Re: Why all computer casing & cables are black?

On 11/07/2026 21:48, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:38:14 +0100, Brian Gregory
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>> On 11/07/2026 12:18, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:
>>> On 7/11/2026 11:32 AM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>>>>
>>>> You might be looking at the casing and cables in the dark.  Without
>>>> light, what's left is dark.  Try turning on a light.
>>>> ....
>>>> If you're wearing smart glasses or auto-darkening welding goggles,
>>>> check if it's turned on, properly adjusted and if the battery is fully
>>>> charged.
>>>
>>> Why isn't the default color WHITE? Or red? Why black? :)
>>>
>>
>> It used not to be black.
> 
> I beg to differ.  All the early POTS phones were black.  In 1959, Ma
> Bell introduces the "princess" in a multitude of colors.  It was
> mostly a flop because AT&T wanted a too much money for the colorful
> phones.  Because there was no competition, the telephone monopoly had
> no interest style, fashion, trendish design, elaborate options, etc,
> Ma Bell offered exactly one color... black.  Same with the early Ford
> automobiles.  You can have any color you want, as long as it's black.
> In 1968, after the phone monopoly was broken up into regional "baby
> Bell" units and independent hardware vendors were allowed to provide
> "foreign attachments", one of the first thing offered were colorful
> (princess) phones.
> 
>> I remember when computer cases and many cables were almost all beige.
> 
> There was a good reason for pushing beige colored computers.
> 
> "I am stuck in a Beige Bubble"
> <https://elledecor.in/sad-beige-interiors-trend-aesthetic/>
> The short answer is that beige is the ultimate in "neutral" colors,
> which means it goes well with most other colors and does not clash
> with any of the primary colors.  I suggest some reading on "color
> psychology"
> 
>> I guess it's mainly fashion.
> 
> Sorta, kinda, maybe.  Fashion has it's place, but it's a bad thing
> upon which to base a product design or company image.  I'll make it
> easy.  Just follow the money.  If there's a financial reason for doing
> something that doesn't seem obvious, you have just discovered the
> answer.
> 

And what has any of that got to do with the colour of computers?

-- 
Brian Gregory (in England).