The 17" iMac G4 to DVI - The Easiest Method Ever (So Far)

For full details please see this post:

GUIDE: Step by Step 17" iMac G4 TMDS TO DVI Conversion
which I will be updating to completion over the next several days.

The reason I call this the easiest so far is that it involves No Soldering, Minimal Technical Skill, and Can Reasonably be done in 1 Hour.


When I look back at my older mods which involved total neck disassembly, 50+ solder points, and hours upon hours of time, I can not believe how much easier this is.  Not only is it easier, it is cheaper, ore stable, and overall just better.  If you are interested in doing the 17" version  of this iMac mod then take it from someone who has already made every mistake you could possibly make - USE THIS METHOD!

For Now I am only taking this to the level of getting a DVI compatible connection in the base with power. The only thing you need to do is plug something into the DVI receptacle.  If that is an internal mini itx, ecx, or external mac mini, or windows atx tower - that is your choice.  I will likely demonstrate use of the ECX board later on.

To be honest the only difference is in one <$5 part and that is the DVI-I connector header
  Specifically I used a  MOLEX PN 74320-4004

FRONT

TOP

BOTTOM

NOT THESE BIG PINS

Now this exact one is likely not needed.  The important this is that you need a DVI-D or DVI-I with these small pins as opposed to the usual connectors that use large pins:

I would recommend a right angle connector (you can work outside the dome then fit a right angle connector through the hole on top without having to remove all the pins).

Also, female is easier and I believe gives more connection options, but male can be used if you remember to alter the pinout and can find a connector with these small pins.

The remarkable thing about this connector is that it could not be designed better for the iMac G4s female pins.  Not only are the male pins on this connector identical to the ones on the iMac G4 motherboard shape, width, and length, but they are spaced well enough apart to prevent and disturbance between pins.  All you have to do is take the iMacs video connector and break apart its housing, freeing the individual pins/wires.  Easily push the iMacs wires onto the correct pins (12 TMDS pins, 2 control pins).  Then add an extra ground and make 1 split cable with a resistor (5V/hot plug).  Hook up 6 aligator wires to voltages (2 Ground, 3 5V, 1 12V) and turn it on.

Of note, I have tweaked the inverter pinout somewhat in the tutorial as well.  This change may be specific to this build.

I love that it lists the display as "iMac"

Enjoy and I look forward to hearing stories of rejuvinated iMac G4's! Thanks for reading.

Mini-itx Problems, SBCs and Embedded Boards

Base with Drive

When making an all-in-one you have to realize the base of the G4 is very small - Much smaller than you think.  The faraday cage inside provides all the real "support" of the base.  Unfortunately 4 steel "legs" make it even tighter.  Below the drive pictured here there is only about 1/2" inch.  The iMac was convection cooled so everything just stacked on top of each other leaving no room for airflow.  Below is how an atom mini itx board with standard fan and heatsink looks interns of thickness next to the original iMac G4's motherboard.  Remember the drive sits right on top of the motherboard - there is no wiggle room.

This standard size fan takes up much of the room that the drive occupied as well.  Even above the drive there is minimal room (enough for a 3.5" hard drive and then a fan.  The power supply was actually split in two and placed on opposite sides of the hard drive.

Without having to grind down the faraday cage even fitting in a mini itx is difficult.  You have to put it in at an angle, accessing the ports can be difficult.

Even when using just a mini itx board, no optical drive, no graphics card, just a small hard drive, there are two problems with creating a "powerful" system: Power and Heat.

By power I am referring to where the power source goes.  No atx power supply can fit in any way.  The existing power supply is not compatible with atx and regardless the 17" is only 160watts.  Pico power supplies are really the only option and these are limited to about 150 - 175 watts.  Remember, some of this has to go to power the display, support USBs etc.

