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Best Apple Hardware Design

  • iPod Classic

    Votes: 18 8.4%
  • iPad 1

    Votes: 4 1.9%
  • iPad 2/3

    Votes: 9 4.2%
  • Macbook Pro (non-unibody)

    Votes: 3 1.4%
  • Macbook Pro (unibody)

    Votes: 40 18.7%
  • Retina Macbook Pro

    Votes: 54 25.2%
  • iPhone 3G/3GS

    Votes: 6 2.8%
  • iPhone 4/4S

    Votes: 66 30.8%
  • iPod Nano Touch

    Votes: 2 0.9%
  • Macbook (white, non-unibody)

    Votes: 2 0.9%
  • Macbook (white, unibody)

    Votes: 3 1.4%
  • Macbook (black)

    Votes: 12 5.6%
  • Macbook Air (1st gen)

    Votes: 12 5.6%
  • Macbook Air (2nd gen)

    Votes: 45 21.0%
  • iMac G4

    Votes: 34 15.9%
  • iMac G5/intel

    Votes: 6 2.8%
  • iMac (aluminum, unibody)

    Votes: 14 6.5%
  • Mac Pro

    Votes: 10 4.7%
  • Mac Mini

    Votes: 8 3.7%
  • iPod Shuffle (4th gen)

    Votes: 2 0.9%

  • Total voters
    214

roblin

macrumors regular
Apr 5, 2007
222
47
apple-ipod-nano.jpg
 

Starfighter

macrumors 6502a
Jun 17, 2011
679
36
Sweden
iMac G5, hands down. It's one thing that they are, for the most part, as reliable as a house of cards in a sandstorm but they sure are pretty.
 

SkyBell

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2006
6,606
226
Texas, unfortunately.
The original iBook, the iMac G3, the redesigned iBook G3, eMac, PM G3/G4, iMac G4 - basically, pretty much anything from 1998-2003 or thereabouts. Apple products will never have the same feel, beauty or innovation as they once did in that time.
 
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Ddyracer

macrumors 68000
Nov 24, 2009
1,786
31
There needs to be more options in the poll. What about the iPod touch? Power Mac G4 cube?
 

bembol

macrumors 65816
Jul 29, 2006
1,077
64
I don't know the Generation/Model.

Cube MacPro? and the WALL*E iMac.
 

Abstract

macrumors Penryn
Dec 27, 2002
24,888
921
Location Location Location
Best designs, with no judgement based on their popularity or sales figures as some people have mentioned, but with consideration of their significance in history and competitor's designs at the time:

  • Original iMac "Candy coloured" designs
  • G4 Cube
  • iMac G4 "Flower Power".
  • iPod 1st gen
  • PowerBook 12"
  • iPod Mini, and the iPod 4th gen that copied the iPod mini's touch-sensitive jog wheel.
  • Original iPhone
  • MacBook Air (2nd gen)
 

cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,228
3,365
United Kingdom
'Lamp' iMac if not just for the hilarious advert. It was a cool design at the time too.

There are many really great designs, but my top 5 (other than the aforementioned iMac)

5. Magic Mouse - a seriously cool design for a mouse
4. Bondi blue iMac
3. iPhone 4
2. iPod mini
1. Pretty much any MacBook Pro - all beautiful designs for their eras.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
For its the iMac and G4 Cube
 

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ivoruest

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 12, 2010
398
28
Guatemala
This, and the Cube are the best.

But for influence? OP, where's the Original iPhone? Also, if you included the PowerBook 100 and/or 500, you'd have some competition. They set the standard for laptops the way we use them now.

I'm sorry. I had a hard time trying to remember all and trying to choose the best of all based on my opinions. But a reply with your favorite design is also taken into account! ;)
 

D*I*S_Frontman

macrumors 6502
May 20, 2002
462
28
Appleton,WI
My vote would have to be for the sexiest, most flexible laptop Apple ever produced. Batman's laptop.

