I suppose the border, like Gallegher said, is a matter of taste.
As for the low contrast, its a specific look, i dont always use it.
some might like it, some might dislike it.
I Personally think it makes things look a bit more smooth.
These last few are indeed kinda bright, that kinda goes with the "low contrast" thing mega mentioned before.
You mean the small border?, that might have indeed been a bit useless, but I personally didn't see any harm in it :P
Thanks for the comments folks, any more CnC would be most welcome.