Making Beautiful Computers Is Hard for Everyone but Apple. Why?
As a programmer I find myself working on Dells everywhere I go. Every office, every complex, and every customer site is littered with Dells. In every lab and on every desk you will find servers, desktops, and especially laptops. In fact, I’ve probably seen the last 5 years worth of various Dell products come through our doors. And after all this time, I still marvel at the fact that their machines are so ugly. Hello, Mr. Dell, it is 2007. You have had ten whole years to find some inspiration from Apple’s products. So why do your machines still suck so bad? Now, I don’t really expect a company like Dell to create something as amazing as Apple’s new keyboards, but some effort would be appreciated. Come on, at least pretend to try!
What with the rather glum news for Dell recently, one would think they might finally be ready to change things up a bit in hopes of stimulating sales. Granted, I’m not trying to imply Dell has a monopoly on horrid designs (I’m looking at you HP), but they do lead the pack for unimaginative “designs.” I hate to even use the word design because it implies some smattering of creativity or eye for aesthetically pleasing forms. Let’s just all be thankful that Dell doesn’t make clothing and leave it at that.
Here are some thoughts on where Dell is going wrong. I’m going to focus on their laptops, because of all their products, they look the worse.
Extra buttons
Please stop putting those stupid media control buttons on your laptop. You are ruining a potentially clean design by sticking extra buttons on it. Are consumers really clamoring for some tacky Play/Pause/Fwd/Rew/Stop glued to their machines? You know, we Mac users get by just fine doing all that in software. Same thing with volume, the software can handle it. But if you must put volume controls on there, at least hide them a little like Apple does. Is that really too much to ask?
Stupid lights
Okay, it is a laptop, not a spaceship. It doesn’t need glowing blue and red lights. Really. If you must give it lights, at least have it do something useful. Like, oh, I don’t know, illuminate the keyboard maybe? No, I don’t trust Dell not to screw that up. Just yank the lights entirely and cheer because you can now save ¢14 on light bulbs.
Think slimfast
Try going for the “less is more” approach as your machines are a bit on the heavy side. Here is a clue. If I buy a laptop, there is a good chance I’m going to carry it around with me. Thus it might be a good idea to try and make it as light as possible. I don’t plan on using it to stop bullets or crush the skull of a robber, so no need to make it weigh 35 pounds.
Other thoughts
The ports go on the sides, the disk drive should go in the front. Get rid of obsolete ports and stop putting the USB ports on top of each other. Pick a color scheme and stick with it. Oh, and here is a hint from Microsoft: don’t pick brown.
I hope someone at Dell at least skims over this one day. Maybe then they will begin moving in a slightly different direction. Their first step might be to stop letting the managers design the hardware. But it’s just a thought.
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lol. Personally what I really can’t understand is the low grade plastic barely-held-together crap that passes for keyboards on most PCs, most especially Dell and HP. They mostly sort of creak in that plasticky way when you press the keys, their action is sticky, they look TERRIBLE. People complain Apple’s current keyboards aren’t as good as their classic ones but next to the shite that ships with most other consumer computers they look like fucking works of ART.
Actually ports on the back are much neater than the side. And not having ports on both sides would also be nicer, since then you don’t have cords coming out of everywhere.
The sleep light on the MBP is so ridiculously bright, that I can’t leave it on my nightstand when going to bed, because it goes right through my eyelids!
Dell’s are ugly pieces of crap, no question, but there are some things that Apple doesn’t do quite right either.
Most computer users aren’t all that interested in thoughtful little design touches drawn up by Apple. Even more so, when such *features* offer virtually no practical advantages. I’m certainly not alone in saying that the Mac platform is my preference because of software - not hardware. It’s the OS, not a pretty box. I am willing to tolerate the limited scope and high price of Apple hardware to run the Mac OS.
>>get rid of obsolete ports>>
Apple canned the obsolete SCSI port. PC laptop vendors are sacking the obsolete parallel port. What’s the difference?
...and what about the cute and pretty MacBook? The connection of any type of external display requires the purchase of an optional and proprietary adaptor - a separate one for each connection. Now that’s a thoughtful little design touch, isn’t it?
>>...media control buttons…>>
They may be there for a reason. Many PC laptops allow one to access media without first booting up the OS. Watch a movie, listen to music, scroll thru pics…these buttons could come in handy.
