I love what Benj Edwards is doing over at Macworld:
What few realize about the birth of Apple’s translucent industrial design is that it didn’t start with the iMac. At least five Apple products prior to the iMac incorporated translucent plastics. In fact, the trend originated within Apple some two years before the launch of the iMac and almost a year before Steve Jobs returned to the company.
The design is still striking.
TUAW has some cool information on the friction-stir welding Apple is using on the new, yet-to-be-shipped-OMG-WHY iMacs.
There’s a subtle shift after 2007, but I can’t put my finger on what caused it…
Daniel Eran Dilger:
Over the past five years, Apple has introduced a wide variety of new iOS features that have percolated their way “back to the Mac,” as well as having introduced OS X features that have later shown up in its mobile devices. However, Apple’s own first party apps, and in particular iTunes, have also served as harbingers of new user interface directions.
I suppose we should welcome our new iOS-like overlords.
It’s always fun to see just how much space inside these devices is used for the battery.
While reading through iLounge’s review of the new iPod nano, I was struck by the photographs on this page. The nano truly is Apple’s hardware playground, as the company has changed the design numerous times over the years.
That makes the nano an interesting device. Apple is much more likely to refine than re-define a product, and the iPod nano is really one of the very few examples I can think of where this isn’t the case.
Ironically, I own a Cube and really want a TAM. I also wouldn’t mind a Molar Mac, but that’s just for nostalgia’s sake.
Note that OS X’s scrollbars behave more like NeXTSTEP’s than OS 8’s.
Sometimes with Apple, I’ll disagree with a change but understand it. That’s not the case this time. I really can’t wrap my head around why the company did this.
Jason Snell, in his excellent iPhone 5 review:
If the white-and-silver iPhone 5 is Gandalf’s iPhone, the black-and-slate model is Darth Vader’s.
I bought the black iPhone, but after looking at these photos, manhandling a white one last night and living in constant fear of nicking the fragile black aluminum, I think I might be regretting it.