It’s
been
20
years
since
Apple
discontinued
the
iMac
G4,
a
unique
computer
with
a
funky
half-globe
base
and
a
flatscreen
LCD
on
a
fancy
hinge
and
adjustable
arm.
In
its
unaltered
state,
it’s
a
nice-to-look-at,
nostalgic
relic
that’s
unusable
in
modern
contexts.
I
coveted
it
and
never
got
to
own
one
at
the
time,
but
thanks
to
Juicy
Crumb’s
DockLite
G4,
I’m
using
this
classic
iMac
every
day
as
an
external
monitor.
The
DockLite
G4
is
a
drop-in
replacement
motherboard
for
the
iMac
G4’s
board
that
features
an
HDMI
port,
along
with
three
USB-A
and
a
single
USB-C
port,
and
3.5mm
ports
for
audio.
Most
importantly,
it
uses
the
iMac’s
existing
mounting
holes
and
internal
connectors
for
power
and
video,
so
all
you
need
is
a
couple
of
screwdrivers
and
a
prying
tool
—
no
soldering
required.
It
took
about
30
minutes
for
me
to
open
my
eBay-acquired
17-inch
1.25GHz
iMac
G4,
remove
the
motherboard,
put
in
the
DockLite,
and
close
it
back
up,
and
suddenly,
I
could
plug
in
whatever
I
wanted,
from
a
MacBook
Air
to
my
Anbernic
GBA
SP
knockoff.
(Juicy
Crumb
even
has
a
helpful
video
guide.)
It
was
much
easier
than
some
alternative
DIY
methods.
Here
are
a
few
pictures
I
took
of
the
installation
process:
1/8
My
iMac
G4,
pre-installation.Photo:
Wes
Davis
/
The
Verge
With
the
DockLite
installed,
my
iMac
now
works
exactly
like
an
external
display.
It
sleeps
when
my
computer
does
(although
you
have
to
tap
the
iMac’s
power
button
to
turn
off
the
backlight)
and
I
can
control
the
brightness
in
software
or
using
hardware
buttons
in
the
back.
I
did
it
because
this
computer
looks
great
on
my
desk.
There
are
things
you
lose
in
the
process,
like
access
to
the
iMac’s
optical
drive.
And
you
can’t
run
it
as
a
standalone
computer
unless
you
go
the
extra
mile
and
replace
more
of
its
internals
with
something
like
a
Mac
Mini.
On
the
plus
side,
the
installation
is
reversible
—
you
can
always
put
the
original
motherboard
back
in.
The
DockLite
G4
doesn’t
come
cheap,
at
$260.
The
price
owes
to
the
“time,
effort,
and
money
to
get
even
a
relatively
simple
product
such
as
the
DockLite
out
to
market,”
Juicy
Crumb
CEO
and
co-founder
Timothy
de
Denaro
told
me
in
an
email.
The
DockLite
G4
“is
a
relatively
low
volume
product,”
he
added,
and
“every
unit
is
manually
tested
by
myself
before
being
shipped”
to
customers.
That
seems
fair,
and
it
also
doesn’t
change
the
fact
that
I
spent
a
lot
of
money
and
effort
just
to
use
a
low-res
display
with
bad
viewing
angles.
Then
again,
I
didn’t
buy
the
DockLite
G4
because
I
admire
the
quality
of
my
iMac
G4’s
21-year-old
LCD.
I
did
it
because
this
computer
looks
sick
on
my
desk,
and
I
wanted
to
be
able
to
use
it
every
day.
(Originally posted by Wes Davis)
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