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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Am I the Only One Who Prefers the White C2D iMac?

Am I the Only One Who Prefers the White C2D iMac?
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Koralatov
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Sep 15, 2007, 07:01 PM
 
Am I the only one who actually prefers the design of the old iMac? The old one wasn't a patch on the G4, but it was a truly beautiful piece of utterly minimalist design. The new one doesn't have the same inspired feel to it as the old one. It just seems really rather conservative by comparison. And I'm still not sold on the design convergence that's going on between the consumer and pro lines.
     
LyingSack
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Sep 15, 2007, 07:53 PM
 
Nope. I also like the videocard better on the older one, and the matte screen. Also, the keyboard/mouse looks better with it. The only thing the new one has going for it is ...uh... oh yeah, the CPU is faster. >shrug<
     
butterfly0fdoom
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Sep 15, 2007, 08:28 PM
 
I loved the G4... I wanted one, but the G5 just disappointed me at the time. The AlMac still disappoints me at any rate. Lookds rather kooky in person. Not the good kind of kooky. But I like the black backside. That part's cool.
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iREZ
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Sep 15, 2007, 09:17 PM
 
i prefer the white imac vs the new one as well, and if given one and had a choice...id take the white 24" imac.
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angelmb
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Sep 16, 2007, 04:48 AM
 
I guess it is a matter of taste… I have had the latest white C2D iMac and the new one side by side on my desk(both 24" models) all the whole last week and albeit I like both I prefer with no doubt the new one… I love the new keyboard, not that a huge advantage since you can get it for the white iMac, but truth be told there is no way I would get a matte screen again after having used the new glass one…

For me CPU speed, GPU speed, that doesn't matter really, they are fast enough to deal with my 2D stuff… which matters is they are both incredibly quiet. What kind of scares me is that I haven't found anything I don't like about it… well, maybe the rear ports are not that 'easy' to use and maybe being the new rear case black doesn't help, the ones from the MDD with the white bezel are easy to look at… but besides that it is perfect for my taste.

Anyway as the saying goes… Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.

There is much silly 'mine is better' wasted broadband space… but as fisherking uses to say, if you are happy with yours I am happy for you… that easy. We don't need console wars to envolve into iMac glass-matte wars.
     
angelmb
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Sep 16, 2007, 05:36 AM
 
addendum: needless to say to be able to choice between matte iMac or not matte iMac would do everyone happy, which is what matters…
     
jbleisure
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Sep 16, 2007, 07:32 AM
 
Am I the only one who actually prefers the design of the old iMac?
No.

Glossy screen an absolute upgrade killer for me. I will need a new desktop at home soonish and the screen combined with the black apple logo.....oh also no pulsating sleep light too......make it impossible to invest money it it. End of story.
     
Simon
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Sep 16, 2007, 09:21 AM
 
When I saw the white and alu iMac next to each other it was absolutely obvious. The new iMac simply looks so much sleeker and sexier. Somehow the translucent and white now seem old. The black an aluminum feels modern and certainly more elegant.

I don't like the GPU performance on the new iMac and I think it's a shame Apple doesn't offer glossy/matte as a BTO option (although personally I'm ok with glossy). Apart from that I find the new iMac great.
     
iREZ
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Sep 16, 2007, 12:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
I don't like the GPU performance on the new iMac and I think it's a shame Apple doesn't offer glossy/matte as a BTO option. Apart from that I find the new iMac great.
quoted for being able to say something more elegantly than i could with this issue.
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Warbrain
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Sep 16, 2007, 12:08 PM
 
From my experiences with the new iMacs and the old iMacs, I do love the look of the new ones. I work in the PC depot at my university and we've been getting more and more Macs in each day, but the new iMacs even make the PC fanboys and the Linux fanboys go "Wow!" They are magnificent machines, the keyboards are phenomenal, and the glossy screen isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Plus, the price point is just amazing on them now.
     
0157988944
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Sep 16, 2007, 12:43 PM
 
I love the white ones. My white iMac looks so good on my desk. I was thinking about buying a new iMac, but when I looked at the pictures, I realized that that thing is NOT pretty. Sleek, yes. Thin, yes. Pretty, no.
     
