Is this It (Photo)?

[MacRumors]

An unconfirmed photo that appeared on Appleinsider's forums... but relatively consistent with rumors (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/06/20030615172214.shtml).

http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/dontask/

One anonymous report claims this is it... but there continue to be doubts.

Update Image Pulled for unknown reasons. While it is still unknown if the photo is real or fake... we would prefer you not posting the image in the forums

[alia]

Wow, nuts! :)

[acj]

But it should be bigger, more square, and beige with two floppy drives.

[skymaXimus]

I sure hope not! It looks like all the cheezy wintel boxes.
blah...

[meta-ghost]

First impression is not that elegant...

[Wonder Boy]

I don't like it..whatever it is.

[bertagert]

I hope thats not it. Looks like a HP server.Looking at my new ipod, there is no way thats it. Too square and ugly!

[Ambrose Chapel]

Looks plausable enough, but I don't see any ports on the front, not even the headphone jack. And is that one slot-loading drive on top? Wouldn't they stick with dual drives? Hmmm :confused:

[freundt]

"smuggled in his pants?"

what else was "smuggled" in his pants I wonder?

Seriously though, if this *is* it, then I love it. Has a serious techno-gothic feel to it.. I could see these sitting on peoples desks in the movie "Brazil".

_t

[Blackcat]

Please let it not be this! It's fugly!

[Niknar]

OMFG

That better not be the new powermac.

Its.....its....square!

[JiMacOs]

I don't like the outside look, but the inside...

[bertagert]

Plus theres no slots for expansion on the front. No firewire or usb ports there either. I'm going with 100% fake.

[JackRipper]

I kinda like the case (I think it looks sleek), but I don't see an eject button for the ROM drive. Maybe it's heat activated?

[noverflow]

I want to know what he is covering up with the blur

[rainman::|:|]

i love it! finally apple did away with those damn handles... functional, maybe, ugly YES. If this really is *it*, i'm satisfied...

pnw

[The Ancients]

IMHO, I hope either it is a design that looks way better in the flesh (flesh? This is a Mac...), or if this is not the case (oops - excuse me!) then looks and performance are inversely proportional.

..k

[Freg3000]

It does look very much like a server.....or an xStation?????? :D

It does adhere to the rumor of the handles remaining, although they would be less obtrusive. Here you have it.

I too would be upset if this was the new case. But we'll see depending on what Apple Legal does.

And remember, it is natural to dislike change. Most people's first reaction is to dislike it.

[pbrennen]

I'm feelin it, as long as the whole thing, including the front grill, is brushed aluminum. Very understated.

[zoozx]

Major ugly.
Butterface. Disappointing to say the least, obviously Porsche was NOT involved!:(

[MorganX]

I hope not. If it is they're definitely going after switchers as this type of plain box is hot right now (modded of course) with PC enthusiasts. I think it sucks.

[kb9000]

The hit counter on that page is going nuts.

I'm sure it will look much cooler when it is on the podium and rises up like when the G4 iMac made its debut.

[richie]

Whatever call I make here, I'm sure to look like a fool on the 23rd, but I find this picture fairly believable. Reminiscent of the xserve, handles... and it's a fairly bad picture, so we're probably not getting the best impression of it. Given what's been said so far about what this case might look like, it's pretty much as I envisaged, only more elegant and Apple-y. And even though it is just a standard-shape box, it's got something :)

Oh, and before everyone goes calling it fugly, go read the thread with the leaked PowerMac MDD pics! Makes for hilarious reading :)

[AppleMatt]

My first reaction was I hate it, but it's since grown on me.

I'm not sure I understand it all though, someone took a picture, then smuggled it out? Whys the picture such bad quality? How long have we had colour film? How long have we had digital cameras the size of a matchbox?

AppleMatt

[Panda Genma]

I dunno, looks 2U to me... Perhaps the XStation can be stand alone or rack mounted? Not a bad idea, what do you guys think?

[QuiteSure]

I don't buy it. Too easy to put together based on info gathered from the One Infinite Cantina piece (front mesh, less obtrusive handles, etc).

Whether it's ugly is impossible to tell from the photo. But as one poster has said, all that really matters is if it's not ugly on the inside.

Or as Forrest Gump would say, "ugly is as ugly does"

[weev]

pretty damn ugly -- believe it not

and heh! - is that a turbo button on the front?:p

[Gymnut]

Ugh, what's with the vertical lines?

[MacManiac1224]

I like it

[gernb]

man that's an ugly piece of crap.

not saying this isn't possible, but it sure would be a step away from the elegance and leading design we've all come to love.

that looks like something i would expect from...yikes...gateway.

[Stella]

If its a powermac, then its way too ugly to be an Apple box.

[Panda Genma]

In fact, yes, look at how the bezels are, this must be the XStation, hot swappable drives in front. XStation can be a standalone server or rackmounted. Runs on the 970... new version of OSX server coming... seems to all fall in place. Also fits with the Xserve technology getting the boost first (usually).

[PB180]

Originally posted by paulwhannel
i love it! finally apple did away with those damn handles... functional, maybe, ugly YES. If this really is *it*, i'm satisfied...

pnw

I think it looks great, if real... as for handles, it looks like the machine has them but they don't stick out like before. At the top of the front side just below the handle the case curves in slightly.

Maybe there are ports on the front, but they are just obscured where the case curves away on the front side bottom.

This seems to borrow a lot of styling from the xServe, which is a good thing. Well, we'll likely know for sure in less than a week...

[mrnoone]

Looking at the proportions of the picture, if this is the real deal then the size of the tower is relatively small in size, I'd say 2/3 the size of the current tower. If it was made of all metal like the xserve, then I think it would look pretty cool sitting on my desk. Remember, that powermacs HAVE to fit into an office environment and work with the existing furniture. If the new design were radically different from a normal PC tower... then that would spell trouble for the product.

Two thumbs up if this is it.

[Chef Ramen]

L337....

looks like it weighs about 70 pounds

[scem0]

I like it. I don't think its any worse than what we have now.

I'd still rather have a cube though.

-scem0

[pbrennen]

Apple's Copyright Agent can be contacted

By email: copyrightagent@apple.com

By mail:

Sue Runfola, Copyright Agent
Apple Computer, Inc.
1 Infinite Loop, MS 3-TM
Cupertino, CA 95014

By phone: 408.974.9994
By fax: 408.253.0186

Maybe someone could sic Apple legal on this site, and see if it gets taken down? It's just a phone call away.

[alset]

Right. This is BS. Why even link to it from the main page? BSBSBSBSBSBSBSBSBS.

Dan

[acj]

You know, if it were a high quality color shot with nice reflections and all that, the oppinions might be different. Use your imagination. All the roundedness of the current cases is just wasted space, really. This might look cool if it were a good picture. Of course it might not.

[Moonlight]

Looks like there is some ports on the side where is it blurred out. Maybe firewire or USB.... The picture looks very ugly, but it may be, because we can't see what material it is made from..it just looks like a plastic box in the "photo"....I would say it is fake, because it looks so ugly, but I thought that when they had a spy photo of the quicksilver case too...so I will just shut up.

[AppleMatt]

Originally posted by noverflow
I want to know what he is covering up with the blur

Same here. And I want to know why there is, what looks like, and expansion bay at the bottom.

To the poster who said about no eject button, you were joking around right?

AppleMatt

[chubakka]

I dunno... if I was gonna release a hoax pic this is the day I would do it.
It's pretty easy to print something out at 65 lpi crumple it up and then
scan it.

It seems a tad conservative to me.
But for a high end xStation it might be right.
If it has the refinement of a Powerbook it could look great like this.

[the Otter]

I really like it, myself. The story is a bit fishy, but the Mac itself looks quite nice. Actaully, I never liked the look of the most recent G4 enclosure. Sure, it's grown on me over the past year or so, but I always thought the look was bit funkard.

The stripes, methinks, are very utilitarian. I’m guessing every one of them is an air intake, much like the four intakes on the front of the current G4—only better looking.

:)

[MacHack]

Front grill, handles... could be. But the thing that makes me an unbeliever is that it lacks a logo on the front - no way.
It looks like this has plexi - look at the back edge.
Brushed aluminum makes too much sense not to be true. This box shape is too boring to be the new 970.

[acj]

Originally posted by mrnoone
Looking at the proportions of the picture, if this is the real deal then the size of the tower is relatively small in size, I'd say 2/3 the size of the current tower. If it was made of all metal like the xserve, then I think it would look pretty cool sitting on my desk. Remember, that powermacs HAVE to fit into an office environment and work with the existing furniture. If the new design were radically different from a normal PC tower... then that would spell trouble for the product.

Two thumbs up if this is it.

I was about to say true but it has to also be fairly consistant with other apple products like their displays. However, they haven't really done this in the past, so maybe a new round of matching displays will become available as well. Apple has never been the perfect choice for those wishing to upgrade one piece at a time.

[tYNS]

Looks like a BAD 70's Sci-fi control panel prop.

oh well.. The looks of the computer don;t make me money.. it is the guts that do.

[noverflow]

Xstation?
It does have 2 handles only in the front as a rack mount should!

[Panda Genma]

Originally posted by Panda Genma
In fact, yes, look at how the bezels are, this must be the XStation, hot swappable drives in front. XStation can be a standalone server or rackmounted. Runs on the 970... new version of OSX server coming... seems to all fall in place. Also fits with the Xserve technology getting the boost first (usually).

[JackRipper]

Originally posted by AppleMatt
To the poster who said about no eject button, you were joking around right?

AppleMatt
Oh, no... That's sounds bad. Am I just blind? ( No I was serious, I don't see an eject button ).

Oh, and don't tell me it's on the keyboard.... I like being able to select the drive I want opened by either dragging it to the trash ( this of course only works when the OS is operable ) or by pressing the eject button on the drive.

[G4scott]

What I like about it: The enterprise-server, powerful, I mean business type of look. A less-rounded enclousure, so it'll fit on desks much better than the current design.

What I don't like: Slot-loading drive. Sorry, but performance is much better with tray-loading drives.