By heat I am referring to the very poor air flow of the steel faraday cage.  The only air entry points are some slits at the bottom and holes at the top.  You would never, ever choose this as a computer case.  The mini itx has to sit at the very bottom (its the only place it fits).  So anything else you want to put in the case - wires, wifi, optical drives, ssds, whatever, has to go on top of the board.  This further blocks air flow.  Trust me, even with pristine wire management anything other than a very low power system is going to have problems.  So you are VERY limit din what can go on top of the motherboard.  If you are building a system just to show that it can power on, a "proof of concept" then you don't have to worry.  But, if you want a stable, reliable system that you can use daily, there is a better way.  There are actually two options:

1) Go Big: You want the system you want.  Dedicated graphics, optical drive, big power supply.  Then go external.  This is the way I went with my mac mini setup and I couldn't be happier with it.  I went dual monitors and was then able to use the base to house the optical drive and 20" monitor power supply.  Keep in mind the iMac is a desktop, you aren't carrying it room to room.  This makes upgrades a breeze and you are no longer limited by size, heat, or power.

2) Go Small: What if you could fit a motherboard at the top of the dome.  The CPU sitting right under the ventilation holes would allow for some airflow.  What's more, this would allow you to use the space below however you see fit.  In my all in one I went with a bluray optical drive.  There are compact options beyond mini-itx.  These are usually referred to as either Single Board Computers or embedded systems.  Although most of these systems are not available from usual vendors such as amazon, newegg etc, they are still easily to obtain commercially.  I have dealt with many sales reps from the companies I am going to discuss and they have almost universally been very helpful.  These boards are sometimes more expensive then their commercial atx counterparts, sometimes less.  They tend to use laptop parts (which tend to be lower power and generate less heat).  They usually have on board power options.  Their expansion options are usually very limited (but there is really isn't any room in the dome for expansion).  They are usually associated with low power platforms but are NOT limited to these.  Many form factors are available, but I am going to focus on those that have I/O that is familiar and compatible with commercial products.  So lets see what's available.

Zbox Nano

1) The ITX's

- A) Mini-itx (170mm x 170mm) (6.7" x 6.7") - discussed above

- B) Nano-itx (120mm x 120mm) (4.7" x 4.7") - These are sometimes available from standard vendors.

     - I for one am very excited about AMD's fusion platform.  

       The Zbox Nano relies on a Zacate E-350 APU which yields on board AMD HD 6310 graphics.  This is available as a barebones system and although it comes with the zotac case, it can be removed.  If a hackintosh is your goal, this won't suit your needs.  But if you want low power, but some graphics power consider this option.

- C) Pico-itx (100mm x 72mm) (3.9" x 2.8").  You may not believe it, but this is a legitimate option.

Pico-itx

      - While not my favorite platform, Intel's Atom, is certainly capable of being a machine capable of everyday, routine tasks.  And is available on most PicoITX bards.

Epic SBC

2) Industrial Computers 

- A) EPIC - Embedded Platform Industrial Computers (165mm x 115mm) (6.5" x 4.5").  These can blur the line between mainstream and industrial systems, but many have nothing but standard I/O and are have identical chipsets and features to the larger mini-itx boards.

      

3) Drive Sized Platforms

- A) 5.25" Embedded - (203mm x 146mm) (8" x 5.75") - designed to be the same size as a 5.25" drive.  Although longer then mini itx, its narrower shape is better for the iMac.  If you don't use an optical drive these may be considered (although they are on the larger size).  Available in everything from Atom, to Intel Core 2 Duo, to 1st and 2nd generation Core i processors.

KEEX-4030

- B) 3.5" Embedded/ECX - (146mm x 105mm) (5.75" x 4") - similarly designed to be the same size as a 3.5" drive.  ECX is an intel developed standard, meant to give the performance of mini-itx in a smaller form factor.  Similarly available in many varieties.  Global American again has a wide selection from Atom up to 1st generation Core i processors.  Two popular makers of these systems are Quanmax and Portwell.  Online distributors such as logicsupply.com offer these boards.  For my All-in-one I used the Keex-4030, a Quanmax Core 2 Duo Mobile Processor Board.  I found it easy to use and it delivered solid performance.  A second generation core i/sandy bridge mobo has been announced by Quanmax, but I have not found it available yet.

