Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL
) long ago demonstrated that computers don't have to be ugly. And the new iMac, which is an excellent computer at a competitive price, is yet another striking example of the Apple tradition. But this time, Apple is taking on an even more important question: Why do computers have to be uncomfortable to use?
Other than a bad chair, nothing contributes more to the discomfort of computer use than an improperly positioned screen, which can cause problems from eye strain to backaches. Ideally, you want the display at eye level and at a distance and angle appropriate for the task at hand. Yet most displays allow limited adjustment, and some, notably Apple's original iMac and its flat panel displays, provide for no adjustment at all.
What took them so long? "We are very encouraged that the solution looks very simple and very obvious," says Apple design chief Jonathan Ive. Adds Jon Rubenstein, Apple senior vice-president for hardware: "It was a lot harder than it looks."
The key to the iMac is a very clever piece of hardware of the old-fashioned nuts-and-bolts variety. The iMac consists of three basic components. A system unit, about the size and shape of half a basketball, contains all the circuitry, drives, and connectors. The display is a 15-in. flat panel screen surrounded by a clear plastic bezel that makes it seem to float. A metal "neck" about 8 in. long and 1 1/2 in. in diameter joins the two.
The patent-pending neck is the secret of the design. Apple is stingy with details on how it works, but Rubenstein describes it as "a frictionless counter-balance." It rotates through 360 degrees horizontally and pivots 90 degrees vertically. The screen itself tilts about 30 degrees on the end of the arm. The entire display moves effortlessly, and some clever geometry keeps the screen's angle vertically constant as the neck pivots.
The result is a display that you can position just about any way you want. It glides to exactly where you position it, without any bounce or sagging. The impact of this design on the ergonomics of using a computer is dramatic. The ability to put the screen where you want lets you work without hunching over, a common problem with laptops, or, even more uncomfortably, without craning your neck back to view a monitor that is mounted too high for your chair (or your bifocals).
That's only the beginning. I found as I worked with the iMac that totally different positions worked best for different activities. For writing, I like the screen nearly vertical at eye level. But I found that reading and Web browsing were more comfortable with the screen lowered and tilted back, the way I might place a book. The iMac makes this sort of adjustment simple.
That said, it seems a bit churlish to complain about some flaws. Putting all the connectors and the power switch on the back of the base makes for very clean looks but is inconvenient. It would have been handier with USB and FireWire ports in the front. A wireless keyboard and mouse would have been nice. And when is Apple ever going to give up on that brain-dead one-button mouse?
Functionally, the new iMac differs from other recent Macs chiefly in using the new OS X as the default operating system. You can still run most programs written for older versions, but they don't work as smoothly. The only iMac model currently available features an 800-megahertz PowerPC G4 processor, 256 megabytes of memory, a 60-gigabyte hard drive, and a combination DVD-CD recorder for $1,799. (A similarly equipped Dell Dimension 4400 costs $1,887.) Two other models at $1,299 and $1,499, with slightly slower processors and without the DVD recorder, are due in the next couple of months. All of the configurations are a welcome departure from a longtime strategy of charging premium prices for Macs. These models should give PCs a run for their money.
The original gumdrop-shaped iMac influenced computer design mainly by launching a plague of transparent blue plastic high-tech products. But I'll be very disappointed if coming months don't bring a flood of ergonomic display designs that mimic the iMac. Computer users of the world unite: You have nothing to lose but your eyestrain and stiff necks.
Copyright 2002, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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The key to the iMac is a very clever piece of hardware of the old-fashioned nuts-and-bolts variety. The iMac consists of three basic components. A system unit, about the size and shape of half a basketball, contains all the circuitry, drives, and connectors. The display is a 15-in. flat panel screen surrounded by a clear plastic bezel that makes it seem to float. A metal "neck" about 8 in. long and 1 1/2 in. in diameter joins the two.
