No one consciously lists "cosmetics" as a requirement for a computer. Most people who walk into a computer store have "requirements" like "I want to surf the Web, e-mail, play Farmville, and organize the pictures from my digital camera. I was thinking about building a Web page." Folks who have a list of technical requirements are likely to order online.
Design isn't just cosmetic. It's also ergonomics, efficiency and durability. With computers, like cars, appliances, or just about any big-ticket item, how it feels, how it works, and yes, how it looks are a factor in choosing a machine you're going to be sitting at and looking at for hours on end. No one walks into a car dealership and says they're looking for a car with easy-to-reach stereo controls and large cup-holders, but they notice those during a test drive.
I know. It started with a comment that Microsoft computers were "ugly", so the reply was in that context.