I would probably recommend either Nano-ITX or 3.5" ECX as they offer the best availability, standardization, and size to performance ratio.  Just remember that a non-standard board may have some quirks (proprietary connectors, limited expansion).  Do your homework first, before buying.  But there are plenty of options for small motherboards beyond mini-itx.

The 17" Mod Success Stories, Mistakes, and All-In-Ones

As I just wrote on my 17" iMac G4 guide, I have been exploring simpler ways of converting the iMacs LCD to a plug and play DVI/HDMI compatible monitor.  Do to an upcoming test I have to put this project largely on hold for the next few weeks.  Regardless, people have been doing great and over the past few months I have gotten emails of no fewer than 10 successes.  Many from people with limited electronics experience.  Thank you to everyone who has shared this me, its extremely rewarding to see that my projects have helped others doing the same.  I hope to see plenty of broken iMac G4's returned to their proper place on the desktop for years to come.

Courtesy of mouser.com

I have unfortunately wasted time going down a dead end route.  After much searching I was finally able to locate the motherboard receptacle for the iMac G4's video cable.  For those interested it is the 21pin - C seen in the diagram to the right.  Specifically its the: 656-FI-WE21P-HFE JAE FFC / FPC Connector.

My hope was to create an adapter wire that you could simply plug into the iMac's video cable.  It would have a DVI/HDMI out and cables that could hook to a power supply.  Add the inverter and presto, instant iMac conversion.  Unfortunately the ones that are soldered on boards need to be ordered in the thousands.  The actual connectors themselves are too difficult to work with unless pre soldered to a board.  I've tried but the pins coming off very small and the crimping tool that you can buy is around a thousand dollars.  The current method that I'm trying the use seems much simpler (and cheaper).  I will detail it in the guide as soon as I complete it.

Top = MALE
Bottom = FEMALE

The biggest "correctable" error that people seem to be making involves using the DVI pinout as is with a male cable.  I talk about this in the post, but I think people are looking only at the pinout.  So I'm going to make it clearer and post a male pinout.  The DVI pin numbers are based on a standard numbering system which is numbered left to right based on the female DVI connector.  The female connector is what you plug a standard cable into, found n the back of a computer or graphics card.  The standard DVI cable has 2 male connectors at its ends.  So please keep this in mind when you do this mod.  You can certainly use a male interface, but you have to realize which pin is which number.  You can simply view it from the back to see how it relates to the female plug.


In regard to all-in-ones, they are certainly possible.  But just keep expectations in check.  You really can not fit much it the base.  And remember you have to power it.  Pico power supplies really are limited to about 150 watts so if you want and you can not fit an tax power supply in the base.  But, remember this is a 17" screen - you don't really need a powerful video card.  That said, I still firmly believe that a mini itx is too high a risk for overheating at the bottom of the dome and should not be used.  I recommend using a pico, nano, or embedded motherboard.  I'll be reviewing some of these choices in my next post.

Advice to Modders

I hope this doesn't come across as preachy, but I just want to give some advice to those of you new to modding the iMac G4.  I have disassembled and reassembled this computer so many times I could probably do it blindfolded.  There are a few aspects of modding this computer that have led to a lot of frustration for me, a few pointers, hopefully, will help some of you.

iMac G4 Neck with Cinema Display Wires

1) Do not be scared to open the neck.  Its not hard, does not require special tools, and is not really dangerous.  I have written on this blog about the exploding neck because I had read about it myself.  I have knocked the spring off its moorings numerous times and that just means a lot of work to pry it back up into position.  I've had an open neck fall off the table, I've left necks open for weeks at a time, and have never had the spiring fly off.  I wouldn't throw an open neck as hard of you can against the wall, but you also do not have to handle it like its plutonium.

2) Do not put more/thicker wires into the neck than it can hold.  Just because you can get it through the holes does not make it a good idea.  When you overcrowd the neck, you'll start to hear grinding and some wires will wear down as they are pushed into the hinges of the neck.  The iMac G4 has 4 wires that go through the native neck.  When you replace wires, take out what you're not using and aim to have about the same "volume of wires" as the native neck comes with.  To get wires through the neck all you have to do is push a wire that is already through backwards and  tape about 1/2 an inch of the wire you want to get through to that wire and pull it through.

