I absolutely love the old Quicksilver towers. The MDD designs were a definite step back for the external asthetic appeal of the towers.
If they could update the Quicksilver design and spruce the case up a bit...**drool**
The biggest problem with the MDD is the design of the vent holes at the front. Looks a bit cheap to me. If they'd move the speaker back to it's original position and redesign the vents it could be a nice looking case.
But we'll hopefully see something more radical than that when the new powermac is presented
Or how about a cool little color touchscreen lcd on the front. First of all it would function as a power-switch that when at sleep is showing a sleeping phanter or something. Push the screen and the phanter wakes up (and the mac too hopefully). You could program it to show everything you want like processor/case temb, I/O troughput, a picture of the current big cat installed or whatever. When you tap the lcd while the mac is on it could show power off options like sleep, hibernate, shut-down or restart. You get the idea. Cool or stupid?
Or how about a cool little color touchscreen lcd on the front. First of all it would function as a power-switch that when at sleep is showing a sleeping phanter or something. Push the screen and the phanter wakes up (and the mac too hopefully). You could program it to show everything you want like processor/case temb, I/O troughput, a picture of the current big cat installed or whatever. When you tap the lcd while the mac is on it could show power off options like sleep, hibernate, shut-down or restart. You get the idea. Cool or stupid?
I like the idea of having a programming screen on the front of the case. Might be more useful on an xServe, but it would be cool, especially if it was full color on a PowerMac.
Just think of the kinds of hacks people would come up with for it. Screw those PC Case Badges , we've got QT Movies on our case!
With the look of that cases a normal evolution would be something like this:
Quote:
Originally posted by salmonstk
Does anyone think they will alter the size dramatically?
Not dramatically no, but a little trimmed on all sides maybe. I think the new design will be very clean and elegant while hopefully retaining the same accessability as the current case.
Oh and with a small full-color lcd-screen at the front
I think this is the most likely tower design I've seen so far.
Sleek. Uncluttered. Simple.
Something like this I think we'll get. In keeping with what Apple are doing with their Powerbooks.
Lemon Bon Bon.
Re: the handles. It's too el Cap'. Time to let the handles go ala iBook. Unless you hump the tower as often as you pick up a coffee mug, you don't need them. If you use the handles that often, get a laptop. Bring on the 'no handles' tower.
MacJedai, getting better, but could you try to make the black parts in dark grey instead. Would give it a subtler look I think.
I'll see what I can do. I was also playing with anodized aluminum effects too. The LCD panel could be a little hard to place wo/ making it look like a last minute addition.
I was also thinking that I'd have enough room for another HDD tray to allow the case to accommodate a total of 6 HDDs (but they would be "shoe-horned" into the case). All I can say is . . . Stay tuned
Regarding handles in general: They're only functional when you are moving it. The one or two times a year you move it at work or maybe never in your house (in my case) almost make it gimmicky. IMHO of course.
Regarding handles in general: They're only functional when you are moving it. The one or two times a year you move it at work or maybe never in your house (in my case) almost make it gimmicky. IMHO of course.
It isn't uncommon for college students and young-professionals to move at least once a year. Upon moving into a new house or apartment, interior furnishings are normally moved around a few times before finding a suitable location.
For some people, handles are very important.
Imagine: You've just finished moving the contents of a 24ft UHaul into your new house and crack a frosty one before setting up the computer... After 11 hours of excruciating work, your back is sore and gentleness is all but gone from your touch. Handles just might make the difference between setting the computer down gently and dropping it 4 inches onto a table-top... But who needed the head for that second HD platter anyway
Handles are useless most of the time as is homeowner?s fire-insurance. The question is, how much insurance against dropping your machine do you want to buy? I personally find a few bucks spent on plastic handles to be a reasonable level of insurance on expensive electronics.
With that logic everything in the house should have handles. I move my coffee table more than my Mac. Why doesn't it have handles? Why doesn't the iBook, Powerbook, iMac have handles? Face it, handles on the PowerMac were purely ornimental with the convinient side effect of it being practical for occasional moves offset by the disadvantage of it adding 2 inches to the overall height. Handles on the Tower have their days numbered. At least in their 4 cornered configuration.
powermacs are slightly heavy and slightly akward..thus you have a handle...lift up easier, put down softer...
iBook and PB are light and easy to lift and lower without a handle
cube was small and light and had no handle
iMac classic had a handle
iMac2 has the metal arm as a handle
not sure about the eMac
a handle, if not ugly and misplaced, is a great thing on a tower....now if the 970 case is basically a larger cube theme...then no handle is needed....
