Has Apple abandoned color for its products?

[Kinderhauz]

All of Apple's most recent product releases have been either white, gray, or black -- whether they be desktops, laptops, or handhelds. The only products that still come in color are the iPods (sans the iPod touch).

So my questions are: A) has Apple completely abandoned color? and B) if they have, is it the right choice?

I remember when Apple released the first iMac with colors, and then the PowerMac. People thought it was pretty cool and the prettiness and variety drove a lot of people back to Apple.

However, I think all the colors and translucent plastics had a downside as well. I think a lot of people saw the products as being almost "too cute" and unprofessional.

It seems to me that Apple's product line today is trying to strike a balance between elegance and beauty while at the same time looking professional. The products are still pretty, but they aren't as playful as they used to be. What do you think?

 

[swingerofbirch]

Hard to say.....just when I thought I had them figured out as moving toward metal/black/glass look, they introduced the iPhone 3G in plastic. Plus, every single "extra" device, such as the mighty mouse, time capsule, airport express are in white plastic.

I don't think they'll bring color back the way they had it in the original iMacs. It was cool then, but I think people expect something more solid looking now. I like some of Apple's design choices--the keyboard style they've adopted on the MacBook and on the Apple Keyboard, for example. The white plastic look to me is not even as nice as the old beige color Macs used to be.

So, yeah I guess it's good they've moved away with color, although I don't think replacing it with white plastic is the answer either.

 

[vincebio]

I remember when Apple released the first iMac with colors, and then the PowerMac.

However, I think all the colors and translucent plastics had a downside as well. I think a lot of people saw the products as being almost "too cute" and unprofessional.

point 1 - which powermac with colours do you remember exactly?
point 2 - i think this answered your own question did it not?

 

[JNB]

point 1 - which powermac with colours do you remember exactly?
point 2 - i think this answered your own question did it not?

Power Mac G3, and I think that was the OP's own perception; he was asking for others.

 

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

Another thing to note is that apple completely removed color from its logo as well. I think their products are more elegant now personally and they also have more of a professional air to them as mentioned. I was depressed with the death of Happy Mac on a side note.

 

[ihabime]

If you think about it the colorful Macs were just a blip, the B&W G3, the original iMacs and the clamshell iBooks. All the others were tan, white or black.

 

[netdog]

If you think about it the colorful Macs were just a blip, the B&W G3, the original iMacs and the clamshell iBooks. All the others were tan, white or black.

Or silver coloured. Or grey for that matter.

 

[godslabrat]

I never really liked the idea of rainbow-colored computers. Apple has made some amazing designs in the last 10 years, and their best ones were the ones that were white, black, or silver. (I *heart* MacBook Air) I also think that if Apple ever wants to move into the professional sector as a significant challenge to Windows, they have to present themselves as seriously as Dell or HP. In other words, different is good, but cute is bad.

OTOH, my GF told me this weekend that she misses the days when she could buy a computer in lots of different colors. She's a Windows user, though stuff like that would make her switch.

Perhaps there is room in Apple's market for ONE multicolored system, aimed solely at the consumer sector? A return of the eMac, in a sense? Minus the CRT, of course.

 

[tsice19]

The blacks, greys, and whites that Apple chooses to use keep the Mac stuff looking professional, elegant, and expensive, yet appealing to consumers and professionals.

The colours just make it look unprofessional and juvenile.

Just my 2cents.

 

[candyman]

The blacks, greys, and whites that Apple chooses to use keep the Mac stuff looking professional, elegant, and expensive, yet appealing to consumers and professionals.

The colours just make it look unprofessional and juvenile.

Just my 2cents.

I agree here. The colors seem to indicate more of a toy versus a well built professional machine.

 

[7on]

And today there's enough of a demand to keep places like colorwarepc and the decal shops up and running

 

[Digital Skunk]

And today there's enough of a demand to keep places like colorwarepc and the decal shops up and running

I agree, I'd rather buy a plain, silver cased MBP and choose the colors i want rather than Apple telling me that "I will like" flowers or rainbows or pink.

Shades of Silvers, Blacks, and Grays.... should be the way it stays.

 

[remmy]

So many products are now similar to Apple with the white or aluminum finish, Apple needs to find some new material to set it apart like they used too when you would be comparing it to the old beige PC box.

Though the difference was also that there was a lack of consideration for design and appearance in those days from other PC manufactures but now they have caught up.

 

[klb028]

I think they should incorporate color back into their computers. I'd love to see more options for the MacBooks.

 

[11800506]

I think it would be interesting if Apple introduced color Macbooks a la iPod Nano when they redesign the casing to aluminum. They would still leave the silver and black options but for those who want color, they can get it.

 

[BlakTornado]

I think they have, really.

They are a class company. The only reason they have color iPods is for the consumers.

 

[Full of Win]

You do know that 'recently' means about eight years. The whole color thing was just a very brief phase for Apple, nothing more. Please don't shoot me if I've left anything out - but Apple released only three colorful computers, the 1998 iMac, the 1999 PowerMac and the 2000 (?) iBook - other than those, all the products have been w/o color for the most part.

 

[MacBH928]

personally, I loved the colored ones
they were alive and made you smile, I mean
waking up in the morning and looking at it, it seems like a gadget you want to use rather than a scary beige computer. It was fun and welcomed you to use computer and not be afraid from them.

plus they wanted something new and attractive back then.
But seriously , What shall they do? As the market expands , do you really see a ceo with a flower imac, or can you take a scientist seriously with lime ibook. Seems more like something to be used by bill nye the science guy.

they turned them plain, plain appeals to all. They are not ugly, they look good, they are just plain, and apple used to make fun of the beige boxes. White and blacks arent that exciting, but what can they do?
Plain appeals to the masses

maybe they should make an option for colored ones

 

[Kinderhauz]

It seems to me that they could have colors for the macbook the same way they have colors for the iPods -- for the consumers. The Macbook Pro can have the professional look. But then again, maybe they're afraid cost-conscious businesses would rather go for the cheaper Macbook over the Macbook Pro, and therefore they want the Macbooks to look professional too.

 

[MinorBidoh]

I think that yes it would be nice to have the colour schemes of the current ipod shuffles and nanos to be offered on the MBs but Im not sure that there if much gain from it. So there's lime green, baby blue, shocking pink and product red and as mentioned you can have countless varieties of casing from colorware etc. I predict the white and black MBs to stay as they are until the big swap to aluminium. And for my distance two cents, I see all apples laptops having the same core design and materials illustrated in the MBA (although obv. not all the same internal components). The line of difference will become visually small.

 

[liptonlover]

I loved the old color macs... definitely my favorite design. Apple is supposed to be different... and colorful computers is different. But then again they need the professional look as well. I'd say the lower end computers should come in color, as those are more likely for kids and games anyways, and the high-end ones should only be black white and grey.

 

[TwinCities Dan]

I wish they would...

I think they look sharper in Alum, Black, or White...

But I wouldn't be suprised if the MacBooks started sportin' colors for the college kids...

 

[iRebecca27]

I think it would be interesting if Apple introduced color Macbooks a la iPod Nano when they redesign the casing to aluminum. They would still leave the silver and black options but for those who want color, they can get it.

that would be amazing!

 

[maestro55]

I was a huge fan of the colored systems an in fact I prefer the retro rainbow Apple logo (I have one on my car). But the bottom line is that I don't think Apple is going to make a big shift back into color, people are liking the Aluminum and I think that is what is going to be for a while.

 

[KingYaba]

Sounds like a business opportunity. Offer custom colors for the Macbook line at the .com store.