Points to ponder- This thing almost looks like a rack-mountable computer, judging by the handels. ALSO!!! The part on the bottom, just above the handle, seems to be another drive-bay door, but it could be hiding front firewire, USB, and audio jacks...

The design seems to take a hint from the new PowerBook design, with the supposedly aluminum case, the vents (which are similar to those on the PowerBooks), and the handles seem to resemble the curved part of the hinge that attaches to the screen.

This very well could be it. My only gripe is the slot-loading drive, but think about it, why would they put the main drive in the bottom bay? Maybe there's a normal SuperDrive on the top, and the second drive is just a slot-loading combo drive or something... It makes sense...

Just remember guys, when 'spy pics' of the quicksilver design came out, people thought they were butt ugly, but in reality, they looked pretty good...

I just hope the innards of this baby pack a potent punch...

[tqbrady]

I could be WAY off, but I think this is from a Best Buy promotional. Doesn't seem likely at ALL, but that blurred out image SURE does look like the little yellow tag they use all the time. You can detect some yellow in it, and that tag-shape is unmistakable. I have NO idea why Best Buy would have ANYTHING to do with this, though. There ARE rumors that the two companies will strike up a deal to begin selling Macs in their stores again, but I DOUBT they would be given any priviledged info like THIS!!!

There must be SOMETHING weird going on with that blurred part, though.

Also, for those of you saying this thing is ugly, think of the materials. This looks like it will appear to be molded out of one big piece of brushed aluminum. No seams. I think that's going to look pretty freakin' sweet, and that this picture just doesn't do it justice.

Guess we'll see.

[mohaukachi]

THIS IS SO UGLY I HOPE IT ISNT FOR REAL. i would never stick it on my desk... ill put it underneath ;)

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Looks fake to me. The front is not as fluid as pretty much every single PM I've seen. The fact that you can see the whole ROM drive slot if very un-PM like, IMHO. Doesn't look like you can add a second ROM drive, and I think Apple would continue to allow that. If this was snuck out, I'm sure he could have gotten a better scan. It also looks to angular. I think Apple will stay with rounded edges. Also looks to much like aluminum cases that have become popular in PC-land. X-station, maybe. I think the PM will looks different.

[G4scott]

Originally posted by JackRipper
Oh, no... That's sounds bad. Am I just blind? ( No I was serious, I don't see an eject button ).

Oh, and don't tell me it's on the keyboard.... I like being able to select the drive I want opened by either dragging it to the trash ( this of course only works when the OS is operable ) or by pressing the eject button on the drive.

Unfortunately Apple hasn't had an eject button on their desktop optical drives for how long now?

[awinn233]

It's so ugly!

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by JackRipper
Oh, no... That's sounds bad. Am I just blind? ( No I was serious, I don't see an eject button ).

Oh, and don't tell me it's on the keyboard.... I like being able to select the drive I want opened by either dragging it to the trash ( this of course only works when the OS is operable ) or by pressing the eject button on the drive.

What's wrong with the eject on the keyboard. I can eject either drive in my MDD PowerMac with it by holding option and eject for the second one or just eject for the primary drive. I think it's really slick personally.

[G4scott]

Originally posted by weev
pretty damn ugly -- believe it not

and heh! - is that a turbo button on the front?:p

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Uh, no.

[JackRipper]

Originally posted by G4scott
Unfortunately Apple hasn't had an eject button on their desktop optical drives for how long now?

Awh, man I'm WAY behind. But now that I think about it I guess I've been spoiled by my iMac 233!

So no more eject button, huh? Do they still have the force eject holes on them?

[herocero]

this looks like an old 486 box from acer. give me a break. i bet the blurred out section is an intel inside 486DX sticker.
sorry to be so pessimistic, this just doesn't seem very plausible. maybe there is a door that opens up on the bottom above the handle for your parallel and serial ports . . .
now if i'm wrong, i will let all of you who are right beat me with a pillow case full of doorknobs.
next monday could be the start of a great week :)

[MacBandit]

No, I really don't think so it's to PC grey box fugly. I think it's just a bad photoshop job made to look like it was a bad scan. If you want a better photoshop and closer to what I think it might look like look at this at SpyMac.com.

http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35156&papass=&sort=1&thecat=502

[kfury]

Steve's all about powerful, innovative, cool designs. He insists that products be so cool "you'll **** your pants. (http://hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu/pubitem.jhtml?id=3533&t=innovation)"

I couldn't see this box, which looks more like a Mac IIcx (http://www.apple-history.com/frames/?&page=gallery&model=IIcx) than anything else, ever seeing the light of day.

Kevin Fox
fury.com (http://fury.com)

[G4scott]

Originally posted by tqbrady
I could be WAY off, but I think this is from a Best Buy promotional. Doesn't seem likely at ALL, but that blurred out image SURE does look like the little yellow tag they use all the time. You can detect some yellow in it, and that tag-shape is unmistakable. I have NO idea why Best Buy would have ANYTHING to do with this, though. There ARE rumors that the two companies will strike up a deal to begin selling Macs in their stores again, but I DOUBT they would be given any priviledged info like THIS!!!

There must be SOMETHING weird going on with that blurred part, though.

Also, for those of you saying this thing is ugly, think of the materials. This looks like it will appear to be molded out of one big piece of brushed aluminum. No seams. I think that's going to look pretty freakin' sweet, and that this picture just doesn't do it justice.

Guess we'll see.

I'll agree with you, except for the Best Buy part, because if it was in a Best Buy ad or something, the yellow tag thing would be much larger...

[tYNS]

I am waiting for the day they come out with the environmentally freindly mac... You know.. the one that lets you re-use those old Pizza Boxes you have stacked beside your refridgerator?

I want a Pizza Box Mac. It would be stylish and give you the ability to change the case on a per pizza order bases.. Just imagine .. you could have a Pizza Hut Double Pepperoni PowerMac? one week, then a Little Caesar Meaty PowerMac? (Power, Power - Pizza, Pizza) next week.. or even a Dominos PowerMac? G5 Hawian with extra ham...

I am getting damn hungry just thinking of the possibilities...

[gandalf55]

oh brother - i would hate to put that next to my dual g4... it looks totally wintel.

[knoxer]

I LOVE IT!

I would buy this in a second.

All you people are nucking futs.

[lem0nayde]

Oh man, I think this thing is freaking beautiful. I love the sleek, bold minimalistic look. I can imagine how beautiful it must look in person, being all aluminum. It looks like it holds up with the rumors - aluminum, open slots on the front, it appears to have a slight plastic encasing outside of the aluminum - of you look at the back corner, there is some translucent material riding the edge. Looks like 2 drive bays in the front in addition to the slot loading drive. And couldn't the ports be underneath that open space at the bottom front of the drive?

My guess about the blur is that it was either an ID number tagging the machine for security purposes, or maybe some as-yet-unnanounced technology port.

So exciting, I want one!

Joe

[matty8r]

ITS A FAKE

[kb9000]

edit

[Qball]

Originally posted by paulwhannel
i love it! finally apple did away with those damn handles... functional, maybe, ugly YES. If this really is *it*, i'm satisfied...

pnw

This is so freakin butt ugly, there is no way Apple would release this. As far as handles, I'm so used to the current design, I couldn't imagine the tower without handles. Then again, Apple doesn't care what I can imagine -- they usually do the imagining for us!

[Chef Ramen]

macbandit, that is more fugly than the picture in question!

[maxigalaxy]

THIS.IS.IT.

[kdickey]

Could someone please set up a mirror of this image as some of us have a proxy that does not allow us to view the file.

[moosecat]

Maybe I'm just naive, but I think this picture is legit. A few reasons:

1. The pixellation of the image -- consistent with mass-printing for promotional (or advertising) use.

2. The image has been relatively crudely lassoed and removed from something else. That's consistent with this coming from some kind of promotional (or advertising) material.

3. The blurring -- why? It's too random to be made up.

4. The professional, polished design of the product itself (whether you like the design or not).

Granted, the first 3 things are clearly possible in Photoshop. But I see this as one of those things that is stranger than fiction. In other words, it would be quite a forward-thinking photoshopper to think "I'm going to pixellize this as though printed on newsprint, and then I'm going to cut it crudely, and then I'm going to blur a random area of the image to make it seem more authentic."

The 4th is harder for a photoshopper to emulate.

Anyway, we'll see...

[iLilana]

DISTRESS DISTRESS DISTRESS

I can't believe this would be the new machine. It's so ugly and common looking. Personally I think it's disinformation. Maybe posted by Steve himself trying to make all rumors sound more unlikely than likely.

That tower is NOT sexy, NOT innovative and definitely NOT appealing. I wonder if the motherboard will fit in an old tower. I also suspect the picture itself. Something not right about the apple logo. ug-ly ugly ug-ly

I've been reading MR now for about 2 years I think. I have a wishlist for apple. iPod/Palm sync compatibility for an on-the-go full featured handheld. Tablet style iBook. Better graphics cards or upgradable GC's in all machines including AIO's.


Lily

[Sun Baked]

And the current PowerMac aren't ugly metal boxes with fancy plastic bodywork.

Dump the plastic, integrate the handles, and make the metal box purty...

[Sonofhaig]

Logos is crooked. It's a fake. Too boxey.
Apple strives itself on industrial design. Everything Apple has done
has been "curvey". Beautiful, like a womans curves.

And, Yes, that's how I look at my Mac.
I know, I have to get out more....

[maxvamp]

Funny how much it resembles a Dell enterprise server....

http://www.dell.com/us/en/esg/topics/esg_pedge_towermain_servers_2_pedge_2600.htm


Think someone might have used Photoshop here?? In either case.. I seriously doubt this is it. Doesn't have Apple's Flair for style.

