Never sure why some people have such strong feelings regarding the MB aesthetic, I always thought they looked pretty neat personally. They carved out an identity for themselves and are instantly recognisable which is quite difficult to do, as soon as you see one on a stage you know it's a Mark Bass rig and it must be working as I tend to see an awful lot of them regardless of the setting or level of gig. I'd also argue that they are pretty consistent with their amp and cab lineup, they have regular ranges which they have been doing versions of for years and supplement that with more diverse products. For example you can buy a rig today which is almost identical to the 10 year old one I had up until last year, albeit with rat fur instead of nice tolex.
Regarding the basses - neither floats my boat but the Richard Bona one looks alright and is obviously what he wants (which is what matters). Can't really fault them for doing a Fender style bass when almost every other manufacturer seems to offer one. Disappointed there is no yellow and black bass though.