3) When you can't get a signal replace the black wire.  I have heard from many people who can not get the 17" DVI hack to work.  I know what the problem is - its the black wire.  If one wire isn't touching then there is no signal.  Too much solder on these wires causes problems.  Even if you get a strong signal on the mutimeter, crosstalk can result in color changes, flickering image, etc.  The wires are simply too small to reliably work with.  Give it a shot and try to spare the pins that are attached.  But, if you need to - replace them.  Replace them with what you may ask.  I used an apple cinema display's wiring here, but these are no different than any TMDS cables and the easiest place to get TMDS cables - take a DVI cable and strip it.  You will find 4 wires that have three wires bundled within them, these are the same as the 4 wires within the iMac's black wire.  Solder the pins to the top and you're set.  Even though it will be four wires to one, they are thinner and if you need remove the led/microphone wire go ahead and do it.  For my current mod, I have repaired problems with the black cable numerous times, I finally decided to replace it, with the apple cinema display's wires and haven't had a problem since.

4) Get rid of the Torx-6 screws.  These are the most troublesome screws I have ever worked with.  On the bottom of the 17" and 20" iMac G4's monitor housing you will find 3 screws that require a Torx-6  screwdriver to open.  These are the screws that keep the monitor housing closed.  I have never seen screws that strip easier despite using the appropriate tool.  6 points on a tiny screw is very close to a circle and once you start stripping it - its already too late.  Chances are good that you may have to open up the monitor housing again at some point for upgrades, repairs etc.  Act preemptively and replace these with small phillips screws - it will save problems later.

5) Want an All-In-One? Consider an 3.5" ECX or other small form factor board.  Although mini-itx or a mac mini motherboard are the most popular choices neither of these is ideal from a size/heat perspective.  ECX's can fit at the top of the dome in place of the native HDD where heat won't be as big a problem as it would with a mini itx at the bottom of the dome.  They don't require an atx power supply and come with a variety of additional options including PCI-E mini or x4, Compact Flash etc.  Processors range from Atom to ULV Celeron to Sandy Bridge Core i processors.  This allows you to keep the full drive if you want and allows room at the bottom of the dome for ports at the back.  Although not nearly as expandable as a mini-itx mobo, with such limited space in the dome, this isn't likely to matter.

6) Do not sacrifice stability for power.  The mods I post don't include many mods which failed.  Most of these initially worked but failed because I tried to force things.  If you have to use all your strength to push your mod closed to screw it in, it will not last.  If you cram things in between the motherboard and the air holes, your board will overheat.  One mod I did post that was going to fail was the 20" TMDS to LVDS Conversion.  Keep expectations in check.  If you have a 17" monitor running at 1440x900 you don't need SLI or Crossfire.  Having it turn on and having a critical problem like this is worse than it not working at all.  If it doesn't work you can at least start troubleshooting what went wrong, these problems like the 20" TMDS to LVDS usually mean complete redesign and many of the parts have to be repurposed or replaced altogether.

Hope this helps.

The Two 17" iMac Necks

*NOTE: The Inverter Charts have been updated.  As I noted earlier, a reader noted flickering of the backlights with 12V connected to the RED line and it stabilized when connected to 5V.  I initially thought there was some inverter variation but after another confirmation from a reader I checked my old notes and had clearly written "Red - 5V".  I made a mistake when putting together the Inverter diagram for the blog.  Thank you to my readers and my apologies for any inconvenience.  Please note the charts have been corrected to reflect that RED is connected directly to 5V for both 17" iMac necks.

So I have fairly intact versions of both of the 17" necks and they are VERY EASY to tell apart - even if you don't know which 17" iMac the neck originally came from.  They are also VERY DIFFERENT - so know which one you are using before proceeding.  These are the only two part numbers for 17" necks I have been able to find.  Other variations or small differences may exist, I can not be certain.  Remember, you always have the option of opening up the monitor and looking at the JAE connector.  Because they all use the same LCD, the pin number/position will always be the same.  I will focus on the differences.
My previous post/17" pinout detailed what I will call:


NECK A: This is part #661-2825 and is the for the 1ghz and 1.25ghz 17" iMac G4.

