Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I would be first in line for a headless iMac if it looked like this...
- Thread starter morgan-e
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
that would be a cube variant. an iMac, by definition, could not be headless.
but, this is a very nice looking machine... one of the better mock-ups i've seen...
paul
but, this is a very nice looking machine... one of the better mock-ups i've seen...
paul
reminds me of the old Apple Performas ... in a more retro 50's toaster kind of way. I prefer the 'clean scandinavian design' attitude of their current line.
looks like an IKEA footstool to me... 
If Apple were to make a headless Mac, I'd like it to be a totally new form factor, maybe ultra thin (like a PowerBook base) or something else, not a Cube shape, the Cube went down like a shagged elevator...
To revisit it, then why wouldn't it bomb in exactly the same way??? Unless Apple make it incredibly cheap... and lets face facts, Apple doesn't do cheap, and such a box would suffer the same... "too expensive", "not expandable enough", "not fast enough" etc etc etc comments that welcomed the original Cube on it's release.
Personally I thought the Cube was a triumph of design, and engineering.... and was a great machine, but hardly anyone bought it...
If Apple were to make a headless Mac, I'd like it to be a totally new form factor, maybe ultra thin (like a PowerBook base) or something else, not a Cube shape, the Cube went down like a shagged elevator...
To revisit it, then why wouldn't it bomb in exactly the same way??? Unless Apple make it incredibly cheap... and lets face facts, Apple doesn't do cheap, and such a box would suffer the same... "too expensive", "not expandable enough", "not fast enough" etc etc etc comments that welcomed the original Cube on it's release.
Personally I thought the Cube was a triumph of design, and engineering.... and was a great machine, but hardly anyone bought it...
If Apple were to make a headless Mac, I'd like it to be a totally new form factor, maybe ultra thin (like a PowerBook base)
like this??
http://www.hushtechnologies.com/default.asp?pageID=2&Lang=ENG
like this??
http://www.hushtechnologies.com/default.asp?pageID=2&Lang=ENG
hmmmm. What are apple good at? Making computers that blend in with their environment.
The next iMac will probably have a base you don't even know is their.
It will have a cordless mouse, keyboard and screen
or
the "base" will be part of the screen - eg like laptops or tablet laptops. They have very thin form factor.
The base will be designed to be either totally hidden or at least look like an existing device (eg blend with your DVD or video player). Morgan-e's second design would suit that.
It may just look like a Cinema display though slightly thicker and with a all but invisible slot for the CD.
Maybe it will look a bit like an inside out laptop, standing on it's sides to form an upside down V
Three things that can be guaranteed are that it will:
1) reduce desktop clutter even more
2) be aesthetically pleasing.
3) be portable (just as original Macs and all iMacs)
Hmmm - that last one makes me think... iMacs and original Macs were portable coz they were all in one. If that philsopohy continues, Morgan-e's designs won't be close.
Morgan-e - can you knock up something based on the Cinema/Studio display for us?
PS Maybe at MWSF Apple will make wireless kbd and mouse become standard with iMac flat panels.
The next iMac will probably have a base you don't even know is their.
It will have a cordless mouse, keyboard and screen
or
the "base" will be part of the screen - eg like laptops or tablet laptops. They have very thin form factor.
The base will be designed to be either totally hidden or at least look like an existing device (eg blend with your DVD or video player). Morgan-e's second design would suit that.
It may just look like a Cinema display though slightly thicker and with a all but invisible slot for the CD.
Maybe it will look a bit like an inside out laptop, standing on it's sides to form an upside down V
Three things that can be guaranteed are that it will:
1) reduce desktop clutter even more
2) be aesthetically pleasing.
3) be portable (just as original Macs and all iMacs)
Hmmm - that last one makes me think... iMacs and original Macs were portable coz they were all in one. If that philsopohy continues, Morgan-e's designs won't be close.
Morgan-e - can you knock up something based on the Cinema/Studio display for us?
PS Maybe at MWSF Apple will make wireless kbd and mouse become standard with iMac flat panels.
Originally posted by morgan-e
If Apple were to make a headless Mac, I'd like it to be a totally new form factor, maybe ultra thin (like a PowerBook base)
like this??
http://www.hushtechnologies.com/default.asp?pageID=2&Lang=ENG
no, thinner, much thinner.... cleaner and more mininmal.
jayscheuerle
macrumors 68020
I like the way the "hush" box has the heatsink on the outside, eliminating the need for a fan on the inside. Very cool... (heh, heh...)...
But even that starts at $650 minimum and gets you up to $950 with the most basic of upgrades...
The original white blob rendering was waaay too huge. Maybe at 1/3 the size...
But even that starts at $650 minimum and gets you up to $950 with the most basic of upgrades...
The original white blob rendering was waaay too huge. Maybe at 1/3 the size...
The Hush box reminds me of a CD player. A good CD player.
Anyway I saw both of those on SFFTech. I kind of like the first one in that it looks a lot better than most small form factor PCs out there *cough*shuttlexpc*cough* but I don't like it nearly as much as Apples designs.
Maybe it is time for an updated Cube, as the XPCs and their like seem to be doing quite well. Yet another instance where Apple was ahead of the times to their own disadvantage.
Anyway I saw both of those on SFFTech. I kind of like the first one in that it looks a lot better than most small form factor PCs out there *cough*shuttlexpc*cough* but I don't like it nearly as much as Apples designs.
Maybe it is time for an updated Cube, as the XPCs and their like seem to be doing quite well. Yet another instance where Apple was ahead of the times to their own disadvantage.