CheesePuff
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Sep 16, 2007, 04:47 PM
 
I think the new style is better looking, and as long as lighting is not an issue where the iMac will be, the glossy screen does not matter. So you get a larger hard drive, faster processor, faster system bus speed, cheaper to upgrade the RAM, IMO a better keyboard and an improved iSight camera (1.2 MP) for $200 less then the older model.
     
0157988944
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Sep 16, 2007, 04:49 PM
 
For me, it was the white 20" vs the new 20". The white 20" is faster at 2.16 GHz. Other than that, they are pretty much the same, with the exception of FW800 and new wireless... But I don't care about those.
     
Koralatov  (op)
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Sep 18, 2007, 07:50 AM
 
Originally Posted by angelmb View Post
There is much silly 'mine is better' wasted broadband space… but as fisherking uses to say, if you are happy with yours I am happy for you… that easy. We don't need console wars to envolve into iMac glass-matte wars.
I have no interest in starting a silly, pointless "mine is better" argument. I was merely polling opinions to see if I was the only one who prefered the white iMac to the new aluminium one.

If someone is totally thrilled with the new AlMac, then I'm glad, but at the same time, it doesn't mean I can't express my disappointment in the new design. Expressing my disappointment with the new design is not a personal attack directed at them--it's observations on my dislike of the design direction Apple is now following. People need to realise that others can dislike one of their posessions without it being anything personal.

Originally Posted by adamfishercox View Post
I love the white ones. My white iMac looks so good on my desk. I was thinking about buying a new iMac, but when I looked at the pictures, I realized that that thing is NOT pretty. Sleek, yes. Thin, yes. Pretty, no.
I absolutely concur with this. It is definitely thinner than the old one, but it lacks the simple beauty of the model it's replacing. Ideally, I'd keep the price drop (which is easily the best thing about the new model) and internal improvements to the AlMac, but have them inside on of the G5-style cases.
     
kamina
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Sep 18, 2007, 01:37 PM
 
I kind of prefer the case on the new one, but only by a bit. The screen sucks big time though, at least based on short 5 minute tests in two separate stores.
     
angelmb
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Sep 19, 2007, 07:25 AM
 
Originally Posted by Koralatov View Post
I have no interest in starting a silly, pointless "mine is better" argument. I was merely polling opinions to see if I was the only one who prefered the white iMac to the new aluminium one.
Oh, my post wasn't intended to 'attack' you or anyone liking the all white iMac more than the new aluminum one… neither my words were towards you, your post is fair enough, you prefer the previous model like I prefer the newer one and that is all, no offense taken of course… I was pointing towards all the posts here and there since the newest iMac introduction… all those new imacs sucks and that's the true just because someone told you so. That's what I find really stupid or like you said, pointless…

Last but not least, of course you and everyone are entitled to find the previous model suits better your taste, after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder, hence I wrote that a matte option would avoid all these 'hate' towards a… hum, computer LOL. This is much like business, when two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.

Sorry about the confusion.
     
zerock
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Sep 19, 2007, 01:52 PM
 
I prefer the new one.
     
dimmer
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Sep 19, 2007, 03:14 PM
 
I bought a carrier bag for my SE/30 and the new alMac won't fit in it. WFT apple? You have lost me as a customer for, like, quite a while. STEVE listen to me, I have bought less hardware in my life than you spend on your NANNY every DAY!

Now, when Dell gave me my new orange laptop, it looked great. Sure, it was late, and the Linux distro wasn't RH but Ub, but that's OK, I downloaded the LiveCD on my Mac, burnt it, and can't quite get it to boot yet. I think it may need the "-too much time on hands to have a life" toggled high.
     
0157988944
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Sep 19, 2007, 03:53 PM
 
Say wha--?
     
fisherKing
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Sep 19, 2007, 04:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by dimmer View Post
I bought a carrier bag for my SE/30 and the new alMac won't fit in it. WFT apple? You have lost me as a customer for, like, quite a while. STEVE listen to me, I have bought less hardware in my life than you spend on your NANNY every DAY!

