I like the font of the text on the vertical front; it looks like the style of writing on an old radio or phonograph, which I think was your intention. I also like the dark grey aluminium. Perhaps some reflected glow on the aluminium base in front of the tubes might enhance the image?
The image looks very nice, but I think two things detract from the gorgeous Nixie tubes: the large hen's foot logo behind them, and the dark front edge running horizontally across the screen. Actually, I think the hen's foot may be the biggest culprit. If you have time and are willing, could you kindly try the experiments listed below on the existing image?
1. Remove the hen's foot from the backdrop.
2. As per 1 above but, instead of having a dark edge running horizontally across the screen, have a single, curved edge between the horizontal base and the vertical front of the plinth. Try with a small radius and with a larger radius of curvature.
3. As per 1 above, but place a small debossed hen's foot logo below or behind the text.
4. As per 2 above, but place a small debossed hen's foot logo below or behind the text.
As for your question about what I imagined, I only had vague ideas but was thinking of something very roughly like the following Nixie clock (but with smaller tubes than in this photo, so as not to dominate the Desktop), with a dark background in order to be able see Desktop icons:
or a dark (or dull grey) background and a cherry wood plinth with shiny black anodised aluminium base similar to the following Nixie clock:
EDIT: Fixed link for second image.
