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Why are PC's so ugly? Any thoughts?

R

raster

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 15, 2005
101
0
West
Why is it, that PC makers make such ugly, tacky looking enclosures for their machines.
I do understand that some people out there, do not care about or can even see the difference in aesthetics. (Some peoples brains don’t think that way, I can’t fault them for that) So I understand from their logical explanations, that they do not need to buy Apples for looks.
It seems to me that some computer maker would look at all the products out there and say
“well if we make something that looks a little nicer, we could charge a premium for it and some of the PC users that can afford it would buy for aesthetics.
I live in NYC and do all my Apple shopping at the SOHO store. But when I need blank cds or ink etc. I usually go to J&R downtown. When I walk through their show room, I can’t believe how incredibly ugly everything is. It all looks like cheap 80’s Sci-fi junk. Like it was all designed from lets say – the land of Godzilla …
Is there anyone here that works for Dell, Gateway, Sony etc. that has any insight into the design decisions of these companies?
 
I think a lot of it comes down to saying costs. Plastics and such are easy to mold and fabricate, while the aluminum of the PowerBooks/PowerMacs takes some extra steps to make and polish. This isn't the only reason why they look so bad, maybe all they care about is getting the required parts into the body and the product onto the shelves.
 
While I would agree that in general 95% of the PC cases available look like crap, there's actually a few out there that I like quite a bit. Now, none of them have replicated the lust I have for the look of the PowerMac G5's... but there are some PC enclosures out there that aren't half bad functionally and aesthetically. However, it's no coincidence that some of my favorite PC cases do have some elements of the G5 look to them.

Some PC case manufacturers that I like..

Lian-Li makes some nice ones.

The Antec P150 is both functional and not that bad to look at (though I would prefer it in a glossy black finish... which apparently they will be releasing soon if some pics from CeBit06 are any indication). I know a lot of people like the P180, but to me it just looks like a refrigerator.

Silverstone has some quality cases, as well. Particularly the TJ-07 and the yet-to-be-released mATX tower TJ-08.

Chenbro had a case they no longer sell that was a clear rip-off of the G5, right down to the look of the handles... which may be partly why I liked it.

Those should give you some ideas on what I like in PC cases... clean, efficient without the extra "bling" like neon fans and alien/dragon heads that seem to dominate most of the PC case market.
 
Because PC makers still think "Form follows function"! They build they're exteriors simply to house the interiors.

Whereas Apple builds machines which are asethically pleasing and functional...
brilliant!

:D
 
Yea, some of those companies just throw some parts into a box and sell it....THE BEST EVER!

You should see me handle my compaq and my ibook.....compaq the bastard step child from hell but no matter what i still love the old bugga


Bless
 
dmw007 said:
Would you really expect a computer that runs Windows to have a nice case...? Beauty is more than just skin deep! ;) :)
Click to expand...

I don't really expect anything from them, And I am not a Windows Hater, I really don't think too much about it. My 14 years expereince with computers has always been with Apple products mainly due to Photoshop and the graphic arts industry. (I moved from the Darkroom to Computer in 1992, and have made a living from it ever since) I don't worship them, or Apple Inc or Steve Jobs.

Your comment about beauty is more than skin deep is a little confussing.
Are you saying that the beauty of a PC lies inside.
 
The PC is a commodity item. Interesting and different form-factors cost money both to design and manufacture, which is almost impossible to recoup if you are competing against a flood of cheap, minimal boxes. Sony has tried to sell nicely-designed Windows machines at a high ticket prices, but they don't move a huge number of them. Further, the profit in selling Windows boxes goes almost entirely to Microsoft. The OEMs have little incentive to invest in anything but cheap repackaging.
 
OK, I understand the concept of no money in it. However - They do employ designers I would imaging. The question is really about how do they look at ther product designs that their designers come up with and say "Yes that looks good, lets make 10 million of those".
I mean some don't just look cheap, they look like "TRANSFORMERS" toys...
Like some of those tacky Boomboxes at Circuit City I see.
 
