For those of you in the Boston area, WHDH-TV channel 7 has started broadcasting it’s newscasts in High Definition.  Dak Dillon over at the NewscastStudio Blog has posted a story about the new broadcast and news set.

After catching the newscast the other night, I noticed something….now that the news is being broadcast in full HD widescreen, you can notice two laptops to the right and left of each of the news anchors.  In the latest newscasts those laptops were of the beautiful MacBook Air.

However after reading Dak’s post, I noticed something interesting…..the laptops weren’t always MacBook Airs.  It looks that in the early few broadcasts they had some generic ugly PC.   Take a look at Dak’s image from the end of July and then one I captured from this evenings newscast.

In the image above you can see the generic PC laptops (from NewscastStudio Blog)….nothing flashy here.  Now notice below the prominent glow of the Apple Logo on the two MacBook Airs.

Now I’m not entirely sure the anchors actually use the laptops during the newscast (how can they resist now though), but at least WHDH has some decent taste!  Reminds me of my recent post on how Apple Hardware is not only functional, but is also designed to look like nice.  And I have to say, those MacBook Airs sure look better than the generic PC’s.

A quick look at any piece of Apple hardware, whether it be a computer such as the iMac or MacBook, the iPhone, the iPod, or even the Apple TV, and you’ll realize that Apple and it’s designers take the look and feel of their products seriously.  Dedicated Apple users take this look and feel seriously too.

Apple from the beginning has designed and manufactured it’s own hardware, and continues to design and build computer hardware today, even though in 2007 it dropped “Computer” from it’s corporate name (it is now known as Apple, Inc). The driving force behind the beauty of Apple Hardware is Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, Jonathan Ive, who is widely accepted as the main designer behind such products as the iMac, iPods and iPhone.

Typically desktop PC hardware has been designed in the style of the black or grey corporate boxy cases, meant to be shoved under a desk to collect dust until it decides it no longer wants to work, or the over-the-top PC gaming machine decked out in neon glowing fans and brightly colored water cooling.  A quick look at the major PC manufacturers such as Dell or HP and you’ll be hard pressed to find a computer that “looks” like a piece of art, a computer that you would be proud to display on your desk, a computer that draws attention to design and style and leads people to ooh and awe…this is the Apple Computer.

Apple currently makes six styles of consumer based computers, three desktop computers, and three portable computers:

• Mac Mini
  The Mac Mini is the least expensive Apple computer to purchase, however, due to it’s limitations in hardware specifications, many believe that the “value” of the mini compared to it’s price is rather low.  The Mini is also getting a bit dated, as Apple hasn’t updated the Mini since August 2007.
• iMac
  The iMac is the mainstream desktop from Apple.  It is an thin all-in-one system that incorporates a built in display to the computer itself.  Currently it comes in 20″ inch and 24″ inch models.  This system is an excellent option for anyone getting into Macs as it comes as an all-in-one package.
• MacBook
  The MacBook is Apple’s mainstream laptop.  It’s has the power of the MacBook Pro, minus the screen size and dedicated video card.
• MacBook Pro
  The MacBook Pro has larger screen sizes of 15″ and 17″ inches.  The MacBook Pro also includes a dedicated video graphics card to increase video performance for those using applications such as Final Cut or Motion.
• MacBook Air
  The MacBook Air is Apple’s ultra-thin ultra-portable laptop.  Great for the road warrior or a second machine.
• Mac Pro
  The Mac Pro is Apple’s only tower machine and the workhorse of many high end video production and editing shops.  The Mac Pro is more of a workstation than a desktop computer, having up to 8 cores on 4 CPUs and supporting up to 32GB of RAM.

For most users that don’t require any portability, the iMac remains the best choice of all the Apple computers.  It’s small footprint and high end performance make it a great choice as an everyday computer.  The real value of the iMac is that you get either a 20″ or 24″ inch screen built right into the computer.  You can literally take the machine home, unbox it, plug it in and be up and running in no time.

Below is a great picture that Apple would use to compare it’s iMac system to a typical PC such as the Dell XPS 410.  While it is a bit over the top (when is Marketing not over the top?), it does show just how sleek and beautiful the Apple iMac is.

Personally I’ve been reluctant to consider a system with a built in display, however with support options such as AppleCare and the ability to take the machine into a local Apple Store, I’m starting to change my mind.

I think Apple makes great hardware.  To me Apple hardware is not only beautiful, by functional as well.  If you get a chance, visit a local Apple Store to take a look for yourself and see, I think you’ll agree with me.

If you missed it, be sure to read My switch from Windows to the Mac, and stay tuned for the next in the series: Apple Hardware… meet Apple Software – OS X, iLife, Pro Apps.