The Powerbook G3 "Pismo"

Powerbook_g3_pismo.jpg

Curvy. No-slip rubberized surfaces. Good wifi reception. Firewire. Two expansion bays that you could customize to do almost anything (Superdrive, extra HDD, second battery, you name it). 1 GB RAM max, which is a great ceiling for so old a system.

The final rendition of the pre-Titanium Powerbooks, Apple got everything right before diving into the thin/squarish/minimalist design ethic.

The only flaw to it AFAIK was the old yoyo power supply. If Apple had been using Magsafe connectors back then, I'd still be running my old Pismo today. My black lab tripped over the adapter cable and sent the Pismo to our kitchen hardwood floor, smashing the display. The computer still functioned with a monitor, though, and the HDD could be accessed via Target Mode, so I did not lose any important files. Sold the unit for scrap, but i think the guy I sold it to just replaced the LCD and soldiered on. Might still be in service today for all I know.

For simple word processing or as a big-screen DVD player for my kids on long road trips, they could still be useful. If I happened on one in good condition for cheap I'd probably buy it.

No laptop was ever sexier than a Pismo.
 

Melrose

Suspended
Dec 12, 2007
7,806
399
^^ The MagSafe has saved my laptop a couple times too. :eek:

I'm sorry. I had a hard time trying to remember all and trying to choose the best of all based on my opinions. But a reply with your favorite design is also taken into account! ;)

In retrospect I think my tone may have been patronizing. I didn't mean it that way at all. I just didn't see my choice on the list. :)
 

Danoc

macrumors 6502a
Mar 28, 2011
623
1,220
Really? What's so good about that?

It's the ultimate laptop design. Can hardly be thinner or lighter or smaller. Until we find a way to put a full powerful, recent computer in a single chip. Because of the MBA, the laptop industry is going to be very, very boring!

Defining an entire category or industry is a good definition of a good design.
 

G51989

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2012
2,530
10
NYC NY/Pittsburgh PA
It's the ultimate laptop design. Can hardly be thinner or lighter or smaller. Until we find a way to put a full powerful, recent computer in a single chip. Because of the MBA, the laptop industry is going to be very, very boring!

Defining an entire category or industry is a good definition of a good design.

The ultimate laptop design? What makes it so different? I'd hardly call it the best for everyone, for me. Its just to underpowered.

The MBA is a great little laptop, but ultimate for everyone? nah.

Here's what I carry around ;)

20110419-08314295--img6469.jpg


That's not boring, at all. ( I went for the red glow on mine )
 

righteye

macrumors 6502
Aug 29, 2011
337
47
London
The ultimate laptop design? What makes it so different? I'd hardly call it the best for everyone, for me. Its just to underpowered.

The MBA is a great little laptop, but ultimate for everyone? nah.

Here's what I carry around ;)

Image

That's not boring, at all. ( I went for the red glow on mine )

YUK,thats the opposite of :apple: design, if i wanted that many lights i would plug in a USB christmas tree.
My father bought a G4 graphite tower and the acrylic screen when he was about 75 ( we thought he was crazy) but at the same time i remember being really impressed with the design.
 

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G51989

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2012
2,530
10
NYC NY/Pittsburgh PA
YUK,thats the opposite of :apple: design, if i wanted that many lights i would plug in a USB christmas tree.
.

Its just the opposite of Apple design. Doesn't mean its bad, some people like myself are into crazy looking ultra high performance laptops. And by high performance, I mean it. Apple laptops don't come anywhere close in the performance department.
 

OnceYouGoMac

macrumors 6502
Aug 14, 2012
423
0
In front of my Mac
My personal favourites:

MacBook Pro Unibody
MacBook Air
iMac G4 (Lampshade iMac)
PowerBook G4 (those 12" ones looked cute... sadly I was stuck with a PC when they were around :()
Black MacBook
Mac Pro
Mac Mini
iPod Touch 4G
 
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