Jony Ive Was Involved in the New M1 iMac Design, Despite Leaving Apple in 2019

[baryon]

The design works, but it's a huge departure from the "theme" of recent Apple computers. The iMac started out as a cool home computer that was very different from all previous computers, and then slowly started to look less friendly are more "pro". The previous design (aluminum/black) fit right in with the other MacBooks and Mac Pro as well as the Apple displays that used to exist a very long time ago. You would have an iMac in every high tech post production studio, even if it wasn't their primary computer. This also mostly coincided with the adoption of the black bezels. The iMac Pro looked almost exactly the same just a shade darker. In fact, the performance of the iMac pro wasn't that much better, so the iMac remained the "pro" machine of choice for many.

Of course we can only speak of what we've seen so far, and if the big version is anything like the current redesign, then the "pro" aspect of the iMac will definitely be lost, at least on the surface. I can't imagine the high end version having a white bezel.

If Apple will release a similar looking large iMac, then maybe they plan to have an iMac Pro that will look different (black bezels) to really differentiate the "home use" from the "pro use" computer. At which point those who have been using the iMac in a professional environment will probably find themselves having to pay way more than they were used to.

 

[Neepman]

A 30 second consultancy:
Make it thinner
Remove functionality
Add Color options

That will be $10 million please....

 

[javanate]

Just in time for the thermal throttling videos hitting YouTube 😂

 

[Scott Ned]

Involved means many things that don't have to do with the look of the computer even hah. The most enthusiastic I've seen Ive is when he's talking about things such as how glass is attached, and designing fixtures to make the parts.

 

[Abazigal]

A 30 second consultancy:
Make it thinner
Remove functionality
Add Color options

That will be $10 million please....

Yeah, because components just automatically become 50% smaller at the snap of a finger.

This is precisely why I love, and will continue to love Apple products. Because of the design-led process that lead to products like the iMac and the iPad, at a time when the rest of industry still continue to churn out boring hardware running crappy software, resulting in lacklustre experiences overall. They either don't seem to realise that there are people willing to pay for good design, or are unable to make the design that people are willing to pay a premium for.

The beauty in all this is that Apple hasn't changed, and its record earnings show that there is no lack of people willing to pay a premium for outstanding design and integration. In stark defiance to the naysayers who claim that Apple would be disrupted by cheaper, more modular offerings.

Apple continues to disrupt the conventional tenets of business even as we speak, and I just wish that there are more people willing to study, understand, describe, and teach this phenomenon. Rather than simply dismiss it outright.

 

[insoft.uk]

I kind of expected he’ll be involved somehow he only left Apple to start his own company and Apple will be one of his clients so naturally he’ll be involved and not just iMac

 

[iMattPro]

well. that explains the chin bar.

 

[GtrDude]

That's enough for me to not want to buy it.

 

[Scoob Redux]

Once upon a time, the iPhone was derided for not having a hardware keyboard and the MacBook Air laughed at for lacking just about every other port.

I applaud Apple for daring to challenge the status quo and getting people to rethink just what it is they value in a product. Are features like ports and an internal power supply really non-negotiable in a desktop, or are they too subject to changing whims and values?

Can Apple make people indifferent to having just 2 usb c ports in a desktop, and care more about thinness than they do about the Ethernet cable going into the power brick as opposed to the back of the computer?

Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s fascinating watching this cognitive dissonance play out in front of me.

I don't think it's nearly as intellectually interesting as you seem to. iPhones and MacBook Airs are portable devices. The tradeoffs between thickness, weight, battery life and features are all relevant because they affect portability and how people use the devices. Conversely, a desktop all-in-one sits on a desk and (usually) doesn't move. Its weight and thickness are largely irrelevant (within reason). There is no defendable reason to shave a few mm off the thickness. Is it aesthetically more pleasing? Maybe. Even that might be debatable. But compromising usability and flexibility by removing features just to make it thin? This shows a serious lack of leadership and vision at Apple. The only thing I find mildly interesting is how many people seem personally vested in defending Apple's bad design decisions. I haven't seen a single quantitative argument for the thickness of the new iMac being better than the thickness of the old iMac, yet some people seem personally invested in defending it as Apple being "bold" or "revolutionary" or "daring". The new iMac is none of those.

 

[Scoob Redux]

Internal power supply why just why .

Same reason power supplies are inside my television, receiver, Blu Ray player, Playstation, Apple TV, router, Thunderbolt display, and every other electronic device in my home: it's convenient and clutter-free. Engineers can handle the heat dissipation and have for years for iMacs and everything else. Would a half-dozen power bricks in my living room be better? Apple only removed the power supply to make a pretty, thin product...not to reduce heat.

 

[cosmichobo]

Ive's contribution...?

"Could be skinnier..."

 

[nihil0]

It doesn’t make the computer faster.

