Fair point, I guess I was reacting to the depth in which the article went into the issue. This sort of detail would definitely make a difference, I just feel it's more subtle and less noticeable than perhaps the author indicates it is.
"For the interested reader", see different kinds of framing in the Path app: http://a3.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/067/Purple/v4/2c/81/7e/2c817... There's color, drop shadows etc.