Mochups are nice, but Apple will do much better IMO.
Look at the photo again, you can clearly see the latch to open it above the logo as it is currently.
I like the idea, but the F16 Hornet style vents are to recessed and wimpy looking. Also, I don't think one is needed underneath as it looks unstable because of it.
I really don't think that Apple will base future desktop designs on the x-Serve, as a lot of the pics in the thread seem to suggest. Not that there's anything wrong with that machine: quite the contrary. I saw a rack of about a dozen of 'em in a really cool cabinet at the last MWNY. They looked fantastic, definitely enterprise or big iron level.
But it just isn't the Ive look for desk/lap tops. He seems to be about curves, clean lines, high tech plastics, simplicity. The one on the geocities page is much more like what I personally believe will be produced. Those other mock ups look too much like PCs.
I wonder if Apple will surprise us with something from left field however. Not another cube but an unforeseen form factor.
One thing is for sure: they seem to have gotten much better at keeping secrets in the last few months, so it's gonna be tough for the rumor sites!
Keeps the handles, albeit in a different form, and is a nod to the El Capitan case.
tsukurite
Nice! This seams the most 'Apple Like' of any submitted so far. Might not be to stable though?
One thing that the people doing Alu or 'sharp edged' designs have to remember is that the bottom 'handles/feet' of the current case are an integeral part of the way the hinged side works.
these feet give room for the hinge to work, without these ether it would have to run along the dead bottom corner, or be halfway up the side, and without the feet the hinge can't be 'hidden' behind anything.
Take the bottom feet off a QS tower and try and open the side.
I like the geocities case as well. It definately seems like something that would come out of Apple.
But seriously now, that speaker has got to go. Its just rediculous, it has no point in existing. If you took it out you could have 2 more cd drives instead. Much more functionality.
This image is a great tribute to how utterly cool the el Capitan case still is! In one design you have the best of rectangles and curves. The Geocities case is good as well, but too curvey on top for zip drives, etc.
This image is a great tribute to how utterly cool the el Capitan case still is!
i agree. compared to those two mock-ups, the el capitan case is a work of beauty. if apple goes back to square boxes, whatever style, be it brushed metal, chrome, alu, or **shudder**beige**shudder** it will be a step backwards in exterior case design.
The thing is that square designs are more space efficient and can be put in more places. But you're right, Apple will never go back to square designs after El Capitan **cough**Cube**TiBook**cough**
The thing is that square designs are more space efficient and can be put in more places.
The beauty of El Capitan is that it's basically rectangular, but curved enough to be interesting. The two mockups beside it look like something out of the food service industry. I wouldn't be surprised if the one in the middle was a walk-in freezer. The one on the right could be an IBM workstation.
Even when Apple has done angular designs (and you have a point, they are tending that way, even with the iBook), they've had some extra panache.
Also, if you get rid of the bottom handles, you have to either find something else that lifts the case off the ground, or you have to find another easy way to open the case to replace El Capitan's side door.
This is pretty old. I have a newer one that is really tight, actually it's very similar to the xServe based tower that's a few posts above this. Hopefully I can find that because it's really cool. Until then, here's this one.
The beauty of El Capitan is that it's basically rectangular, but curved enough to be interesting. The two mockups beside it look like something out of the food service industry. I wouldn't be surprised if the one in the middle was a walk-in freezer. The one on the right could be an IBM workstation.
Even when Apple has done angular designs (and you have a point, they are tending that way, even with the iBook), they've had some extra panache.
Also, if you get rid of the bottom handles, you have to either find something else that lifts the case off the ground, or you have to find another easy way to open the case to replace El Capitan's side door.
Yes but because of the handles the effective hieght is measured from top of handle to the floor. That makes it bigger than you see. The tricky part is to make it smaller than it seems and still retain the internal space. You have a very good point on the bottom; some type of feet are required to lift it off the ground if only for an inch or so. Not only for the reason you mention but air circulation below. Notice that any el Capitan case has a metal bare bottom too help with ambiant temperature dissipation inside the case.
Nice to see my mockups still stand up this long after I did them . I was going to try a doing a new one but...
<Image sniped>
I wonder who made it into the "Bitchin' Fast" ad.
