Okay the design is growing on me too. But think about if the case was a transparent as the HK speaker balls next to it!?!?!? Huh??!?!?! Wouldn't that be awesome? I'd love that and then I would forget corners and go for "round!"
When has Apple ever included a top of the line component on a low end system before? Yikes! Nice! Wow! :eek: :cool: <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
Okay, I thought of ONE thing I think would be cool (and actually could easily be served by a future third-party device, or a lazy Susan...):
Since all the ports ARE in the back (which is fine...keeps the front looking smooth and clean), it would be cool if the round, half-melon base rotated around too.
Not necessarily 360°, but perhaps 135° or so, to easily allow quick access to the USB or Firewire ports, without having to get up, go around and put them in or pull them out?
They could do it where the action/play on it was fairly stiff (so it wouldn't move as you were adjusting the cool monitor). But not so stiff that you couldn't grab/touch the base unit and rotate it around a bit for easier port access.
Call it the iTray, sell it in a chrome finish or clear glassy plastic and engineer it to fit perfectly under the iMac, matching up to any screws or ridges that may be present underneath, much like Contour Design's UniRiser CRT iMac riser.
I think this would be a cool thing from Apple. OR, better yet, a nice money-making opportunity for a forward-looking inventor/designer/vendor.
in terms of the basic design...i think a flat screen on a swing arm is absolutely the best ergonomic way to go. what remains are some nit-picky things:
1) i'd like to be able to see the power button
2) ports should be placed in view but not in the way...perhaps on the side of the imac, but angled so that you can see the port icon and what's plugged into it.
3) put a scrollwheel on the mouse and a non-reflective coating on the keyboard. if the mouse and keyboard were wireless, it would add to the aestetic cleanliness of the design and be cool to boot. bonus points if the keyboard is backlit for low light...
Like many others here this little thing has grown on me to the point that I would love to have one *even though I have always been a tower type of person.
I would just love to have one around.
I am not a big fan of the milky look apple is going with. But I like the crome logo on the front (could this be turned into the power button that soo many want.)
Personally I don't care if it is in the back or front. I rarely use the button. Oh ya maybe because mine is in the keyboard
As for cables, just spin the base 90degrees and you have full access unless you muscles have atrophied from not enough exercise.
Beautiful!! A sure contender for mjor design awards this year.
I don't want to redesign it. I like alot of the ideas here, though. Like a power button on the screen (at least to put it to sleep), larger HD's (but since when has an iMac ever had a really good sized HD?), widescreen, a plastic coating on the keyboard, and eventually a detatchable tablet screen and wireless keyboard (as long as you can plug them in to recharge them Ã* la iPod).
But I have to turn my nose up at a few ideas. Namely, a black version. Black is pretty tacky, if only because most everything the average american teenage boy wants is in black. Also, the USB and Firewire ports at the front are a bad idea because of all the clutter (the iMac should not be an octopus). A fan at the bottom seems pretty ridiculous because the fact is that it's not going to be on your lap, it already runs fine without one, and the thing is supposed to be SILENT. Also, a musician's version of the iMac with all those audio ports and a midi port would slice too close to being a Pro model, and that's what PowerMacs are for anyway.
But in the end, I don't think it would hurt Apple to make one in a colour that is a little more suitable for a corporate environment, like the Quicksilver cube. The only thing I could suggest is to touch upon what was said earlier: an all chrome base.
However, I can't wait for Apple to sell the white mouse and white pro keyboard... I never liked the black keys.
[quote] It would have been cool if the silver apple symbol on the front was the power button... <hr></blockquote>
I totally agree...have a heat-sensitive button like the old television sets, and whenever you touch the apple logo, the baby comes to life.
Also i honestly cannot believe ppl are complaining bout the plugs being at the back. they would look absolutely awful in the front. a break-out box might be a possible solution, but even then you have to have a cable running into the machine. i reckon a box would be a wonderful solution, having all yer in/outputs in one convenient little box which can be hidden away somewhere.
Power button on the screen is exactly where it should be. Isn't that where the power button lies on all mac flat panel displays? Shouldn't they be consistent so anyone using a mac instinctively knows where to expect the power button?
