Why Apple products have limited color options

Apples design choices amount to “we are whatever the other guys aren’t”.

That’s a line I say a little further down in this post but I wanted to do that thing where a pull-quote is used to demonstrate a thesis cuz that’s what real journalism is, or something.

The logo for their September product announcement event appears to be a stack of clear colored plastic shells.

So does this mean they are bringing back color – or, sorry, “flavor” – options to their computers like the early 2000’s iMac and iBook options?

I’m gonna say that will be a solid no because Apples design choices amount to “we are whatever the other guys aren’t”.

So the first Apple computer debut’s as a beige square and later a beige monitor with a beige tower connected to it and their first laptops came in off-white and then off-black (or what Apple today calls “Space Gray”) – but then when every desktop maker offered nothing but a beige tower or black laptop, they come out with “flavors” of computers that include color options that are bright and zesty and intentionally absent of white, off-white, beige/tan/whatever available choices in desktop and black options for laptops taken away.

But then when the other computer makers catch up and start making fun looking colorful desktop and laptop options, Apple says “fkk-you” and makes all their machines in unpainted uniform aluminum.

The same with iPhones: They were black when most cell phones were silver, became silver when most cell phones started copying the black iPhone, and expanded into colorful options only after the industry standard for smart phones were “either silver or black”.

Apple is what the others aren’t – or at least that’s how the company wants people to think of their products. So what they offer is shaped by what the standard is and then Apple will go do the opposite.