6 ms·

His 3rd point, regarding color, is to me one of the most compelling reasons Apple maintains such a large market share of portable products over time. No one lik

His 3rd point, regarding color, is to me one of the most compelling reasons Apple maintains such a large market share of portable products over time. No one likes to own the exact same thing everyone else has and so by using color to differentiate, consumers can still feel unique when purchasing mass-produced items. Has any other company used color in such a way? (the only example that comes to my mind is the original Pokemon games)

george_morgan 16y ago
Within consumer electronics, Nokia were good at letting customers differentiate their phones by allowing interchangeable facias. Didn't Sony also release various colours of Walkmen? I imagine the ability to mass produce a product in multiple colours was made vastly easier with the introduction plastics. So I could see Tupperware being a contender for one of the first?
jonknee 16y ago
> Has any other company used color in such a way? (the only example that comes to my mind is the original Pokemon games) Nintendo seems to, I have seen their DS units in a lot of colors. Related to Apple and the iPod, SanDisk offers the Sansa in a range of colors. It can be a challenge though, as Apple showed with the mythical white iPhone 4.
- rkudeshi 16y ago
  Ah, good one. Completely forgot about Nintendo. /proud owner of a Game Boy Micro with swappable color faceplates. (Also just remembered that you could change the faceplate on the Xbox 360, at least before the slim version.)
  - jcitme 16y ago
    don't forget the TI84
- jimbokun 16y ago
  My kids have standard White Wii, but talk longingly about owning the Red Wii.
- hnhg 16y ago
  The Gamecube was also released in a range of colours. http://www.gamecubeconsole.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/GameCube-Console-colors.jpg http://www.gamecubeconsole.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/G...
  - mambodog 16y ago
    Nintendo has been doing this kind of individualisation-through-colours for a long while in both their hand-helds[1] and consoles[2]. [1] http://www.dijitalfix.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gameboy02.jpeg http://www.dijitalfix.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ga... [2] http://www.oldskool.tv/images/OLDSKOOL/november/nintendo_64_image.jpg http://www.oldskool.tv/images/OLDSKOOL/november/nintendo_64_...
- smackfu 16y ago
  Yeah, all the $30 MP3 players come in a wide range of colors.
bkudria 16y ago
If Apple were so serious about color, they'd let you see all the colors and black/white iPad 2 combinations.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- ghurlman 16y ago
  Somehow, I think you'll see exactly that in the retail stores come March 11.
  - bkudria 16y ago
    I looked but I can't find a link to this "retail stores". Where is it?
- ugh 16y ago
  http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC947LL/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC947LL/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY All colors with the two iPads in ridiculously high resolution. Click (twice!) to zoom in all the way.
  - bkudria 16y ago
    Thank you. I think I like White iPad + Red Leather.
    - jodrellblank 16y ago
      There you go, you're no longer thinking about whether an iPad is right for you, you're thinking whether a Black iPad with brown cover is more right than a White iPad with Red leather. "I'd like to schedule a meeting with you, is Wednesday afternoon, or Friday morning better for you?" ;)
      - MaysonL 16y ago
        Ah, the power of framing and anchoring.
julianz 16y ago
Cars? Pretty much every other consumer product in history? Other than those two, I totally see your point.
- angelbob 16y ago
  And yet in electronics (computers, smartphones) this is still innovation, alas.
  - moe 16y ago
    Smartphones perhaps, but other mobile phones have had swappable covers forever (e.g. nokia).
    - dekz 16y ago
      "great artists steal"
  - sjs 16y ago
    Dell has offered a range of colours on their notebooks for at least a few years. It's rare but not unheard of. Also the Panasonic Shockwave walkmans and discmans of the 90s. There are 2 off the top of my head.
  - jodrellblank 16y ago
    Coloured plastic gadgets are rare and new? Pardon? http://images.google.com/images?q=digital+camera+colours http://images.google.com/images?q=digital+camera+colours http://www.homedosh.com/wp-content/uploads/bodum-bistro-colored-toaster1.jpg http://www.homedosh.com/wp-content/uploads/bodum-bistro-colo... http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu6/economix/Sony%20Reader/sonycolors.png http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu6/economix/Sony%20Reade... http://www.equip-u.com/shop/images/products_computers/bstk-Bumpy-USB-mouse.jpg http://www.equip-u.com/shop/images/products_computers/bstk-B... http://de-en.sonoro-audio.com/tl_files/images/site/de/cubo_2010/gallery/cubo_2010_colours_front.jpg http://de-en.sonoro-audio.com/tl_files/images/site/de/cubo_2... - clock radio and iPod dock. http://images.google.com/images?q=swatch http://images.google.com/images?q=swatch http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/images/elegante_range_big.jpg http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/images/elegante_range_big.jpg - loudspeakers http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/15111/34_2007/Colorful-Panasonic-Phones.jpg http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/15111/34_2007/Colo... http://www.tuccistore.co.uk/mens-1/accessories-11/paul-smith-unisex-toothbrush-234649-87379.jpg http://www.tuccistore.co.uk/mens-1/accessories-11/paul-smith... http://www.lovingoutdoors.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/600x600/4e3061b3f3826cd42fa026f4dde98714/p/o/powermonkey_explorer_06.jpg http://www.lovingoutdoors.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/... http://www.techshout.com/images/dell-inspiron-colors.jpg http://www.techshout.com/images/dell-inspiron-colors.jpg OK, so you can't get the same ADSL router in a choice of colours that I know of, or the same book with a choice of covers, but choice of colours in stuff is not innovation.
Charuru 16y ago
Err, choice is either good or bad, pick one. Every company from Nokia to Dell has colorful variations of most devices. What I remember was people praising Apple for their simplicity and elegance in deciding your color for you.
Florin_Andrei 16y ago
> Has any other company used color in such a way? Compared to Apple, all the other computer companies look socially inept. It's like the difference between someone who actually understands how people work, and a bunch of Mr. Nerd McDorky.
GHFigs 16y ago
The article mentions Kodak in 1927, which is an important year for color in the design of products. 1927 was the year that Catalin plastic was introduced. It was like Bakelite without the sawdust filler, so it could be produced in colors other than black and brown, and could be left translucent or marbled, as well. This was used to great effect all over the place, but the staggering variety of beautiful radio sets of the 30s to 50s are a particularly good example.
Hoff 16y ago
The business PC gear has been dull, but some of the consumer gear has had color options. Dell has had various colors available for their systems for a number of years, and HP was selling designer-labeled minis for a while. Here's the Dell Color site, for example: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_color http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_color AlienWare (now at Dell) VoodooPC (now at HP) and other high-end vendors have some pretty wild cases and color schemes.
6ren 16y ago
Ford
- Semiapies 16y ago
  "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black."
InclinedPlane 16y ago
Compact point & shoot digicams typically have a variety of color options (Canon, Fuji, and Sony at least do).
- dagw 16y ago
  Pentax has been also been pushing this strategy with their low end DSLRs. See http://www.aperturedaily.com/get-bored-with-black-pentax-k-x-dslr-gives-you-100-colours/ http://www.aperturedaily.com/get-bored-with-black-pentax-k-x... for some examples. Although I can't find any data on how successful they've been.
enjo 16y ago
Isn't that what cases and the like are for cell phones? Incidentally, it's precisely this is why I think Android wins:)