Of course it doesn't. But as I wrote before, Apple computers are as about specs as are about look. My 27-inch iMac is dominant piece of "furniture" in my office. It looks slick. I can't imagine placing some 24-inch orange iMac with white bezels there. I would feel like I am in Willy Wonka's factory not in photo/audio studio.

 

[ZivaD]

Are they trying to blame him for this or is it him coming out and accepting responsibility?
Didn’t read the article.

 

[LordVic]

featuring a significantly thinner design

When "Thinner design" is one of your tent pole advancements for an Apple product, you can sure bet Ive was involved.

 

[thebeans]

Despite leaving the company in 2019, Apple's former chief design officer, Jony Ive, helped design the new 24-inch iMac, according to an excerpt from Wired's review of the new desktop computer.

Jony Ive famously left Apple in 2019 to form his own independent design company, which would have Apple as one of its clients. During his tenure at Apple, Ive oversaw the development and design of revolutionary products, including the iPhone, iPad, iPod, MacBook, and the iMac.

Apple confirmed to Wired that Ive did indeed work on the new iMac but stopped short of confirming or denying whether his own firm, LoveFrom, aided Apple in designing the computer after he left the company.
The 24-inch iMac is the first redesign to the iMac in years, featuring a significantly thinner design, the M1 Apple silicon chip, and comes in seven vibrant colors. Learn more about the 24-inch iMac using our guide.

Article Link: Jony Ive Was Involved in the New M1 iMac Design, Despite Leaving Apple in 2019

Ahhhhh…now we know why it is so poorly designed and ugly.

 

[SactoGuy18]

According to YouTuber David Eden-Sangwell (iCaveDave), he guessed that the current iMac was essentially finished in 2016 as an Ive design, but they had to shelve the design due to the TDP and heat issues with Intel CPU's. But with the vastly lower TDP and heat generation of "Apple Silicon," they were able to revive the design for release now. In fact, I personally think given the still reasonable TDP and heat generation of the M1X SoC, Apple could easy replace the little M1-based system board with an M1X-based system board with up to 64 GB of RAM and 2 TB of local storage, running modified dual cooling fans.

 

[ricosuave]

The only design choice that kept me away from this machine is the side audio input jack. I plug my powered speakers into a receiver and having this stick out on the side is a no-go for me. Yes I know I could go with an AirPlay solution, but that just adds complexity to a design choice. If the power brick can accommodate ethernet, why not audio?

 

[SuperMatt]

Of course it doesn't. But as I wrote before, Apple computers are as about specs as are about look. My 27-inch iMac is dominant piece of "furniture" in my office. It looks slick. I can't imagine placing some 24-inch orange iMac with white bezels there. I would feel like I am in Willy Wonka's factory not in photo/audio studio.

It comes in 7 colors. If none of them appeal to you, perhaps there will be a larger iMac coming that will have different colors. Considering the prior iMac came in silver only (unless you wanted to drop $5K+ for the Pro), and this one comes in 6 colors besides the silver, I don’t see the issue here. There is nothing “Willy Wonka” about the silver iMac, and the bezels issue is absolutely absurd IMHO. Others have posted the long list of other Macs with light-colored bezels, including Pro-level displays like a 30” Cinema Display.

 

[SuperMatt]

The only design choice that kept me away from this machine is the side audio input jack. I plug my powered speakers into a receiver and having this stick out on the side is a no-go for me. Yes I know I could go with an AirPlay solution, but that just adds complexity to a design choice. If the power brick can accommodate ethernet, why not audio?

The original iMac had 3 headphone jacks. One on the side and 2 on the front. Not sure why a headphone jack on the side is a problem at all.

 

[SuperMatt]

Are they trying to blame him for this or is it him coming out and accepting responsibility?
Didn’t read the article.

Blame? These iMacs are popular and back-ordered for over a month.

 

[Elyzien]

The white/gray bezels ruin the design. They defiantly need a darker model.

 

[SuperMatt]

The white/gray bezels ruin the design. They defiantly need a darker model.

Can somebody please explain to me why everybody is so obsessed with bezels? I posted a link a while back that showed in a blind study, people didn’t even notice the bezel colors until they were asked to notice them, and they had zero effect on the usage of the computer. And when pressed on if they had a preference, people chose black glossy bezels as the worst.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Ahhhhh…now we know why it is so poorly designed and ugly.

If you’ve only been buying Apple products for 2 years then you’ve missed a treat. Much of the foundations for the company and products we see now are down to Jony Ive. If you think he’s a bad designer with a poor eye for aesthetics, I don’t really know what to say?

 

[quarkysg]

If the power brick can accommodate ethernet, why not audio?

The power brick would be lying on the floor, probably hidden from view mostly. Connecting your headphone to it would either mean a very long cable to the brick on the floor, or placing the brick nearer to you, exposing the cabling mess.

 

[scaramoosh]

Yes and Steven Jobs had something to do with whatever Apple does next lol.