This is nice (in a sort of ALU case sort of way) but still suffers from the same 'where does the lower part of the door go when the side is open' problem as other 'square, no handles' designs.
I've recently retired Illustrator as my illustration tool of choice and thought I should get more into Photoshop, since it offers superior transparency, masking and softness tools. And it allows you to control details like shadows and highlights much better than Illustrator. So here's my first stab at a mockup using Photoshop. I need to clean up the edges and adjust some color, but I think you'll get the idea:
Photoshop ROCKS!!! I wish I'd gotten into it much earlier. I dig it.
kelib: Sure, El Cap is bigger because of the handles, but since the handles are purely functional, is there really any point to removing them? Especially if you can't think of a more elegant replacement?
kelib: Sure, El Cap is bigger because of the handles, but since the handles are purely functional, is there really any point to removing them? Especially if you can't think of a more elegant replacement?
An elegant replacement? I can! The Powermac G5--hovercraft edition!
You know the mirrored fronts on the current speedholes G4?
I would like to see the next G4 covered in that stuff! Lots of heavy, shiny/polished metal, chrome, and then some circular-brushed buttons and finger screws on it.
Or maybe that is going the wrong direction. Heaviness, solidity, huge size..
Maybe they could make a rigid steel frame, and use the heavy/chrome/mirrored-look drive bays on the front, and then use a space-age synthetic fabric material (waterproof, durable, not going to fray, probably stain-proof like those new Dockers pants, etc) stretched across the frame for the sides and front/back? The top would need to protect against things falling on it, but otherwise I don't see why this would be too much of a problem. (Kids, maybe.. but then, Apple has the easy-open sides, and the glory-hole speakers too, so that's not much of a consideration in a pro machine.) It would even give some benefits, such as superior cooling, it won't get scratched or cracked (might be able to get cut), it would be easily replaceable, extremely light, fire-retardant (won't melt), plus it could give the case a way to easily open (i.e. snaps, zippers, even some kind of velcro perhaps). Just a thought.
Comments
Originally posted by onlooker
#1) How do you open it?
Mochups are nice, but Apple will do much better IMO.
Look at the photo again, you can clearly see the latch to open it above the logo as it is currently.
I like the idea, but the F16 Hornet style vents are to recessed and wimpy looking. Also, I don't think one is needed underneath as it looks unstable because of it.
All these designs look like Rotel POWER AMPLIFIERS. (which are very high quality by the way and look very nice next to Apple computers).
http://www.rotel.com/na/index.htm
Originally posted by jante99
All these designs look like Rotel POWER AMPLIFIERS. (which are very high quality by the way and look very nice next to Apple computers).
http://www.rotel.com/na/index.htm
See, THAT looks powerful, not cuddly like an iMac, but rigid and awe-inspiring.
I really don't think that Apple will base future desktop designs on the x-Serve, as a lot of the pics in the thread seem to suggest. Not that there's anything wrong with that machine: quite the contrary. I saw a rack of about a dozen of 'em in a really cool cabinet at the last MWNY. They looked fantastic, definitely enterprise or big iron level.
But it just isn't the Ive look for desk/lap tops. He seems to be about curves, clean lines, high tech plastics, simplicity. The one on the geocities page is much more like what I personally believe will be produced. Those other mock ups look too much like PCs.
I wonder if Apple will surprise us with something from left field however. Not another cube but an unforeseen form factor.
One thing is for sure: they seem to have gotten much better at keeping secrets in the last few months, so it's gonna be tough for the rumor sites!
Originally posted by tsukurite
I like this one:
http://www.geocities.com/thenewg5/
Keeps the handles, albeit in a different form, and is a nod to the El Capitan case.
tsukurite
Nice! This seams the most 'Apple Like' of any submitted so far. Might not be to stable though?
One thing that the people doing Alu or 'sharp edged' designs have to remember is that the bottom 'handles/feet' of the current case are an integeral part of the way the hinged side works.
these feet give room for the hinge to work, without these ether it would have to run along the dead bottom corner, or be halfway up the side, and without the feet the hinge can't be 'hidden' behind anything.
Take the bottom feet off a QS tower and try and open the side.