As for the shape of the base, I think they had no choice but to make it hemispherical due to the moveable screen. If the base had any edges, the user could klunk the screen against the base when trying to angle it a certain way.
Aren't the icons on your desktop then distracting? What about the letters on the keyboard? If a power button bugged me I think I would die if I saw a scratch anywhere.
The thing about Apple's design is that most likely they made the button flush with the case, therefore little or nothing to feel for when you reach your hand around. Minor quibble, but something that can be improved nonetheless.
I'd have liked to see more sharp edges and angles, but I can agree it doesn't fit in with the design scheme. I have to admit, it's growing on me. I'd never buy one, but I will certainly recommend it to friends and family. One design with angles that they could have used for the base is Shuttle's SV24 cube system which I think is very sleek, and is quite similiar to the cube but it packs some great features and has expandability beyond the iMac.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Now that's the closest picture YET to the legendary METAL CASE that Dorsal used to tempt me with! Remember? I always asked him to describe the METAL CASE. He seemed to think it was inconsequential. I know different!
Love the metal case. It's simple. It's pure. It's letting each component be what it wants to be.
When has Apple ever included a top of the line component on a low end system before? Yikes! Nice! Wow! :eek: :cool: <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
24x is not top of the line. Have you seen the 32x?
<strong>Okay, I thought of ONE thing I think would be cool (and actually could easily be served by a future third-party device, or a lazy Susan...):
Since all the ports ARE in the back (which is fine...keeps the front looking smooth and clean), it would be cool if the round, half-melon base rotated around too.
Not necessarily 360°, but perhaps 135° or so, to easily allow quick access to the USB or Firewire ports, without having to get up, go around and put them in or pull them out?
They could do it where the action/play on it was fairly stiff (so it wouldn't move as you were adjusting the cool monitor). But not so stiff that you couldn't grab/touch the base unit and rotate it around a bit for easier port access.
Call it the iTray, sell it in a chrome finish or clear glassy plastic and engineer it to fit perfectly under the iMac, matching up to any screws or ridges that may be present underneath, much like Contour Design's UniRiser CRT iMac riser.
I think this would be a cool thing from Apple. OR, better yet, a nice money-making opportunity for a forward-looking inventor/designer/vendor.
Oops...guess I should've kept that to myself..
</strong><hr></blockquote>
ANY computer can rotate. Put it on a simple lazy susan (lazy iMac).
Overall, I think the new iMac looks kinda cool, but I think it's a little bit too white and boring. I spent some time on a mockup and I hope rev. b will look a bit like this. It's more translucent and has a silver finish.. and therefore.. Ya wanna lick it.
<strong>The only thing I would improve it with would be a slightly bigger monitor (maybe even widescreen...how cool would that be?)......Seems like they might do the same thing they did with the iBook, and release a "big brother" model in a couple of months? That's what I'm hoping for, at least...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hear, hear, brother! I don't see what the crime would be to put out a 17" version, and not a squarish 4:3 or 3:2 but a bitching wide 16:9-ish 1400x768! I'd gladly kick in a couple extra hundred for that!
(World's fastest and worst photo manipulation skillz, not to mention totally not to scale.)
Hear, hear, brother! I don't see what the crime would be to put out a 17" version, and not a squarish 4:3 or 3:2 but a bitching wide 16:9-ish 1400x768! I'd gladly kick in a couple extra hundred for that!
You would, becuase you're probably a Pro user. The iMac doesn't have a 17" for several reasons. One is to separate it from the PowerMac, which Apple *really* needs for the moment. With the new PowerMacs, expect studio displays to go 17"/19"/22" so that the iMac is separate once again from the pro line. And secondly, the iMac is priced about as high as it can go already. And thirdly, consumers do NOT need a 17" LCD display! Everyone wanted a 17" iMac for like 2 years - well, you've got it in terms of viewable area and look at you! If they put a 17" LCD on the damn thing you'd be asking why it doesn't have a Cinema display and say "I'd be happy to pay $4,000 for an iMac if they would make it identical to the PowerMac and then everyone could have a PowerMac..." WTF? Is it just me or is anyone else tired of this crap?
