All the photos I've seen of the 990 seem to make the faceplate appear gray when in fact it is black. I took a photo of mine atop my kitchen island a few minutes after taking it out of the box that to my eyes looks more like actual color of the unit and also shows more detail than the pics on the Outlaw site. I hadn't placed the jack covers on at the time but they fit and match nicely. If you're interested take a look at:

http://glenmoorcondominiums.org/pics/listpics.asp?dir=Outlaw+990

I wish the 990 were not as deep and somewhat shorter too but it's still manageable in most situations. The only thing I don't care for with the appearance of the unit are the cursor buttons which look and feel like the cheap painted plastic bits they are but that's about it. Performance-wise I could not be more pleased. I hope this helps.

mike