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Wall-mounting my iMac G5

D

dcv

macrumors G3
Original poster
May 24, 2005
8,021
1
I finally got round to wall-mounting my iMac G5 and took some pics of the process.

You need a VESA-compatible LCD wall mount and an iMac G5 VESA mount adapter kit (£19 from the Apple Store). Note that this will only work with an iMac G5 Rev A or B with a flat back. The Rev C (iSight) and Core Duo models have a curved back and therefore are not suitable for wall-mounting.


Here's the "before" shot, showing the iMac stand:
click on the thumbnail to see a larger image



What comprises the iMac G5 VESA mount adapter kit...



Clockwise from top left:
- the box
- lockout and tang for the 17" iMac G5
- lockout and tang for the 20" iMac G5
- bumpers and screws
- T8 Torx driver
- 3mm hex driver
- mount adapter
- installation instructions


Right, let's get to work then.

Step 1: Open up the iMac - same procedure as for RAM installation... just remove the 3 screws from the underside and pop the back cover off. Easy!



Step 2: Remove the hinge cover and set aside.



Step 3: Remove the four screws from the stand.



Step 4: Give it a little jiggle and remove the stand from the back cover.



Step 5: Insert the lockout on the hinge, fitting it over the two posts.



Step 6: Insert the tang over the lockout.



Step 7: Screw the tang into place.



Step 8: Replace the hinge cover that was removed earlier.
(see picture in step 2).
 
(continued)

The next photo isn't actually part of the process but I thought it was a good opportunity to photograph the inside of the iMac :cool: (it's the 2.0GHz 17" SuperDrive model (Rev B) in case you're wondering)



Step 9: Replace the back cover of the iMac.



Step 10: Attach the bumpers to the mount adapter - these are just little plastic strips (shown top and bottom) that snap on to the aluminium plate to protect the back of the iMac.



Step 11: Attach the mount adapter to the back of the iMac.



Step 12: Well that's the mount adapter fitted... now just screw on the VESA wall mount itself.

*Warning*: you might have to purchase some different screws. The ones provided with my LCD wall mount were the wrong gauge for the holes in the iMac mount adapter. Thankfully my local hardware store was able to help out ;)



And that's it... now I just have to hang it on the wall... oh look, there it is, floating! :)



Finally... here's the iMac switched on and ready to use.
(Now I just need to hide those cables... that's a job for another day though.)




Well that's it... thanks for looking!
 
That looks so good!!!!!
Makes me want to get an older iMac just to wall mount it!


There enough room behind to use the ports then?


EDIT: Excuse the dumb question, I just looked at the 3 from last photo and remembered the mains plug is bigger than the port plug
 
bartelby said:
There enough room behind to use the ports then?
Click to expand...

Oh yeah plenty of room. The wall mount I bought has two pivot points, so I should be able to turn it around a fair bit. As you can see I've got a wireless keyboard and mouse so the only thing that's plugged in is the EyeTV (that's the silver box in the left hand corner).
 
mrwildguitar said:
Wow! That was really informative. Unfortunately I have an iSight iMac.

Oh well.
Click to expand...

Me too! And when I bought it I picked up an Apple VESA Wall Mount Kit for $10 (opened package) - Anyone want a good price on a wall mounting kit?
Shucks ! I was thinking about giving this a try soon.

Excellent photos ! Thanks for posting!
 
dietcokevanilla said:
Oh yeah plenty of room. The wall mount I bought has two pivot points, so I should be able to turn it around a fair bit. As you can see I've got a wireless keyboard and mouse so the only thing that's plugged in is the EyeTV (that's the silver box in the left hand corner).
Click to expand...

Awesome!!

Hope your injury is healing nicely. :p :D
 
Onizuka said:
is it just me, or does the second to last pic make it look.... Un-level?

Anyway, hope you enjoy it! Should be fun, and save lots of desk space!
Click to expand...

Hehe... picky! :p I think it's because the screen was tilted one-way slightly. The desk is a little uneven though because my floor isn't quite level!

It's a very small room so I deliberately chose a small desk. You can't see it properly in those pics but it's just a 120x50cm table top from Ikea and then I found some "designer" chrome table legs elsewhere. Not having the iMac stand on the table has freed up a little bit of space anyway and I'll also be able to turn the screen round more easily if I want to sit and watch TV in that room.
 
dietcokevanilla said:
Hehe... picky! :p I think it's because the screen was tilted one-way slightly. The desk is a little uneven though because my floor isn't quite level!

It's a very small room so I deliberately chose a small desk. You can't see it properly in those pics but it's just a 120x50cm table top from Ikea and then I found some "designer" chrome table legs elsewhere. Not having the iMac stand on the table has freed up a little bit of space anyway and I'll also be able to turn the screen round more easily if I want to sit and watch TV in that room.
Click to expand...

Regardless, a girl who can mount anything on a wall that isn't a picture, that's awesome.

Now if you can just teach every other girly out there how to drill and deal with assembling systems, you may be onto something...
 
OMG Look how nice those iMacs were inside compared to the Rev C and Intel. :(
 
Just out of interest, does anyone know how easy it is to remove the stand on the new iSight 17 inch iMacs (Intel in particular, if that makes a difference)?

Gonna grab a 17 inch iMac to tide me over till the Merom MBP comes on the scene ... but if I could remove the stand on occasion I'm sure I could fashion a protective backpack to hoist the beast about in. Damn the thing would probably fit in my record bag! I might wanna play with Logic Pro round a friend's sometimes.
 
mrfop said:
...I'm sure I could fashion a protective backpack to hoist the beast about in...
Click to expand...
Have you tried lifting one yet? They're bloody heavy.

DCV, nice job. I thought about mounting my iMac a couple of times :)eek: ) but I don't think the walls in my place would hold the weight, how did you attatch the bracket to the wall?
 
mpw said:
Have you tried lifting one yet? They're bloody heavy.

DCV, nice job. I thought about mounting my iMac a couple of times :)eek: ) but I don't think the walls in my place would hold the weight, how did you attatch the bracket to the wall?
Click to expand...

Oh it's a long and painful story (quite literally - I've got a nice black blood blister on my right hand :eek:)

Fitting the iMac mount adaptor is incredibly easy... probably a 5 minute job (if you're not taking photos along the way!)

Fixing an LCD wall mount to a "hollow" wall is another matter :(

It's a plasterboard-cladded external wall. I used a combination of a stud/metal detector and drilling random holes across the middle section of the wall to try to figure out how best to attach the mount. In most areas the drill bit was going straight through into a void; but in one very narrow strip down the middle there appeared to be wood, although it was too narrow to be a proper "2 by 4". It's probably just a little batten. I managed to get the mount up yesterday evening and it seemed quite sturdy but I still wasn't 100% convinced that it would hold the weight of the iMac (over 8kg).

So today I popped to the local hardware shop and asked for some advice on how best to fix this. The shop guy sent his mate over to take a look and he suggested putting longer and thicker screws in and drilling all the way through the void to the brick. So it's all done now and hopefully won't move!
 
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