I'm going to Chicago/Apple store this weekend to see it. They said they would have a demo model today or tomorrow. I have a feeling that it's hard to judge without seeing it in person.
BTW, if you want high-res images go to the <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr"; target="_blank">Apple Pr Page</a>
Cheers
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Macmedia ]
[changed over-wide image to link to avoid stretching the board's formatting. -Amorph]
Comments
When has Apple ever included a top of the line component on a low end system before? Yikes! Nice! Wow! :eek: :cool:
Since all the ports ARE in the back (which is fine...keeps the front looking smooth and clean), it would be cool if the round, half-melon base rotated around too.
Not necessarily 360°, but perhaps 135° or so, to easily allow quick access to the USB or Firewire ports, without having to get up, go around and put them in or pull them out?
They could do it where the action/play on it was fairly stiff (so it wouldn't move as you were adjusting the cool monitor). But not so stiff that you couldn't grab/touch the base unit and rotate it around a bit for easier port access.
Call it the iTray, sell it in a chrome finish or clear glassy plastic and engineer it to fit perfectly under the iMac, matching up to any screws or ridges that may be present underneath, much like Contour Design's UniRiser CRT iMac riser.
I think this would be a cool thing from Apple. OR, better yet, a nice money-making opportunity for a forward-looking inventor/designer/vendor.
Oops...guess I should've kept that to myself..
1) i'd like to be able to see the power button
2) ports should be placed in view but not in the way...perhaps on the side of the imac, but angled so that you can see the port icon and what's plugged into it.
3) put a scrollwheel on the mouse and a non-reflective coating on the keyboard. if the mouse and keyboard were wireless, it would add to the aestetic cleanliness of the design and be cool to boot. bonus points if the keyboard is backlit for low light...
I would just love to have one around.
I am not a big fan of the milky look apple is going with. But I like the crome logo on the front (could this be turned into the power button that soo many want.)
Personally I don't care if it is in the back or front. I rarely use the button. Oh ya maybe because mine is in the keyboard
As for cables, just spin the base 90degrees and you have full access unless you muscles have atrophied from not enough exercise.
Beautiful!! A sure contender for mjor design awards this year.
Good job apple.
But I have to turn my nose up at a few ideas. Namely, a black version. Black is pretty tacky, if only because most everything the average american teenage boy wants is in black. Also, the USB and Firewire ports at the front are a bad idea because of all the clutter (the iMac should not be an octopus). A fan at the bottom seems pretty ridiculous because the fact is that it's not going to be on your lap, it already runs fine without one, and the thing is supposed to be SILENT. Also, a musician's version of the iMac with all those audio ports and a midi port would slice too close to being a Pro model, and that's what PowerMacs are for anyway.
But in the end, I don't think it would hurt Apple to make one in a colour that is a little more suitable for a corporate environment, like the Quicksilver cube. The only thing I could suggest is to touch upon what was said earlier: an all chrome base.
However, I can't wait for Apple to sell the white mouse and white pro keyboard... I never liked the black keys.
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: pathogen ]</p>
E PLURIBUS UNIX
-----------------------------
I totally agree...have a heat-sensitive button like the old television sets, and whenever you touch the apple logo, the baby comes to life.
Also i honestly cannot believe ppl are complaining bout the plugs being at the back. they would look absolutely awful in the front. a break-out box might be a possible solution, but even then you have to have a cable running into the machine. i reckon a box would be a wonderful solution, having all yer in/outputs in one convenient little box which can be hidden away somewhere.
Unless everything goes *trumpet sound* WIRELESS!!
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Apple Man ]</p>
As for the shape of the base, I think they had no choice but to make it hemispherical due to the moveable screen. If the base had any edges, the user could klunk the screen against the base when trying to angle it a certain way.
<strong>
Aren't the icons on your desktop then distracting? What about the letters on the keyboard? If a power button bugged me I think I would die if I saw a scratch anywhere.
The thing about Apple's design is that most likely they made the button flush with the case, therefore little or nothing to feel for when you reach your hand around. Minor quibble, but something that can be improved nonetheless.
