No, the new iMac isn’t ugly. Design and colors are a breath of fresh air

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The event has been one of the most exciting product launches for any tech company in quite some time. Apple (AAPL) showcased a brand new product – its AirTag location trackers – updated iPads, a revamped Apple TV, and the biggest design change to the iMac in years.

After being stuck indoors for over a year staring at drab computer screens, the iMac’s new look and vibrant colors are a breath of fresh air.

Now at just 11.5 millimeters deep and just 10 pounds, the iMac looks more like an iPad on a stand than a standard computer. The desktop computer is so thin that Apple has moved the headphone jack to the side of the screen; it no longer fits in the back because it is now deeper than the screen itself.

The company’s new internal M1 chip – a processor that will make everything run twice as fast as its predecessor – is inserted into what people call the chin or white frame that sits just below the display. The previous iMac also featured a chin-up, but had a large logic board and thermals in part due to its power-hungry processor, and other components such as the processor and GPU were located separately in the system.

Now with M1 everything is consolidated into a much smaller logic board. In theory, Apple could have sacrificed some thinness to eliminate the chin.

Many people criticized the move, calling the chin distracting and out of balance with the rest of the screen. Memes broadcast what a similar design would look like on an iPhone.

“Apple made a clear choice around the chin and it was the slim design that was at the center of this iMac design,” said Dan Ives, director of investment firm Wedbush. “It’s all about creating a particularly thin iMac, and for Apple it’s a 360-degree view, which is why the design team decided not to put the internal components in it. ‘back.”

Apple made a big mistake with its new iMacs

While some believe Apple may introduce a display with less bezel in the coming months, as well as more traditional colors, its decision to now offer a bold design with equally bold colors draws attention to the line. potentially encouraging more people to switch from their existing computers.

Michael Heilemann, senior designer at website creation and hosting company Squarespace, was among the designers who championed Apple’s changes. “The new iMac makes a statement again,” Heilemann told CNN Business. “Computers aren’t just for spreadsheets or to tuck away in the drawer when you’re done. They can be a part of you just like your clothes and furniture. You use them just as much, so why not?

“The slim and sleek design also means that although it is colorful and loud, it is stylish,” he added.

Rather than the grays and whites of its usual color wheel space, the new lineup offers iMacs in red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple and silver. Apple’s keyboard and Magic Mouse will also be available in a variety of colors.

Each color was hidden in the event’s press invitations, which are often filled with red herring, and again appeared in the video at the start of the keynote with CEO Tim Cook. In the clip, an animation of colorful spirals bounced around Apple’s campus, ultimately forming the word “hello,” a reference that dates back to the very first Mac. It feels like a throwback to how Apple experimented with colors and a few patterns in the early days of iMacs, as it looked for ways to stand out.

“Until the first iMac, they were harmless at best, trying to get the most out of being a desktop device,” Heilemann said. “The iMac changed that and made it something that people could have in their homes without feeling like they were taking the office home with them.”

Over time, Apple ditched colors and eccentricities in favor of a more minimalist industrial design.

While it’s unusual for desktops to be available in so many colors, Ross Rubin, senior analyst at Reticle Research, noted that other companies have tried to differentiate themselves in different ways in recent years. HP’s all-in-one computer comes with a widescreen widescreen display, Lenovo introduced one that swivels 90 degrees, and Microsoft’s Surface Desktop can be lowered and advanced to the point that it can be used as a tablet.

“But the design of the iMac is striking,” said Rubin. “It will be difficult for PC makers to achieve this level of thinness for a while unless they start to take advantage of the ARM chips that they have only used in laptops so far.”

Although the pandemic has renewed interest in desktop computers as more people work from home, it is uncertain whether demand will continue with the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and the reopening of hospitals. savings. Still, it’s refreshing to see Apple, perhaps, thinking differently yet again.

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