3 ms·

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

by julianz 16y ago

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.
- Semiapies 16y ago
  And even many of the examples people are throwing out (aside from clip-ons and add-ons) postdate the original multicolored iMac from 1998. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3
christoph 16y ago
If you look at buying a non-used car, you might get a wide choice of colours in the brochure, but in all honestly, how many garages will sell you the exact colour you want (with the spec you want) there & then? People I know who have tried this, generally wait around two weeks or more from order to delivery, or settle for a slightly different spec. I don't see how you can easily scale consumer electronics manufacturing to allow for a range of different colours (certainly not in the case of the iPad anyway), one key factor being that I don't think you can predict demand of individual colours reliably enough. Then you have the issue of handling returns etc. People would get annoyed walking into an Apple store to swap a broken device, only to be told they've run out of that colour/spec combination. They can probably get away with it on the nano due to small product size, low manufacturing cost and limited spec difference (2 base models). If they made the iPad in five colours, you've suddenly upped the variation from 6 models to 30. That's a big leap and a big complication to many otherwise simpler business processes. My TV comes in one colour, my toaster two, my SLR one, my printer one, heck even mass market clothing/fashion items rarely come in more than a couple of base colours these days. The majority of consumers are not bothered by purchasing something in a generic colour if the product is good enough, companies want to sell to this majority (not the minority of people that refuse to purchase something based on colour) to maximize profit.

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

by 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.
Semiapies 16y ago
And even many of the examples people are throwing out (aside from clip-ons and add-ons) postdate the original multicolored iMac from 1998. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3

christoph 16y ago

If you look at buying a non-used car, you might get a wide choice of colours in the brochure, but in all honestly, how many garages will sell you the exact colour you want (with the spec you want) there & then? People I know who have tried this, generally wait around two weeks or more from order to delivery, or settle for a slightly different spec. I don't see how you can easily scale consumer electronics manufacturing to allow for a range of different colours (certainly not in the case of the iPad anyway), one key factor being that I don't think you can predict demand of individual colours reliably enough. Then you have the issue of handling returns etc. People would get annoyed walking into an Apple store to swap a broken device, only to be told they've run out of that colour/spec combination. They can probably get away with it on the nano due to small product size, low manufacturing cost and limited spec difference (2 base models). If they made the iPad in five colours, you've suddenly upped the variation from 6 models to 30. That's a big leap and a big complication to many otherwise simpler business processes. My TV comes in one colour, my toaster two, my SLR one, my printer one, heck even mass market clothing/fashion items rarely come in more than a couple of base colours these days. The majority of consumers are not bothered by purchasing something in a generic colour if the product is good enough, companies want to sell to this majority (not the minority of people that refuse to purchase something based on colour) to maximize profit.