Granted patent shows a computer with a curved design
Apple has a reputation for coming up with radical designs for its products. The first iMac, in the late 1990s, became an iconic design computer that can even be found in museums. And what the first iPhone meant to the world of mobile phones needs no further explanation. A European patent recently awarded to Apple shows a possible new radical design for a future iMac. A curved screen design, but not as you would expect. Moreover, the iMac could be partially folded.
Curved iMac with a ‘straight’ screen
Images from the patent application show that Apple does not want to give the screen itself a curved design, but actually the entire iMac. The front would then consist of a curved glass plate that not only houses the screen, but also rests on the desk. The bottom part is not a screen, but can be used, for example, to place a keyboard or other accessories.
Reality or an ‘try’?
Of course, the curved iMac also needs a stand. Apple has devised a support for this that is placed at the back. It is designed in such a way that the screen part can be slid up and down, depending on the sitting position (and height) of the user. The support can also accommodate the connection ports and perhaps an integrated keyboard. It is not known to what extent Apple is already developing this iMac design, or whether it is simply one of the many patents that Apple is experimenting with.
Whether it is a practical design will have to be seen when this iMac becomes reality. I don’t see any practical applications for the foldable bottom. Except that this makes shipping, and packaging, a lot easier.
