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The Best Apple Design Ever

XServe Raid is the most impressive looking, in my opinion, but the 5th gen iPod is the best. It's so hard to say though, because all of Apple's current designs are way better than the competition. Basically, you're saying "is the best MP3 player better than the best notebook?" etc.
 
The best ever? Probably something Apple never released… a concept that was truly gorgeous but quite impractical…

So that leaves the:
Titanium G4 Powerbook — every Powerbook/MacBook Pro since just a refining of a beautiful concept.

Mac Pro — Perfection, both outside and inside.

Of course, the most original design would be the Bondi Blue iMac G3. That was so special Steve even wore a suit and tie! Ah happy days! 🙂
 
Best Apple Designs

In chronological order:

1. The Powerbook Duo 2400 - merger of elegance and intelligence
2. The Performa 5200 series (all-one) - the distant cousin of the iMac
3. The iMac G3 (candy colors) - the Bondi color never worked for me
4. The Powerbook G3 Pismo - brilliant refinement of an established design
5. The iMac G4 Sunflower design
6. The Powerbook G4 12'' - an amazing design, light and sturdy
7. The iMac G5 is the essence of simplicity

More recently, Apple's metal products have been some of their best. iPod Mini, PowerMac/ MacPro, etc.

Not a big fan of the Mac Mini, new Airport, Apple TV. These designs fail to acheive iconic status (ie. if you saw a sillouette (or line drawing) of the product would you recognize it?). The old Airport meets this standard, as do most of Apple's designs.
 
Not strictly an Apple product, though they did have input in it's design.

I'm going to have to go with the Harman Kardon iSub. Simplicity perfected.
 
iGav said:
Not strictly an Apple product, though they did have input in it's design.

I'm going to have to go with the Harman Kardon iSub. Simplicity perfected.
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I didn't put the iSub because I was unsure as to who designed it. But I totally agree with you!

I'd quite happily have one as an ornament!
 
bartelby said:
I didn't put the iSub because I was unsure as to who designed it. But I totally agree with you!
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Pretty certain that Ive & Co. had a major a say in it, if not completely designed it (which I think they did, but I couldn't be 100%).

Truly timeless, even 7 years on. Sign of good design that. 🙂
 
The IIci. Supremely upgradable and expandable. Incredibly easy to open up and access the internals. First proper 32 bit Macintosh, first desktop Macintosh use of SMT. Even the chunky box style of it is cute today.

Machines like the iMacs and Mini are certainly pretty, but in terms of design they are mainly about aesthetics and form at the expense of expansion options and upgradeability.
 
It has to be......

The iMac G4 was definitely the bravest, and still makes me smile when I remember the one I had. I loved the way it made most windows users totally freak out, they couldn't understand it.

They couldn't grasp the concept. I loved the way you could spin the monitor around to show your work to the client.

I have often considered getting a 20"er and planting a macintel mini inside!😱 :apple:
 
The Apple PowerCD.

Such a beautiful design in the face of all the other ugly external CD-ROM drives of the day...
(except for Apple's, of course)
 
Here's my list:

1) iMac G4 - Stunning design. Revolutionary just as much as the G3 all-in-one's it replaced. I can't tell you how many people have come into my home, seen the iMac G4, and remark about how awesome it is. And then when I show them what it can do...

2) TiBook - Thin. Sleek. Powerful. My six year old TiBook looks cooler than most people's brand new PC notebooks. And it's still a usable machine to boot (pardon the pun).

3) iMac G3 - Classic. It started the new trend in Apple's design. While I do look at it as clunky and bloated now, they are still perfect machines for most people, and the design is ingenious. Anyone remember the setup manuals??

Interestingly enough, all three are computers I currently own. I suppose I might be slightly biased, but it's the reason I purchased the computers in the first place.
 
I agree with everyone's thoughts on the original iMac. It was an amazing computer and really got Apple back on their feet.

I'm slightly surprised nobody said the original iBook, or any iBook/MacBook at all.

I noticed that since the introduction of the iMac G5 with iSight, they've sort of "beveled" the back. I think I like my flat back better. How about you?
 
My favorite design would be either the iMac G4, or the cube. The black MacBook is pretty close to those also.
 
I REALLY like the Pismo, and the Twentieth Anniversary Mac was quite impressive, but I think I have to vote Cube on this one. It is the only computer that my many PC friends have ever considered really "beautiful," it is silent when it runs, and it was upgradeable by replacing the video card or processor. Still Apple's best marriage of function and art in my opinion.
 
The Cube I reckon although the iMac G4 is a very close second. I love the way my iMac G4 looks even after all these years and it still draws ooh's of appreciation from friends who see it for the first time.
 
I must admit, I never cared much for the G4 iMac. 😱

It was a bold decision, and it struck a definite chord with a lot of folks, but it never really grabbed me. Though I will give it credit for being the precursor to the G5 iMac, now that is a beautiful machine!

The G5 PowerMacs and Mac Pros are beautiful as well, but in a different way. When you see a PowerMac G5 or Mac Pro you can just feel the power it has under the hood. It grabs your attention and gets your respect right away, and when you actually put it through it's paces you'll never want to use anything else!

Of course having said all that, I'm still going to have to go with the Mac mini as my favorite design. It's so simple, so elegant... it's just gorgeous.
 
The imac G4 is definatly the most awesome apple design. I also love the ipod mini, it feels so right in your hands. The problem with the imac G5 is the blasted chin. It really pees me off. Apart from the chin the G5 is pretty cool. but my list then consists of

1)imac g4
2)ipod mini
3)iphone
4)mac pro
5)imac g5
 
mashinhead said:
i'm going with the titanium powerbook. Think it really set the tone for a lot of the direction of the design now, and is still the thinest notebook. It looked great closed. It was also my first mac ever. And do i remember the day i opened it. Beautiful.
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I agree! The best notebook design and the titanium was SO much better than the aluminum. Much more durable. Beautiful machine. I was sad when it got discontinued.
 
PowerBook 500 series...

... Because of the design influence it has, all the way through today.

First computer with a trackpad
Stereo speakers on the monitor
Swappable bays and all of the funky configurations that come with it
Risers in the rear for ergonomics
 
I have to say, the iMac G4 is the most unique computer I have ever seen. I LOVE the design of my MacBook as well. I might get an iMac G4 off eBay just for the coolness factor of it 😀.
 
zephead said:
I have to say, the iMac G4 is the most unique computer I have ever seen. I LOVE the design of my MacBook as well. I might get an iMac G4 off eBay just for the coolness factor of it 😀.
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I agree. I was disappointed at the design of the imac g5's. I still am not all that keen on them (or the intel iterations). Also, as someone mentioned, the imac g5 monitors are not flexible.

IMHO:
(top five)
1. iMac G4
2. Cube
3. PowerMac G4 (the last models - can't remember the name)
4. iPod 5 Gen
5. iMac G3

YT
 
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