An interesting snippet of recent Mac history: Apple experimented with a black coating for the MacBook Air, which, according to current whispers, may be made available in that colour when it's refreshed shortly.

According to an alleged Apple employee corresponding with MacRumors, CEO Steve Jobs said no to a black Air after trial models failed to live up to his aesthetic standards.

Says the source: "The [black] coating looks good and holds up well, but it also soaks up body oils, making the palm rest look pretty gross."

The site had already reported rumours of a black MacBook Air, prompting the employee to get in touch.

It's worth noting that there have been many claims of coloured machines ever since Apple began offering aluminium-made MacBook Pros.

The technique is not new: there are many, many such coloured metal products out there - Apple's own iPod Nano and Shuffle, to name but two - and have been for years. The fact Apple hasn't used it so far, suggests that this isn't a design direction the company wants to pursue.

And if not black, then why not other colours too? ®