Max

[tjwett]

First off, I like it alot. If the image was high quality I think it would look much nicer to everyone. It looks to me like this was definitely scanned from newspaper style print like a store flyer or newspaper insert. You can see so many dots going on in the print. Or it's just a really bad scan or a bad color photocopy. I'm thinking the blur at the bottom may not be that big a deal. It may just be an area that didn't scan well or most likely a logo or something from the store where this guy works. Maybe it was even taken from the expo center where they're having WWDC. As for the design it looks like one slot loading drive standard with an option for another right above it. Also, the same sized expansion bay down at the bottom looks like it could be perhaps a HD bay, maybe hot swappable like the XServe, or I was thinking maybe a little door that will flip up and reveal lots of ports. That would be very PC-like but that might be part of the point with this whole thing. It also looks as if it's made to easily be rackmounted, which is kewl. It definitely matches with the new PowerBooks and the XServe and is totally in line with alot of the new rumors. For right now I'm going with real. And again, I bet that blur is to hide a store logo or something like I said so this guy will have atleast a small chance of not getting busted and losing his job. I like it!

[jelloshotsrule]

i don't see a "pro" machine having a slot loading drive. way too limiting.

[COS]

>>>"Everything Apple has done has been "curvey"."

You might want to take a second look at the ibook, powerbook and Xserve lineup again...

[Moonlight]

Look above the apple logo on the side, and you can see a big "C" ghosted back..what is that about???

[?Hater]

Maybe it's just because I'm an architecture student, but IMO, the front view elevation of this box looks eerily like the former World Trade Center...I dig the international and simple look, but I'm not sure I want one of those sitting on my desk.

[dswoodley]

Given the direction Apple's recent product line have been going - smooth edges, stylish (except Xserve) - I'd say there is no way in hell they'd try pawn-off somthing this ugly on a pro-user. Xserve is ok with being ugly, cause it only sits on a rack. Desktop users expect more and Apple knows it. Fake. Fake. Fake.

God, I hope I'm not wrong.

[zarathustra]

Originally posted by JackRipper
I kinda like the case (I think it looks sleek), but I don't see an eject button for the ROM drive. Maybe it's heat activated?

Well, None of the PowerMacs since the Quicksilver had eject buttons, nor does the FP iMac, or the eMac.... Where have you been??

[maxigalaxy]

or...

[zoozx]

Originally posted by maxigalaxy
THIS.IS.IT.

Now that I want! Not that other metal fake wannabee.

[maxigalaxy]

.

[photo removed by Administrators]

[ Please - no images in this thread for performance reasons ]
[ -- blakespot ]

[lunarworks]

Re: The "Blur"

Two words: Scotch™ Tape

[deepkid]

Originally posted by maxigalaxy
or...

Sorry, that looks like something the design team at Ford came up with. It takes up too much space and reeks of cheap, late 80s sci fi.

[rice_web]

I have one real reason to believe it's fake: the image name.

http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/dontask/dontask2.jpg

I simply find it odd that it's named "dontask2" and it seems a little fishy, almost like it is his second revision to a photoshop run.

By the way, wow. This server is crawling.

[snahabed]

If real, that is THE uglist thing I have ever seen Apple produce.

No way that is a consumer machine. Maybe a server.

That pic page has gotten over 7000 hits in about 2 hours -- the fever pitch surrounding the "G5" and WWDC is at an uncontrollable high.

I have not seen anything like this. If the 970 is not announced on Monday, I swear there will be a public lynching. The crowd will rush the stage, fists brandished, screaming "Develop THIS, Steve-o!"

There is no stopping it now.

[tjwett]

Originally posted by Moonlight
Look above the apple logo on the side, and you can see a big "C" ghosted back..what is that about???

Good eye! I totally see it too now and I think it's actually not a "C" so much as a complete circle that sort protrudes out, probably around a Dell logo or something. :( I think I just changed my mind. Fakerooni! And after seeing those 3D renders, it might just be the ugliest thinkg I've ever seen. Then again, so was the MDD PowerMac.

[Ja Di ksw]

arn, is this on the front page because you think the source is (at least somewhat) reliable, or some other reason? Of course, we should all keep in mind that whether or not the source is reliable, a rumor is a rumor is a RUMOR.

PS, are that many people flooding MR? It's hard to get it to load

[blakespot]

I would bet almost anything that that is the new PowerMac. Fits all the descriptions we've seen up to now.

- "Mesh" on the front
- X-Serve looking (metallic / metallic plastic)
- Front mounted ports (doubtless that's a door at the bottom)
- More integrated handles

That is it, no doubt. Not a PS job.



blakespot

[blakespot]

For performance reasons, please DO NOT post the image in-line in the forums here.

Thank you.




blakespot

[pcp_ip]

just incase it disappears- I've posted it here (http://www.studio2f.com/misc/).

It doesn't look like an apple design to me.

[avus]

I don't give a rat's @$$ about the exterior "styling" of a computer case! In fact, I put my G4 in the closet so I can have a totally quiet work environment. I don't pay any attention to how it looks, but how it does a job. Why everyone is crying on one fuzzy photo? Gee...

FYI, Porsche and Porsche Design are two totally different companies, Porsche have NEVER done any good industrial design recently - they are trying to survive on a 40-year old design, Boxster's sales are going downhill, and disgraced themselves by releasing a stupid, characterless SUV...

[iJon]

this could easily be this weird xstation we are talking about and heard of. i dont know if many of you know, but the current line of xserves have a slot load drive, which adds to the fire more if yo ask me.

iJon

[lem0nayde]

Here is an approximation of what it would look like in real life. its a quick and dirty mockup - but I think the machine will be really sharp:

http://www.angelfire.com/comics/happymac/powermac970.jpg

Joe

[thirdwaver]

Hopefully it's crumpled because the smuggler got it from a trash can at Apple HQ.

Sean

[TmTg]

Someone out there is pulling our collective chain. This thing is an obvious Photoshop fake. Why? Well, download the image and pop it open in Photoshop. Observe the following:

The halftone dot pattern that gives the image that "clipped from a newspaper" does not fluctuate in the areas where the "paper" is supposedly wrinkled. The rosetta pattern from the halftone filter is actually pixel-perfect horizontally and vertically aligned. If this had been scanned in from something printed, the likelihood of the person scanning it placing it on the scanner at a perfect angle is virtually impossible. Any attempt to realign the picture after scanning would produce artifacts that would be visible in the image.

If you're curious whether something is a fake or not, just look at it close up - it's generally quite easy to tell the truth from fiction at 400%.

[pcp_ip]

my next observation... why is this image so severly halftoned? there's no way this thing has been printed in a newspaper.

[hacurio1]

Originally posted by Panda Genma
I dunno, looks 2U to me... Perhaps the XStation can be stand alone or rack mounted? Not a bad idea, what do you guys think?

I like it a lot too. I believe this is it! It is pretty consistent with rumors, as mentioned before. It’s more squared (not necessarily cubed) because it doesn’t have round edges. The handles look exactly as described, plus, if you imagine this case in aluminum (or whatever the Xserver is made out of), it looks similar to the Xserver and the Xraid. I think this is the look Apple has been after lately! Now, as far as the ports in the front, look at the bottom, right above the handle, that looks like a little door to access the ports; also, if you see right below the upper handle, that also look like an expansion bay. Oh well…we must wait and see!!! Else if its not the PM, i belive it could be a 2U Xserver.

[digital1]

I am mixed on it. I would have to see it in person first to judge. I would at least need a better picture to judge from

[Raiden]

Remember people-

When the last major powermac revision came, at MWNY02, everyone magically turned into photoshop experts who could instantly judge if something was real or fake. Everyone's "expert oppinions" dictated that the new PM pic was fake.

The conclusion? It turned out to be real. So just because a few pixels line up perfectly, or a few colors dont match up, doesnt mean this one is fake.

[GPTurismo]

Say hello to XStation and XBook

[WestCoast]

I absolutely love this! Yes it is very square, but its the excecution of it's design and its finish that makes it so fantastic! People have said that the present G4 case was rather poncy, but this embodies strength and has a very industrial feel to it. And going white/silver is a good idea, as companies like Dell are going for black cases now - which is so 90's!

And who said "where's the eject button"? :rolleyes: You dont need one on the front. I've not used an eject button on my G4 since getting it 2 years ago. Why reach under the desk when you can press a button on the keyboard?

I also expect the top panel can be swapped for a different face ? ZIP/Optical Drive.

The hidden is obviously USB/Firewire/Audio.

I hope they'll have monitors to match!

[tjwett]

The image and page have been removed from the original server. Yanked by Apple, or just ran out of bandwidth? In any case, it's gone. I have the pic if anyone wants it.


http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/dontask/

[gr986s]

This is a fxcking Wintel PC. I dont believe it will show up at WWDC. If it does, I'll keeping my G4 Tower for next 5 years till apple change the design!!!

[blueflame]

TJWETT
I would love if you could email me the picture to andreas@wpi.edu
thanks
Andreas

[GregGomer]

The pictures gone now, wonder if that's because the site had 1000's of hits, or if it got pulled by Apple Legal.

All I know, is the last two cases got leaked, I didn't like either in picture, but loved them when I saw them in person. So lets hope this holds true if this is a new case.

I will be disapointed however if they don't keep the front ports. I.e. at least the headphone, and a firewire or USB one would be just awesome. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Foxer]

Well, I hope all of you are serious about boycotting this machine. It'll just make it easier for me to get mine.

First, who cares, really, what it looks like. It's what's inside that has us all drooling.

Second, it ain't that bad, when you fix it up and look at from another angle - as some on this forum have done.

[GregGomer]

The pictures gone now, wonder if that's because the site had 1000's of hits, or if it got pulled by Apple Legal.

All I know, is the last two cases got leaked, I didn't like either in picture, but loved them when I saw them in person. So lets hope this holds true if this is a new case.

I will be disapointed however if they don't keep the front ports. I.e. at least the headphone, and a firewire or USB one would be just awesome. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[mrjamin]

Originally posted by tjwett
The image and page have been removed from the original server. Yanked by Apple, or just ran out of bandwidth? In any case, it's gone. I have the pic if anyone wants it.


http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/dontask/

can you attatch it?

[ennerseed]

Good call on the halftone screen. it doesn't change where the wrinkles are either.