>>Pick a color scheme and stick with it >>
A choice of lid colors? The horror!! Didn’t Apple once try something similar with the old CRT iMacs? Just when we were getting used to white, Apple changed to silver. But why didn’t they change the Mighty Mouse to match? Can’t Apple pick a color scheme and stick with it??
>>...no need to make it weigh 35 pounds>>
That’s a bit of a reach, even for sarcasm. A quick search on Dell’s site found a range of weights between 4 and 9 pounds. And frankly, anyone who can’t handle a few ounces of additional weight - needs to get outside more.
>>...disk drive should go in the front>>
Oh, like the MacBook, or my trusty iBook. I see.
good article. although i prefer the macbook design of disc drive on the side instead of the front. it makes popping-in dvds easier when commuting on a bus/train and much easier on a cramped plane.
Dell does cheap. Cheap does not come in nice. Nice costs more money. It’s as easy as that. Cheaper also sells better. Why do you think Microsoft or Dell are where they are? Hint: It is not because they spend all their time trying to make the best working or most aesthetically appealing product with a corresponding price. Add to that the simple fact that the majority of people is not cursed with taste in the first place, and you got cheap, ugly computers full of blinkenlights (If you scratch the cheap part, you might end up with something of “industrial beauty” like IBM did with the Thinkpads). Get over it and be happy that there are companies which know your needs exist and are willing to cater to them.
Unfortunately, I have to work in a 100% Dull (Dell) office. The reason my company buys exclusively Dell is price. To them a computer is a commodity like paper clips. As long as it works, and it runs Windows they are happy.
OK, so Dell is cheap. I think the point is, why is it that Apple seems to corner the market on all things attractive regarding laptops?
IBM kinda has the “Land Rover” feel, and Sony has cranked out a few that can make me say “that’s interesting!”
But for every one kinda OK laptop, there are a million VERY UGLY laptops sitting at the coffee shop. I loved running into a coffee shop dominated with Macs.
I asked this in an earlier thread about the templates included in some of the iLife/iWork apps. Certainly Dell has deep enough pockets to hire top designers for hardware, maybe even come up with a “premium” line of desktops to compete with Macbook Pros.
But I think ultimately it comes down to a difference in philosophy. Apple likes “pretty.” Dell and other PC makers like choice (to a fault) and affordability. And while their designs aren’t as good, the better of the two philosophies depends greatly on what the particular users are looking for.
“The ports go on the sides, the disk drive should go in the front.”
Obviously then the Macbooks, Macbook Pros, and the iMacs are poorly designed. For shame, Apple, for shame.
“But if you must put volume controls on there, at least hide them a little like Apple does.”
Maybe you’ve been using Dells too much, but my iMac has media keys and they aren’t hidden. They reside right above the keypad and they are very handy. And the new Apple keyboard practically replaces the entire top row of F keys with media control keys.
That’s two strikes for the iMac.
“Pick a color scheme and stick with it.”
As lucky already pointed out, the iMac went from white plastic to black plastic and aluminum but the MM is still white plastic.
Three strikes for the iMac.
I disagree with James, however, that the iMac is a horribly ugly piece of hardware. I’m not sure if I like it as much as the previous color scheme, but I like the overall design of the iMacs very much.
@ Beeblebrox,
I think that James was primarily targeting his rant to laptops. At least that’s what I gathered. That said, you’re right for the iMac, but if you look at the laptops, Apple’s simplistic approach is more aesthetically pleasing, and the hardware as a whole is far more robust than most PC brands.
“I think that James was primarily targeting his rant to laptops.”
Okay then, the Macbooks/Pros have a drive on the side, not the front.
They have media keys which are not only in plain site but necessitate extra taps in order to use the F keys.
And they come in three different color schemes (pick one and stick with it, Apple!), one of which inexplicably costs a premium of $150! Can you imagine the Apple fanboy conniption if Dell charged an extra $150 just to get the same laptop in black instead of white?
@ CaptnJack: Get - some - extension - cable
@ Beeb: Yes, the black issue is ridiculous. Maybe it is supposed to make up for the lack of a 12” Pro model… *strokes 12” PB G4* naa, they could never make up for that.
Okay then, the Macbooks/Pros have a drive on the side, not the front.
No, the Pros have the drive on the front.
Can you imagine the Apple fanboy conniption if Dell charged an extra $150 just to get the same laptop in black instead of white?
A difference being, I think, that laptop would look just as shit as its cheaper cousin.
You actually use the F keys on a Mac? I can’t remember when I’ve actually used them except for Expose or Dashboard… Interesting.