Why is all test equipement turning black?

[5U4GB]

The trend seems to have started with whiteware (yes, I'm aware of the irony), with black fridges, black washing machines, and worst of all gloss black microwaves with black interiors and black touchpads labelled in black on a black background, but recently the brain rot has moved across to electronic test equipment, with the same black controls on a black background proliferating across multiple vendors' product ranges. You'd think of all people engineers would prize functionality over appearance, but apparently the marketroids in charge of selling to them don't.

The only benefit I can see from this black-on-black-with-more-black design aesthetic is that I can take a cardboard box from the bin at the local hardware store, spray-paint it semi-gloss black, add the obligatory 1,000,000lm blue LED in a corner, and tell people it's a $50,000 Keysight spectrum analyser, because they won't be able to tell the difference from the actual item.

[Messtechniker]

As much as I love my Scarlett 4i4 recording interface, I hate its black-on-black design (and the terrible German translation for that matter). Trying to plug in the plugs (especially the jack plugs) under poor lighting conditions tends to scratch the black front and rear panels. But thats 

[pdenisowski]

recently the brain rot has moved across to electronic test equipment, with the same black controls on a black background proliferating across multiple vendors' product ranges.

I'm not a fan (at all) of black household appliances, etc. but I don't see the issue with a darker color scheme on the front panel.  Many customers seem to like it.

You'd think of all people engineers would prize functionality over appearance, but apparently the marketroids in charge of selling to them don't.

I've spent almost 30 years working for two of the largest T&M instrument manufacturers, and I can assure you that marketing has zero influence over the user interface design or the instrument color scheme 

[5U4GB]

I've spent almost 30 years working for two of the largest T&M instrument manufacturers, and I can assure you that marketing has zero influence over the user interface design or the instrument color scheme 

So it's the engineers we have to take round the back and shoot them?  That just seems wrong somehow.

[Martin72]

At least black doesn't yellow.

[tautech]

recently the brain rot has moved across to electronic test equipment, with the same black controls on a black background proliferating across multiple vendors' product ranges.

I'm not a fan (at all) of black household appliances, etc. but I don't see the issue with a darker color scheme on the front panel.  Many customers seem to like it.

You'd think of all people engineers would prize functionality over appearance, but apparently the marketroids in charge of selling to them don't.

I've spent almost 30 years working for two of the largest T&M instrument manufacturers, and I can assure you that marketing has zero influence over the user interface design or the instrument color scheme 

Yet other brands use a dark color scheme to differentiate 12bit from 8bit DSO's at a glance.

Keeping up with all the models in a product range is one thing but being able to identify at a glance 12bit from 8bit models is very convenient.

[Rydda]

Add me to the black-intrument haters group.
A black instrument often looks really sexy in the brochure pics. That impression vanishes after a few weeks collecting dust and fingerprints on the workbench. Just like what happens to a shiny black car the minute you take it out of the showroom.
But it's not only looks I dislike. A year or two ago I bought a KS 34461A. All the sales literature at that time showed white instruments, but I received a black one.  I could maybe live with the looks, but due to the colors KS had chosen for the  'shifted' functions on the keypad, I had to point the light straight to the instrument to read the text. The solution was to replace the front panel whit a white one.
 

I've spent almost 30 years working for two of the largest T&M instrument manufacturers, and I can assure you that marketing has zero influence over the user interface design or the instrument color scheme 

I really find that really hard to believe. But if there is a reason (other than marketing) for R&S replacing parts of the front panel on RTBxx, NGExx, NGLxx-  series with dull black areas I would be interested to hear it.
To me it look like the reason for the design change is 'mee-to' .
   

[US7IGN]

I prefer grey

[zike]

I greatly prefer black, long as the morons give their UI a contrasting color. Yes, I have actually filled recessed lettering in with white paint (or black, as needed). Before you ask, yes, my terminal windows are also white text on black.

Your contaminants may differ, but for lowest maintenance around here the oscilloscopes, coffee cups and underwear are all black.

[pdenisowski]

I've spent almost 30 years working for two of the largest T&M instrument manufacturers, and I can assure you that marketing has zero influence over the user interface design or the instrument color scheme 

So it's the engineers we have to take round the back and shoot them?  That just seems wrong somehow.

I'm sorry, are you actually surprised that engineers (like myself) don't have any feeling for how to make something look nice ? 

[pdenisowski]

At least black doesn't yellow.

But yellow can become black.  If you've ever worked with Fluke products in the field, you know what I mean 

[KungFuJosh]

But it's not only looks I dislike. A year or two ago I bought a KS 34461A. All the sales literature at that time showed white instruments, but I received a black one. 

On the bright side, you know your meter isn't a ticking time bomb.

[pdenisowski]

I really find that really hard to believe. But if there is a reason (other than marketing) for R&S replacing parts of the front panel on RTBxx, NGExx, NGLxx-  series with dull black areas I would be interested to hear it.  To me it look like the reason for the design change is 'mee-to' .

We do sometimes change the front panel design colors / layout partly to differentiate new products from older products. There is a very limited number of color palates that can be used for test equipment - white, beige, gray, black, etc. - so you have to cycle through them.  I would not be surprised at all if in 10-15 years (which is about the cycle time) you start seeing products with white or off-white front panels again.

And I can assure you that we're not doing it to copy what other manufacturers are doing - if anything, we want our products to look different from other companies' products. 

