Snow White Design Language - Implementation

Implementation

Apple products designed in the Snow White theme (all used the “Platinum” gray color scheme except as noted):

• Apple IIc (1984)
• Disk IIc (1984)
• Apple Scribe Printer (1984)
• Apple Mouse IIc (1984)
• AppleTalk Connector Family(1985)
• LaserWriter (1985)
• ImageWriter II (1985)
• Apple Personal Modem (1985)
• Apple UniDisk 3.5 (1985)
• LaserWriter Plus (1986)
• Apple IIGS (1986)
• Apple 3.5 Drive (1986)
• Hard Disk 20SC (1986)
• Macintosh SE series (1987)
• Macintosh II (1987)
• ImageWriter LQ (1987)
• Apple PC 5.25 Drive (1987)
• AppleFax Modem (1987)
• Macintosh IIx (1988)
• Apple IIc Plus (1988)
• LaserWriter II (1988)
• AppleCD SC (1988)
• Apple Scanner (1988)
• Apple FDHD External Drive (1988)
• Macintosh Portable (1989)
• Macintosh IIfx (1990)

a:^1 2 3 While the IIc generally gets credit for being the first Apple computer released in the Snow White design language, it was not a “pure” example. Rob Gemmel (who was instrumental in soliciting Esslinger) had designed the IIc a year earlier and unbeknownst to him, Frog Design was working on their own design. In the end it was a compromise of Gemmel’s original design and Frog Design’s modifications. Likewise, the Macintosh SE was essentially Manock and Oyama’s design updated with Snow White details. The IIgs, which introduced Platinum gray, also evidenced the legacy design of the original Apple II case, in particular Manock’s wedge-shape. It wasn’t until the Macintosh II when Frog Design finally had a clean slate on which to design from the ground up, that the first pure example of pure Snow White was realized.

b:^1 2 3 4 5 6 Introduced in off-white “Fog” and later switched to “Platinum” gray

c:^1 2 3 Off-white “Fog” only

d:^1 Introduced simultaneously in both Apple/Macintosh beige and “Platinum” gray to better match the beige Macintosh Plus for which it was designed to sit beneath as well as conform to the Apple IIgs color scheme released at the same time. This would be the only Snow White product to intentionally use the original beige color for the purpose of matching existing products.

e:^1 All Apple connectors and cables began a transition to beige in 1985, however, certain Macintosh peripheral cables (e.g. mice and disk drives), despite adopting the new connector style, retained their medium-brown appearance until the transition to Platinum in 1987, at which time all cables became a dark gray color Apple called “Smoke.”

f:^1 Though technically beige, like the connectors & cables, the Mouse //c is considered to be colored as a Fog co-ordinated accent. It is definitely a Snow White design, which elements form the basis for the subsequent Apple Desktop Bus Mouse. It was not produced in Platinum.

Most Apple Displays introduced between 1984 and 1994 also used Snow White, except those specifically designed to match the Apple II series.

All Apple ADB keyboards and mice introduced between 1986 and 1993 were Snow White designs.