Now, when Dell gave me my new orange laptop, it looked great. Sure, it was late, and the Linux distro wasn't RH but Ub, but that's OK, I downloaded the LiveCD on my Mac, burnt it, and can't quite get it to boot yet. I think it may need the "-too much time on hands to have a life" toggled high.
i started to understand this...then the drugs wore off...
"At first, there was Nothing. Then Nothing inverted itself and became Something.
And that is what you all are: inverted Nothings...with potential" (Sun Ra)
     
0157988944
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Sep 19, 2007, 04:02 PM
 
     
Waragainstsleep
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Sep 19, 2007, 05:16 PM
 
I started to understand it too. Never saw any relevance though.
I prefer the new iMacs. Designers all seem obsessed with white Apple kit. I am utterly bored of it myself. I thought designers were supposed to get bored of things quickly.
Gotta say I still wish they would do something to the MBP case. The MacBook was a nice update to the iBook. The MBP is essentiall the same as the last PBs. I think it was because someone else beat them to it with carbonfibre.
     
iREZ
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Sep 19, 2007, 06:28 PM
 
good design never gets boring (look at the imac g4 and how soo many users still prefer the look of that imac over any since). i think its a step in a wron...no, different, direction.

i am a designer and prefer the white imac over the new imac for the following reasons:
a. i prefer a matte screen and this new imac doesn't have a matte option.
b. although i do like the new exterior, its def not "mac" like to me.
c. the keyboard and mouse (although very awesome to use) and back cable do not match the rest of the computer and stick out like a sore thumb to me.
d. the old imac had a sleep light to indicate when a machine was in sleep.
e. the old imac had a better gpu (some argue this but the numbers so far dont lie).
f. old imac had somewhere to put your remote on the side.

but these are just petty reasons to some. no knock on the new imac, its definitely a GREAT computer for the people it caters to, i'm just not one of those people.
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pk1
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Sep 19, 2007, 06:28 PM
 
Today I saw the new iMac from up close for the first time. Directly beneath it was an old 17" iMac so the comparison was direct. Count me in to those who prefer the white one! It's not that new iMacs are not nice, but they seem like an electrical appliance you'd like to place in your living room, rather than a semi-pro computer you want on your desk for creative work.

If it was an aluminum casing with a matte display and no black border around it, with the logo carved on the aluminum instead of being black, then I'd like it a lot, maybe more than the old one. I wish the design people at Apple would not imitate the iPhone in a desktop all-in-one computer version...

Still I'll probably get the new one since I haven't found the old one in a good new-line-is-out-old-line-sells-cheap price...
     
Waragainstsleep
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Sep 20, 2007, 05:20 PM
 
The iMac is really intended for consumers. People who watch movies and TV, listen to music, surf the net and send email. They just happen to be a fairly good budget alternative to a Mac Pro with Cinema Display. The black border is good for video, and the 'appliance' look fits the average living room alot better than a shining white box.
     
.Neo
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Sep 20, 2007, 05:40 PM
 
To me the older white iMac looks almost ancient compared to the modern aluminum and black casing of the new iMac. Loving the screen as well.

Mac OS X Leopard's new UI compliments the new iMac too. It's almost as if the two were designed for each other.
     
pk1
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Sep 20, 2007, 05:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep View Post
The iMac is really intended for consumers. People who watch movies and TV, listen to music, surf the net and send email. They just happen to be a fairly good budget alternative to a Mac Pro with Cinema Display. The black border is good for video, and the 'appliance' look fits the average living room alot better than a shining white box.
If you watch Jobs' keynote speech, you'll find out that Mr. Apple himself states that the new iMac is closer to the pro line and that's why it uses aluminum.
     
0157988944
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Sep 20, 2007, 05:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by .Neo View Post
It's almost as if the two were designed for each other.
I know! What a coincidence, right!!?
     
.Neo
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Sep 20, 2007, 07:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by adamfishercox View Post
I know! What a coincidence, right!!?
TOTALLY!!!!!!!!
     
Macvoid
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Sep 21, 2007, 03:14 AM
 
I can barely secure good help to keep my color calibrations between my two monitors straight. http://www.flickr.com/photos/12684757@N02/1325401526/

I am fortunate that I don't have to deal with the superior white color.
     
AceWilfong
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Sep 21, 2007, 04:18 AM
 
I'm sure I could get used to the new iMac in a hurry, but I still prefer my white 24. I can't wait to see the new wireless keyboard in front of it. "Ships Oct 2" they say. Must be others waiting for that keyboard. (I"m way too old to be this way.)
     
iColby
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Sep 21, 2007, 07:19 AM
 
The Aluminum looks better IMO and is $200 cheaper.

