Is This Apple’s New iMac?

Apple's iMac sure is a powerful tool used by many professionals who excel in their craft, but its design needs a bit of refreshing. Those who are hoping that it would be given a new look will be happy to know that according to a recently published patent application, Cupertino is already interested in creating an iMac with an all-new design.

The iMac has a long history. Earlier iMacs had bulging backs courtesy of the CRT screen they used as monitors. More recently, iMacs adopted a slimmer, sleeker profile that made the computing machine as good looking as it is powerful. A quick look at the images collected by Macworld shows just how the iMac's design significantly changed since it was first released in in 1998.

The current iMac design, however, seems to have grown “stale” for some, Patently Apple reported. The iMac is due for a design refresh, one that will make it more appealing to existing and would-be users.

A new patent application, recently published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, reveals that Apple is actually working on creating a new design for what appears to be an all-in-one computing devicem which fans know as the iMac. This new design puts all of the iMac's components inside a continuous chassis made of glass.

The new design has a few interesting details fans might like to see. For one, the new design has a display area in the upper portion of the glass body, and some provisions for input devices at the lower portion. The upper and lower portions have a transition portion of bent glass between them.

A screen can be coupled to the display area of the glass housing's upper portion, which will act as a monitor just like the ones in current iMacs. Input devices such as a keyboard and two trackpads can be coupled to the lower portion of the glass housing. Some illustrations in the patent show that the keyboard can be removable, with each of the two trackpads are located at its left and right side.

Other necessary parts such as ports and speakers are located at the back of the device, illustrations reveal. Illustrations also reveal that the MacBook can be attached to the new device so as to achieve a larger display.

The patent application indicates more design ideas. However, considering that this is but a patent application, a release date seems unclear at the moment.