george_morgan 16y ago

Within consumer electronics, Nokia were good at letting customers differentiate their phones by allowing interchangeable facias. Didn't Sony also release various colours of Walkmen? I imagine the ability to mass produce a product in multiple colours was made vastly easier with the introduction plastics. So I could see Tupperware being a contender for one of the first?

jonknee 16y ago

> Has any other company used color in such a way? (the only example that comes to my mind is the original Pokemon games) Nintendo seems to, I have seen their DS units in a lot of colors. Related to Apple and the iPod, SanDisk offers the Sansa in a range of colors. It can be a challenge though, as Apple showed with the mythical white iPhone 4.

rkudeshi 16y ago
Ah, good one. Completely forgot about Nintendo. /proud owner of a Game Boy Micro with swappable color faceplates. (Also just remembered that you could change the faceplate on the Xbox 360, at least before the slim version.)
- jcitme 16y ago
  don't forget the TI84
jimbokun 16y ago
My kids have standard White Wii, but talk longingly about owning the Red Wii.
hnhg 16y ago
The Gamecube was also released in a range of colours. http://www.gamecubeconsole.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/GameCube-Console-colors.jpg http://www.gamecubeconsole.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/G...
- mambodog 16y ago
  Nintendo has been doing this kind of individualisation-through-colours for a long while in both their hand-helds[1] and consoles[2]. [1] http://www.dijitalfix.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gameboy02.jpeg http://www.dijitalfix.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ga... [2] http://www.oldskool.tv/images/OLDSKOOL/november/nintendo_64_image.jpg http://www.oldskool.tv/images/OLDSKOOL/november/nintendo_64_...
smackfu 16y ago
Yeah, all the $30 MP3 players come in a wide range of colors.