Honestly, the white imac has nothing on it. The plastic looked cheap and ugly, I thought.
     
0157988944
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Sep 21, 2007, 03:07 PM
 
I like the clean look of white compared to gray and black.
     
slugslugslug
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Sep 22, 2007, 12:04 AM
 
I have a 20" G5 (2nd iteration, first design (i.e. pre-iSight)) and I think it looks great. And I was horrified when I watched the iMac-unveiling event unfold via the web. Looked awkward and hideous, and I didn't understand the distracting black box around the LDC. But having seen a few in stores (and in a lucky colleague's office), I've been converted. My G5 will probably last me at least another year, but when it's time to replace it, I'll be happy to have a 24" (or more, maybe?) black iMac on my desk.
     
Koralatov  (op)
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Sep 22, 2007, 09:31 AM
 
Originally Posted by angelmb View Post
Oh, my post wasn't intended to 'attack' you or anyone liking the all white iMac more than the new aluminum one… neither my words were towards you, your post is fair enough, you prefer the previous model like I prefer the newer one and that is all, no offense taken of course… I was pointing towards all the posts here and there since the newest iMac introduction… all those new imacs sucks and that's the true just because someone told you so. That's what I find really stupid or like you said, pointless…
I apologise if my response came across as aggressive or belligerent; it wasn't intended as such, though I suspect my wording could have used a little refinement. I suppose that's what I get for firing it off very quickly during my lunch-break and not taking the time to consider my reply more fully.

I agree with you regarding the screen, though. Whilst I don't mind the glossy screen (though I'm still not sold on the border), a BTO matte option would definitely have caused a lot less consternation amongst the Mac faithful.

Originally Posted by iREZ View Post
good design never gets boring (look at the imac g4 and how soo many users still prefer the look of that imac over any since). i think its a step in a wron...no, different, direction.
I'm in that group. I love the design of the G4, and I would be all over a new iMac in a second if they ever released a new model in that form-factor. Unfortunately, this is exceptionally unlikely because of Apple's current design direction, so I'm stuck upgrading the G4 to its full potential in the hopes of staving off obsoletion for a few more years. Hell, even when it is obsolete, I'll still use it. It's a beautiful, fantastically functional computer, and it beats the pants off my Dell PC that's about three years its junior in terms of performance and stability So much for the supposed 'inferiority' of the PowerPC.

i am a designer and prefer the white imac over the new imac for the following reasons:
a. i prefer a matte screen and this new imac doesn't have a matte option.
b. although i do like the new exterior, its def not "mac" like to me.
c. the keyboard and mouse (although very awesome to use) and back cable do not match the rest of the computer and stick out like a sore thumb to me.
d. the old imac had a sleep light to indicate when a machine was in sleep.
e. the old imac had a better gpu (some argue this but the numbers so far dont lie).
f. old imac had somewhere to put your remote on the side.

but these are just petty reasons to some. no knock on the new imac, its definitely a GREAT computer for the people it caters to, i'm just not one of those people.
I'm largely unconcerned about A, though I would appreciate the option to have a matte screen if I so choose. I concur absolutely with points B through D; I'm not sufficiently interested in the technical aspects of GPUs to have a position on E; and F is a definite, albeit small, plus-point. D and F are very disappointing in my opinion, as though they were small details, they were inherently the kind of attention to detail I have come to expect from Apple.

Ultimately, I agree with your conclusion. Whilst technically I'm in the target group of the new iMac—someone who doesn't use his Mac for work, who primarily uses it for email, internet and watching video—I still prefer the old one.

Originally Posted by pk1 View Post
Today I saw the new iMac from up close for the first time. Directly beneath it was an old 17" iMac so the comparison was direct. Count me in to those who prefer the white one! It's not that new iMacs are not nice, but they seem like an electrical appliance you'd like to place in your living room, rather than a semi-pro computer you want on your desk for creative work.

If it was an aluminum casing with a matte display and no black border around it, with the logo carved on the aluminum instead of being black, then I'd like it a lot, maybe more than the old one. I wish the design people at Apple would not imitate the iPhone in a desktop all-in-one computer version...

