Candy 256 August 1990

In the late 1990s, computer maker Apple was in a precarious financial position. At the end of 1997, Apple was selling just 1.8 million Macs per year, down from 4.5 million two years earlier. What sales Apple did make were cannibalized by licensed Mac systems that undercut Apple's own computers on price and performance.[1] Apple pulled out of the low-cost computer market entirely, unable to compete on price and getting products to consumers rapidly.[2]

Candy 256 August 1990

When discussing the idea of a machine that inspired positive emotions, the designers mentioned colorful candy dispensers.[17] Materials tests with solid plastics looked cheap, so they made the case translucent instead.[18] Translucent hardware design was not new to Apple's products; Apple had released the Power Macintosh 8600 and 9600, beige tower computers that had translucent green latches. The LaserWriter 8500, eMate 300, and Studio Display featured more extensive use of translucent colored plastics. Former Apple senior designer Thomas Meyerhoffer described the eMate's use of plastics as a way to make the product more accessible and stand out from the crowd.[19] To Ive, the translucency "came across as cheeky", but it meant the internals would have to be designed for aesthetics as well. Inspiration came from whatever translucent items the designers brought in; one such item was a piece of greenish-blue beach glass. This "Bondi blue" would be the color Jobs selected for the first iMac.[20]

The design influence of the iMac G3 was not limited to personal computers; by the early 2000s, multicolored, translucent plastic designs had become a common look among consumer designs ranging from microwaves to George Foreman Grills. USA Today called the translucence trend "electronics voyeurism".[83] Apple would not continue the look, and followed the bulbous candy-colored iMac G3 with the flat-panel, white iMac G4 in 2002.[39] Apple's desktop lineup would remain relatively monochrome in the following years; the 2021 release of Apple silicon-based iMacs sold in seven colors were considered to harken back to the iMac's colorful roots.[89][90][91]

The defendant testified that on the day of the shooting the victim arrived home from work "extremely upset," but did not say why. She immediately began arguing with the defendant because he was not ready to go shopping with her. The defendant testified the victim was angry because he had purchased a new speedometer for his truck, and also accused him of caring for another woman more than for her. According to the defendant, this argument continued for an hour or two. The defendant testified he took a bath and when he returned to the living room, the victim had his 30/30 rifle in her hand. The defendant testified that he reached for the rifle and the victim grabbed a candy dish in her other hand and hit him with it. As he fell backwards, the gun discharged, killing the victim. The defendant testified *102 that the gun discharged only one time, and that the victim was not seated when shot. The defendant further testified that just before the gun went off the victim stated she was going to "knock [his] head off." According to the defendant, after the gun discharged, he picked the gun up, ran with it through the trailer and then threw it down.

The gunshot exploded the victim's skull and she died from this wound. The victim, who was right-handed, was found by police with a candy dish in her right hand. The 30/30 rifle was found in the doorway of a bedroom in the couple's trailer. The state's expert witnesses testified that the fact that there was no gunpowder tattooing or burns on the victim indicated that the rifle was fired at a distance of at least two and one-half to three feet. Gunpowder residue found on the victim's hands would indicate that the victim threw her hands up after the rifle was fired. The state's witnesses also testified that tests performed at the crime scene indicated that the rifle had been fired twice, once missing the victim and once striking her. A defense expert testified to his opinion based on similar tests that the gun had only been fired once.

[1] The shooting occurred on May 6, 1988. The defendant was tried in September 1988, and the jury returned its verdict on September 28, 1988. The defendant's motion for new trial was field on October 21, 1988 and amended on August 24, 1989. The trial court denied the motion for new trial on December 19, 1989. Defendant's appeal was docketed in this court on January 10, 1990, and submitted without oral argument on February 23, 1990.

Training had barely begun, when, in July 1990, Gibson was abruptly grounded following his participation in an air racing event in which another pilot had been killed. In December 1990, the crew complement was modified. 041b061a72