[noverflow]

The file its self is now gone... if you go to /dontask2.jpg
or 1
or just dontask.jpg
it gives a 404 error... wondering if it was taken down.
if so by whom

[TmTg]

Originally posted by Raiden
Remember people-

When the last major powermac revision came, at MWNY02, everyone magically turned into photoshop experts who could instantly judge if something was real or fake. Everyone's "expert oppinions" dictated that the new PM pic was fake.

The conclusion? It turned out to be real. So just because a few pixels line up perfectly, or a few colors dont match up, doesnt mean this one is fake.

First off - some of us don't just "magically turn into photoshop experts." My job, day in, day out, is to create images that ARE believable fakes. Blockbuster, Mazda, and Owens Corning all seem to trust my "expert opinion," so be careful with your assumptions regarding the level of expertise of other posters.

Next - I wasn't stating that a few pixels lined up - that would be coincidence - I was pointing out that ALL of the pixels lined up, through the entire image. There was no shifting in the angle of the halftone no matter how much the image appeared to be wrinkled, which is totally inconsistent with how an actual printed piece that was later scanned would look.


So - for this to be real, someone would have to have taken a legitimate, non-halftoned picture, possibly wrinkled, possibly not, and then ran the photoshop halftone filter over it in order to achieve that level of precision. My thought is that if this were legit, the poster would have no interest in making it -appear- as though it were a printed piece. If this is for real, why would the poster not just post it as is and not doctor it to make it look like something it's not?


Regardless, back on topic a bit, I'm all for having an actual SQUARE enclouse for the next round of powermacs. I'm thoroughly annoyed by the current enclosure that sacrifices practicality for style. Have you ever tried to stack two powermac G4s? Or tried to place it on a surface that is not quite long enough for the two feet on the bottom? or just accidentally pushed it too far one direction and had one of the feet pop off the bottom?

Square, Brushed Aluminum. I wish this pic WERE for real.

[3G4N]

reminds me very much of the old pre-PPC Quadra's (700,800s)

[chubakka]

If you were emailed a digital photo of say a discarded proof... then print it out at 65 dpi... and for some reason had to scan it... I would think it would look like this. The original image would have no moirŽ pattern.

[Mudbug]

http://home.sport.rr.com/chestymcbigguns/PS%20uploads/dontask2.jpg

please click link for original photo

<edit> I took my own link down, since arn posted the local mirror. I was not contacted by apple legal, nor do I feel that it was real in the first place. </edit>

[Mal]

One question. Is that supposed to be a slot loading cd drive on the front? There's no way Apple will go back to those until the problems with them are resolved, at least not on the desktop machines.

JW

[pyrotoaster]

He shoved the thing in his pants...? ;)

Seriously, the story is fishy, as is the picture. While it has a legit look to it, why would Apple use a printing press to put together a picture of the new Powermac?

Plus, the top handle seems odd. It kinda drifts off, without reattaching to the machine. And one person in the IRC noted that the Apple isn't really level comared to rest of the machine.

Also, the pic has been taken offline, but there's no evidence that it was done at the request of Apple Legal.

My vote: Fake.

[Sonofhaig]

Originally posted by COS
>>>"Everything Apple has done has been "curvey"."

You might want to take a second look at the ibook, powerbook and Xserve lineup again...

Sorry. I wasn't referring to the "Books".

[mikeyredk]

Originally posted by skywalker
One question. Is that supposed to be a slot loading cd drive on the front? There's no way Apple will go back to those until the problems with them are resolved, at least not on the desktop machines.

JW

what about the slot loading imac?
thats a desktop

okay this is what i think if anyone gives about my opinions

the indentations on the top and bottom are just like the handes that we have they are just recesed the slot is probably a slot loading drive

[tazznb]

will someone please email that image to nbrown178@comcast.net

I was at work, and missed it.

There is also no way I can make it to an Apple store to see the stream, either.

[erockerboy]

Overheard on AppleInsider.com:

Explanation #456:

My genius friend who knows several hardware testers says:

"actually, that is probably a picture of the prototype boxes apples ships out to trusted companies for testing

I have heard specs on the cases they use on those units"

i said: And that matches it?

"pretty close"

me: Even with the apple logo?

"yeah"


It's pretty obvious they took a pic and masked out the rest to white.
If you look at the left side there's a bad gap where they missed tight masking on the edge.


?????

[Sedulous]

Maybe the image is crappy quality to hide who leaked it... maybe there was a serial number in the corner so that was blurred out entirely.

[NoVi]

Take a look at this link, 'old' macs sell out, 'new' macs to come

http://shop.cancom.de/

[MetallicPenguin]

I hope that's just a prototype for testers and such, kind of like the big X for the Xbox, except the whole thing got reversed and that looked cooler han the actual thing.

[donshank]

.

Butt Ugly


>:-P

[cthorp]

Why I believe it is the real deal.

I don't believe the halftone issue is as clear as it appears. I believe the jpeg compression is also involved in the pattern. It breaks things into little squares and this may be influencing the pattern quite a bit.

If this person were to print the image from a laser printer then that would explain the pattern. Remember there will be a large marketing and advertising campaign to launch the machines. You can bet images have been provided to media outlets across the globe. It is very believable that a production artist at a major newspaper/magazine/whatever had access to images supplied by Apple's agency.

So why do I believe it. First I remember when the iMac G4 was about to be released and everyone was designing their own version of what they thought it would look like. Usually amateurs try TO HARD and things are pushed to far. Just look at PC's. They substitute Great design with over the top cases and as a result look cheap. The reserved lines and conformity to the Apple look and feel, i.e. Power Book, xServe and other PRO products makes this very believable. Remember Apple has invested considerably in the Pro video and Film Markets. This has a very industrial look that I believe would do well in that market.

Look at the back of the machine and notice how it is translucent. Judging by the ipod and ibook (both relatively square) the final look and feel of this thing is going to be gorgeous. (I don't think a fake would have included such a subtle detail)

Apple is a market leader in ID. Remember when the imac came out and everything was Bondi blue, from trash cans to Kleenex boxes. Now, as the PC world is trying to imitate apple with curvy lines Apple has moved on and again left them to catch up.

Look at the grill on the side of a power book or ibook. Looks very consistent.

I believe this is the real deal.

[Keith Purfield]

What's with the two floppy drives? (Sorry if someone asked, but I'm way too lazy to read all of those posts.)

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by Sedulous
Maybe the image is crappy quality to hide who leaked it... maybe there was a serial number in the corner so that was blurred out entirely.
We can justify this thing until the proverbial cows come to the proverbial home, but it just doesn't seem real. It's too boxy, too big, to be a Mac. It also needs another optical drive, and some ports in front.

Devil's Advocate:
Maybe it's picture of test machine used to put the processor through its rounds.

Still, I don't think this is the best Jonathan Ive can come up with. We're in store for something at least a little better looking.

[elo]

A very interesting article could be written about the reactions of people to this picture. One of the striking things about design in general is how little infomation is conveyed by a picture, especially one as bad as this, but paradoxically how most people can view a picture such as this and believe they can visualize the actual item. The simple truth is that the vast majority of people lack this skill, though it is characteristic of great designers.

Rewind back a few years, when the PowerBook G4 Titanium was first introduced. If you had been using a Pismo PowerBook (which was an excellent design) and someone had shown you a picture of the new design (especially a picture of the quality of the one here), you probably would have reacted just as many people here are: It's too square, it lacks flair, it's too generic "Wintel". Now that we are equally familiar with both designs however, we can appreciate: (1) the importance of material itself in good design, (2) the subtle elements of the design that draw us in, and (3) the greater refinement and elegance of the G4 compared to the Pismo. In other words, a knowledgable person who had seen neither before would be able to tell which one came first and which came second.

elo

[question fear]

i have no vote on fake/non fake, but its definitely not a best buy photo.
i work there, and am forced to study the circulars. there has been no picture thus far in bb flyers like that.
also, bb is selling ipods but i know my store doesnt sell computers, nor have we received word we're going to.
because we'd know. so, you know, we could take one for the good of the team.
or something.
anyhow.
not best buy.
maybe some other crappy retailer.

[xelterran]

I think its real!

First time i saw it i thought it looked awful but i looked at it for a few more minutes and im beginning to like it now!

[MacsRgr8]

WOW... this is the first picture of the G5 (fake or not), and observe the reactions! Macrumors, AppleInsider, SpyMac... all "too busy"! Look at the the number of views. OMG....

This one is the most anticipated pice of Apple hardware in its history! :cool:

I wonder who/what made "Dontask" pull the pic form the original location.
When I go to work tomorrow morning (for most of you about midnight :D ), things will have cleared up. Maybe Apple made him pull it....

BTW, the more I look at it, the more I like it. I wouldn't mind having one ON my desk.

[mustang_dvs]

Regardless of whether or not it is a fake, this discussion and the photo, which can be found at www.studio2f.com/misc/ (http://www.studio2f.com/misc/) (thanks), evoke two thoughts.

1. The design is reminiscent of FrogDesign's "Snow White" series, which defined the Mac II's, through the early Quadras (which is interesting and personally appealing, though I like the curves and organic feel of the El Capitan case)

2. I find the lack of an eject button (even on the drives themselves) to be extremely frustrating when there is a problem and you need to boot off of a CD-ROM or get a bootable CD out after a restart, to prevent the mac from booting up from it. (True, you can hold the mouse button to kick out a CD, but that is a kludgy solution that doesn't provide the user with enough time to swap bootable CDs before the internal HD is selected as the boot drive.)

[Regular Joe]

I still think it looks like an air conditioning unit or origami.

[hoshi]

can somebody post this picture somewhere PLEASE!!!
ive been waiting for a link that works.

TIA :)

[josepht]

I thought it was ugly at first, and I still do. :) I need a new PowerMac so badly, I really could care less about its looks.

Now that the image has been pulled from the site, I really do think it's real. (I managed to save a copy of it before it was pulled.)

