We use macs in our office. The relationship used to be all love/love, but I have to admit some love/hate developing. Just when I think I know where Apple is going, I experience a personality change and there is yet another video standard.

The standard for a good long while in video equipment was S Video, and Apple accommodated this for a while.

mini VGA (iBook)

Mini Display Port

Then there’s DVI – like the Micro DVI used in Macbook Air

But that’s different than Mini DVI

Now that’s different than DVI. You have to get an adaptor to scale up to fit almost all of the video stuff on the market.

There are at least two standards Apple is using here. The DVI-D is digital only, while DVI-I can do both analog or digital. Apple equipment comes with one or the other and they do not work together. I’ve gotten burned buying the wrong adaptor. Some standard huh?

More amazing is how much it looks like (but won’t fit) the G4’s Apple Display Connector.

It’s surprising they haven’t picked up on the whole industry move to HDMI

Of course as Apple keeps changing its mind, one thing remains constant – PC’s good ol’ VGA

Interesting article by Gizmodo claiming a major design influence of Apple. There are some striking similarities between Dieter Rams’ work in the 60’s for Braun and some of the work coming from Jonathan Ive. However earlier assertions by Frog Design’s Luke Williams have been that the Apple influences were from bathroom fixtures and materials. These are nifty visual comparison games to play, and I’m not comfortable with saying that no ideas are new. Instead I see this as inspiration for designers to realize that great design ideas may come from outside of your industry and instead from things like a 1960’s speaker or a 1990’s toilet.

Additionally it has a drawing module and even a database application. I highly recommend it for designers who need to save their $$$ for art apps like Illustrator and Photoshop and all those derned plugins.