An Apple patent for what appear to me revamped iMac designs has been discovered on the USPTO site. The Cupertino tech titan might at last be getting in on the curved and flexible screen trend if the drawings and descriptions amount to more than just some left-field R&D shenanigans. It has been quite a long time since the firm's iMacs were revamped and they are surely lacking the curb appeal they once had, so these new designs could be a worthwhile effort.
Above you can see one of the alternative curved glass iMac designs shared in the patent. In this version the curved design sits on a wedge-shaped dock which allows the whole machine to be tilted for comfortable screen viewing. There must be some flex in this AiO design otherwise the keyboard area front edge might start to rise up - not normally desirable for ergonomics. Some drawings show this desk resting lip fully folded.
Another interesting possibility is that the new iMac design is just a dumb big-screen dock for your MacBook. In Fig 12C, below, you can see where the laptop is inserted to share offer up its keyboard / touchpad under the large screen.
Apple Insider looks carefully through all the options talked about in the new patent and reckons that an earlier patent concerning a tactile glass keyboard might come into play here. It does indeed sounds like a natural partner technology to create a fetching all-new AiO design.
Please remember the context of this newly discovered patent. Apple files numerous patents, and over the years many have never been carried through to the consumer product stage.