[pbrennen]

Originally posted by mustang_dvs
2. I find the lack of an eject button (even on the drives themselves) to be extremely frustrating when there is a problem and you need to boot off of a CD-ROM or get a bootable CD out after a restart, to prevent the mac from booting up from it. (True, you can hold the mouse button to kick out a CD, but that is a kludgy solution that doesn't provide the user with enough time to swap bootable CDs before the internal HD is selected as the boot drive.)

Good point. I think that it would be possible to put this button somewhere else on the box, say, in the back, or even inside the space created by the lower handle... that'd be an ok place to put front usb and firewire ports.

[nagromme]

I think it's very possible, at least. Remember that a large (or at least vocal) segment of the public, including apple fans, always HATE just about any new design from Apple--until they get used to it. Steve-era Examples:

TiBook
AlBook 17"
Clamshell iBook
Current iBook
iMac G3 Original
iMac G3 Fruit
Flower Power & Dalmatian iMacs
iMac G4 (and then the 17" bothered people all over again)
eMac
PowerMac G3 B&W
PowerMac G4
PowerMac G4 QuickSilver
PowerMac G4 Mirrored Drive Doors
New iPods and docks
Pro Mouse
Small iMac & tower keyboards
Current Pro Keyboards
New eMac Keyboards
Studio & Cinema Displays
Pro Speakers
Soundsticks and iSub (case designed by Apple I believe)
G4 Cube
Xserve line

Most of those came to be widely regarded as works of art AFTER the intital "oh no! it's different!"... While others (Flower Power??) only a mother could love. And some of the most-hated have been RECENT designs. The new eMac keyboard, the new iPod, G4 MDD, flat iMac, etc.

Also note that when seen in person (or better photos), in color and detail, the impression made wouldn't be the same as in that bad photo. It's a shame if one bad photo takes some initial punch away from what may be a beautiful product. (The early photos of QuickSilver looked awful but were accurate--and that turned out to be the nicest looking tower ever, I think!) I think a design like this could look great in person, even though I don't love what I've just seen. I certainly don't hate it--and it certainly looks a LOT better than Wintel PCs. Very industrial. A machine to take seriously. This is Not a Toy.

And remember you'll be looking at new displays, keyboards, and mice very likely--the tower itself may not be the high point of the physical design.

Believable factors: handles but less prominent, super-simple, rectangular, clear-and-metal styling, Apple logo on the side but not front, vertical vents like Xserve (and PowerBooks)--which could conceal the speaker, multiple drive bays yet also a slot-load main drive. It all looks too polished and nice to be a bare-bones test case, although it could always be a design prototype. (And the low image quality is clever, if it's fake.)

That bottom-most "drive bay" panel (or the bottom "handle") could actually conceal front ports--although the USB hubs in the displays and keyboards has always been a better answer, at least for USB. And the vents, aside from providing great quiet?) cooling, could well hide an eject-hole for optical drive troubleshooting.

Plus it's what's inside that counts. (Which, if it's anything exciting, still puts the actual ship date months away by my guess.)

And of course, it could also be a fake! But I won't complain if it's real.

(PS, a MacCentral thread had the image too I believe--although traffic will no doubt kill it.)

[Kid Red]

Originally posted by pcp_ip
my next observation... why is this image so severly halftoned? there's no way this thing has been printed in a newspaper.

Wrong. Grab a newspaper and scan an image at twice the size in inches not dpi and you'll see the dots. That's the reason you see the dots, because this printed image has been blown up, otherwise the dots are barely noticeable. And your wrinkle theory is incorrect, they are not deep enough to sway the dots, scanners are notorious for picking up the slightest less then perfectly flat imperfections.

[mustang_dvs]

If any of you are wondering what "Snow White" or FrogDesign are, check out Apple Design: The Work of the Apple Industrial Design Group (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1888001259/qid=1055885283/sr=1-41/ref=sr_1_41/102-5503859-2215338?v=glance&s=books), which is a great (though rare and expensive) book that focuses on Apple's designs from 1982-1997. It's pretty amazing to see 'what might have been' (including the extreme close ups of multi-colored eMates in the last few pages.)

[mproud]

Fake. Too uncreative and rigid.

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by hosepht
Now that the image has been pulled from the site, I really do think it's real. (I managed to save a copy of it before it was pulled.)
There's no evidence that it was pulled by Apple Legal, though. Mr. Shovethepicinmypants hasn't even claimed to have received a "Cease and Desist" thingy from Apple.

Also, the Mac Rumors homepage appears to have been updated. It now says: "There are significant doubts that this is real."

[MetallicPenguin]

Well if this is the real thing, for the pople that think it looks horrible, Apple will make it look good somehow.

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by Kid Red
Wrong. Grab a newspaper and scan an image at twice the size in inches not dpi and you'll see the dots. That's the reason you see the dots, because this printed image has been blown up, otherwise the dots are barely noticeable. And your wrinkle theory is incorrect, they are not deep enough to sway the dots, scanners are notorious for picking up the slightest less then perfectly flat imperfections.
Problem: Apple doesn't have newspaper ads.
Originally posted by nagromme
Flower Power & Dalmatian iMacs
Correction: Everybody hated those (in a good way, though).

[Huked on Fonick]

Originally posted by maxvamp
Funny how much it resembles a Dell enterprise server....

http://www.dell.com/us/en/esg/topics/esg_pedge_towermain_servers_2_pedge_2600.htm


Think someone might have used Photoshop here?? In either case.. I seriously doubt this is it. Doesn't have Apple's Flair for style.

Max

What it doesent look aything like the that, the dell has holes all across the front blah blah blah, not even close

[iBot]

I'm not sure if it's fake or real, but I would be surprised to see WWDC arrive without at least one counterfeit Photoshop job showing up and causing an Internet stir. For compulsive photoshop "rasterbaters," the lure of sending us rumormongers into paroxysms of speculation is just too irresistable.

That said, the alleged new PowerMac enclosure in the pic seems a bit too slavishly inspired by the Xserve case. Those grills on the front obviously echo the grill-like vents on the Xserve; but in the leaked PowerMac pic, the designer seems to have gone overboard on the grill work. Kind of amateurish, IMHO. Alternating panels of grill and solid brushed aluminum would have been much more aesthetic, and also much more akin to the current design trends at Apple (look at the Xserve and Xserve Raid).

Then again, I was dead wrong about the leaked pics of the Mirrored-Drive Door PowerMacs last year. They, too, looked like bad amateur design to me -- and they turned out to be real. Maybe Apple has lost its flair for cutting-edge design.

[warpedntwisted]

If this is the new mac design, i am NOT pleased. but personal feelings aside, why would mac make a slot load drive on a tower? I know that they have in the past, but that was back in the DVD-RAM days. it's not like there's not enough space to have a tray! There's another issue that makes me not believe this image: Where's the headphone jack? For the longest time, Mac's didn't have a headphone jack in the front of the machine, and suddenly, with the release of the Mirrored Drive models, the jack appeared on the front of the machine. why would it be immediately removed in the new model? i know that it's a small detail, and many may say that maybe there's a door on the front, hiding it along with the possibility of other connecters (USB, Firewire). Not to mention that the design if the box strays FAR away from the well established Mac design scheme. i.e. the thing looks like any other computer.
Personally, I think that this image is a fake. It better be.

-warped

[daveg5]

i am upset, i cant find the image anywhere, can someone provide a link , make a sketch or give a detailed description
thanks:mad: :confused:

[trebblekicked]

originally posted by trebblekicked
Hey trebblekicked! What do you think?

i'm glad you aksed, jerk.
the pic itself has been altered. the design is believable save the slot loading drive, and i don't necessarily hate it. i'd imagine in aluminum it would look quite stunning. the simplicity/geometry of the design would make it more like current machines than the g4 powermac. i was hoping for something more like the original cube, but oh well. i'll still buy one (provided there is a 970 inside) if the design is a fake it's at least a well thought out one. but the pic has definately been altered.

[Kid Red]

Originally posted by mproud
Fake. Too uncreative and rigid.

Xserve?

[iSegway]

OK, if the German invitation is to be believed then I think this makes sense. The invitation specifically pointed to PROfessionalS--this box looks very professional. Now, I liked the old G4, but it seemed to rely too much on looks. It looked to frilly.

I think the most important thing about the G5 is whats IN the box not what it looks like. And that is a key to apples future with professionals.

Another thing.... as minimalist as this thing is... it has got to be a b@d@ss.

[Freg3000]

Originally posted by daveg5
i am upset, i cant find the image anywhere, can someone provide a link , make a sketch or give a detailed description
thanks:mad: :confused:

Check Spymac or a P2P, or join the MacRumors IRC chat, every once in a while sparkleytone lets someone post a link. :)

[gotohamish]

Okay, I'll stick my neck out and say...

FAKE.

If anyone with half a brain wanted to pull off a cool fake to cause some stir... you'd printing, scan it, print it, crease it, scan it. Make it look for like spy material from a Bond film.

Having said that, whichever way it goes, I sure HOPE it's fake!

Oh, and did I mention, what if it's PINK?

[job]

I like it.

With the exception of the slot-loading drive.

It's a tower Mac users can finally use to say 'bite me' to Wintel losers. ;)

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by Huked on Fonick
What it doesent look aything like the that, the dell has holes all across the front blah blah blah, not even close
This thing looks more like IBM's eServer xSeries.

Yes, eServer meets toaster, that's what this looks like. ;)

[cthorp]

several people have noted missing ports and buttons. Had someone made this up I doubt they would have left them off. It would have made people question whether it was real.

This also could be the low end machine with only one drive.

Apple's consumer products are fun and playful while their pro products look industrial. If you want curves buy an iMac.

Just because you do not like something does not mean it is not real.

[jvaska]

eeeeeeeeeee...

i missed!

who's got a pic...please send to meeeeee...

jvaska@yahoo.com

i've been waiting two years...is it for real?!!!!

jv

[Freg3000]

Originally posted by jvaska
eeeeeeeeeee...

i missed!

who's got a pic...please send to meeeeee...

jvaska@yahoo.com

i've been waiting two years...is it for real?!!!!

jv

SPYMAC Gallery right now!