bkudria 16y ago

If Apple were so serious about color, they'd let you see all the colors and black/white iPad 2 combinations.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
ghurlman 16y ago
Somehow, I think you'll see exactly that in the retail stores come March 11.
- bkudria 16y ago
  I looked but I can't find a link to this "retail stores". Where is it?
ugh 16y ago
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC947LL/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC947LL/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY All colors with the two iPads in ridiculously high resolution. Click (twice!) to zoom in all the way.
- bkudria 16y ago
  Thank you. I think I like White iPad + Red Leather.
  - jodrellblank 16y ago
    There you go, you're no longer thinking about whether an iPad is right for you, you're thinking whether a Black iPad with brown cover is more right than a White iPad with Red leather. "I'd like to schedule a meeting with you, is Wednesday afternoon, or Friday morning better for you?" ;)
    - MaysonL 16y ago
      Ah, the power of framing and anchoring.

julianz 16y ago

Cars? Pretty much every other consumer product in history? Other than those two, I totally see your point.

angelbob 16y ago
And yet in electronics (computers, smartphones) this is still innovation, alas.
- moe 16y ago
  Smartphones perhaps, but other mobile phones have had swappable covers forever (e.g. nokia).
  - dekz 16y ago
    "great artists steal"
- sjs 16y ago
  Dell has offered a range of colours on their notebooks for at least a few years. It's rare but not unheard of. Also the Panasonic Shockwave walkmans and discmans of the 90s. There are 2 off the top of my head.
- jodrellblank 16y ago
  Coloured plastic gadgets are rare and new? Pardon? http://images.google.com/images?q=digital+camera+colours http://images.google.com/images?q=digital+camera+colours http://www.homedosh.com/wp-content/uploads/bodum-bistro-colored-toaster1.jpg http://www.homedosh.com/wp-content/uploads/bodum-bistro-colo... http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu6/economix/Sony%20Reader/sonycolors.png http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu6/economix/Sony%20Reade... http://www.equip-u.com/shop/images/products_computers/bstk-Bumpy-USB-mouse.jpg http://www.equip-u.com/shop/images/products_computers/bstk-B... http://de-en.sonoro-audio.com/tl_files/images/site/de/cubo_2010/gallery/cubo_2010_colours_front.jpg http://de-en.sonoro-audio.com/tl_files/images/site/de/cubo_2... - clock radio and iPod dock. http://images.google.com/images?q=swatch http://images.google.com/images?q=swatch http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/images/elegante_range_big.jpg http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/images/elegante_range_big.jpg - loudspeakers http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/15111/34_2007/Colorful-Panasonic-Phones.jpg http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/15111/34_2007/Colo... http://www.tuccistore.co.uk/mens-1/accessories-11/paul-smith-unisex-toothbrush-234649-87379.jpg http://www.tuccistore.co.uk/mens-1/accessories-11/paul-smith... http://www.lovingoutdoors.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/600x600/4e3061b3f3826cd42fa026f4dde98714/p/o/powermonkey_explorer_06.jpg http://www.lovingoutdoors.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/... http://www.techshout.com/images/dell-inspiron-colors.jpg http://www.techshout.com/images/dell-inspiron-colors.jpg OK, so you can't get the same ADSL router in a choice of colours that I know of, or the same book with a choice of covers, but choice of colours in stuff is not innovation.

Charuru 16y ago

Err, choice is either good or bad, pick one. Every company from Nokia to Dell has colorful variations of most devices. What I remember was people praising Apple for their simplicity and elegance in deciding your color for you.

Florin_Andrei 16y ago

> Has any other company used color in such a way? Compared to Apple, all the other computer companies look socially inept. It's like the difference between someone who actually understands how people work, and a bunch of Mr. Nerd McDorky.

GHFigs 16y ago

The article mentions Kodak in 1927, which is an important year for color in the design of products. 1927 was the year that Catalin plastic was introduced. It was like Bakelite without the sawdust filler, so it could be produced in colors other than black and brown, and could be left translucent or marbled, as well. This was used to great effect all over the place, but the staggering variety of beautiful radio sets of the 30s to 50s are a particularly good example.

Hoff 16y ago

The business PC gear has been dull, but some of the consumer gear has had color options. Dell has had various colors available for their systems for a number of years, and HP was selling designer-labeled minis for a while. Here's the Dell Color site, for example: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_color http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_color AlienWare (now at Dell) VoodooPC (now at HP) and other high-end vendors have some pretty wild cases and color schemes.

6ren 16y ago

Ford

Semiapies 16y ago
"Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black."

InclinedPlane 16y ago

Compact point & shoot digicams typically have a variety of color options (Canon, Fuji, and Sony at least do).

dagw 16y ago
Pentax has been also been pushing this strategy with their low end DSLRs. See http://www.aperturedaily.com/get-bored-with-black-pentax-k-x-dslr-gives-you-100-colours/ http://www.aperturedaily.com/get-bored-with-black-pentax-k-x... for some examples. Although I can't find any data on how successful they've been.

enjo 16y ago

Isn't that what cases and the like are for cell phones? Incidentally, it's precisely this is why I think Android wins:)