Just be happy we don't bring out a gold- and silver-highlighted "bling" version of any of our products  (looking at you, Rigol)

[Martin72]

By now, I have almost more dark-colored devices at home than white or gray ones(I had to return the MXO3).
I’m also part of the generation that grew up with these “colors” in the test labs, and at first I was a bit put off by black or dark gray.
Now I’ve gotten used to it—or at least I’m trying to—since there’s hardly any other choice.

[pdenisowski]

Forgot to mention that occasionally we do a "facelift" where we change the front panel of older products to bring their design more into alignment with newer products.  For example, here is our CMA180 radio test set, pre- and post-facelift.  Exact same instrument, just an "updated" front panel design.

[wraper]

As an upside, they won't discolor and acquire yellow tint.

[KungFuJosh]

Forgot to mention that occasionally we do a "facelift" where we change the front panel of older products to bring their design more into alignment with newer products.  For example, here is our CMA180 radio test set, pre- and post-facelift.  Exact same instrument, just an "updated" front panel design.

Normally I don't really care about this design argument at all, and have no issues at all with the new / darker colors. But that design looks like a downgrade.

The original design was well balanced and coherent, while the new design looks like somebody said "make that part black so it matches other stuff."

[Darkover]

A Story from the past. 

Many years ago I developed the hardware of a new measurment device. I ask my boss about the color and other design choices. But no answer. I devloped a week more and ask him again, but still no answer. Another week passed by. Still no answer. Then I ordered a prototype frontplate in blue with huge yellow letter. 

As soon it arrived EVERBODY complaint about my wonderful colorchoice.    So I changed to white with black letter. But my prototype still stay with blue/yellow and nobody steal it from my desktop!

Olaf

[US7IGN]

Forgot to mention that occasionally we do a "facelift" where we change the front panel of older products to bring their design more into alignment with newer products.  For example, here is our CMA180 radio test set, pre- and post-facelift.  Exact same instrument, just an "updated" front panel design.

If you try hard enough, you can even make Rohde & Schwarz look bad! 

[RoGeorge]

I always thought the color went black to keep the interior cooler, because black radiates heat better than white.  Otherwise, making them black for no particular reason, only because you can, would be stupid.

A black instruments is harder for the eye, because your eyes have to adapt each time you change focus between reading the instrument (mostly dark), and looking at the circuit (mostly bright).  Repeatedly moving your eyes between a DUT under bright light and a black instrument is not fun.

Also, white instruments help by reflecting ambient light, so the same workbench will need less artificial lighting (which is easier for the eyes).

White or beige instruments are more comfortable for day to day use.

[TUMEMBER]

White or beige instruments are more comfortable for day to day use.

Blessed are those who live in ignorance.
When was the last time you tried to clean the dust from the housing of your DMM or measuring system?
In the case of Solartron this is impossible, dust "eats" into the plastic used and permanently integrates with the surface - classic "rags and plates" washing liquids do not help.
As much as I love the "housing style" of these DMMs, I hate the plastic used - the "one-year" housing ends the warranty and "can be cleaned".
Black plastic can be made from "all discarded colors" by adding "black dye/pigment." However, you absolutely cannot create "white plastic from "colored waste," even by adding a dump of white pigment. You have to use "colorless pure granulate plus white pigment."
This is where the laws of light wave physics break down (white light is a mixture of "all colors—wavelengths"). In the reality of plastic colors, all the colors mixed together are "shitty black," not beautiful white. Economics wins; it's easier now to find "recycled, discolored granulate" than "pure, uncolored granulate." This is the cost of the Gulf War—these granules are made from oil. And oil is becoming scarce and more expensive. There's pressure to reuse "plastic regrind," which is many times cheaper and more readily available.
A slightly rough surface and the problem with washing the "white" begins.

[RoGeorge]

White or beige instruments are more comfortable for day to day use.

Blessed are those who live in ignorance.

Don't be too harsh to yourself.  Just because you didn't know that, it doesn't necessarily mean you were living in ignorance.

[David Hess]

Why is newer test equipment black?  Style, distinction, and poor engineering.  Marketing wins over engineering every time, no matter what marketing tells you

My preference is for a flat bright neutral color, like light grey or even white.  Other light colors are acceptable.  Almost everything I have is either light grey or beige.  Saturated colors are fine for markings, however keep in mind that a greater than expected number of engineers and technicians are color blind.  For important indicators, *never* rely on only differing indicator colors; add a second indicator in a different color, and fuck off with blue unless it is subdued, and maybe not even then.

Color matters because the eye has differing resolution and focus ability for different colors.  Red through green is better than blue through violet.

[Doctorandus_P]

My best guess is they swap it every 10 years or so, in an attempt to make older stuff "obsolete", so you'll buy the latest color for no other reason then to keep your desktop look decent.

I bought a Siglent SDS 1104X-E after the newer 12 bit version was released. More bits are nice, but I really dislike the black color.

I'm thinking about buying some GW-Instek stuff (Power supply and benchtop DMM). They don't seem to follow this stupid color swap (yet), and they make quite nice power supplies and benchtop DMM's.

[Psi]

Personally I hate cream/beige and I hate white because it always turns into cream/beige from UV/dirt.
So I'm always looking for either black or grey stuff.

I think the answer to your question is the vast majority of people think black looks cool. So they are making things in black.