A roomful of eggheads can be an ugly thing. One person who thinks he knows more than everyone else is annoying; stick him in a room with a couple hundred like-minded individuals and a microphone and things can get downright nasty. Just such a scenario arose in San Jose recently, if the CNET article forwarded to us by faithful viewer J. E. Gibson is any indication. A gathering of "academics and engineers" reportedly decided to tell information technology workers just what's wrong with computers today-- and some Apple gear got caught in the crossfire.

Okay, so "computers are illogical machines in dire need of a total overhaul, and the information technology industry is completely screwed up." We can get behind that. "The beige box" that is only understandable to "a relatively small percentage of literate, technologically astute adapters" is a real problem-- we agree. Most computer engineers "have spent the last five decades designing computers around the newest technology-- not for the people who use the machines." Yeah, that's a fundamental error, too. We're all for user-centric design.

Why, then, aren't these self-righteous literati sparing the iMac their ire? One professor said that "design is the key to get us out of this slump"-- well, the iMac is a marvel of design. We're not talking about looks, although the iMac's friendly face undoubtedly lets regular people feel more comfortable as they use the technology. We're talking about the whole shebang known as industrial design-- soup to nuts, "the whole widget," a computer for the rest of us that may not get it exactly right, but at least its creator's hearts are in the right place.

We're talking about how current iMacs have ports on the side instead of the back, for easy access-- and no port door to get in the way. We're talking about an all-in-one solution that saves precious space, and a company who was bold enough to break with the past and rely entirely on plug-and-play technologies like USB and FireWire for expansion. We're talking about modems and 10/100 Ethernet built-in and ready to use, with no installation or configuration necessary. We're talking about out of the box and onto the Internet in ten minutes. We're talking about an operating system that pays so much attention to detail that it bends over backwards to be easy and exciting for the average user, and applications like iMovie that are written for regular joes, not IT departments and Microsoft-Certified Professionals.

And yet, amidst all their self-righteous whining about how nobody's designing computers for real people, these jokers "poked fun" at the iMac and its "groovy new shades." Apple's consumer desktop system, the computer that most closely embodies the very principles these jokers are proposing, "bore the brunt of scorn and jokes about how fashion has superseded functionality." Two words, people: "ivory tower."

If these brainiacs would actually take the time to use an iMac instead of making snap judgments that fit nicely with the topic of their next book, maybe they'd realize that color is the least significant aspect of Apple's design-- the inviting hues flow from the overall design, not the other way around. Do these people seriously think Apple said "Let's make a blue computer-- now, what should it be like?" They probably do, which is why they're all busy struggling with their beige boxes and complaining about them, instead of appreciating just how far Apple has pushed-- and will continue to push-- the philosophy and practice of user-centric design. The iMac isn't perfect, but in this of all contexts, it should be commended for its progress-- not ridiculed just because Flower Power clashes with the latest in professorial convention wear.

(Hey, where'd this soapbox come from?...)