But seriously now, that speaker has got to go. Its just rediculous, it has no point in existing. If you took it out you could have 2 more cd drives instead. Much more functionality.
Here's one I just came up with. Pretty basic.
(here's a link to the big version)
---
Something mammoth is brewing over at http://www.premiumpolar.com/
This image is a great tribute to how utterly cool the el Capitan case still is! In one design you have the best of rectangles and curves. The Geocities case is good as well, but too curvey on top for zip drives, etc.
Originally posted by MacGregor
This image is a great tribute to how utterly cool the el Capitan case still is!
i agree. compared to those two mock-ups, the el capitan case is a work of beauty. if apple goes back to square boxes, whatever style, be it brushed metal, chrome, alu, or **shudder**beige**shudder** it will be a step backwards in exterior case design.
Oh man this cough is bad. Must be SARS.
Originally posted by Outsider
The thing is that square designs are more space efficient and can be put in more places.
The beauty of El Capitan is that it's basically rectangular, but curved enough to be interesting. The two mockups beside it look like something out of the food service industry. I wouldn't be surprised if the one in the middle was a walk-in freezer. The one on the right could be an IBM workstation.
Even when Apple has done angular designs (and you have a point, they are tending that way, even with the iBook), they've had some extra panache.
Also, if you get rid of the bottom handles, you have to either find something else that lifts the case off the ground, or you have to find another easy way to open the case to replace El Capitan's side door.
Originally posted by Amorph
The beauty of El Capitan is that it's basically rectangular, but curved enough to be interesting. The two mockups beside it look like something out of the food service industry. I wouldn't be surprised if the one in the middle was a walk-in freezer. The one on the right could be an IBM workstation.
Even when Apple has done angular designs (and you have a point, they are tending that way, even with the iBook), they've had some extra panache.
Also, if you get rid of the bottom handles, you have to either find something else that lifts the case off the ground, or you have to find another easy way to open the case to replace El Capitan's side door.
Yes but because of the handles the effective hieght is measured from top of handle to the floor. That makes it bigger than you see. The tricky part is to make it smaller than it seems and still retain the internal space. You have a very good point on the bottom; some type of feet are required to lift it off the ground if only for an inch or so. Not only for the reason you mention but air circulation below. Notice that any el Capitan case has a metal bare bottom too help with ambiant temperature dissipation inside the case.
I wonder who made it into the "Bitchin' Fast" ad.
Originally posted by ajprice
Nice to see my mockups still stand up this long after I did them
<Image sniped>
I wonder who made it into the "Bitchin' Fast" ad.
This is nice (in a sort of ALU case sort of way) but still suffers from the same 'where does the lower part of the door go when the side is open' problem as other 'square, no handles' designs.
Photoshop ROCKS!!! I wish I'd gotten into it much earlier. I dig it.
kelib: Sure, El Cap is bigger because of the handles, but since the handles are purely functional, is there really any point to removing them? Especially if you can't think of a more elegant replacement?
scates: That reminds me of the "Dowen Beak G4".
kelib: Sure, El Cap is bigger because of the handles, but since the handles are purely functional, is there really any point to removing them? Especially if you can't think of a more elegant replacement?
An elegant replacement? I can! The Powermac G5--hovercraft edition!
you can even make it orange if you like....
I would like to see the next G4 covered in that stuff! Lots of heavy, shiny/polished metal, chrome, and then some circular-brushed buttons and finger screws on it.
Or maybe that is going the wrong direction. Heaviness, solidity, huge size..
Maybe they could make a rigid steel frame, and use the heavy/chrome/mirrored-look drive bays on the front, and then use a space-age synthetic fabric material (waterproof, durable, not going to fray, probably stain-proof like those new Dockers pants, etc) stretched across the frame for the sides and front/back? The top would need to protect against things falling on it, but otherwise I don't see why this would be too much of a problem. (Kids, maybe.. but then, Apple has the easy-open sides, and the glory-hole speakers too, so that's not much of a consideration in a pro machine.) It would even give some benefits, such as superior cooling, it won't get scratched or cracked (might be able to get cut), it would be easily replaceable, extremely light, fire-retardant (won't melt), plus it could give the case a way to easily open (i.e. snaps, zippers, even some kind of velcro perhaps). Just a thought.