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iMac redesign mock up

V

VJNeumann

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 26, 2017
46
73
I feel like this will be divisive. Anyway, I had too much time on my hands (for obvious reasons), so I mocked up a 32 inch iMac and/or iMac Pro redesign. A few thoughts:
  • I moved toward the geometric/utilitarian/monolithic design language of the Mac Pro/XDR, which I'm sure won't appeal to everyone
  • I'm no engineer, but I tried to keep it 'realistic' - ie the bulge depth is equal to a current 27" iMac, with way more internal volume overall, the pivot isn't NASA technology, the center of gravity is low, etc...
  • The front has the glass come down over the chin, which is enshrouded in the black bezel (if you look at the bottom right, I also did a variation with the chin as a frosted black, which looks pretty sharp too)
  • Some images show perforation on the side, others show it on the back. These are different options - I wouldn't do perforated side and back together as it looks too busy
  • Reduced bezels, but sides correspondingly thicker (keeping to my 'realistic' point earlier)
  • If you're Tim Cook, I will sell you this design for no less than 1 million (1,000,000) US dollars or twenty-four (24) rolls of toilet paper
  • Any criticism will be taken personally

iMac01.jpg
 
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Good start! I would reduce the chin a bit to make it more visually appealing (the logo is your guide)
Also, the back shape of the teardrop is a bit too much. Not very appealing so I would reconsider it.
Also, the stand is not correct (escpecially for 27"). The gravity etc. would make it easier to knock over. Thats why on current iMac the stand goes back to counterbalance the weight or on XDR the stand is mega heavy to compensate.

Yeah, keep going. Might look very nice but now its a good "blocking" :) Nice work
 
The current iMac design is stale as hell. This would be 'Saturn' improvement.

In short, I'd 'hit that.' ;)

All the R&D for the display is done. Just need a cheaper panel for the iMac. Adjustable. (Vertical mode would be fantastic.) 6k or 8k. (Dell have an 8k monitor for £4k. Remember when Apple boasted that their computer was cheapter than Dell's 5k monitor?) 27 inch. I'd prefer 32 inch iMac.

I think the industrial design mirror-ing the new Mac Pro monitor is a must to really kick start a new design direction for the iMac. And all those holes in the back with the improved cooling of the eg. iMac Pro would make a far more heat efficient machine. Instead of frying the components alive like on the current iMac design. Heat baked obsolescence.

Improved cooling is an absolute must. 8 core as standard. (AMD has marched on to 16 cores.) Radeon 5700XT please.

16 gigs of ram.

(My iMac shipped with 8 gigs of ram 7.3 years ago...)

Azrael.
 
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To be honest I actually like the subtle teardrop effect.

The point about the stand base going further back is probably true though. I'm banking on the lower center of gravity reducing the stand's footprint, but I only eyeballed it so I'm sure it's off by an inch or two.

Azrael9 said:
I think the industrial design mirror-ing the new Mac Pro monitor is a must to really kick start a new design direction for the iMac. And all those holes in the back with the improved cooling of the eg. iMac Pro would make a far more heat efficient machine.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I definitely tried to start from a position of what made actual thermal and design sense for Apple. There's ~50% more volume in this thing than the current 27", and the ventilation is aggressive. You could put some serious hardware in that.

I also think the perforation looks quite elegant too. It sort of lightens/softens it, making it seem less bulky.
 
Last edited:
Nice mock-ups but I don’t see Apple bringing the thickness back.
 
One thing to consider, they could eliminate the bottom bezel by simply by putting the electronics in a small area behind the screen similar to how LG OLED sets are. That "hump" or what not could be anywhere behind the screen, all at bottom is preferred. However all this only works if they totally remove spinning media
 
Looks smart, Unlike most I think the bottom chin area should be retained, but used for the best front firing speakers Apple can source!
 
Far too thin. The components would have to be laptop parts and would incinerate within 25mins. No thanks.
 
VJNeumann said:
Huh? It's thicker than the current iMac, and has roughly 150% of the volume.
Click to expand...

It echoes the current Mac Pro display so that's the design direction apple is going for uber pro.

Whether the iMac Pro or iMac gets this design...? At the least we can see some of your design's sleekness coming into the iMac. Smaller bezels for starters.

And a 'wide screen' or 'bigger' 32 inch model would be fantastic (but that would be bigger than the 6k Mac Pro display?) And Apple are always about the upsell. So we might be disappointed if we think there is going to be a bigger iMac. :/

The 'holes' in the back of the Mac Pro display would probably help with the ventilation. And the current iMac needs better cooling.

I'd like a portrait mode like the Mac Pro display too. Even a £500 4k BenQ monitor can manage that. Dell's monitors have that. You know, for the creative community. That Apple, supposedly, serves.

And better adjustability. See M$'s Surface 2 which left Apple for dead design wise. And why not a 'touch' layer for drawing for all those artists out there. The 'Mac' being the creator's machine after all...

Lots to hope for. With a ten year old design that is being milked to death...I'm skeptical.

We may get a great design but Apple may double the price of the machine...they wouldn't do that, right?

Azrael.
 
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