iWoodKiosk weds wood and Mac
By Barb Dybwad 
posted Apr 29th 2005 3:32AM
posted Apr 29th 2005 3:32AM
Your average computer kiosks tend to be pretty utilitarian (that's a euphemism for ugly, natch). Not so the iWoodKiosk, which stuffs an iMac G5 into a 61-inch tall natural lime wood stand. The 155 pound stand looks fairly humanoid, making it a more suitable companion for a Mac than, say, the 780 SNAPTRAX, which won't be winning any design awards. We doubt these will be replacing anything we could find in the local post office anytime soon, though.
Looks like its going to be used as a stand display machine at trade shows and stuff.
I wouldn't mind having one, myself. It looks slick. But that built-in trackpad has got to suck. It doesn't even have a button, but relies on tapping to click – a function I despise.
Gotta love that adjustable height control... just lay the appropriate number of bricks on top to raise or lower it.
If the name has an "i" in front of it, you can bet that the Mac lemmings will flock to stores and woodshops to buy it.
i wonder if they left an access slot for the superdrive so you can still put dvds... might make for a spiffy itunes music kiosk.
at that height/weight distribution i think it would need to be anchored down from below to avoid tipping. needs an area for brochures/pamphlets (slot in front or behind monitor?)
like the color options, nice touch. where's marshmellow white? love the form, very sexy (evokes champagne glasses, that vintage poster with the dancer's leg and the black dress).
the fins are a good feature make it a bit more dynamic.
good idea to keep the keyboard area tilted at a slant, less about ergo more about keeping people from setting their slurpee on the top of the area and spilling it into the keyboard crevice.
would like to see an option to use a faceplate to cover the apple logo and replace with my own or the mall or schoole, etc. (another wood choice with logo burned in... walnut)
not sure about the way the lime wood is laminated. i would worry about splitting over time and abuse (it is supposed to be a public kiosk right?) i think cranking one out in solid abs or chrome would do the trick, hehe.
but we're biased in that way: http://www.mcconnellstudios.com/portfolio.htm
(shameless plug)
Beautiful design, awful product. It's designed as a trade-show kiosk, but the one-piece wood design limits its portability, and price will no doubt limit the market appeal.
As a high-end home office station though, it might work. Spread out the base for more stability, and spread out the keyboard area a bit to make room for niceties like a mouse, decrease the angle at the base and keyboard, and it'd look real nice.
I could see this at nightclubs too where handicap accessibility isn't as big of a deal as in conventions and museums.
I get wood whenever a new Mac comes out. This is appropriate.
gay