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Thin Bezels on New HP All-in-One
- Thread starter Andregant
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- bezels hp computers imac
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Much more a PC design language, ugly block on top with the webcam, ugly logo and text on front overall too much noise with different shapes, textures and materials.
I agree. As I mentioned in my post; “I just like the thin bezels.” I would be fine with a slightly thicker bezel up top to make room for the webcam to remain nested in the bezel. But the sids and bottom would look lovely if slimmer.
Even though Apple does not do the following in their line of macbooks (and i wish they would), Apple seems to go for symmetric forms in the glass bezels (disregarding the chin here). Not unlike the iPad Pro/Air design language. That means a bezel that is as wide on the bottom and top, as it is on the sides. They fit the webcam into the bezel. The HP incorparates an (quite ugly, if you ask me) extra block on top of the screen.
I am a fan of the evenly divided bezels that incorporate the webcam, opposed to the sort of external webcam that ruins the total streamlined look of the computer.
But hey, at least we've found a wonderful grey-and-black all in one for all those whining about the white bezels and colorful editions
I'm fine with the bezel size and the chin. I used a bezel-less monitor in the past and found it to be distracting if you have things going on behind the screen. The bezels can provide an eye buffer in that situation. Of course that is negated with the new iMacs having the white/light colored bezels which I find distracting too.
I like the mesh on the chin. I thought Apple should have had a HomePod type finish on the iMac chin to enable forward firing speakers without obstruction. This would have minimised the expanse of colour on the front, so the bold colours could have expanded to all the metal, avoiding the two-tone look that makes half the iMac look washed out.
Apple could have done so much more with the design on its first M1 Mac. They just completely dropped the ball. My jaw dropped when I saw how bad it was. Huge missed opportunity to sell a lot of machines. It proves that they don't care much about the desktops anymore - it's not where they make their money. They make their money on services, the app store and the phone junk. The iPhone is the huge cash cow, desktops are peripheral. Those of us sitting around out here waiting for the next incredible iMac just look like fools.
I agree sticking up camera on there kinda ruins the thin bezel look, but I also don't see why Apple's bezel needs to be so thick just to fit the camera in. It doesn't have a better camera than iPhone does it, so why does it need to thicker than an iPhone's notch or an iPad's bezels?Even though Apple does not do the following in their line of macbooks (and i wish they would), Apple seems to go for symmetric forms in the glass bezels (disregarding the chin here). Not unlike the iPad Pro/Air design language. That means a bezel that is as wide on the bottom and top, as it is on the sides. They fit the webcam into the bezel. The HP incorparates an (quite ugly, if you ask me) extra block on top of the screen.
I am a fan of the evenly divided bezels that incorporate the webcam, opposed to the sort of external webcam that ruins the total streamlined look of the computer.
But hey, at least we've found a wonderful grey-and-black all in one for all those whining about the white bezels and colorful editions
I kinda agree on the same-thickness bezels all around, although the existence of the chin and the aspect ratio might make having them narrower on the sides work...
Nope, looks naff. Apple's approach is best.
And yeah, they really should do the same with MacBooks!
Incidentally, I also mocked up narrow bezels all around, and it either needs rounded screen corners (at least at the top) or sharp body corners:
I like the rounded screen corners best, like on iPad.
Edit, here's with no chin, just for fun:
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I wouldn't be surprised if the iMacs speakers end up sounding better than anything comparable.
They do have the processing tech to make it sound much wider than it is, something that would be harder with speakers directly aimed at the user.
Them bezels sure are thin. Otherwise, @Successful Sorcerer said it all:
Plus I never really understood the internet's fixation on and obsession with bezel thickness 🤷♂️
I agree. Thin bezels make some sense for portable devices (and maybe not so much for iPads, where there is now less room to hold the edges), but do not seem like an important feature for desktops.
Maybe it comes from TV screens, where invisible bezels are in.
It reminds me of the obsession about 8 years ago with having the thinnest phone (like the iPhone 6). But wait - they bend and have tiny batteries! Thankfully, this obsession faded.
Samsung's New 8K TV Basically Has No Bezel
In conjunction with its unbelievably huge wall TV reveal, Samsung has debuted a separate TV model that pretty much removes all the bezel.
I gotta admit, though, if Apple produced a zero-bezel iMac, it would look awesome and sell like crazy. I would get one!
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AFAIK, the camera can be pushed down and hidden behind the display when not in use.