Still I'll probably get the new one since I haven't found the old one in a good new-line-is-out-old-line-sells-cheap price...
Hold on for a while and you'll likely get one of the old models cheaper than the new ones, provided their isn't a rush on them from people who prefer the old design and don't mind paying a little extra for it. I agree with the black border comment, and I think they should have put the Apple logo on it in the same way they did on the Cinema Displays—I think it's engraved, and it would seem less prominent and contrasting if it was done thus. Ironically, I hate logos on things I own, and the Apple logo is the only one I feel comfortable enough with not to mind having it displayed. Sadly, this is changed somewhat now that it's a big black mark on the front of the new iMac.

Originally Posted by adamfishercox View Post
I like the clean look of white compared to gray and black.
Ditto. Though admittedly, keeping it looking clean may be a different story!
     
.Neo
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Sep 22, 2007, 11:05 AM
 
I probably am the only one who never really liked the iMac G4. It was a radical new design at the time, but I always thought the round base was way too big compared to the screen hovering above it. I was actually a bit shocked when I saw it for the first time: On all of the promo pictures the base always appeared compact with a small footprint but I real life it was huge. Next to that the iMac came with hardly any extras, very little memory and overal it was just insanely expensive (€2500 for the 20" model).

The release of the iMac G5 was a breath of fresh air to me, the new iMacs are an improvement of that concept.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Sep 22, 2007, 02:10 PM
 
The G4 was fantastic. And the base looks alot smaller in the 20" or 17" versions than the 15".
I reckon they only changed that one because they were a nightmare to ship. If the necks get broken, they explode. And you have to completely disassemble the base and the disply to replace them.
     
Koralatov  (op)
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Sep 23, 2007, 01:05 PM
 
Originally Posted by .Neo View Post
I probably am the only one who never really liked the iMac G4. It was a radical new design at the time, but I always thought the round base was way too big compared to the screen hovering above it. I was actually a bit shocked when I saw it for the first time: On all of the promo pictures the base always appeared compact with a small footprint but I real life it was huge. Next to that the iMac came with hardly any extras, very little memory and overal it was just insanely expensive (€2500 for the 20" model).
I’d be careful where you say that—if not, you may get chased out of here by an angry mob wielding pitchforks!

I agree with Waragainstsleep, though: the bubble does appear huge on the 15″, but with the 17″ it looks fine, and with the 20″ it looks positively small. I’m always amazed that the 20″ doesn’t pitch over from being top-heavy.

A massive factor in why it was so expensive during its life-span is the fact that it had a 20″ TFT panel in it. When considering its pricing, you have to take into consideration the cost of flat-panels at the time—they were far from common-place, and were accordingly more expensive. It’s easy to look back now and criticise the pricing model of the iMac G4, but it reflected its times quite accurately; in 2003, a 20″ flat panel, let alone a 20″ of the quality supplied with the iMac, was vastly more expensive than they are now.

Also, performance-wise the G4 is still very respectable, and can be upgraded to quite a reasonable degree. Whilst it's only rated at supporting 1GB (2 × 512MB) RAM, it can take 2GB in total, and the hard-disk has no limit beyond the biggest PATA drive currently available. The only thing I find disappointing, albeit understandable, is the lack of processor upgrades for it. Having said that, the G5 iMac suffers the same problem.

The release of the iMac G5 was a breath of fresh air to me, the new iMacs are an improvement of that concept.
Whilst I really like the G5 (though nowhere near as much as I like the G4), I genuinely feel that the new iMac design is most certainly not an improvement. However, you are more than entitled to disagree with me on this.
( Last edited by Koralatov; Sep 23, 2007 at 01:13 PM. )
     
Waragainstsleep
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Sep 25, 2007, 05:08 PM
 
Maybe its just me (I work as an engineer at a reseller & AASP), I have spent years now handling these various white iMacs. I probably get bored of them quicker than most. But I was getting really bored of the white across the board.

Its funny how Apple laughed at dull, uniform colours when the first iMacs were out, but they have all been white since then. OK, its not beige, but still.
Apple seem to have slowed their cycle of complete design overhauls. The G3 iMacs and early iBooks didn't last all that long. The bronze PowerBooks weren't so drastically different from the earlier G3 PowerBooks, but they were still making brand new wintel notebooks look dated 3 or 4 years after the came out. The TiBook on the other hand was awesome when it came out but seems to have dated quicker than I thought it would.