[iSegway]

Apple's consumer products are fun and playful while their pro products look industrial. If you want curves buy an iMac.

I agree. I think this is a new direction for Apple from the G4 days.

They have the new Imac and I have a feeling those rumors about an anniversary cube coming might be true too.

This thing is ALL business and that makes sense. I bet it is gonna be massively powerful and majorly expensive too.

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by cthorp
several people have noted missing ports and buttons. Had someone made this up I doubt they would have left them off. It would have made people question whether it was real.
That's using crazy reasoning, though. It's like saying "If it was fake it would've had one optical drive (which it does), so it must be real because nobody would make it fake like that."
This also could be the low end machine with only one drive.

Apple's consumer products are fun and playful while their pro products look industrial. If you want curves buy an iMac.
The Quicksilver looked professional and awesome, but not industrial. I think we'll see something more quasi-quicksilver than this. It'll follow the professional, yet simple, look of the Powerbook.
Just because you do not like something does not mean it is not real.
I don't like it and I don't think it's real. And, to be fair, just because you (not you in particular, cthorp, but "you" in general) like it.

[tjwett]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
...There's no evidence that it was pulled by Apple Legal, though. Mr. Shovethepicinmypants hasn't even claimed to have received a "Cease and Desist" thingy from Apple...

He had the pic on an Angelfire site, which is a crappy free homepage service provided by Lycos. I doubt they even know is real name or info so if it was pulled by Apple it was probably sent right to Lycos admins or the equivalent.

[technocoy]

the box may be real, but to side with the other designer who posted... the photo is not. the moire pattern is fake, and besides, if this is the world changing 970 powermac, it would not be printed in black & white at newspaper quality... and as for printing it at 64 dpi??? if apple still has a printer that someone is printing at 64 dpi on, then i deserve any flame this may bring. THE PHOTO IS NOT REAL.

[daveg5]

look likes it's in a paper bag.
I think apple released this as a teaser that does not look too good and keep our expectations down,
then tuesday or monday.
WoW, Bang that looks great!!!
also keep in mind that ther may be 2 versions
1 smaller 2-3 33MHZ pci slots 4 memory slots
1 larger dual 3 33MHZ pci slots and 2-3 66MHZ pci-x slots 8 memory slots 4 per prosessor.
how much is ddr400 memory 1GB any way

[jvaska]

it's already gone...

but i still have an email address...hehe...

jvaska@yahoo.com

jv

[cthorp]

The best lie contains the most truth. Everyone is expecting ports and buttons up front. If I were to make a fake it would be based on my best guess of the rumor mill. Therefore I would have those rumored ports on the front. Give people what they want to believe and they will believe it.

This person did not strive to do that. The execution is at a level that they would have thought through where the eject button should go. Of course this is all speculation with is contray to critical thinking. I am not going to say "This is it" but rather "I believe this is it". I've seen to many fakes to think otherwise. I will however ask my brother (who used to be a senior designer at IDEO and has won quite a few national awards) what his opinion is. He may just say I am a stupid little bro(it won't be the first time).

[iSegway]

One thing I can't figure out, if this is real, look at the width of that drive slot... ? If it is just one slot it make this thing way too small... but what if you have 2 drives in that one slot area, side by side? Then it would make the case way too big right? Maybe the slot width is pronounced for aethetic reasons?

[MetallicPenguin]

If, IF, this is some sort of mock-up trick, or a prototype for testers the reason it would match most of the......no nevermind, I hope this is fake. Or at least let it be the Xstation or whatever. Yeah, i think it will be the desktop server, way to industrial to be a powermac. If it is a real powermac I will be sending some very vicious letters to Apple on Monday!

[adamfilip]

here what i think
and im sure many of you have read this before.

i think the case is real (unfortunately)
but the shot.

was printed as a gray scale photo on some desktop printed
scanned in. after the paper was crinkled and then a dot pattern filter was applied in photoshop

cause the dot pattern in that file is just to perfectly verticle
it doesnt skew one bit..

[chubakka]

That's what I said about 40 posts ago.

Dot pattern was added after the crumpling.

[ae86_16v]

Originally posted by skymaXimus
I sure hope not! It looks like all the cheezy wintel boxes.
blah...

Yeah, it just looks like a Dell or something :(

[arn]

there are significant doubts that the image is real. Local mirror posted of scaled down image. (see main site).

arn

[applemacdude]

Power Mac Pic (http://hometown.aol.com/accrcboy/myhomepage/index.html)

[hvfsl]

The image looks real to me, but is probably one of the early prototypes for the case or maybe a low cost Mac we have all been waiting for.

[Freg3000]

Originally posted by arn
there are significant doubts that the image is real. Local mirror posted of scaled down image. (see main site).

arn

Arn, how can you post a scaled down image unless you were sure that it was fake. Don't you want to avoid the wrath of Apple Legal?

[astrocity20]

.. looks like **** if you ask me. I want the blue and white design back lol.

[Raiden]

the way i see it, if apple legal doesnt come, then arn is in the clear, and if they do threaten, then it will add credibility to this pic.

[mkaake]

smuggled? :o) someone has an imagination out there after all!

so you take a picture on a camera in a place that you're not supposed to have a camera. then you develop the picture and stuff it in your pants to take it home. that would be great if a) you had cameras in a no photo location, or b) the no photo location had a dark room just sittin there for people to use (But not take pictures home from).

seriously, think about it. i smuggled in a freakin camera (and out too), but i have to crumple up this picture to keep it from getting noticed?

cmon people. common sense here...

matt

[arn]

Originally posted by Freg3000
Arn, how can you post a scaled down image unless you were sure that it was fake. Don't you want to avoid the wrath of Apple Legal?

As I said... there are significant doubts that it is real.

I know I said otherwise before... sorry for the mislead.

arn

[evolu]

I believe it - and it would look amazing with Apple's attention to detail. Simple is always better, and those long verticle lines would look amazing in metal.

I remember reading that X.3 is supposed to be all metal as well - very interesting thematically.

Don't forget how radical the new iPod is compared to previous apple designs. Red lights inside laser etched buttons?

Also:
It makes sense apple would only have low-res mock-ups internally to avoid a detailed pic from getting out.

If this is real, it would almost force an update to the display line. Can't have 2 radically different designs on the desktop, can we?

[Raiden]

the way i see it, if apple legal doesnt come, then arn is in the clear, and if they do threaten, then it will add credibility to this pic.

and to the guy who got angry at me- sorry, didnt mean to rag on your job or whatever, sorry.

[gothamac]

I believe it's real and for good reason...

Remember back in the late 90's and when apples line up was
turquoise G3's
candy colored Imac's
candy colored toilet seat ibook's
and Black curvy powerbooks.

Since then, the powerbooks were updated with the tibooks (remember how up in arms people were because they looked so "PC" that is until you saw them in person) now the old curvy models look like toys.
Toilet books became the ice books. The toilets now look like toys.
G4 imac. the original imacs now look like toys.
The G4's have change to a gray color, but have keep the same shape until the G5 arrives.
Now it is here and the old boxes will soon look like toys. I believe this is the final stage of the transformation to a more serious looking industrial design, and the photo leave so much to the imagination. My bet is this is real and will blow people mind when seen in person.

[MacSlut]

 beleive how much chatter this picture has received. Mac fans are totally twitching for a fix aren't we? This picture wouldn't have even received a single followup from the first "fake" response if it was posted just a couple of months ago.

Please people, the 23rd is just around the corner...

Wait, on the other hand... If you people are so eager to throw all logic and reason out the window like this. Please send me a check for $3,000 and I'll send you a special new PowerMac. For an additional $500, I'll have Steve Jobes personally write g5 on the side of the Mcintosh.

For those of you not whipping out your check books...

Take a close look at the perspective lines. Good, now consider the logic of a slotted DVD drive on a tower. Then consider no eject button or pinhole. No reset buttons, no headphone button, no visible speaker.

What's with the space above the slotted drive? It's much bigger than the slotted drive face plate. So is the bottom space. Are we to believe that this can only have one removable media bay?

And at the bottom...it's blurred I guess to hide the front port configuration? Great except that's probably the worst place to put ports...never mind the fact that there's no reason why this picture would've leaked, but the ports needed to be concealed.

Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake!

At least give us something that's remotely possible.

Oh, and my predicition...

Safari 1.0 is released. Panther of course is previewed and developer alphas/betas distributed.

New Servers announced using the 970, but no other 970 based Macs announced.

UPDATE: Apple legal has warned me not to sell my special limited edition g5 Mcintoshes until after the 23rd. I'm not making this up, they really did tell me to stop, but I'm going to keep selling them anyway, so keep those checks a coming!

[iSegway]

so you take a picture on a camera in a place that you're not supposed to have a camera. then you develop the picture and stuff it in your pants to take it home. that would be great if a) you had cameras in a no photo location, or b) the no photo location had a dark room just sittin there for people to use (But not take pictures home from).

You have to consider that someone might not want to lose their job and is making up a bs story trying to disguise the true origin of the image.

[Freg3000]

Originally posted by arn
As I said... there are significant doubts that it is real.

I know I said otherwise before... sorry for the mislead.

arn

Thanks for the clarification.

[Wardofsky]

Originally posted by Raiden
the way i see it, if apple legal doesnt come, then arn is in the clear, and if they do threaten, then it will add credibility to this pic.

and to the guy who got angry at me- sorry, didnt mean to rag on your job or whatever, sorry.

The pic was pulled off an angelfire website, this may have been to Apple legal but peoople tend to show an image, allow others to nab it, take it down, and all the people that have it put it up on the web.

[TmTg]

Originally posted by Raiden
the way i see it, if apple legal doesnt come, then arn is in the clear, and if they do threaten, then it will add credibility to this pic.

and to the guy who got angry at me- sorry, didnt mean to rag on your job or whatever, sorry.


No anger whatsoever. Just wanted to toss out some credibility so that other people reading might honestly consider my point that the photo is seriously doctored, which apparently, a number of people have, judging by the posts I've been reading.

Not trying to fan the flames, just toss my $.02 in.