PC makers typically work from the inside out. You know what you want on the inside and you build an enclosure for it. Apple designs the enclosure and makes the components fit. Look at the G4 & G5 iMacs, Mac mini, eMac, and Cube.
 
raster said:
Your comment about beauty is more than skin deep is a little confussing.
Are you saying that the beauty of a PC lies inside.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the confusion over this. I was trying to say that many people view beauty as being just on the outside (the case of the computer) instead of what is inside being beautiful (the OS; Mac or Windows). With a PeeCee, both the inside and outside tend (but not always) to be ugly. So no, the beauty of a PC is not what lies inside inside, its nonexistent. :)
 
raster said:
Why is it, that PC makers make such ugly, tacky looking enclosures for their machines....
....Is there anyone here that works for Dell, Gateway, Sony etc. that has any insight into the design decisions of these companies?
Click to expand...
Some are better than Apple's offerings.

If I could run MacOSX on this I'd buy it in a second over any Apple i, Power or Mac Book.
 
mpw said:
Some are better than Apple's offerings.

If I could run MacOSX on this I'd buy it in a second over any Apple i, Power or Mac Book.
Click to expand...

Nice laptop (especially if you could install Mac OS on it), but I'll stick with Apple. :)
 
raster said:
OK, I understand the concept of no money in it. However - They do employ designers I would imaging. The question is really about how do they look at ther product designs that their designers come up with and say "Yes that looks good, lets make 10 million of those".
I mean some don't just look cheap, they look like "TRANSFORMERS" toys...
Like some of those tacky Boomboxes at Circuit City I see.
Click to expand...

Successful design requires taking the time, and spending the money, to sweat the details. If you aren't in a market where that investment can be readily recouped, then you won't spend it.
 
mpw said:
Some are better than Apple's offerings.

If I could run MacOSX on this I'd buy it in a second over any Apple i, Power or Mac Book.
Click to expand...
yep, That looks pretty good
 
Most PCs, like most non-Apple MP3 players, seem to have design teams led by engineers who don't have a clue about usability. They also have this somewhat mistaken notion that piling on more features, more ports, and more buttons onto a device somehow adds more value to the product. It doesn't help that PCs generally have a lot more ports due to legacy interfaces that won't go away, nor do they use Apple-style space saving tricks like putting a universal digital video out port on a laptop, which can be converted to VGA, DVI, or S-video via an adapter.

Apple generally strikes a good balance between "everything you need, and nothing you don't". I do wish they would stick one or two more USB ports on pretty much every machine they make, though, but I'll survive...

The bottom line is Steve Jobs is the only computer executive -- perhaps the only exec in the entire consumer electronics field today -- that really sweats the little details, and he is willing to invest the time and money to make sure those details are right.
 
mpw said:
Some are better than Apple's offerings.

If I could run MacOSX on this I'd buy it in a second over any Apple i, Power or Mac Book.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I don't see the appeal. Maybe I need to check one in person, but it doesn't look much better than your average PC laptop in these photos.
 
mpw said:
Some are better than Apple's offerings.

If I could run MacOSX on this I'd buy it in a second over any Apple i, Power or Mac Book.
Click to expand...

What's so special about it? the keyboard looks uncomfortable/difficult to use. I mean, completely flat keys? Forget ergonomics.
 
Sutekidane said:
What's so special about it? the keyboard looks uncomfortable/difficult to use. I mean, completely flat keys? Forget ergonomics.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I take back what I said earlier - That Vio sucks
 
Current Apple designs are cold and sterile and tired and repetitious. Ive has jumped the shark.
 
Sutekidane said:
What's so special about it? the keyboard looks uncomfortable/difficult to use. I mean, completely flat keys? Forget ergonomics.
Click to expand...
The keyboard is as comfortable in use as my old iBook and I don't know exactly what you mean about flat keys? I'll admit that the trackpad buttons are a little odd at first but that didn't bother me much.

As for what's special the packaging is fantastic it has as good a spec as most other laptops is a true portable and weighs considerable less than a 12" iBook 1.25kg vs 2.2kg)

If only it could run OSX:(
 
The PC market is probably a low margin market everybody tries to get by cheaper and cheaper. I believe the case design is the last thing PC makers worry about.


Most Apple design's are more appealing to me. I don't think Apple is really competing with a low margin PC maker it's just a different game Apple is playing.
 
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