I just find it odd that white is still so popular with designers and the fashion-conscious. I thought these people were supposed to be fickle and get bored of things quickly, but I am amazed at how often people tell me they would never have a black MacBook, or choose a MacBook over an MBP because of the colour. And of course now its the white iMacs. Though so many people asked about the G4s months or years after they were gone.

I think the MBP enclosure is long overdue an update too. (Mac Pro is getting there, but those are really beautifully made cases.) Something more radical than a slight shrink and an IR receiver & camera. Maybe the rumoured sub notebook will do it.

If we want to debate all aspects of design, the first G5 iMacs were by far the best from an engineers point of view. Going in through the back makes life so much easier (these units were intended to be user-serviceable for anything less than a logic board. Even the LCD is easy since the rest comes away on a midplane assembley. You could VESA mount them all too.

As for the arguments over features, the glossy screen will be up for debate for a while but Apple would argue anyone who needs colour precision that badly should have a Mac Pro and ACD(s). Why they put a glossy panel behind glass is anyones guess though. Maybe glossy ones are just cheaper.
Most iMac owners only need a good GPU for games, and these days Windows is still better for choice, and the new GPUs windows drivers are probably better than the Mac ones, making the cards better than their predecessors (I haven't seen benchmarks on them under windows, maybe I'm wrong - apologies if so).
I don't think the keyboard sticks out. Its the mouse if anything. Black keys or even aluminium ones might have been a better match though.
Having somewhere to put your remote is handy, but lets face it - it spoiled the clean lines a bit. Again, maybe a black remote would have been better, but they would have done that for the black MacBooks if they were going to.
It is odd that they dropped the sleep LED entirely.
     
Helmling
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Sep 25, 2007, 06:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by Koralatov View Post
Am I the only one who actually prefers the design of the old iMac? The old one wasn't a patch on the G4, but it was a truly beautiful piece of utterly minimalist design. The new one doesn't have the same inspired feel to it as the old one. It just seems really rather conservative by comparison. And I'm still not sold on the design convergence that's going on between the consumer and pro lines.
I think the entire iMac line has been gorgeous since the flat panels first came in. Truth be told, my favorite iMac is still my soccer-ball 17". I love the look of the screen on the arm and its flexibility. The last design was also attractive, but I think the sleek black lines complement the compact form a little better. I can't say for sure, though, because I haven't seen one in person.
     
Koralatov  (op)
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Sep 26, 2007, 12:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep View Post
The TiBook on the other hand was awesome when it came out but seems to have dated quicker than I thought it would.
I think that's down to the black keyboard. The later G4 PowerBooks don't look anywhere near as dated, in my mind, as the G4 Titanium does now.

I just find it odd that white is still so popular with designers and the fashion-conscious. I thought these people were supposed to be fickle and get bored of things quickly, but I am amazed at how often people tell me they would never have a black MacBook, or choose a MacBook over an MBP because of the colour. And of course now its the white iMacs. Though so many people asked about the G4s months or years after they were gone.
I agree that designers and the fashion-conscious dop have more of a tendency to get bored of things and drop them quite quickly, but I think that a lot of Apple's products are classic designs, and as such don't tend to age particularly badly. The G4 is a perfect example of this: it marries beautiful form with functionality without compromising either. Granted, a lot of people complain that it has a limited upgrade path, but it's still a fantastically useable machine.

Personally, I actually prefer the BlackBook, partly because it's more practical (it won't discolour anywhere near as badly as the white one), and partly because it is just a nice-looking computer. I think part of it may be that it's also different from all the preceding iBooks, moreso than the white one.

Personally, though, if money wasn't really a concern, I'd go entirely over to the Pro line of computers; I prefer the powdered aluminium cases of the Pros to the plastic used in the consumer notebooks.

I think the MBP enclosure is long overdue an update too. (Mac Pro is getting there, but those are really beautifully made cases.) Something more radical than a slight shrink and an IR receiver & camera. Maybe the rumoured sub notebook will do it.
The MacBook Pro definitely needs a radical overhaul--it's very apparent that time was short and they didn't spend a whole hell of a lot of time overhauling the case. Personally, I'd like it to go the way of the MacBook, and have the same 'chiclet' keys in aluminium with backlighting.

As for the Pro, inside it was radically overhauled, due to the vastly lower cooling requirements of the Intels when compared to the G5s. Externally, I think it's a masterpiece, and a true design classic. Like the iMac G4, it doesn't look dated at all to my eyes; it looks as modern today as it ever did.