[g4tom]

"For an additional $500, I'll have Steve Jobs personally write g5 on the side of the Macintosh."




Well you must be a peecee user, any Mac user would know how to spell Steve's name and computer line

[MikeH]

Hmm. If this is the new PowerMac then I'm dissapointed.

Is this design really from the same people that gave us the iMac (G3 & G4), the iBook, the iPod and the original blue & white G3 tower?

Remember the responses they got when they first released?

If this is the new PowerMac then I think the design team left their imagination at home the day they designed this. Yeah, it looks OK. But so does a Dell. I expect more from Apple and I don't think Big Steve would have OK'd that design unless he wanted to go home early that day.

Jonathan Ive/Apple can do much better than this. I'm hoping they have.

[iSegway]

Now it is here and the old boxes will soon look like toys. I believe this is the final stage of the transformation to a more serious looking industrial design, and the photo leave so much to the imagination. My bet is this is real and will blow people mind when seen in person.

I agree with Gothmac. Whether or not this is real who knows? Let's put it this way though -- this photo looks fake, ports and drive bays -- all that skepticism makes sense. But over-all this concept seems legit to me.

One thing that I couldn't figure out was the "metallic mesh" bit from the cantina story. I had no idea what the heck that was. This matches that description in the only way I can imagine.

[RAzaRazor]

Originally posted by g4tom
"For an additional $500, I'll have Steve Jobes personally write g5 on the side of the Mcintosh."




Well you must be a peecee user, any Mac user would know how to spell Steve's name and computer line

Wow. You missed the joke entirely.
For $3,000 he will have someone named "Steve Jobes" write "G5" on a McIntosh.

:D

[mjconnor]

This thing is horrible-looking. Apple would never release this. It looks like some sort of bizarre tribute to the World Trade Center.

[cubist]

Originally posted by iSegway
You have to consider that someone might not want to lose their job and is making up a bs story trying to disguise the true origin of the image.

It looks to me like a photocopy of printed matter, e.g. a brochure, not an original photograph.

[VIREBEL661]

UGLY... It looks like BS to me also... Apple leads the way with elegant design... I don't believe it - it DOES look wintel... BAH...

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by noverflow
I want to know what he is covering up with the blur

His lousy Photoshop skills...

If that really was hogged out of an Aluminum block, it must weight a ton. :)

I could try to justify to myself why certain decsions might have been made, but I'm not going to bother on this one-- I vote fake.

[VIREBEL661]

Originally posted by acj
But it should be bigger, more square, and beige with two floppy drives.

TOTALLY!!!!

[holy MAC!]

don't take this personally people,


but i just want to knock all of you out

and wake you on june 24th

[8320]

This looks remarkably like an old Mac IIcx or IIci turned on its side. I think Jobs is reminiscing too much. Too square. Too plain. Too ugly. It's crap.

Mac user since 1988.

[iSegway]

It looks to me like a photocopy of printed matter, e.g. a brochure, not an original photograph.

The scenario I envisioned was someone with some kind of press kit or someone in a managerial role that received some kind of documentaion that only a few people had received. Then they screw around with the scan of the document and make a juvenile story to go along with it. Seems somewhat plausible to me.

[applemacdude]

his lousy photoshop skills It could be a her...

[Parikh1234]

hey all, im new in the forums but ive been reading macrumors for a while. I had to sign up today when they locked out the forums to all people other than registered users :) In any case, look what i found....dont know how real it is:

http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35329&papass=&sort=1&thecat=

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by 8320
This looks remarkably like an old Mac IIcx or IIci turned on its side. I think Jobs is reminiscing too much. Too square. Too plain. Too ugly. It's crap.

Mac user since 1988.
You're wrong!!
It's just fake. ;)
Originally posted by acj
But it should be bigger, more square, and beige with two floppy drives.
Why stop with two?! Let's innovate and have three!! :p

[Swinny]

I'm putting all my beans on Fake!

Just something a bit too clinical about both the story and the quality of the image for my liking...

...the biggest problem I have with it though is that it simply does not seem to say Apple...it looks pretty much like any other current Aluminium PC case just with a grill on the front - I don't think Jobs or Ives would let the reputation they have built up again since the first iMac be tainted - sure there have been mess-ups and mistakes in that time - but everything produced since (with the possible exception of the Xserve and Xstation) has been different, individual and instantly reconisable as an Apple product - this image doesnt suggest any of those things.

Lets not forget that this machine - if it contains the innards we all dream it does - is perhaps Apple's best hope of maintaining and increasing its market-share in the professional market and certainly the only answer they currently have to the Wintel worlds current speed advantage - they would never risk that on such a bland design.

Some dude has really gone to town on creating a design and doctoring it in such a way that the obvious defects in the image itself can be covered up by claiming its a scan of a newspaper print - and then pulling the image just as the rumour sites begin to bite.

You wanna prove the image is real? Show the world that Apple told you to cease and desist...simple as that really.

[applemacdude]

Or@ (http://hometown.aol.com/accrcboy/myhomepage/index.html)

Eitherway its so ugly...

[Fredo Viola]

I like it. Honestly. I think for sure it's a fake, but this ain't hideous. It just looks so heavy and un-mac-like. Not horrible, though. Not as bad as folks are saying here.

[caketin]

I have to say that this is hands down the ugliest thing I have seen, fake or real.

If this is real, I'll wait until Apple decides to make a computer that looks more like the successor to the G4. If I want a big tin box with Unix inside, I will just go to Fry's and buy myself one of those ugly aluminum cases with the window in the side that scream "LAN PARTY AT MY HOUSE!!". Maybe I'll trick it out with some "2 Fast 2 Furious" style neon too.

Puke.

I'm going to go ahead and say this is fake though, just for all the reasons out-lined earlier in this thread: slot-loading drive, no USB & FW ports, etc etc etc.

Also, wtf is up with the newsprint looking image.

With the way Apple products have been aesthetically designed in the last few years, X-serve aside, I'd say this is a fake.

[skunk]

If it's a publicity shot it's a pretty lousy shot. If it's a scan of a publicity shot it's a pretty lousy shot and a pretty lousy scan too. Puzzling to say the least. :confused:

[tjwett]

Originally posted by mkaake
smuggled? :o) someone has an imagination out there after all!

so you take a picture on a camera in a place that you're not supposed to have a camera. then you develop the picture and stuff it in your pants to take it home. that would be great if a) you had cameras in a no photo location, or b) the no photo location had a dark room just sittin there for people to use (But not take pictures home from).

seriously, think about it. i smuggled in a freakin camera (and out too), but i have to crumple up this picture to keep it from getting noticed?

cmon people. common sense here...

matt

um, duh? i think the idea here is that he snuck out with a promotional flyer or ad or brochure or something that he wasn't supposed to. :rolleyes:

[iSegway]

Another thing that I've noticed is the recessed "handles"(if thats what they are)... why does the upper one look so different in size than the lower one, not to mention the lower ones misshapen? This is something i have no explanation for.

[rocarpen]

This is so obviously either a prototype or fake, I'm actually embarassed for all the naifs taking it seriously.

[Sol]

Looks like some kind of transparent wrapping paper was left on for the photograph. The bottom-left corner also seems blurred (FW800 & USB 2.0 ports there?).

I really hope this is not the new PowerMac design, or even a prototype. It looks like a dull Pee Cee and I know Apple can do better.

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by blakespot
I would bet almost anything that that is the new PowerMac. Fits all the descriptions we've seen up to now.

- "Mesh" on the front



You see, this I just don't get. Did someone go and change the definition of "mesh" while I wasn't looking again? 'Cause that ain't "mesh" on the front of that picture. Using the language that I would have sworn was English before entering this thread, "mesh" involves two sets of wires one perpendicular to the other, or at the very least a regular or semi-regular pattern of square hole punched in flat metal. Strangely enough, the Dell PowerEdge that someone else linked to earlier (http://www.dell.com/us/en/esg/topics/esg_pedge_towermain_servers_2_pedge_2600.htm) fits this archaic definition of "mesh" far more than our little pet photo/scan here.

What would I describe that as? "Vertical lines", or, to give a more dimensioned description, "vertical slots". But that's just Old English I guess. "Mesh" it is!

Really, either this photo is fake or AppleInsider's description of the machine is off. Or, perhaps, both "spies" have seen prototypes or dummy boxes which are not necessarily the final product.


- X-Serve looking (metallic / metallic plastic)
- Front mounted ports (doubtless that's a door at the bottom)


Looking at the blur (I assume you mean the blurred-out space above the bottom "handle"), it actually looks more like open ports than a door ... notice the irregularity of the darkness in the blur.

While I'm on this topic, I took the front-side blur to be concealing an inventory tracking tag of some sort (many corps use them).


That is it, no doubt. Not a PS job.


That I don't get. Even if it (roughly) fit a public description (which it doesn't), there's nothing in that which would confirm that this is a "Real deal" instead of a (rather basic) photoshop venture.

IMHO, I'm no design student so I won't comment on how ugly/beautiful it is, but we should remember three things:

1) The "back story" doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

2) Apple Legal hasn't brought down mirrors yet, and all signs point to the web host taking down "dontask"'s site, not Apple Legal.

3) The truth will be known in all its glory in less than a week in any case.

IMHO, people in this forum have a very poor record in distinguishing a photoshop fake from the real thing, so all such "analysis" is pretty much thrown right out the window in my view.

[Makosuke]

I'm not going to get bent out of shape over an alledgely "real" pic, but it is fun to comment.

If it is real (not entirely shocking, and it won't look that bad in person), how about a tower server? Apple only makes rackmounts now, but if they're stepping up the server effort, why not a tower--they used to make them, after all. Then the slot-loading CD, industrial XServe-style design, and lack of any nicities would make sense.

The only other thing it could legitimately be is an XStation, but even then I'd be a bit suspicious of the slot drive. I just can't see it being a next-gen PowerMac, though; the slot and XServe look just don't point that way.