I'd have liked to see more sharp edges and angles, but I can agree it doesn't fit in with the design scheme. I have to admit, it's growing on me. I'd never buy one, but I will certainly recommend it to friends and family. One design with angles that they could have used for the base is Shuttle's SV24 cube system which I think is very sleek, and is quite similiar to the cube but it packs some great features and has expandability beyond the iMac.
Now that's the closest picture YET to the legendary METAL CASE that Dorsal used to tempt me with! Remember? I always asked him to describe the METAL CASE. He seemed to think it was inconsequential. I know different!
Love the metal case. It's simple. It's pure. It's letting each component be what it wants to be.
<strong>Holy crap! The CDRW drive is 24X! Yikes!
When has Apple ever included a top of the line component on a low end system before? Yikes! Nice! Wow! :eek: :cool:
24x is not top of the line. Have you seen the 32x?
<strong>Okay, I thought of ONE thing I think would be cool (and actually could easily be served by a future third-party device, or a lazy Susan...):
Since all the ports ARE in the back (which is fine...keeps the front looking smooth and clean), it would be cool if the round, half-melon base rotated around too.
Not necessarily 360°, but perhaps 135° or so, to easily allow quick access to the USB or Firewire ports, without having to get up, go around and put them in or pull them out?
They could do it where the action/play on it was fairly stiff (so it wouldn't move as you were adjusting the cool monitor). But not so stiff that you couldn't grab/touch the base unit and rotate it around a bit for easier port access.
Call it the iTray, sell it in a chrome finish or clear glassy plastic and engineer it to fit perfectly under the iMac, matching up to any screws or ridges that may be present underneath, much like Contour Design's UniRiser CRT iMac riser.
I think this would be a cool thing from Apple. OR, better yet, a nice money-making opportunity for a forward-looking inventor/designer/vendor.
Oops...guess I should've kept that to myself..
ANY computer can rotate. Put it on a simple lazy susan (lazy iMac).
A-Graphics is presenting you..
iMac rev b. - 'Silver Sister'
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: /\\ldie ]</p>
I would bet the arrangement of the -insides- looks pretty dam cool..
E PLURIBUS UNIX
-----------------------------
S
<strong>The only thing I would improve it with would be a slightly bigger monitor (maybe even widescreen...how cool would that be?)......Seems like they might do the same thing they did with the iBook, and release a "big brother" model in a couple of months? That's what I'm hoping for, at least...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hear, hear, brother! I don't see what the crime would be to put out a 17" version, and not a squarish 4:3 or 3:2 but a bitching wide 16:9-ish 1400x768! I'd gladly kick in a couple extra hundred for that!
SdC
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: suckfuldotcom ]</p>
<strong>
Hear, hear, brother! I don't see what the crime would be to put out a 17" version, and not a squarish 4:3 or 3:2 but a bitching wide 16:9-ish 1400x768! I'd gladly kick in a couple extra hundred for that!
SdC
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: suckfuldotcom ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
You would, becuase you're probably a Pro user. The iMac doesn't have a 17" for several reasons. One is to separate it from the PowerMac, which Apple *really* needs for the moment. With the new PowerMacs, expect studio displays to go 17"/19"/22" so that the iMac is separate once again from the pro line. And secondly, the iMac is priced about as high as it can go already. And thirdly, consumers do NOT need a 17" LCD display! Everyone wanted a 17" iMac for like 2 years - well, you've got it in terms of viewable area and look at you! If they put a 17" LCD on the damn thing you'd be asking why it doesn't have a Cinema display and say "I'd be happy to pay $4,000 for an iMac if they would make it identical to the PowerMac and then everyone could have a PowerMac..." WTF? Is it just me or is anyone else tired of this crap?
-S
For those of you who want the ports in the front turn the base around and look at the cords in all their beauty!
You could also put the thing on a turntable
<a href="http://www.macmedia.net/02imac_ports.jpg"; target="_blank">Image of iMac's back ports.</a>
I'm going to Chicago/Apple store this weekend to see it. They said they would have a demo model today or tomorrow. I have a feeling that it's hard to judge without seeing it in person.
BTW, if you want high-res images go to the <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr"; target="_blank">Apple Pr Page</a>
Cheers
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Macmedia ]
[changed over-wide image to link to avoid stretching the board's formatting. -Amorph]
[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>