Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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I like the current white look of the "consumer" line. I don't think it looks cheap. But whatever.
Black Powerbook? I could see it, I guess. I think it'd probably be metallic black, but matte black can look nice too (I think Sony pulled it off smashingly on the new "mini PS2."). Would I bet on it? Probably not, unless Apple changes the Power Mac G5s to match. Whether you like their decision to unify the appearance of their lines or not, you can't deny that it exists. If Apple, say, couldn't make a 12" Powerbook G5 and so they decided to make a G4 convertable tablet in itss place, then I could see that "PowerPad" being black. But of course I would - it is, alas, a figment of my imagination. It would be interesting to see if Apple extends the adonized aluminum look of the iPm to other products. Maybe that 10" iBook people were raving about a while back? Not that I think that'll happen... And while we're discussing colors, I'm with pscates - Apple should introduce new iPm colors. Orange, Red, Purple, whatever...just as long as they add Yellow. |
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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I think the thing that Apple needs to do most of all is make the PowerBook easier to service. It must cost Apple a fortune to do a repair on the current aluminum line of Powerbooks. If they had a PowerBook layout in a similar track as the Power Mac G5......Just look at how the new iMac g5 is fully user-serviceable. I would expect this with a new Power Mac G5. I would like to be able to replace my internal hard drive without voiding its warranty.
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I certainly prefer the aluminum style Powerbook. Looks great on the current generation PBs, PowerMac G5, LCDs (and various aluminum accessories). However, black aluminum wouldn't be too bad IMO.
And I think the iBooks should be given the finish that the iMac G5s have. It's a beautiful finish in person. It would make it a little more classy, as the current finish is sort of flat & dull. |
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BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Washington, DC
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The PB I remember most was the sligtly curvy one in black.
If you want corporate appeal my choice would be a two-tone charcoal and bronze exterior to match a good suit - or a black leather skin over the case - and with a slightly curvaceous exterior. Carbon fibre has to be high gloss to look any good and that epoxy surface will scratch rapidly. Besides it looks trashy to me, like a flash rat with a gold tooth. |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
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The current white polycarbonate plastic Apple uses for iBooks looks incredibly cheap in person. I agree that they should go back to painting the insides of clear acrylic shells.
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Apple Historian
Join Date: May 2004
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I don't think they look "cheap." The iBooks could look better, but they are certainly not cheap-looking.
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can't read sarcasm.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
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Or maybe to simply make it look "less premium" to better differentiate it against the then Titanium PB. With the sleek looking current Aluminum PB , it would be nice for the iBook to go back to acrylic shells. |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Hampshire (the original one)
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: A Stoned Throw From Ground Zero
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Personally, I prefer the clean professional look of the aluminum gear,but hate the white keyboards.
For those of you thinking in colors, there's something for everyone here. /http://www.alienware.com/configurator_pages/details_pages/static_pages/case_changer_start.aspx Unfortunately, you can't run OSX on these. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
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Can't run OS X? I don't want it!
If you want to be more colorful than your conformist comrades, I recommend checking out ColorWare PC. Yum, colors Come waste your time with me |
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I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: May 2004
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: OUTSIDE of Redmond
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Just got a Powerbook G4 12". Beautiful case. Hope they keep it.
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
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It's not just the glossy polycarbonate they use for the outer shell either, the iBook G4s and revised G3s also have cheaper top cases, too. The original iceBooks had slightly metallic plastics that surrounded the keyboard and trackpad, while the newer ones have switched to duller, more plastic-like white surfaces, like the kind you would find on a kitchen appliance.
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
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I think anodized aluminum is the next step. It's anodized now of course, but I mean with a color. This process is affordable and can produce a range of impressive colors (look at bike frames, pretty common there). I only worry about wear; scratch through the aluminum that's been anodized and you get a pretty obvious silver scratch.
Carbon fiber would be very interesting, but it would be hard to work the detail areas like corners, vents, hinges, latches, button indentations, etc. Obviously these fixtures would need metal or plastics. Not to mention the insulating aspects, making size even more difficult. I just don't see fiber being very easy to pull off, maybe used for lid and bottom. One thing I do ask for is hard surface over my LCD that stands up to everyday use and keyboard proximity. Even my Gateway laptop from work has a glass surface and I feel better with that there. Perhaps Apple will consider the new coating from TDK |
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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the thing with colours is that retailers have to keep more in stock, in case a consevative businessman customer doesn't want an ipod-mini-pink powerbook. however, it would be cool to have a green or blue anodized pb. even the pink has a certain :smokey: factor, if one is comfortable with one's masculinity. |
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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Sliding a flat piece of anodized aluminum in and out of airport bins with gravel in the bottom (from shoes) or across table with single bit of sand and I guarantee a higher chance for scratches. That said, anodizing is fairly tough especially with treated with a resilient clear polymer. Sorry, I can't help but talk about this stuff...I'm a material guy....but yeah, anodized pink has it's attraction. Look at the miniPods. |
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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The one thing I wonder about if Apple is going black is how will they backlight the keyboard?
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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As long as the letter is translucent, what difference does key color make? |
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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Location: Washington, DC
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Worse, it's not really a renewable finish. The good thing about the plastics on iBooks, for example, is that it can be buffed and the scratches smoothed out. On the other hand, once an anodized finish is wrecked, it's wrecked for good. |
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If they wanted to get crazy they could take a tip from Ford (Mustang, the gauges), and make the keys standard "white" but when you fire up the backlight could make it so the coloring under the keyboard changes colors via a knob/dial/switch, perhaps even cycling (great for hippy laptop owners needing a lava lamp away from home ). It also wouldn't require Apple to produce the new laptops in different colors. They could just change the backlighting color via a dial (mini iPod thumbwheel perhaps?). Maybe take a tip from the old Powerbook 1400's and have removable panels for customization. Although this could scarily make Mac laptops look like some of the newer Dell's that offer this yeeeeeeeeears later. :-P Better yet... why not just take a tip from the Motorola Razr phone? Nothing to say the keys can't be aluminum (attached to transparent plastic underneath) with engravings so when the back-lighting is on it passes through the engravings and around the keys? Personally... I have no complaints about staying with silver for the Pro, and white for the lower line. I can't see Apple making their lineup look like the U2 iPod's. Not that the U2 iPod isn't cool, it's just... I dunno... kinda' gaudy in a sense with that red blinging at you. Black tends to look 1980's/1990's on a computer anymore, especially when I think of NeXT. Awesome machines but I think Apple's gone past that by leap's and bound's. The U2 iPod was a statement of sorts... and I'm sure we'll see more. I'm waiting for the Crushed Velvet Snoop Dogg iPod myself. I heard the thumbwheel's gonna' spin and be 5" 'round. If we talk about going black... hell why not... woodgrain. Go old school, bring back the Apple 1 look. I have mental images of corrugated anodized aluminum (think like the old wooden speedboats) and a nice teak or cherry, maybe a birch. Make it have a homey feel to it. Seriously... I hope Ive can come up with something different than coloring to set the next machines apart for the next "big" thing. I don't think the coloring is the issue, and I think it's a firmly established look that is decisively Apple in terms of the coloring variation. The problem is centered around just how many are aping Apple's pro line for everything they do (I do admit the black lacquer/silver look is sharp but it's been done). Dell went with the anodized aluminum look... but in fairness, it still looks like their old desktop/laptop just in a different material or color. I expect Apple to make the form factor the "wow", not the color. Sort of like the Motorola Razr phone. Lots of phones come in silver. Lots have blue lighting. None look that cool... so far. Marcus Mackey mmackey27@comcast.net |
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