Looking for a special gift for that mega Apple enthusiast in your life? How about the newest edition of an absolutely stunning coffee table book that features lush, beautiful photographs of Apple devices?
Jonathan Zufi has published a second revision to his gorgeous coffee table book on Apple design, Iconic: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation. Those in the U.S. who already have the first edition should be receiving a supplement in the mail, according to the Iconic blog; everyone outside the U.S. can order it for $12, which covers shipping.
Iconic is a lush volume filled with full-color photographs of hundreds of Apple products that run the entire gamut of Apple's existence: Desktop machines like the Apple II, the Apple IIc and the Macintosh to laptops like the first Macintosh Portable, the iconic (pardon the pun) iBook, and the MacBook Pro, and handheld devices like the Newton MessagePad, iPhone, iPod and iPad.
Apple peripherals get some love, too — everything from mice and printers that were made back in the Apple II days. Even Apple's unique packaging of these devices gets some attention. But perhaps some of the most thought-provoking material in the book involve the myriad and rare prototypes that never got beyond the design stage, which Zufi has worked with collectors to document and photograph.
The supplement adds 16 new pages of photos with a big focus on prototype machines that Zufi was able to photograph since the original book was published; you'll get a look at a prototype Mac mini with an iPod docking port, built into it, for example and a transparent Macintosh SE prototype, along with newer devices like the 2013 Mac Pro and the iPhone 5s.
All the photos are shot to brilliantly highlight the machine's design, with quotes and commentary from Apple publications and Apple executives through the years added, so it's not just photos. I have the first edition of Iconic (and recently received the supplement) — Zufi's attention to detail and treatment of the subject material shows both a tender love of Apple gear and a true understanding of how the company itself likes to showcase its products. If you appreciate Apple's aesthetic in not only its design but its marketing and presentation, you'll really admire what Zufi has done here.
Zufi has published Iconic in several different editions, including a "Special Edition" that includes a cleverly designed cover that mimics the design of 80s-era Apple hardware and an "Ultimate edition" with a pulsing power button on the cover. Of course, you don't need to go crazy — the other editions are stunning, too, and will be a welcome treat for any true Apple fan this holiday season. The Classic edition is available from online and brick and mortar retailers; the other editions can be ordered directly from the publisher on the web site.
- $54.30 - Order now