Handles are convenient, but there is no reason why they have to be as "in your face" as they are now. Why not just design a nice fold up handle on the top of the case making it perfectly balanced when you carry it. A lighter case would also be convenient.
"Demonstrated" would be my call. Why? Well to me it wouldn't be out of the question to hear that while 32 bit apps should run unmodified on the 970 the same couldn't be said for the OS. Heck maybe I'm wrong but I don't think so.
So with that being said....
The 970 will be demo'd at WWDC with a ship date of 'insert ship date for Panther' heck maybe even giving some developers a chance to buy 'one offs' (pre-production models) so they can get to work with any code changes they might like to tinker with now that the PPC is 64bit.
The problem is still as follows...
WWDC is set for June (23rd - 27th). Panther ... while I don't know it's time table I'm assuming it'll be set for sometime in Sep. (end of Aug if they 'get lucky')
That means Apple would have 'super flat' desktop sales for June July and Aug. I include all of June since by then the feaver pitch over the 970 being seen @ WWDC will have hit a level where lots more mac fans as well as potential 'switchers' will 'wait it out' just to see what happens.
Fred Anderson has stated that Apples Q2 forecast would be 'flat'
Q2 = Apr / May / Jun = Flat
Q3 = Jul / Aug / Sep = Flat (unless Apple can hit with the 970 really early in Sep)
Q4 = Oct / Nov / Dec = UP would be my guess!
Yea, okay, after looking at it maybe they'd be okay after all...
That means Apple would have 'super flat' desktop sales for June July and Aug. I include all of June since by then the feaver pitch over the 970 being seen @ WWDC will have hit a level where lots more mac fans as well as potential 'switchers' will 'wait it out' just to see what happens.
Yeah, that's the big conundrum, really. How early do they want to demonstrate a machine before it'll ship. Any G4 tower sales will be decimated, but then again, they are pretty bad right now already.
One might also argue that it would prevent people from going out and buying a Windows XP box if they knew hot new Macs were coming soon.
Comments
Originally posted by job
I absolutely love the old Quicksilver towers. The MDD designs were a definite step back for the external asthetic appeal of the towers.
If they could update the Quicksilver design and spruce the case up a bit...**drool**
The biggest problem with the MDD is the design of the vent holes at the front. Looks a bit cheap to me. If they'd move the speaker back to it's original position and redesign the vents it could be a nice looking case.
But we'll hopefully see something more radical than that when the new powermac is presented
Originally posted by NETROMac
Or how about a cool little color touchscreen lcd on the front. First of all it would function as a power-switch that when at sleep is showing a sleeping phanter or something. Push the screen and the phanter wakes up (and the mac too hopefully). You could program it to show everything you want like processor/case temb, I/O troughput, a picture of the current big cat installed or whatever. When you tap the lcd while the mac is on it could show power off options like sleep, hibernate, shut-down or restart. You get the idea. Cool or stupid?
I like the idea of having a programming screen on the front of the case. Might be more useful on an xServe, but it would be cool, especially if it was full color on a PowerMac.
Just think of the kinds of hacks people would come up with for it. Screw those PC Case Badges , we've got QT Movies on our case!
theFly
---
The Fly on the Mac
http://www.flyonthemac.com/
Rumors you can bet on.
Originally posted by ziploc
Too much like this...
...and not as nice looking IMHO.
-zip
I think this is a nice evolution.
Does anyone think they will alter the size dramatically?
Originally posted by salmonstk
I think this is a nice evolution.
With the look of that cases a normal evolution would be something like this:
Originally posted by salmonstk
Does anyone think they will alter the size dramatically?
Not dramatically no, but a little trimmed on all sides maybe. I think the new design will be very clean and elegant while hopefully retaining the same accessability as the current case.
Oh and with a small full-color lcd-screen at the front
I think this is the most likely tower design I've seen so far.
Sleek. Uncluttered. Simple.
Something like this I think we'll get. In keeping with what Apple are doing with their Powerbooks.
Lemon Bon Bon.
Re: the handles. It's too el Cap'. Time to let the handles go ala iBook. Unless you hump the tower as often as you pick up a coffee mug, you don't need them. If you use the handles that often, get a laptop. Bring on the 'no handles' tower.
