MATT BOLTON…
THINKS THE NEW iMAC IS BEAUTIFUL, SO WHY IS APPLE FORCING HIM TO ADD AN UGLY PERIPHERAL?
The new iMac is a gorgeous computer, and is the thing I’m third-most looking forward to having in my house this year, after my parents and my friends. The ultra-slim design feels like a computing revelation, but the cheapest model only has two USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports for connectivity – that’s it for data. Two ports total. While the next model up in the range adds two more USB-C ports, there’s still a complete lack of support for any accessories with older connection types.
Apple’s problem is obvious: the 11.5mm thinness that makes it look so good is simply not deep enough for a regular USB Type-A connector. I just measured one on my desk, and it’s 12.5mm, and that doesn’t include the bits you’d need to plug into it. It has this problem with the 3.5mm headphone jack too, but Apple moved that over to the side of the iMac, solving the problem. Moving the USB ports to the side would lead to some truly ugly cabling, so I can see why there’s reluctance to do that.
But the end result is still annoying: you need to add some kind of adaptor if you want USB Type-A, or an SD card reader and so on. The cheaper iMac model doesn’t include the Ethernet connection on the power brick that the more expensive version does, either. The adaptor being a hidden cost if you have lots of accessories you want this iMac to work with is frustrating, yet I can live with that. When you know, you can factor it in. Fine. But… why do they all have to be so ugly? Anything on Apple’s site with a decent number of ports is some chunky grey lump – the antithesis of the sleek computer I actually want.
If Apple had made (or worked with another company) on a sleek USB-C/ Thunderbolt dock in the same colours as the iMac – maybe one that fits neatly to the stand to keep the aesthetic clean – then I’d just roll my eyes at Apple and pay the extra. But a look through the dock options on the Apple Store – ie, the products you can buy along with your iMac – makes it feel like no one at Apple cares about consistent aesthetics.
The adaptor being a hidden cost? Fine. But… why do they all have to be so ugly
That’s obviously not the case, but it’s hard to find another explanation for the gulf in design quality here.
You can buy different dock options from other companies, of course, but most people will want to buy one with their computer, trusting in Apple’s quality control for the products it sells in its store. And even if you do look elsewhere, there’s still nothing that actually looks good enough for these iMacs.
It’s such a sharp bubble burst to get this incredible-looking machine set up on your desk, and then to have to attach something that looks like a modem from 1998. It’s a radical design: the first built specifically with the M1 chip in mind… so why didn’t Apple open its mind just a little further to remember those of us with USB-A cables?
ABOUT MATT BOLTON
Matt is the editor for Apple and home tech at T3 and has been charting changes at Apple since his student days. He’s sceptical of tech industry hyperbole, but still gets warm and fuzzy on hearing “one more thing”.