Personally, I'm assuming fake--aside from the suspiciuosly perfect screen, it certainly isn't a photo of a production piece of hardware if the Apple logo isn't straight. Oh, and I'm pretty sure the "tranlucency" in the back is just the background left from where it was crudely cut (amusing that someone credited that to cleverly subtle industrial design).

[skunk]

Originally posted by jettredmont
What would I describe that as?
Possibly "grille", certainly not "mesh".

[emdezet]

?you all are still discussing this photo. :rolleyes:

i believe it when i see it on the cover of time magazine :D

[skunk]

Originally posted by emdezet
?you all are still discussing this photo. :rolleyes:

i believe it when i see it on the cover of time magazine :D
It's not surprising: we've all been waiting for years to find out what design statement is going to define the future of computing for the next few years. If this is it, I'll upgrade my Cube. I'm not having THAT on my desk! :(

[iSegway]

You see, this I just don't get. Did someone go and change the definition of "mesh" while I wasn't looking again?

They also used the term extrusive and flourished. The whole description seemed pretty ridiculous to me, but if there is any truth to it and there really is some kind of "mesh" I would prefer this to just about anything else I can imagine.

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by TmTg

Next - I wasn't stating that a few pixels lined up - that would be coincidence - I was pointing out that ALL of the pixels lined up, through the entire image. There was no shifting in the angle of the halftone no matter how much the image appeared to be wrinkled, which is totally inconsistent with how an actual printed piece that was later scanned would look.


Good call. You're absolutely right. The halftoning was done after the fact, and neither fits the sparse story given nor any reasonably imaginative scenario. Pretty much proves this isn't a "real" picture (unless it's Apple Legal distributing this picture as misinformation just to annoy us rumor mongers and putting flaws in with photoshop so we'll think it's fake and then we'll be really surprised when the thing appears on stage at Moscone! :) )

So, congrats. I take back my own pitiful-photoshop-diagnosis-record comments. So, where were you for the last three or four supposed Photoshop fakes? MDD, Jobs at Intel, Quicksilver ...?

[icetraxxg5]

Closing my eyes I can imagine what the machine really looks like in person; It looks like an Xserve turned into a workstation... I believe its real. I really think it looks industrial strength.

[nagromme]

Since Photoshop details are fun, I'll bite...

The dot pattern was not added after crumpling. Look at the shadow crease on the right. It's actual grey, not halftoned grey. And it passes through the halftoned grey of the vents. You get both kinds of shading there: halftoned and crease.

[s10]

The image was taken of test prints for new ads, info that could identify the mole (3rd party suplier) was removed; the square at the bottom is not a blur but a rough redraw of that angle of the new tower.

[kcshaffe]

couldnt someone upload and host this picture. then see if apple legal contacts them?

[theranch]

enough said.

[Aqua OS X]

What ever that is, it is not totally boxie. If you look close you can see that the corners are rounded off.

Moreover, something also seems to be blured within the lower handle (ports?). It is much more apparent in the larger scan.

But hey, as long as Apple's new power macs have nice specs I'll buy one. It's just going to sit under my desk anyway. Although... I tend to expect more from the designer of the year.

[macnews]

God that is UGLY!

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by kcshaffe
couldnt someone upload and host this picture. then see if apple legal contacts them?
arn has set up the pick via a link on the Mac Rumors homepage. It's been up for a couple hours now.

Considering the fact that the rumor surfaced this morning, I think Apple Legal would've pulled the pic from Mac Rumors ASAP if they were going to. It seems like Apple doesn't really care about this pic, which would almost confirm its fakeness.

[MetallicPenguin]

Originally posted by s10
The image was taken of test prints for new ads, info that could identify the mole (3rd party suplier) was removed; the square at the bottom is not a blur but a rough redraw of that angle of the new tower.

I knew that corner was cut off because of tracking down the guy who took the picture or whatever. But by test prints...what do you mean?

[macdong]

nah, this picture ain't worth commenting on.

(look at my PowerMac)....

(look at the picture)...

BLEACH!!!

[MetallicPenguin]

I would certainly think that if this was real that Apple Legal would have taken i down, but maybe they wouldn't because they didn't want to disappoint the people who didn't like it:(

I keep thinking that this looks like some sort of eMachine or some sort of server by another company.

[tapeit]

Heres how we found out about the current PowerMac. (Image borrowed from someone at Apple Insider)

[SubGothius]

Whomever said it looked too much like the WTC towers was spot-on -- gave me the heebie-jeebies as soon as I looked at it with that resemblance in mind.

FWIW, I'd saved the following mockup from some forum or other about a year ago, don't remember where, nor who posted it, nor who mocked it up, but IMHO, this is a much sweeter design (also at http://HTDoctor.com/G5Al.jpg if the forum gets too busy to support pics):

[rjwill246]

Unless Jonathan Ives got hit with a major case of mental insufficiency, and that is NOT likely, this is, as one of the respondents on this site noted, the generic box that testing PMs are shipped in... this makes the most sense. Other than that, if it truly follows the X-Serve-ish appearance that it suggests, then presumably in real life, it will be shiny as a new pin and very lovely to touch. But I doubt it!

[daedelgt]

I LOVED that mockup when I first saw it, and I still do. It fits the look of the powerbooks and the Xserve to a T.

Originally posted by SubGothius
Whomever said it looked too much like the WTC towers was spot-on -- gave me the heebie-jeebies as soon as I looked at it with that resemblance in mind.

FWIW, I'd saved the following mockup from some forum or other about a year ago, don't remember where, nor who posted it, nor who mocked it up, but IMHO, this is a much sweeter design (also at http://HTDoctor.com/G5Al.jpg if the forum gets too busy to support pics):

[iSegway]

FWIW, I'd saved the following mockup from some forum or other about a year ago, don't remember where, nor who posted it, nor who mocked it up, but IMHO, this is a much sweeter design (also at http://HTDoctor.com/G5Al.jpg if the forum gets too busy to support pics):

I think this one looks like a 70's or early 80's Hi-Fi. :P

[skunk]

Originally posted by iSegway
I think this one looks like a 70's or early 80's Hi-Fi. :P
Better than a 70's office building?

[iSegway]

Better than a 70's office building?

More unique at least. It would depend on the actual color of the finish though. I like the really really light silver-metallic idea. But from this shot who knows what the real tone is?

I am seriously doubting this is real though after closer inspection. There are just too many strange things now. The "handles" openings being different sizes and shapes really makes me skeptical now.

I do like the sharp lines and minimalist approach of this "fake G5"(?)concept though. I definately prefer it to the aesthetic treatment of the G5 and cube. Though I love the functionality of the cube and its form just not the osentation.

[ouketii]

geez what a touchy subject.. months of speculation whether or not they will pump out 970s, now whether or not they will stick them in a metal shoebox with vents on the front. but hey, shoebox works for me ; )

[zoozx]

We are all pathetic.
Like a school of piranhas on crystal meth in anticipation.:cool:

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by mkaake
smuggled? :o) someone has an imagination out there after all!

so you take a picture on a camera in a place that you're not supposed to have a camera. then you develop the picture and stuff it in your pants to take it home. that would be great if a) you had cameras in a no photo location, or b) the no photo location had a dark room just sittin there for people to use (But not take pictures home from).

seriously, think about it. i smuggled in a freakin camera (and out too), but i have to crumple up this picture to keep it from getting noticed?

cmon people. common sense here...

matt

I thought the gist of the story was that there was a photo or printout lying around, he made a photocopy of it, then smuggled it out in his pants, then scanned the photocopy in at home.

[stillamacuser]

It is interesting to see how polarized the responses are.

Now think back, when the last case was revealed and you will recall that many were convinced that this was a hoax. Unfortunately, Cupertino did bring out that case despite the hope for something more square, more metallic etc. Perhaps, this is the smaller, squarer, more metallic case that we were expecting with the last update.

By the way, what was that company that promised us the device to accelerate the PowerMacs and then was talking about bring out their own upgraded mac that looked like a retro metallic microphone with the fancy grill work ...

[whooleytoo]

Quite unlikely this is a prototype box, internal Apple prototypes don't have the Apple logo nor the finished (if dull..) plastic grill. Unless they've changed policy all of a sudden (unlikely!)

It wouldn't surprise me if Apple did go for a more "industrial" look on the new PMacs - I think they'll go for a workstation look 'n' feel to the new machines; hence the 'techie' release at WWDC rather than a more popular release at MacWorld (or special event, whatever..)

Mike.

[zac4mac]

That's hilarious, I was just thinking about them a few minutes ago...
I'd buy one - I want a faster box, that's all(that runs OSX)

[pope]

I think that this recon photo is right on. It looks extremely feasible to be an actual production model. Cant wait.

[iSegway]

http://www.angelfire.com/comics/happymac/powermac970.jpg

Is it just my imagination... or does lem0nayde's rendition of the design of the front of the "G5 fake" bring Star Wars and the Empire to mind?

[bobindashadows]

I think the case is pretty darn spiffy. It looks kick-ass. It just looks powerful, industrial strength, pepperoni with 9 millimeter bullets pizza, hardcore. It doesn't look a lot like a PC box really, mainly because of the materials. If they made this out of any kind of thin plastic, i would agree it is like a PC box. I mean, if you just replaced the (aluminum, i guess?) with black plastic, it'd be a dell only faster. But the shiny, bright, metal makes it so much more intense. I like this more than the MDD, El Capitan, Quicksilver, and everything else. I don't know if its a fake or not. I just want to see powermacs on monday.

This thread has over 40,000 views as of this posting time... holy poop.

[xaos]

It's sad how excited we are by the prospects of new hardware at WWDC.

The image must be a fake. Its so uninspiring. The only reason some people here might like it, is due to their long suffering. Think about it. Even the most ugly girl starts looking good if you've been in prison for a couple of years!

I expect more from Ives and Jobs. Please don't dissapoint us. Motorola has hurt us enough already.

PS. If that is the new design, my G4 DA is going to get a case mod (paint?), a processor and video card upgrade. $200 for a 1.2Ghz upgrade in July/August thanks to the 970 maybe? Otherwise my G4 is fine.