The return of the glowing Apple logo

[patent10021]

With the new silicon MBPs, internal space limitations should no longer be a consideration in Apple's "Thinnovation" paradigm as it was with Intel machines. Thinnovation was also one of the reasons why they ghosted MagSafe.

I have always thought of the logo and MagSafe as design hallmarks of MacBooks. I believe Apple thinks this as well, hence the return of MagSafe. I think they wanted to keep the glowing logo, but had other priorities to think about like thermal efficiency necessitated by form-factor.

With rumours of the return of MagSafe and removal of TouchBar, plus fan-less silicon MBAs, I wonder if it would be cretinous to expect the return of the glowing logo in future MacBooks?

 

[Stephen.R]

Thinnovation was also one of the reasons why they ghosted MagSafe.

Source for this?

I don't believe even the thinnest Intel MacBook-Anything was is/was too thin for a traditional MagSafe port.

USB-C charging provides a really easy way to get the traditional Apple "one cable solution", with more than just "that one display Apple makes", and it works for a bunch of devices besides displays too.

I have always thought of the logo and MagSafe as design hallmarks of MacBooks.

The glowing logo is much older than "MacBooks" - the G3 PowerBooks of the late 90s'. MagSafe was introduced with the first Intel MacBook Pro.

I wonder if it would be cretinous to expect the return of the glowing logo in future MacBooks?

Anything is possible. TBH I'd be less surprised by a glowing Apple logo than a return of the traditional MagSafe connector.

 

[russell_314]

I would love to see it but I’m not holding my breath. In 2021 self conscious people might feel awkward about it and it’s just extra components and cost for no performance benefit. On the other end of the scale you have the PC that’s gone insane with RGB.

 

[Stephen.R]

it’s just extra components

It was just a translucent plastic panel. The glow was from the display backlight.

 

[Marc_S]

I'd love to see it back. It was iconic

 

[Audit13]

It is iconic but the glowing logo was seen as pretentious by some and possibly making them a target for theft?

 

[retta283]

I can't say whether I'd like the glowing logo returning or not. For some reason I've had it be very dim or even yellowed when the display is bright and bluish tint so it's strangely inconsistent, only 1 or 2 MacBooks I ever owned had actually good looking glows out of many PPC/Intels I owned. It was also possible to see the Apple logo in the screen at times when the Sun was shining on the back of the laptop. I don't really mind either way.

The current logo is definitely less unique but I don't see a problem with it per se. It's just more backtracking for Apple to return it at this point. It would be very strange to see Apple practically undo years of their MacBook developments like this.

 

[macintoshmac]

It is iconic but the glowing logo was seen as pretentious by some and possibly making them a target for theft?

An Apple product is so far as distinctive as any, whether or not it glows. I would think that a smart thief knows what to steal and does not rely on a glowing Apple icon to serve as a North Star.

Yes, it was seen as pretentious by some, but the glow was so soft in the day and even at night that it was just a distinctive touch, a part of the experience. I don't care if it is ever back in production, but wouldn't mind if it is.

 

[RobbieTT]

All the recent Apple campaigns feature the glowing logo on the MacBook Pros and I find it hard to believe that it would have gone unnoticed or that the PR team only had 2015 MBPs.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

I am all about a return to the glowing logo. That would be awesome.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Didn’t it cause burn-in issues on certain MacBook Air models? Maybe I’m remembering that wrong. I’d be happy if they went full circle and reintroduced MagSafe with the glowing logo, but I’d also be fine with just MagSafe. It was iconic for sure, but it’s been gone long enough that most people [sadly] have forgotten about it. The shiny new metallic logo is much more “Apple” than the old design now. More high-end feeling.

 

[macintoshmac]

Didn’t it cause burn-in issues on certain MacBook Air models? Maybe I’m remembering that wrong. I’d be happy if they went full circle and reintroduced MagSafe with the glowing logo, but I’d also be fine with just MagSafe. It was iconic for sure, but it’s been gone long enough that most people [sadly] have forgotten about it. The shiny new metallic logo is much more “Apple” than the old design now. More high-end feeling.

