It's been 20 years since Apple discontinued the iMac G4, a unique computer with a fancy hemispherical base and a flat-screen LCD with a fancy hinge and an adjustable arm. In its unaltered state, it is a nice-looking, nostalgic relic that is useless in modern contexts. I coveted it and was never able to own one back then, but thanks to Juicy Crumb's DockLite G4, I use this classic iMac as an external monitor every day.
The DockLite G4 is a drop-in replacement motherboard for the iMac G4 board that features an HDMI port, three USB-A ports and a single USB-C port, as well as 3.5mm ports for audio . Most importantly, it utilizes the iMac's existing mounting holes and internal connectors for power and video, so all you need is a few screwdrivers and a pry tool – no soldering required.
It took me about 30 minutes to open my 17-inch 1.25GHz iMac G4 purchased on eBay, remove the motherboard, insert the DockLite, close it again, and suddenly I could plug in anything I wanted, from a MacBook Air to my Anbernic GBA SP replica. (Juicy Crumb even has a helpful video tutorial.) It was much easier than some alternative DIY methods.
Here are a few pictures I took of the installation process:
With DockLite installed, my iMac now functions 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 via software or via hardware buttons on the back.
I did it because this computer looks great on my desk.
Things get lost, such as access to the iMac's optical drive. And you can't run it as a standalone computer unless you go one step further and replace more internal components with something like a Mac Mini. The advantage is that the installation is reversible – you can reinsert the original motherboard at any time.
The DockLite G4 isn't exactly cheap at $260. The award is thanks to the “time, effort and money to bring even a relatively simple product like the DockLite to market,” Timothy de Denaro, CEO and co-founder of Juicy Crumb, told me in an email. The DockLite G4 “is a relatively low volume product,” he added, and “each device is manually tested by me before shipping to customers.”
That seems fair, and it doesn't change the fact that I spent a lot of money and effort just to use a low-resolution display with poor viewing angles. On the other hand, 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 bad on my desk and I wanted to use it every day.