Apple Computer Designs That Never Became Reality

If you liked the Macintosh and the Apple II designs, be prepared to get blown away by these images from Hartmut Esslinger's new book "Design Forward."

As a designer personally hired by Steve Jobs to streamline the look and feel of Apple’s products back in the ‘80s, Esslinger made many prototypes. Needless to say, a lot of them never became a reality, but the gallery below shows you what Apple’s computers could have looked like.

The images come courtesy of Designboom, which met Esslinger shortly before his book presentation in Hong Kong. Some of the designs are a clear indication that Apple always wanted simple, clean products that appeal every user.

Designboom even reveals that Jobs was inspired by Sony – the benchmark electronics company at the time – and that he tasked Esslinger with doing something that can stack up against the Japanese company’s designs.