But ironically the laptops (2016-19 at least) as a whole needed far too much babying than the glowing counterparts of yore.

 

[SuperMatt]

Will they bring back the upside-down glowing logo from the powerbook G3?

 

[-DMN-]

Didn’t it cause burn-in issues on certain MacBook Air models? Maybe I’m remembering that wrong. I’d be happy if they went full circle and reintroduced MagSafe with the glowing logo, but I’d also be fine with just MagSafe. It was iconic for sure, but it’s been gone long enough that most people [sadly] have forgotten about it. The shiny new metallic logo is much more “Apple” than the old design now. More high-end feeling.

My 2014 MacBook Air doesn’t have burn-in issues and I’ve had that for a better part of a decade and been running it down to the ground with FCPX...poor dual-core lol

 

[matt_and_187_like_this]

There's more space in the bottom part, because of the new CPU design, therefore Apple has more space in the top part for a glowing logo?

Can't follow your logic.

USB C makes Magsafe redundant.

 

[Bluetoot-]

TBH I hated the stainless steel logo at first, but I'm beginning to like it. Having a piece of plastic in the middle of a sea of aluminum is starting to look old. But, that's IMHO

 

[Pakaku]

I have always thought of the logo and MagSafe as design hallmarks of MacBooks. I believe Apple thinks this as well, hence the return of MagSafe.

Magsafe worked because it was functional in two ways: the magnet and the light indicator. It is extremely convenient to see the power state of the battery without opening or powering on the laptop, and it would be a shame if it returned without that light.

 

[ignatius345]

Can't follow your logic.

USB C makes Magsafe redundant.

And I can't follow your logic. As someone who just a few days ago very nearly lost a MacBook to a toddler tripping on the USB-C cable, I couldn't disagree more. "One cable" purists aside, Magsafe was a beautiful engineering solution. Hell, the LED even told you at a glance whether your battery was charged or not.

 

[Lyoha]

Will they bring back the upside-down glowing logo from the powerbook G3?

They should use magnets and bearings to make the logo flip when you open or close the lid. That way the logo is right side up whether you're looking at it with the notebook closed in front of you or whether it's open. This isn't a useful feature at all, but might be in the spirit of some of Apple's over-engineering.

 

[Nermal]

They should use magnets and bearings to make the logo flip when you open or close the lid.

Should it flip clockwise or anticlockwise? Start your debate now!

 

[Octopuss]

Magsafe2 is brilliant. I think I read that magsafe was dumped because of reliability issues. It was the case for me with Magsafe 1, but Magsafe 2 was way better, still runs strong on my 2015 MBP - the last with magsafe and without touchbar - 2 things stopping me from buying any new MBP in recent years.
Ditching touchbar and return of magsafe is like Apple heard what I wanted.

 

[Octopuss]

USB C makes Magsafe redundant.

That's like touch screen makes mouse and keyboard redundant.

 

[Lyoha]

Should it flip clockwise or anticlockwise? Start your debate now!

Clockwise when opening and counterclockwise when closing

 

[Akela_A]

With the new silicon MBPs, internal space limitations should no longer be a consideration in Apple's "Thinnovation" paradigm as it was with Intel machines. Thinnovation was also one of the reasons why they ghosted MagSafe.

I don't see how Apple Silicon is supposed to give more room in the lid of a laptop. The only thing housed there is the display and the camera. Unless you're proposing sticking the Apple logo on the base of the laptop where no one can see it.

The glowing logo had it's own problems though. Since it was just a cutout lit by the display backlight you couldn't turn it off independent of the screen - not particularly great when used in a dark conference room. And you were using the laptop while facing a bright light or the sun, you could sometimes see the logo appearing on the screen from the light filtering through. Plus I imagine it wasn't great for structural integrity either. Regardless it was a pretty unnecessary feature that didn't really have any practical use, and no other Apple product had such a thing anyway so it's no surprise they removed it to better align the design with their other products.

 

[MBAir2010]

why wood a macbook not have that glo?