 8-08-2007
How does black+red+white equal orange?
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Sunny said 1:53AM on 8-09-2007
Hi,
Thanks for sharing my thoughts on your website. Cheers.
Sunny
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Gene R Rivera said 10:09PM on 8-08-2007
It should have been ALL black. Then that stupid border would just blend in. As in the past with Apple, I hope that by the time Leopard starts shipping, these new iMacs will get those quiet little upgrades that just irk early adopters, like an all black option, a full size wireless bluetooth keyboard and an LED screen. Surely by Macworld Expo 2008. I'm buying one for sure, the 24"- 2.8Ghz, when Leopard and the iLife 08 are bundled in.
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Scott said 10:36PM on 8-08-2007
Has there EVER been a new iMac design that some portion of the Mac fan base didn't hate and call ugly? It's so predictable, it's a cliche.
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Steve Keys said 10:08AM on 8-09-2007
This whole glare thing is a pretty pointless argument. Have you actually stood in front of it? You don't see anything but a beautiful screen that pops out.
I hated the last iMac, until I spent 30 minutes in front of the damn thing and bought it right there. And I had the same feeling about this one until I saw it today. The damn thing is a winner. SOLD!
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matt said 11:23PM on 8-08-2007
Eric: i see what you mean about the different colors. however, you really can't say for certain that the color you are seeing is orange, it may be a lighter shade of red, until you know that your monitor is properly calibrated. off topic, sorry . . .
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brett said 11:44PM on 8-08-2007
I think the most unfortunate thing, for me at least, is that compared to the current generation of apple's cinema displays, the new imac just feels, well, lame.
Think about it. What if you had a 20" ACD on your desk with a wireless slim aluminum keyboard and wireless mouse. The aluminums would match. You wouldn't be disappointed to see the BBOD (Black Bezel of Doom, for the uninitiated) and the fact that it doesn't match the keys (Ive is in a bar in Cupertino, drinking whiskey and sobbing). It'd be a setup you'd be proud to show your friends.
I know I would.
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jbisrael said 11:47PM on 8-08-2007
*back on topic!*
aside from branding, the apple logo serves as the IR port for the remote. Also, (and i don't know if this is still true) there is a magnet on the bottom right corner where you can 'hang' your remote.
"it could be thicker" - sure, but thicker might require a larger base
Anyway, I like it. It visually distinguishes my computer from being just a display and - yes - it is the perfect place to receive cute little post-its from the girlfriend (assuming they don't cover the Apple - that's not cute).
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(01) said 11:58PM on 8-08-2007
Isn't this the answer to all of our color related annoyances from our toys?
www.colorwarepc.com
Just wait a couple weeks for the new iMac...
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