Ironically, even though I often prefer the aluminium Pros, I'm still not a big fan of the new iMac--it just doesn't look right to me. Personally, I'd hope for something a little closer to the Cinema Displays.
     
angelmb
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Sep 26, 2007, 02:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Koralatov View Post
I think that's down to the black keyboard. The later G4 PowerBooks don't look anywhere near as dated, in my mind, as the G4 Titanium does now.
I couldn't agree more, the "kind of borrowed from the Pismo" Ti Book keyboard doesn't look that good in real life. The hinge is another factor which makes it to look dated.

As for the Pro, inside it was radically overhauled, due to the vastly lower cooling requirements of the Intels when compared to the G5s. Externally, I think it's a masterpiece, and a true design classic. Like the iMac G4, it doesn't look dated at all to my eyes; it looks as modern today as it ever did.
Indeed, the tower case it is a single piece of aluminum, that's just so awesome to achieve… but as usual Apple del-IVE-rs.

As for the iMac G4… nothing since the clamshell iBook amazed me that much… not even the Cube which was in a class of its own.
     
Koralatov  (op)
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Sep 26, 2007, 02:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by angelmb View Post
I couldn't agree more, the "kind of borrowed from the Pismo" Ti Book keyboard doesn't look that good in real life. The hinge is another factor which makes it to look dated.
That's an excellent way of putting it--it definitely did look like they'd had a bunch left over and just used them instead of getting a new keyboard in. I can't comment on the hinge, however, as I've only seen the TiBook in person once, and never though to look at the hinge (I was so distracted by the keyboard).

Indeed, the tower case it is a single piece of aluminum, that's just so awesome to achieve… but as usual Apple del-IVE-rs.
It is an awesome technical acheivement, and one that is mirrored in the truly beautiful and timeless design of the exterior. If I do have one gripe with it, it's the fact that it's so huge. Every single time I see one I'm shocked by how big it is--I always expect it to be about 75% of its actual size. That said, making it that size does allow for a fantastic amount of hardware inside.

As for the iMac G4… nothing since the clamshell iBook amazed me that much… not even the Cube which was in a class of its own.
The clamshell (which I'm writing on now) is my third favourite Mac design ever, after the iMac G4 and the G4 Cube in spots one and two, respectively. It's a seven-year-old laptop and I still desperately covet one in lime. I don't think that any other computer manufacturer can inspire that kind of desire for such an old product.

I think it's a real shame that the experimentalism of the G4-era has died back and given way to an increasingly minimalist and conservative design ethic. The playfulness is all but gone from Apple's products, and I miss it. I keep hoping they'll release a new version of the iMac G4 with Intel chips, and another edition of the clamshell, but I know they won't. Even though there'd be quite a market for those two products, Apple don't got backward.
( Last edited by Koralatov; Sep 26, 2007 at 04:19 PM. Reason: Tidying up my sloppy tags.)
     
.Neo
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Sep 26, 2007, 02:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by Koralatov View Post
However, you are more than entitled to disagree with me on this.
I do completely.
     
NewCarsAreStupid
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Sep 26, 2007, 03:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep View Post
I started to understand it too. Never saw any relevance though.
I prefer the new iMacs. Designers all seem obsessed with white Apple kit. I am utterly bored of it myself. I thought designers were supposed to get bored of things quickly.
Gotta say I still wish they would do something to the MBP case. The MacBook was a nice update to the iBook. The MBP is essentiall the same as the last PBs. I think it was because someone else beat them to it with carbonfibre.
You're confusing designers who value good design vs business majors who push redesigns as often as possible to devalue older. Google 'planned obsolesence'. Also, I take it you hate the Porsche 911. That iconic design must be immensely boring to you.
     
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Sep 26, 2007, 04:20 PM
 
Originally Posted by .Neo View Post
I do completely.
I'd start running then. The G4 guys and I are sharpening our pitchforks as I type!
     
angelmb
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Sep 27, 2007, 08:14 AM
 
Originally Posted by Koralatov View Post
That's an excellent way of putting it--it definitely did look like they'd had a bunch left over and just used them instead of getting a new keyboard in.
Exactly, much like somebody inside Apple yelled the more things change, the more they remain insane.

