I knew about the connection of the best graphite coming from China and the color yellow, but not about Koor-I-Noor & the World's Fair. Very nice!

It also got me to think that, for so long, desktop PC's were always boring beige! Why?

In business, beige is safe. It offends no one, but bores all, rather like network TV. So it was OK to incorporate these new items into an office.

Perhaps, also, (in order to sell the new-fangled thing to the upper income home market who could afford them) PC makers designed PC's to be square and beige, just like a modern suburban house!

I have no proof, but it makes sense.

And, then, Steve Jobs dropped the neon candy iMacs on everyone.