POLL: Does the new iMac look better with an Apple logo?

[za9ra22]

My point is just that the shape of the iMac isn't exclusive to Apple anymore. I think looking the new iMac face-on the average consumer wouldn't know it was Apple.

The shape of the iMac might no longer be exclusive, but that doesn't mean Apple have a reason to move away from it.

This overall styling has been part of Apple's language since the original Mac in 1984. That HP and others have sought to copy it demonstrates how effective it is as a 'style', and perhaps for practical use reasons too. It suggests that Apple are designing it right to be at all widely copied.

 

[Falhófnir]

I like it without the logo. I'm curious if people who actually own and use it vote otherwise. I suspect it's just another case of getting used to the new status quo and seeing what the Apple designers wanted to achieve (and succeeded). Just my opinion, of course.

I've noticed that often once people have bought something they snap to being super defensive about this sort of thing for some reason, so I'm guessing most will fervently support the lack of logo haha!

 

[rhaezorblue]

Wow after seeing the mockup of the iMac with black bezels, I think I actually like the white better now paired with the soft colors. Still would have preferred a small Apple logo on the front.

 

[Warped9]

View attachment 1789497

Hell, no. It looks a lot better with the light bezels. Not only that the light bezels clearly distinguish it from the old design.

 

[Tozovac]

What's the MacBook Pro indication? Do you mean the shape of the laptop and the additional ports?

I meant the label “MacBook Pro” under the screen, in the black bezel.

 

[Tozovac]

My point is just that the shape of the iMac isn't exclusive to Apple anymore. I think looking the new iMac face-on the average consumer wouldn't know it was Apple.

Maybe the non-logo, simplified minimized shape is a foreshadowing of an eventual iMac being an “IPad Pro on a Stick” form factor.

 

[Tozovac]

Hell, no. It looks a lot better with the light bezels. Not only that the light bezels clearly distinguish it from the old design.

Then why don’t we see white bezels on MacBooks every other year?

I understand To Each Their Own, but to many, functional benefits of black bezels are more important than marketing-driven differentiation.

 

[Warped9]

Then why don’t we see white bezels on MacBooks every other year?

I understand To Each Their Own, but to many, functional benefits of black bezels are more important than marketing-driven differentiation.

And yet many if not most reviews state the light bezels are not a problem once they start using the machine. I really think most of the objections to the light bezels are based largely on aesthetic bias rather than functionality. Furthermore the light bezels tend to reflect the ambient light so if the user is in a darkened room then the bezels shouldn’t be an issue at all. It’s not as if the bezels are lighted like LED running lights on cars.

I think the objections are mostly exaggerated in people’s minds.

Furthermore if one REALLY cannot accept the machine as is then they can simply get an already available skin to give the iMac the look of their choice.

 

[Tozovac]

And yet many if not most reviews state the light bezels are not a problem once they start using the machine. I really think most of the objections to the light bezels are based largely on aesthetic bias rather than functionality. Furthermore the light bezels tend to reflect the ambient light so if the user is in a darkened room then the bezels shouldn’t be an issue at all. It’s not as if the bezels are lighted like LED running lights on cars.

I think the objections are mostly exaggerated in people’s minds.

Furthermore if one REALLY cannot accept the machine as then they can simply get an already available skin to give the iMac the look of their choice.

True all the above! I could live with white bezels I'm sure. I tend to think black bezels serve a more functional purpose than white, nonetheless.

 

[azentropy]

Mentioned this in other threads, but got the Blue for my parents. The back/sides and stand are absolutely gorgeous colors and look fantastic in person. However the chin "Pale Baby Blue" color in person looks really out of place to me and is made worse with no logo. A logo with a color matching either the stand or back would help.

 

[JohnnyWalker]

And yet many if not most reviews state the light bezels are not a problem once they start using the machine. I really think most of the objections to the light bezels are based largely on aesthetic bias rather than functionality. Furthermore the light bezels tend to reflect the ambient light so if the user is in a darkened room then the bezels shouldn’t be an issue at all. It’s not as if the bezels are lighted like LED running lights on cars.

I think the objections are mostly exaggerated in people’s minds.

Furthermore if one REALLY cannot accept the machine as is then they can simply get an already available skin to give the iMac the look of their choice.

The frame of any image changes that images. It’s just the way human eyes work and is unavoidable. Black bezels would be better than white, even if people get used to white.

 

[DMG35]

Two things occurred to me when I messed around with the new iMacs at my local Apple store.

