Next iMac and Mac mini - bring your own hard drive

[sigamy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again--I'm just not a fan of the current iMac design. I own an iMac G4 and I think it's design is much cooler, more functional and more beautiful than the iMac G5/Intel iMac.

So, here is my idea for the next generation iMac...combine the best elements of the past two iMacs. So, take the almost completely flat LCD and the swing arm of the iMac G4. Then take the base or stand of the current iMac. Put the computer in the base. Make it about 8" wide and 1-2" thick. Almost like the new MacBook Pro. The Core Duo can live in a notebook so why not a really small desktop. They can fit a slot loading drive, CPU, RAM, Video, etc. in there.

Of course, in order to make it this thin you need to do something with the hard drive. No more desktop drives. One crazy option--remove the hard drive! Let people add there own FW hard drive as the boot drive. Or, they can either put an iPod hard drive in there or a standard laptop HD. I know these are much slower but speeds on these are improving.

Imagine the floating LCD of the iMac G4 connected to a small, thin silver base that sits on the desk. Then we'd really ask, where did the computer go?

Can one of you photoshop gurus do a mock up???

 

[mongoos150]

Hate the idea of no internal drive. I use an external 300GB drive in addition to my iMac's internal 250 hdd, but no internal hdd? No sale. Try explaining that to first time computer buyers - "You'll need to purchase an external hard drive and install a boot copy of OS X in order to use your computer - and if it becomes disconnected while you're using the computer, ever, you're ****ed. Enjoy your new system!" Even if Apple pre-installed OS X on these drives - I still don't see the advantage.

 

[miloblithe]

This is classic of form vrs. function. Those of us who are more interested in function aren't going to be impressed by this idea. Especially the idea of making a computer a certain shape at the expense of losing standard components.

And having a base seems like it would eliminate the question of "where did the computer go." It would rather obviously be, "right there."

 

[mdavey]

...combine the best elements of the past two iMacs. So, take the almost completely flat LCD and the swing arm of the iMac G4. Then take the base or stand of the current iMac. Put the computer in the base. Make it about 8" wide and 1-2" thick. Almost like the new MacBook Pro. The Core Duo can live in a notebook so why not a really small desktop. They can fit a slot loading drive, CPU, RAM, Video, etc. in there.

Neat idea. Here is my take on it: I'd like an iMac that looks exactly like an apple cinema display.

Considering the size of the Mac mini logic board, a similar shaped logic board could be hidden in the back section of the ACD stand (the not-quite-vertical bit, making it approx 1cm thick). Make the stand itself act as a heatsink-radiator so no fan is needed.

Next, extend a SATA cable from the logicboard (stand) into the main case (display) and locate the optical drive there. Use a super-slim optical drive like in the new MacBook Pro.

Finally, provide this iMac with a single-disk NAS box which happens to be the same footprint as the base of this iMac. Users can choose to place the iMac on top of the NAS, place the NAS in the server room or hide it anywhere on their home network. Even plug it into an Airport Express.

 

[sigamy]

Neat idea. Here is my take on it: I'd like an iMac that looks exactly like an apple cinema display.

Considering the size of the Mac mini logic board, a similar shaped logic board could be hidden in the back section of the ACD stand (the not-quite-vertical bit, making it approx 1cm thick). Make the stand itself act as a heatsink-radiator so no fan is needed.

Next, extend a SATA cable from the logicboard (stand) into the main case (display) and locate the optical drive there. Use a super-slim optical drive like in the new MacBook Pro.

Finally, provide this iMac with a single-disk NAS box which happens to be the same footprint as the base of this iMac. Users can choose to place the iMac on top of the NAS, place the NAS in the server room or hide it anywhere on their home network. Even plug it into an Airport Express.

Exactly! Except I'd still like the LCD as thin as my iMac G4. I have two firewire drives on the floor of my desk. I don't see them or hear them, they are always mounted and there for use.

 

[Spectrum]

Well, I have to agree with you on one thing:

The iMac blows away the G5/Intel on looks and on the functional adjustment of the display. What's the deal with the imbalanced white space at the bottom of the iMac G5, and the enormous Apple logo? Do we really need to be reminded that we're using an Apple product every time we look at the thing? Not to mention the enormous iMac text on the back - this, to me, is all about getting the brand noticed in product placement movies/soaps/sitcoms/etc. Every time I see this, a little bit of the Apple magic dies.

Anyway, BOT: They should just put the core duo back in the G4 base.

 

[ITASOR]

Neat idea. Here is my take on it: I'd like an iMac that looks exactly like an apple cinema display.

Considering the size of the Mac mini logic board, a similar shaped logic board could be hidden in the back section of the ACD stand (the not-quite-vertical bit, making it approx 1cm thick). Make the stand itself act as a heatsink-radiator so no fan is needed.

Next, extend a SATA cable from the logicboard (stand) into the main case (display) and locate the optical drive there. Use a super-slim optical drive like in the new MacBook Pro.

Finally, provide this iMac with a single-disk NAS box which happens to be the same footprint as the base of this iMac. Users can choose to place the iMac on top of the NAS, place the NAS in the server room or hide it anywhere on their home network. Even plug it into an Airport Express.

Just a 20" ACD + Mac Mini, and hide the mini somewhere or put it in a drawer or something....

 

[mdavey]

Just a 20" ACD + Mac Mini, and hide the mini somewhere or put it in a drawer or something....

But that is missing the point "Where did the computer go? Oh, there it is in the drawer/stuck to the underside of the desk!"

 

[blackfox]

Why not just double-sided tape/velcro a mac mini to the back of a nice LCD?

Weight the base of said LCD and make an elegant cord-organizer.

Presto!

 

[redeye be]

...a similar shaped logic board could be hidden in the back section of the ACD stand (the not-quite-vertical bit, making it approx 1cm thick)...

No more VESA mounts...

I wouldn't buy it sorry

 

[mdavey]

No more VESA mounts...

I wouldn't buy it sorry

Can the iMac be VESA mounted? I didn't think it could.

Anyway, I'm sure with a little brainstorming one could design a stand that could contain the logic board AND allow the monitor to be VESA mounted.

 

[balamw]

No more VESA mounts...

Why not build a Mac mini into the VESA mount? Instant hidden computer .

Can the iMac be VESA mounted? I didn't think it could.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9755G/A Apparently only pre-iSight iMacs can be VESA mounted.


B

 

[homerjward]

Why not just double-sided tape/velcro a mac mini to the back of a nice LCD?

Weight the base of said LCD and make an elegant cord-organizer.

Presto!

dell basically sells (or used to) something similar to that--basically a really tiny pc (albeit with a pentium 4, etc.) with a mount for an lcd on the front of it. looks kinda fugly...but small footprint.

 

[zap2]

bad idea, what you do is replace the eMac current deisgn with a Core Solo inside the iLamp

on a different note, how thinks eMac will make it throught PPC-intel switch?

 

[mdavey]

Why not build a Mac mini into the VESA mount? Instant hidden computer .

Actually, that is a damn good point! Someone should come up with a VESA mount that includes power and video conenctions then standardise it through the appropriate standards body.

How neat would it be if the iMac was just a stand that bolted onto any of the Apple Cinema Displays