LEGO Ideas Site Conceptualizes Apple’s Iconic Bondi Blue iMac G3

The official LEGO Ideas website has a conceptualized recreation of Apple’s Bondi Blue iMac G3 from 1998. The concept is designed to recreate the original device with the hopes of it becoming a fully-launched product one day.

The LEGO Ideas concept was made by designer terauma. On the site, they write, “By releasing this set at LEGO, I wanted people to pick up this nostalgic computer again.” The designer also goes into some of the nuances about the iMac G3. “The bold design, which overturned the conventional image, attracted many people and became the beginning of the later translucent boom.”

So, terauma creates a 700-piece design that recreates the 1998 desktop computer. It faithfully adapts the design of the core device as well as the keyboard and “hockey puck” mouse that shipped with the iMac. The designer even incorporates yellowed transparent wires connecting the two accessories.

“Built with a total of about 700 parts.
made extensive use of the characteristic clear parts and built the building to be a little smaller than it actually is.
Inside, the cathode ray tube and board are reproduced, and a keyboard and USB mouse are also included.”

The purpose of LEGO Ideas is to allow creators to propose new LEGO brick sets and help gather an audience. The Bondi Blue iMac G3 was posted on May 17th and has slowly garnered 5,044 supporters as of the time of writing. It currently has 320 days left to receive the 10,000 supporters needed to advance to the new phase.

With this in mind, however, LEGO would still need to get Apple’s approval before the set could ever hit the market. It also needs to pass LEGO’s review process, which evaluates submissions based on build quality, licensing issues, and perceived demand.

Overall, it’s unfortunately unlikely that we’ll see this make it to market. However, it’s a very neat concept and one that brought me back to my days in elementary school, using the iMac G3 in my classroom.