1. The bezel looks great and I can see why apple went with the white instead of black.
2. I actually prefer the front without the Apple logo.

 

[Warped9]

The frame of any image changes that images. It’s just the way human eyes work and is unavoidable. Black bezels would be better than white, even if people get used to white.

The new bezels are not white. They are light grey. And I know how colour can affect perception. The argument that these light coloured bezels are a distraction is not supported in actual use. It is a false perception based on aesthetic bias—one doesn’t like the lighter colour so it’s going to be a problem. But if someone is focused on their work then a frame that essentially reflects its surroundings will effectively become invisible as opposed to a stark black frame that is very noticeable unless working is in a darkened area.

Someone in these forums once stated, in their support of black bezels, “Why do you think all televisions are black?” And most of them are, but not for the reason being alluded to—that black frames are less distracting. They’re all black for the simple reason it’s cheaper to manufacture everything in the same colour and materiel. But while black (in televisions) is seen as generally neutral and can be put anywhere in some surroundings it is not going to be neutral at all and a large black rectangle can noticeably dominate a room.

The size of a device can also make a difference. One is less likely be aware of a frame if the device is large because you’re more focused toward the centre of the screen. The best example is a movie theatre. On a smartphone you can’r help but see the frame given the screen is so small.

People are trying to rationalize their objections rather than just say, “I don’t like the look of it.” which is in itself a valid objection even if subjective. Colours say different things to different people. A particular tone can be comforting to one person yet unsettling to another.

Black is generally perceived as a more serious tone conveying mystery, power, elusiveness, impersonal, remoteness, menace and even danger. It appeals emotionally to some who want to project a certain image or sensibility. In many respects the functionality of black is to simply reinforce a subjective mindset.

 

[rpmurray]

And yet many if not most reviews state the light bezels are not a problem once they start using the machine. I really think most of the objections to the light bezels are based largely on aesthetic bias rather than functionality. Furthermore the light bezels tend to reflect the ambient light so if the user is in a darkened room then the bezels shouldn’t be an issue at all. It’s not as if the bezels are lighted like LED running lights on cars.

I think the objections are mostly exaggerated in people’s minds.

Furthermore if one REALLY cannot accept the machine as is then they can simply get an already available skin to give the iMac the look of their choice.

Why so defensive? Why the need for all the justifications?

 

[Warped9]

Why so defensive? Why the need for all the justifications?

Not defensive. I just find the vast majority of objections to be nonsense rationalizations.

 

[za9ra22]

Black bezels would be better than white, even if people get used to white.

Using mine for a couple of weeks now, I don't find that to be true at all. Not even remotely true.

My office is somewhat off-white in colour, and the 24-inch iMac's grey bezels (they are not white, however frequently this mischaracterisation is repeated) make it much easier to work with, and less fatiguing. The 27-inch iMac with black bezels I have used for years before it created a workspace that was constraining and restricted, and sharply contrasted with the room around it. It was sometimes actually distracting.

And yes, the fact the bezels are grey, not white, does matter. It's not semantics or being picky. White would be just as stark as black. Grey creates a muted edge that is almost invisible as a boundary between the screen and the space around it.

To read some of these comments, you'd think Apple's designers must all be idiots not to know these basic 'facts' about design and colour. It's fine to not like this computer and to think it should be different, but dressing it up as science is a bit silly.

 

[Tozovac]

The argument that these light coloured bezels are a distraction is not supported in actual use. It is a false perception based on aesthetic bias—one doesn’t like the lighter colour so it’s going to be a problem. But if someone is focused on their work then a frame that essentially reflects its surroundings will effectively become invisible as opposed to a stark black frame that is very noticeable unless working is in a darkened area.

No offense but you do realize that your statement is a perception based on aesthetic bias? A light grey frame has no more guarantee of becoming “invisible” in a lit or dark room than does a black frame in a lit room. Depends upon the user. But bottom line, day or night, there seems to be a reason why most televisions are framed in basic black. It “disappears” either in night or day when focused on the on-screen subject matter.

 

[za9ra22]

...there seems to be a reason why most televisions are framed in basic black...

According to one person I spoke to a few years ago who worked in a design shop, the reason TVs were (then) migrating to black was that lighter frames looked 'wrong' when the TV was off, thus the screen black.

At the time, my TV (a Toshiba), had a silver/grey frame. But over the years, TVs have been framed in all sorts of colours, including wood. I don't think there's a rule, just a fashion.

