Aesthetics

From: Philip.Belben_at_pgen.com <(Philip.Belben_at_pgen.com)>
Date: Mon Jun 21 11:53:17 1999

> Has anyone ever put together a list of handsomely designed computers?
> Not great runners, not powerful, but just aesthetically pleasing? My
> impression is that there probably are not all that many, and that the
> first machines to exclude from such a list are the iMac grotesques.


I have seen some of the replies to this, and rather than join in the argument,
I'll just make some suggestions.

I too like the PET.

But I don't like the 8032SK or its 8296 descendant. (I always maintained that
SK stood for Silly Kasing). Yes, it's not bad to look at, and was one of the
first curvy machines, but the keyboard plug that always falls out at the worst
moment spoils it totally for me.

Lots of people sing the praise of the SGI Personal Iris descendant that looks
like two blue plastic wedges that don't quite make a cuboid when placed
together. But I thought that was naff, as we say over here.

We had some machines (PC clones) at work a few years ago which were square with
one corner cut off. You put them in the corner of one of those desks with
curved fronts, with the cut-off corner towards you, and find that the latter has
floppy drives etc. in it. But I can't remember the manufacturer. I thought it
was a nice (visual) design, but boring machines.

Philip.

PS I like the original Mac better (visually) than any subsequent Mac)
Received on Mon Jun 21 1999 - 11:53:17 BST