970 appearance: Educated guesses

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
So does the new iPod (Apple's latest piece of hardware), give us any clues as to what the next Power Mac might look like? In theory, this new iPod gives us a snapshot of where Apple's constantly evolving design language is at.



Firsts include: glowing red button legends; rounded corners; touch sensitive transparent controls.



So what might this mean for the Power Mac? Will it be white & chrome, or will they continue their white/consumer and silver/professional division? Will we see the end of clear plastics? Will the power button be touch sensitive? Will it glow red rather than white? Will the mouse lose it's mechanical button, and feature the touch sensitive buttons of the iPod (I don't think this is practical, but who knows)?



Discuss...



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 80
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiah

    So does the new iPod (Apple's latest piece of hardware), give us any clues as to what the next Power Mac might look like? In theory, this new iPod gives us a snapshot of where Apple's constantly evolving design language is at.



    Firsts include: glowing red button legends; rounded corners; touch sensitive transparent controls.



    So what might this mean for the Power Mac? Will it be white & chrome, or will they continue their white/consumer and silver/professional division? Will we see the end of clear plastics? Will the power button be touch sensitive? Will it glow red rather than white? Will the mouse lose it's mechanical button, and feature the touch sensitive buttons of the iPod (I don't think this is practical, but who knows)?



    Discuss...







    This didnt need a new thread in my opinion...



    But oh well... I'd expect white/crome Powermacs with green glowing buttons as always. Handles is a must too.



    And of course, the much rumored Super-Pizza-Drive!
  • Reply 2 of 80
    garypgaryp Posts: 150member
    I would vote for an Xserve-type of design. Why use the tower form factor at all? Towers take up room on the desktop, or gather too much dust on the floor. Why not mount a drawer-style computer right under the desktop to conserve desk or counter space and stay up out of the worst of the dust? Then, all we'd have to look at would be the slim front panel. The drawback of this idea is poor access to cabling and ports on the rear.
  • Reply 3 of 80
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by garyp

    I would vote for an Xserve-type of design. Why use the tower form factor at all? Towers take up room on the desktop, or gather too much dust on the floor. Why not mount a drawer-style computer right under the desktop to conserve desk or counter space and stay up out of the worst of the dust? Then, all we'd have to look at would be the slim front panel. The drawback of this idea is poor access to cabling and ports on the rear.



    Ahh, now that's an interesting concept. You'd mount the base unit under the desktop? I never considered that before. How would you attach to the under-surface I wonder? Yes, cabling would be a pain in the arse, as would access to the optical drives - but it's definately a clever use of space (or rather unused space). I guess one day the desk will be the base unit!



    Nice bit of brainstorming there...
  • Reply 4 of 80
    garypgaryp Posts: 150member
    How would you attach to the under-surface I wonder? Yes, cabling would be a pain in the arse, as would access to the optical drives...



    Yes, There is definitely a difference in use between an Xserve and a "Desktop." Dual optical drives, and/or the need to connect and disconnect peripherals are not a factor in a server environment. these would present design problems for my "drawer"-Mac, especially if you wanted to retain the Xserve's capacity to hold 4 hard drives. Maybe the drawer would need to be as thick as 2 blades, with a top interior level hinging up to expose the lower level. Hmmm...I am starting to like this idea! 8)



    As far as mounting goes - this would be no more difficult than mounting a keyboard drawer, but the hardware should be more elegant. I imagined a very simple stainless steel wire rack supporting the "drawer"-slides. Just screw the rack to the underside of the desk. Trouble is, some people wouldn't be able to handle the installation, and would need to hire a handyman.
  • Reply 5 of 80
    fred_ljfred_lj Posts: 607member
    I don't think apple'd come out with something that required so much effort on the part of the end user, at least not in the personal desktop machine area.



    If you don't want to clean out your tower that's on the floor or wherever like you're supposed to, get an iMac/eMac or PowerBook/iBook.
  • Reply 6 of 80
    salmonstksalmonstk Posts: 568member
    Besides why make a pretty case if its hidden under desk.



    I think silver crome aluminum look would be good for towers. In line with other top line items like xServe- Powerbooks etc.
  • Reply 7 of 80
    gizzmonicgizzmonic Posts: 511member
    Personally, I love the case style that started with the Blue and White G3. I don't know how they could make it better (but I don't doubt that they could).



    Maybe a single FW and/or USB port in the front of the side? I'd like to see hunter green, but I know Apple would never go for that.



    That's all I got!
  • Reply 8 of 80
    nice idea of the under the desk tower. However I don't see the problem with cables. Just think of the thing as the workings of a laptop on a keyboard draw merged with Xserver and all becomes clear- nice, simple, unoptrusive and stylish. Put ports on frinnt and side media bays on the front.