It is an awesome technical acheivement, and one that is mirrored in the truly beautiful and timeless design of the exterior. If I do have one gripe with it, it's the fact that it's so huge. Every single time I see one I'm shocked by how big it is--I always expect it to be about 75% of its actual size. That said, making it that size does allow for a fantastic amount of hardware inside.
Agree, for me is like the beauty of let's say a Leica Digilux 3… not everybody is gonna to feel an appeal for it, but you can't dispute it's a timeless classic.

Also agree about the size, IMHO Apple achieved the 'perfect' tower size with El Capitán form factor, no wonder I have the first and latest iterations (Yosemite & MDD) sitting over my desk.

The clamshell (which I'm writing on now) is my third favourite Mac design ever, after the iMac G4 and the G4 Cube in spots one and two, respectively. It's a seven-year-old laptop and I still desperately covet one in lime. I don't think that any other computer manufacturer can inspire that kind of desire for such an old product.
Much like happened to me with the Pismo, it was so sleek and easy to handle, I used to spent some good minutes just caressing the display frame

I think it's a real shame that the experimentalism of the G4-era has died back and given way to an increasingly minimalist and conservative design ethic.
It only takes at look to your signature to understand it… such three statements of art you have there !!

You're confusing designers who value good design vs business majors who push redesigns as often as possible to devalue older. Google 'planned obsolesence'. Also, I take it you hate the Porsche 911. That iconic design must be immensely boring to you.
While that's not aimed to me I hope Rob lets me to give my opinion…
I guess the aforementioned Leica would serve again as good example… but I also think you can only milk the cow so much, I mean, the 911 is pure genius but Porsche is kinda 'prostituting' 911's master lines with all those 'I also want to be a Porsche people is gonna remember in the near future…' models, that's not even giving the whole range a brand image under my particular understanding… would you imagine if every Mac came as a cube design only bigger and biggest? of course this makes no sense at all and doesn't even work as valid comparison, but I think you get the idea… in a nutshell, Porsche well could nuke all its range besides the 911
     
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Sep 27, 2007, 12:15 PM
 
I liked how the old ones looked as well, they could've at least kept the new ones all black.
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Koralatov  (op)
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Oct 2, 2007, 07:13 AM
 
Originally Posted by angelmb View Post
I guess the aforementioned Leica would serve again as good example… but I also think you can only milk the cow so much, I mean, the 911 is pure genius but Porsche is kinda 'prostituting' 911's master lines with all those 'I also want to be a Porsche people is gonna remember in the near future…' models, that's not even giving the whole range a brand image under my particular understanding… would you imagine if every Mac came as a cube design only bigger and biggest? of course this makes no sense at all and doesn't even work as valid comparison, but I think you get the idea… in a nutshell, Porsche well could nuke all its range besides the 911
I don't know much about cars, but it would seem Porsche has fallen victim to its own design success. Designing a really successful product, that comes to be seen as a design classic, can be as much a burden as a triumph; it can often lead to a certain paralysis of nerve, and a feeling that its successor will never live up to the standard of the 'classic' predecessor, so it tends to be imitative rather than something new. Apple avoided this with the transistions from the G3 iMac to the G4 and again to the G5. The AluMac is not as revolutionary as any of its predecessors, and as such seems disappointing to me. It also seems rather unfocussed, and lacking in the attention to detail I've come to take as a given from Apple.

As such, I think I will be giving this generation of iMac a miss in the hope that the next one will be something I can appreciate more.

Originally Posted by highstakes View Post
I liked how the old ones looked as well, they could've at least kept the new ones all black.
I agree. It would look better than bare aluminium with a stonking black Apple in the middle of it, and it would have kept a more comfortable distance from the bare-metal Pro line.
     
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Oct 2, 2007, 02:46 PM
 
I just bought a white 24" 2.16 ghz iMac Core 2 Duo.

For the matte screen. For the great video card, the nVidia 7300GT, same as in the MacPros.

I also and simply love the design. It has the quiet relaxedness of true elegance, holding back, not being invasive, being well balanced with great forms and colors (and non colors, the transparent edge is just fantastic), and materials that go together very well.

This is great design, as opposed to effects design, which takes a stab at your perception, but will annoy you rather sooner or later - or leave you esthetically punch drunk.
     
 
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