 

[Warped9]

No offense but you do realize that your statement is a perception based on aesthetic bias? A light grey frame has no more guarantee of becoming “invisible” in a lit or dark room than does a black frame in a lit room. Depends upon the user. But bottom line, day or night, there seems to be a reason why most televisions are framed in basic black. It “disappears” either in night or day when focused on the on-screen subject matter.

Nope. The main reasons televisions are mostly black just as many other things are often predominantly of one colour is because it’s cheaper to manufacture rather than offering things with multiple colour options. Of course, there are exceptions. A large television frame isn’t distracting because it’s black. It isn’t distracting (while watching) because it’s big with the thin frame toward the outside of your focused field of view.

There is distinction between not liking how something looks and how it actually functions.

Decades ago it was popular to have televisions built into a wooden cabinet to make them look like furniture and allow them blend in with their surroundings. The damned things were heavy and expensive. Eventually the cabinets were phased out and televisions became larger CRT screens encased in predominantly black or silver grey chassis. It became easier to accommodate and cheaper to manufacture larger CRTs in plastic chassis. Televisions went from being another part of the furniture to cheap looking appliances with little real effort to make them look aesthetically pleasing. And thats what they still are today. No matter how nice the picture the vast majority of them are encased in cheap looking black plastic.

Most computers are much the same thing with maybe a little more thought given to aesthetics.

 

[SRQrws]

When the new iMac was announced, I was quite put off by all the 'Easter egg' colors and didn't plan on getting one. Of course, I gave up that resolution and got the mid-tier model in silver. To stay on point, I do think the chin looks a bit barren and would prefer a small Apple logo or model identifier. I also find the light gray bezels work really well with silver and fade into the background. This is a turnaround from my initial thoughts. I actually like them. Overall, I'm very pleased, although I remain puzzled as to why so many trendy colors. I'd prefer just a few bright colors -- maybe blue, green, yellow -- along with silver, gray or maybe beige.

 

[4sallypat]

I meant the label “MacBook Pro” under the screen, in the black bezel.

Using the 2015 15" MBP, without any logo or name on the bezel, I love the new iMac design without any "advertising"....

Looking at the light colored gray bezels, it seems to project a more cleaner, open design.

Compare it to my 24" ACD connected to the M1 iMac - has black bezels - so dated and so closed in looking:

 

[azentropy]

The new bezels are not white. They are light grey.

Honest question - have you seen one in person?

Light Grey is what color Apple calls it and yes it is not a bright white, but they are definitely way more towards the white spectrum than grey. If people didn't know what color Apple called it and you showed them it in person by itself, I'd bet 9 out 10 would say it is white. You can only really see the grey if you do hold up something that is a bright white next to it (like the back of my 2020 iPhone SE). The bezels actually look more "white" than the bezels on my 2005 13" White MacBook and my 2001 12" iBook but not as white as the keys on those two. If I hold up things that I consider light grey to it, it looks really white. Like for example my Apple Nike Watch Band.

Using the 2015 15" MBP, without any logo or name on the bezel, I love the new iMac design without any "advertising"....

Looking at the light colored gray bezels, it seems to project a more cleaner, open design.

Compare it to my 24" ACD connected to the M1 iMac - has black bezels - so dated and so closed in looking:
View attachment 1790748

To me other than the aspect ratio, it is the iMac that looks dated in that photo (and I've bought that same one for my parents). But maybe I'm older and remember when a lot of displays/bezels were light colored so it looks retro (in a bad way to me). Also black bezels do provide a better eye buffer and for some people it is easier on the eyes. So "closed" is good.

 

[Warped9]

Practically every reviewer has attested to the bezels being light grey and not actually white.

 

[za9ra22]

Light Grey is what color Apple calls it and yes it is not a bright white, but they are definitely way more towards the white spectrum than grey. If people didn't know what color Apple called it and you showed them it in person by itself, I'd bet 9 out 10 would say it is white.

True as this may well be, it is not actually the point. It isn't the label you give it that matters, it's how the visual impact of it works when you're using it.

The reason I object to people describing the bezels as white is that factually, it isn't true, and that ought to matter, and also because it is often used in a way that is pejorative, intended to detract from the actual design parameters of the product. White is, after all, pretty stark, where these are actually not.

I sit in front of mine for several hours a day. It does matter.

 

[GLTirebiter]

It’s Spinal Tap marketing. “How much more blank could it be? None more blank...”