Beige box

It has come to be used as a term of derision implying conservative or dated aesthetics and unremarkable specifications.

[1] The term is ultimately derived from the style of many early personal computers and dedicated word processors, which were usually beige or similar colors like off white or ecru.

[citation needed] As IBM and its imitators came to dominate the industry, these features became standards of desktop computer design.

Although Apple switched to a desaturated gray they called “Platinum” in 1987, users began to refer to them as “beige” following the introduction of the brightly colored iMac in 1998 and the Blue and White G3 in 1999.

The term is also sometimes used to distinguish generic PCs from models made by "name brands" such as Compaq, Dell, or HP.