Apple’s colorful new iMacs embrace retro design, with a cutting-edge twist on the inside

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When Apple first introduced the iMac in 1998, it was one revelation for the tech industry. The all-in-one PC was unlike anything else in the industry, with the computer built right into the screen. And then there was the body. In a sea of ​​dull tanned and gray PCs, the first iMac stood out with its vibrant and colorful translucent plastic case.

Over the years, however, Apple’s iMac has been shifted from candy colors to white plastic and then, eventually, sterile machined aluminum, like many of Apple’s other devices. But on Tuesday, the company dived back into its source of color designs, announcing its latest iMac in seven colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver. It will start at $ 1,299 when pre-ordered on April 30th for shipping in May.

The front of the computer is usually a sheet of glass over the screen, with a pastel-colored chin where the bowels of the computer live. However, it has striking shades on the back.

“The back is designed to celebrate color,” said Colleen Novielli, a member of Apple’s Mac product marketing team.

The burst of color marks a break from the recent appointment and harks back to the original iMac. But using colors, no matter how eye-catching, is not something that companies do on a whim. If the company produces too much of an unpopular color, it’s just a loss of sales.

“You need to know what you’re doing when you’re in the game of colors,” said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

New inside and out

When the first iMac launched, Kay and IDC, his employer at the time, tried to help PC makers decide whether to adopt the iMac’s eye-catching designs. What he found was that while it is easy to create a good design, the safest colors among consumers were black, white, silver, and blue. So the PC guys said, ‘Yeah, we do,’ said Kay.

However, Apple is different. Analysts often compare it to a fashion company, focusing as much on the look of the computer as on the guts. And like bell-bottoms, neon, and the all-denim “Canadian tuxedo,” old trends can often come back in style after a few decades.

In the Apple world, that has translated to the company shifting from boxy designs for the 2010 iPhone 4 to the 2012 iPhone 5S, to rounded corners for the 2013 iPhone 6 to the 2019 iPhone XS. 12 boxy again.

New designs help to dramatize that something has changed too. In the case of the iMac, the computer is powered by M1 microprocessing chips. The company began shifting its computers last year from Intel microprocessing brains that powered Apple computers for 14 years, to new custom-designed computers similar to those in the iPhone and iPad.

“The technology industry is becoming like the fashion industry,” said Bob O’Donnell, an analyst at Technalysis Research. Not only does his research show that Apple buyers tend to tear younger, but O’Donnell also said more people are being forced to spend time in front of their computers at home during the pandemic. So that touch of personalized color can really matter to some people.

“I rarely get more technological lust in my heart, and I thought it was pretty cool,” he said.

Pandemic malaise

During the presentation, Apple made several nods to features that could help us get through the pandemic a little easier. For example, the iMac’s webcam has added a feature to follow and zoom in on a person as they talk during a video chat. And the microphones can supposedly filter out background noise. The iMac’s footprint is also smaller, Apple said.

None of the iMac’s new features are particularly groundbreaking – Google, Facebook, and other companies have worked on chat at home and in the office devices for years. But in Apple’s case, it all came together at a time when the company seemed to recognize that a zoom video could help families chat with each other, the microphones could help filter out kids interrupting a meeting, and the smaller footprint means that an iMac sits on a kitchen table or other small spaces, reducing the need for a central computer desk.

When Apple discussed colors, it even called them “light and optimistic.” The iMac wasn’t the only device to get a new coat of paint. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini each is given a vibrant purple as a new color option.

In any case, it is a break with our gray, COVID-bound reality.

“Apple’s goal is modern retro, but a touch of sunshine – or a bright yellow iMac – is certainly appreciated after a year of pandemic and unrest,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techsponential.