Gallery: iMac G4 Transformed Into Desk Lamp - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Gallery: iMac G4 Transformed Into Desk Lamp

Sold between 2002 and 2004, the iMac G4 is long outdated, but MacRumors forum member Hughmac has given the arm-mounted computer a second life by cleverly transforming his into a desk lamp.

Hugh says he started by gutting the inside of the iMac's base, removing all components. Next, he removed the display and cut the back side of it into a flower shape, making sure to keep the Apple logo intact. Last, he connected a ceiling light to the top of the arm, ran wiring through the base, and added a power switch.

IMG 0304
IMG 0303
IMG 0300
All in all, this is a brilliant do-it-yourself project that takes recycling to a whole new level. More photos can be found in the MacRumors forums.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

Apple iMac M4 hero feature

Apple's Next Big iMac Upgrade Revealed

Tuesday April 14, 2026 8:48 am PDT by
Apple's next major iMac upgrade will be an OLED panel, according to ZDNet Korea, though it won't arrive until 2029 or 2030. Apple has apparently asked Samsung Display, LG Display, and other suppliers to produce 24-inch OLED panel samples on their mass-production lines, targeting 600 nits of brightness and around 218 pixels-per-inch (PPI). The current iMac's 24-inch LCD offers 500 nits at the ...
imac new purple

Major iMac Upgrade Coming in 2029

Tuesday April 28, 2026 5:46 am PDT by
Apple is planning a major upgrade to the iMac in 2029, adopting an OLED panel for the first time, according to ZDNet Korea. Apple has apparently asked Samsung Display, LG Display, and other suppliers to produce 24-inch OLED panel samples on their mass-production lines, targeting 600 nits of brightness and around 218 pixels-per-inch (PPI). The current iMac's 24-inch LCD offers 500 nits at the ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...

Top Rated Comments

82 months ago
This iMac was (is still) a work of art
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
82 months ago
So the computer that was inspired by the Pixar Lamp ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxo_Jr.') has been turned into a lamp itself!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
82 months ago
Apple does this kind of computer better than anyone...this, the G4 Cube, even the trash can Mac Pro all were unique in form when created and still functioned well. And, Apple actually produces and sells these, instead of the other computer manufacturers that just produce boring hardware iteration after iteration, with a little glitz sometimes but nothing like this.

Apple hasn't made a machine like this in a while now...the new Mac Pro comes close but it's a bit too industrial. I wonder how much of that is the influence of Ive...he has a very minimalist style now which is a bit limiting in the designs. Now that he's gone, they really need to make a crazy special edition to let the designers stretch their legs a bit and see what they can come up with for a new Apple design language for the next decade.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
82 months ago
Ah, the computer that lead me to buy my first Mac. I did an REU back in 2003 where my assigned work machine was a 15" G4 iMac. I fell in love with the machine. Before the next semester I made the pilgrimage to the Apple Store and picked up a first gen 12" G4 PowerBook. In addition to OS X, it was the little things that made the difference to me, like the pulsating power light that gave the machines a 'heartbeat' when asleep, the magnetically controlled screen latch on the PowerBook, the led battery indicator, the coin slot battery lock, the ability to control the Mac with an IR remote, the relative ease of swapping batteries, RAM, storage, and ease of installation for an AirPort card.

Those machines came from an era where Apple was still having fun with the little things in life. I think part of the reason that Apple gets so much grief over their designs these days is because they have abandoned those fun little quirks with each iteration, and haven't done enough to separate themselves after the rest of the industry started following Apple's design cues. I would love to see some of those old quirks come back, laptops with external battery indicators, heartbeats, iMacs with the option to raise, lower, tilt, and swivel the display. Bring back the fun!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Royksöpp Avatar
82 months ago
That poor iMac. What did it do to deserve this?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aaronhead14 Avatar
82 months ago
Looks like ghetto trash to me...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)