    In most of my experience offices are always space hungry and with apple the imape of the simple elegant screem with the illusion of no workings seem to be important.
  • Reply 9 of 80
    netromacnetromac Posts: 863member
    What was wrong with this thread ???
  • Reply 10 of 80
    cdong4cdong4 Posts: 194member
    I don't think the new PowerMac will look anything like the new iPod. Apple specifically tries to keep its iX's and PowerX's visually different. I would assume a metalic looking case probably... something to coincide with the PowerBooks and XServes. I'd like to see something like the current towers (their design is outstanding and its what every other tower case should hope to be) but with some more of a metallic appearance, brushed aluminum EVERYWHERE!!!
  • Reply 11 of 80
    One thing to be sure of, it will ship in a black box like the 12" and 17" alBooks, that's huge.
  • Reply 12 of 80
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    What was wrong with this thread ???



    I am so uncool that a new thread had to be started so one would have to be considered to be a loser posting in my IDENTICAL (and with a poll!) thread.
  • Reply 13 of 80
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    When does anyone ever guess the design of a new Mac since Jobs is back? Practically a waste of time, IMO. I think ONE person on the entire WWW predicted what the G4 iMac would look like...
  • Reply 14 of 80
    soopadrivesoopadrive Posts: 182member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg

    When does anyone ever guess the design of a new Mac since Jobs is back? Practically a waste of time, IMO. I think ONE person on the entire WWW predicted what the G4 iMac would look like...



    True, but speculation is always the fun part, and people always seem to conjure some of the most interesting ideas for Apple's new releases.

    I think it would just be nice for Apple to come out with something as innovative as the iLamps, and I know it would be difficult to revolutionize a desktop computer. A box is just plain boring, so maybe change the shape of it and still make it easily expandable and accessible? Idea after idea after idea, it's always hard to come close to what Apple will have out for us.

    We can still dream.
  • Reply 15 of 80
    dstranathandstranathan Posts: 1,717member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by salmonstk

    Besides why make a pretty case if its hidden under desk.



    I think silver crome aluminum look would be good for towers. In line with other top line items like xServe- Powerbooks etc.




    HEADLINE:



    Apple to buy IKEA! News at 11:00
  • Reply 16 of 80
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    There's nothing wrong with El cap that can't be adressed with a minor tweak or two. Same basic concept, handles, curved but compact, yet with ample internal space, flip down door. It's very nearly the perfect desktop case, they'll clean up the surfacing a bit, the fascia, juggle the colors and ports, and voila!
  • Reply 17 of 80
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by garyp

    I would vote for an Xserve-type of design. Why use the tower form factor at all? Towers take up room on the desktop, or gather too much dust on the floor. Why not mount a drawer-style computer right under the desktop to conserve desk or counter space and stay up out of the worst of the dust? Then, all we'd have to look at would be the slim front panel. The drawback of this idea is poor access to cabling and ports on the rear.



    That's cool. That way I can bang my knees against it every time I scoot into my desk. And also, what a great way to take up chair space, I won't be able to have my legs under the desk because the computer would be blocking my access. I'd have to sit on the desk to work, thank goodness there's room saved from moving the tower underneath.



    Sorry for the sarcasm but go by Office Depot, Staples and Office Max and visualize a tower under and of their desks. Not functional or even a good idea really.
  • Reply 18 of 80
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by NETROMac

    What was wrong with this thread ???



    Yea, good question, lol, same exact topic.
  • Reply 19 of 80
    garypgaryp Posts: 150member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by KidRed

    That's cool. That way I can bang my knees against it every time I scoot into my desk. And also, what a great way to take up chair space, I won't be able to have my legs under the desk because the computer would be blocking my access. I'd have to sit on the desk to work, thank goodness there's room saved from moving the tower underneath.



    Sorry for the sarcasm but go by Office Depot, Staples and Office Max and visualize a tower under and of their desks. Not functional or even a good idea really.




    Yes,I hadn't thought about the usual desk setup. I use counters in my computer room, around 3 walls, so the computer wouldn't need to be in the sitting space. If someone only had a desk for their whole setup, this wouldn't work. But how many people have a wacom tablet, printer, scanner, CD burner, tower & display all crammed into a little desk? I was really talking about a production setup.
  • Reply 20 of 80
    drboardrboar Posts: 477member
    A more angular metalic-gray tower seem to be resonable. I would scrap the handled and have slots on opposing surfaces giving a good brip without adding the bulk of the handles. If nothing else the shipping boxes could be made smaller ( a penny saved...)



    I have nagged before about the lack of front mounted USB ports but with the ones in the keyboard and monitor I have changed my mind. A frontmounted FW port would be nice though.



    I also would like quiter computer! The current dual 1.25 do make far to much noice from the fans!
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