And I took some of the suggestions, and tried to incorporate them. I kinda doubt that I'll
please everybody, but I honestly tried to round things a bit, and show the recessed handle etc.
Here ya go :
Special thanks to Outsider for the assist!
I moved the rear view to conserve space. The rest follows a typical 3 view format.
Originally posted by NETROMac
MacJedai, getting better, but could you try to make the black parts in dark grey instead. Would give it a subtler look I think.
I'll see what I can do. I was also playing with anodized aluminum effects too. The LCD panel could be a little hard to place wo/ making it look like a last minute addition.
I was also thinking that I'd have enough room for another HDD tray to allow the case to accommodate a total of 6 HDDs (but they would be "shoe-horned" into the case). All I can say is . . . Stay tuned
Originally posted by Outsider
Regarding handles in general: They're only functional when you are moving it.
It isn't uncommon for college students and young-professionals to move at least once a year. Upon moving into a new house or apartment, interior furnishings are normally moved around a few times before finding a suitable location.
For some people, handles are very important.
Imagine: You've just finished moving the contents of a 24ft UHaul into your new house and crack a frosty one before setting up the computer... After 11 hours of excruciating work, your back is sore and gentleness is all but gone from your touch. Handles just might make the difference between setting the computer down gently and dropping it 4 inches onto a table-top... But who needed the head for that second HD platter anyway
Handles are useless most of the time as is homeowner?s fire-insurance. The question is, how much insurance against dropping your machine do you want to buy? I personally find a few bucks spent on plastic handles to be a reasonable level of insurance on expensive electronics.
iBook and PB are light and easy to lift and lower without a handle
cube was small and light and had no handle
iMac classic had a handle
iMac2 has the metal arm as a handle
not sure about the eMac
a handle, if not ugly and misplaced, is a great thing on a tower....now if the 970 case is basically a larger cube theme...then no handle is needed....
g
Originally posted by thegelding
not sure about the eMac
The eMac does not have a handle, yet it's bulky and heavy.
With these Apple Stores in malls, the eMac is a great machine to have to lug in from your car to get it checked on.
theFly
Fly on the Mac
www.flyonthemac.com
Rumors You Can Bet On
Originally posted by Barto
***Slightly revised from original post several months ago***
At WWDC in June, the Power Mac G5 will be introduced.
- Barto
Introduced, or demonstrated?
introduced, or demonstrated?
you tell us moki
g
Originally posted by thegelding
you tell us moki
Sort the words alphabetically.
Originally posted by moki
Introduced, or demonstrated?
Well since Moki asked... I'll give my .02 cents.
"Demonstrated" would be my call. Why? Well to me it wouldn't be out of the question to hear that while 32 bit apps should run unmodified on the 970 the same couldn't be said for the OS. Heck maybe I'm wrong but I don't think so.
So with that being said....
The 970 will be demo'd at WWDC with a ship date of 'insert ship date for Panther' heck maybe even giving some developers a chance to buy 'one offs' (pre-production models) so they can get to work with any code changes they might like to tinker with now that the PPC is 64bit.
The problem is still as follows...
WWDC is set for June (23rd - 27th). Panther ... while I don't know it's time table I'm assuming it'll be set for sometime in Sep. (end of Aug if they 'get lucky')
That means Apple would have 'super flat' desktop sales for June July and Aug. I include all of June since by then the feaver pitch over the 970 being seen @ WWDC will have hit a level where lots more mac fans as well as potential 'switchers' will 'wait it out' just to see what happens.
Fred Anderson has stated that Apples Q2 forecast would be 'flat'
Q2 = Apr / May / Jun = Flat
Q3 = Jul / Aug / Sep = Flat (unless Apple can hit with the 970 really early in Sep)
Q4 = Oct / Nov / Dec = UP would be my guess!
Yea, okay, after looking at it maybe they'd be okay after all...
Dave
Originally posted by DaveGee
That means Apple would have 'super flat' desktop sales for June July and Aug. I include all of June since by then the feaver pitch over the 970 being seen @ WWDC will have hit a level where lots more mac fans as well as potential 'switchers' will 'wait it out' just to see what happens.
Yeah, that's the big conundrum, really. How early do they want to demonstrate a machine before it'll ship. Any G4 tower sales will be decimated, but then again, they are pretty bad right now already.
One might also argue that it would prevent people from going out and buying a Windows XP box if they knew hot new Macs were coming soon.