I don't like it either. You have no taste boy . This thing is uglier than Michael Jackson.
tell that to soldam and hush ;-)
i think another cube would be nice. however it would have to have distinct advantages over the rest of the Powermac line, as well as adhere to the niche market that they are filling rather than just being a small G5. For instance, the XPC, the biostar ideq, et al are doing really well as gaming machines. by providing more upgrade potential than a notebook and portability they fit that market well. those systems as well as others, in particular NEX systems, the HP compaq d350 series, and the MEGA entertainment cube(*) are being used as consoles for high-end entertainment centers, as well as as home PCs.
i do not want to start a Macs and gaming argument so i will leave that where it is, but including beefed up graphics cards, and some awesome A/V software and peripherals with a new Cube would help apple get back in the market they (sort of) created.
(*)
tell that to soldam and hush ;-)
i think another cube would be nice. however it would have to have distinct advantages over the rest of the Powermac line, as well as adhere to the niche market that they are filling rather than just being a small G5. For instance, the XPC, the biostar ideq, et al are doing really well as gaming machines. by providing more upgrade potential than a notebook and portability they fit that market well. those systems as well as others, in particular NEX systems, the HP compaq d350 series, and the MEGA entertainment cube(*) are being used as consoles for high-end entertainment centers, as well as as home PCs.
i do not want to start a Macs and gaming argument so i will leave that where it is, but including beefed up graphics cards, and some awesome A/V software and peripherals with a new Cube would help apple get back in the market they (sort of) created.
(*)
the issue to me is not whether these things are ugly or not its that they are not practical at all. why does compact size matter at all for a desktop system? the small size would mean slower more compact hardware inside, cooling issues etc.
all this just for something that you think looks neat? gimme a break.
function is always far more important than form.
all this just for something that you think looks neat? gimme a break.
function is always far more important than form.
the issue to me is not whether these things are ugly or not its that they are not practical at all. why does compact size matter at all for a desktop system? the small size would mean slower more compact hardware inside, cooling issues etc.
That is a valid issue, but about three years too late. The Mini PCs of today (well, some of them) no longer have heat issues. the Shuttle XPC does not even use a heat-sink or CPU fan. It has a `tube` that channels heat straight from the processor out of the casing which translates to better heat diffusion and less noise. The aforementioned Hush system essentially IS a large heatsink itself that diffuses CPU heat automatically without the use of a secondary device at all. Your average mini PC no longer uses compact hardware either, the Shuttle XPC (merely using it as an example again, as the market leader.) can be loaded with an Athlon 64 processor, serial ATA drives, AGP, 2 PCI slots, firewire 800, USB 2.0, standard sized floppy and optical drives. so to say that they suffer a performance disparity is also inaccurate.
That is a valid issue, but about three years too late. The Mini PCs of today (well, some of them) no longer have heat issues. the Shuttle XPC does not even use a heat-sink or CPU fan. It has a `tube` that channels heat straight from the processor out of the casing which translates to better heat diffusion and less noise. The aforementioned Hush system essentially IS a large heatsink itself that diffuses CPU heat automatically without the use of a secondary device at all. Your average mini PC no longer uses compact hardware either, the Shuttle XPC (merely using it as an example again, as the market leader.) can be loaded with an Athlon 64 processor, serial ATA drives, AGP, 2 PCI slots, firewire 800, USB 2.0, standard sized floppy and optical drives. so to say that they suffer a performance disparity is also inaccurate.
but I still do not understand why you need something so small for a desktop system? whats the point of conserving space when most towers just get put under a desk anyway? thats where mine is.
It's good to see that other companies are finally starting to get the idea with attractive design, even if they're relatively unknown, and frankly in the case of the first one a bit ugly (really does look like a squat, white, 6400/6500 propped up in the front).
I'm expecting something more elegant out of Apple, but we'll see. Might even be something entirely different--nobody saw the half-sphere iMac coming, nor the candy colors before that.
It is really amusing how by the time the rest of the world has caught up to where Apple was in design, they've moved on already. They single-handedly made color in and rounded edges happen in consumer electronics and other electric goods with the iMac. Then they redefined that with the G4 iMac and it's elegant functionality, which other companies still haven't managed to emulate other than smooth white boxes like the one at the top of the thread. Now they're going hardcore indsutrial, which is less of a stretch relative to "past art" but still makes a bold statement.
Who knows what's next.
I'm expecting something more elegant out of Apple, but we'll see. Might even be something entirely different--nobody saw the half-sphere iMac coming, nor the candy colors before that.
It is really amusing how by the time the rest of the world has caught up to where Apple was in design, they've moved on already. They single-handedly made color in and rounded edges happen in consumer electronics and other electric goods with the iMac. Then they redefined that with the G4 iMac and it's elegant functionality, which other companies still haven't managed to emulate other than smooth white boxes like the one at the top of the thread. Now they're going hardcore indsutrial, which is less of a stretch relative to "past art" but still makes a bold statement.
Who knows what's next.
that aluminum cube don't hurt me posted is the only one that I like so far. that would be very nice.
b&Wman, this thread started as about iMacs. Since iMac seems to be the unit that Apple want to reduce desktop usage, I think that's why we keep talking about that issue. If you want a big grunty beast, yes, you get one, and you put it under your desk. But there is a significant market for computers following the iMac philosophy.
edit: this isn't meant to sound abrupt, arrogant or rude but does read that way. sorry!
edit: this isn't meant to sound abrupt, arrogant or rude but does read that way. sorry!