Apple’s design is signature which leaves others to find ways to distinguish themselves apart from it. There is only so much you can do with a rectangular box.
On the HP having a thicker bezel on top to house the cam would have been a cleaner and more elegant solution. The grey textured finish on the chin looks rather retro like an old speaker covering.
I’ve seen the HP and others similar to it in person. They look okay for their purpose given most consumers don’t expect much in the way of aesthetics with a computer. The same with laptops and monitors. Some HP monitors have a slim chin that fools some into thinking it’s a sleek AIO.
And all the PC AIOs are dominated by black, silver and grey colours. None are as elegant or now as colourful as Apple’s design. Now that Apple is bringing colour back to its devices it remains to be seen if other manufacturers follow.
On the HP having a thicker bezel on top to house the cam would have been a cleaner and more elegant solution. The grey textured finish on the chin looks rather retro like an old speaker covering.
I’ve seen the HP and others similar to it in person. They look okay for their purpose given most consumers don’t expect much in the way of aesthetics with a computer. The same with laptops and monitors. Some HP monitors have a slim chin that fools some into thinking it’s a sleek AIO.
And all the PC AIOs are dominated by black, silver and grey colours. None are as elegant or now as colourful as Apple’s design. Now that Apple is bringing colour back to its devices it remains to be seen if other manufacturers follow.
Yes, that is correct. It looks a lot better with the camera hidden. Having such a large bezel on the iMac just for a poor camera is not a good solution. A pop-up camera is a nice alternative, although this one looks over-the-top for what it needs to me. I like the idea of being able to Magsafe an iPhone to the back of an iMac with the phone camera protruding above to work as a webcam. It does have much better cameras on the back than the iMac has.
And if Apple had gone the pop-up webcam route many would be ranting about cluttered and clunky design.
The main basis of complaint with Apple’s design is that it’s not what the vocal minority wanted and were convinced they should get. That Apple chose a different path grates with expectations—“How dare they! They should have listened to us, to me!”
The main basis of complaint with Apple’s design is that it’s not what the vocal minority wanted and were convinced they should get. That Apple chose a different path grates with expectations—“How dare they! They should have listened to us, to me!”
I’ve been recently looking at some PC All-In-Ones from Lenovo, Dell and HP at Curry’s (UK), just to compare the design with the new iMac. They all look awful, cheap and campy, same with the HP one, referenced here. I might not like white bezels on new iMac that much, but in comparison - all those PCs look like cow’s poo wrapped in fake silver plastic
For the most part computers—be they desktops, laptops, tablets or phones—are minimalist in terms of design and aesthetics. Apple changed the game with the first iMac. And their subsequent product lines did the same thing. To a large extent the competition are still playing catchup more than twenty years later. I say “to a large extent“ because cellphones seem to get more design attention than other computers (and I do consider a smartphone a computer even if it’s not recognized by most as such).
Computers are everyday tools and not many people concern themselves with the aesthetics of an everyday tool. Apple challenged that notion in a manner similar to how television sets were given aesthetic consideration. Recall when televisions were more than just a black or silver box, but were installed in elaborate consoles or cabinets to blend in with home or even office furniture. Apple computers did not have to be tucked away unobtrusively in a corner or under a desk to hide an ugly black or beige box. Creating an attractive AIO also did away with the equally ugly, and bulky, CRT monitors.
I would say that even today not much thought is given to most computer aesthetics beyond Apple. Some, but not much. Laptops seem to fare a bit better. In terms of tablets no one touches Apple presently. Samsung tablets are decent enough devices, but aesthetically theres nothing special about them. And pretty much everything else looks like cheap crap.
Computers are everyday tools and not many people concern themselves with the aesthetics of an everyday tool. Apple challenged that notion in a manner similar to how television sets were given aesthetic consideration. Recall when televisions were more than just a black or silver box, but were installed in elaborate consoles or cabinets to blend in with home or even office furniture. Apple computers did not have to be tucked away unobtrusively in a corner or under a desk to hide an ugly black or beige box. Creating an attractive AIO also did away with the equally ugly, and bulky, CRT monitors.
I would say that even today not much thought is given to most computer aesthetics beyond Apple. Some, but not much. Laptops seem to fare a bit better. In terms of tablets no one touches Apple presently. Samsung tablets are decent enough devices, but aesthetically theres nothing special about them. And pretty much everything else looks like cheap crap.