 Here is a picture of the JAE connector.  Notice that the pins are glued onto a black board which is then encased in a silver connector with prominent push clasps on the sides.

 Here is the inverter - LCD side.  Notice the colors from left to right (Blue, Black, Red, Green, Purple, ORANGE)

 Bottom of the inverter again you can see the presence of an ORANGE wire

 The bottom of the video cable that plugs into the motherboard had this number on it (620-2305).  I don't know if this is universal across all of these necks, but I wanted to point it out).

DVI pinout A - 1 or 1.25ghz iMac neck

Inverter Pinout A: 1 or 1.25ghz Neck

So here again is the DVI and Inverter pinouts for Neck A recognizable by:
1) Part #661-2825
2) Comes from a 1 or 1.25ghz 17" iMac G4
3) Has a black/silver JAE 30 pin connector to LCD
4) Has an Orange Wire in the inverter cable
5)??Has the number 620-2305 on the motherboard side of the video cable

NECK B: This is part #661-2716 and is the for the 800mhz 17" iMac G4.

I have peeled back the aluminum foil, but you can see that the JAE connector that connects to the LCD is one where the pins snap into a beige connector and there are no clasps on the side.

Here is the inverter (LCD side).  Notice the colors from left to right (Blue, Black, Red, Green, Purple, OFF-WHITE) 

 The bottom of the inverter (removed from connector) again shows the OFF-WHITE colored wire [NOT ORANGE].  There is also a number on the motherboard side of the video cable.  Again, I'm not sure how specific this is.  (620-2122).

So here is the new TMDS to DVI and Inverter pinouts for Neck B recognizable by:

1) Part #661-2716
2) Comes from a 800mhz 17" iMac G4
3) Has a beige JAE 30 pin connector to LCD
4) Has an Off-White Wire in the inverter cable
5)??Has the number 620-2122 on the motherboard side of the video cable

DVI pinout B - 800mhz iMac neck

Inverter pinout B: 800mhz neck

*** I have come across a neck that has the LCD cable of a 800mhz iMac, however, its inverter cable has an orange wire.  As I obtained this second hand, this could have been the result of a repair and may not be standard.  As both are left floating, it doesn't matter for the inverter, however, I can now have doubts if this can be used to differentiate the two necks.  Luckily, there are other differences.

Conclusion:
There are so many differences, there is a Brown cable in one, an Orange in the other.  The order of the rest of the wires is completely different.  Even the Clock/Data cables are reversed White/Black.  While I myself have set up Neck A, a reader of my blog has gotten it working with neck B.  Obviously the color of the wires really doesn't matter its what pin they connect to thats important.  As there may be a slight difference in what I call "blue vs. purple" etc.  Here is a close up of the 2 JAE connectors and the order of their wires (pin 1 position is on the left to pin 30 on the right).

NECK A: 1 or 1.25ghz 17" iMac

I'm excited to see some of the projects people come up with - I also like confirmation that things are written clearly and are correct.  So comments are appreciated - thanks.  Good luck and feel free to ask any questions.

17" TMDS-DVI Neck Variation

There are indeed two different types of 17" iMac G4 necks and the wire color does vary between them.

1) Part # 661-2716.  This neck comes from the 800mhz 17" iMac

2) Part # 661-2825.  This neck comes from the 1Ghz and 1.25Ghz 17" iMac

I believe that thee are the only two variations that exist, as I have not been able to find any different part numbers for iMac 17" necks, though I can not be certain.

I am fairly certain that my neck came from a 1.25Ghz machine, so those modifying a 1 or 1.25Ghz iMac should be able to use the pinout I have posted.  However, those modifying an 800mhz will have different colored wires.

As of right now, I would still recommend opening up the monitor and looking at the JAE connector and following PIN NUMBER instead of WIRE COLOR.  As the LCD panels are the same the pin number will always be correct.

I am trying to obtain a completely intact version of each of these necks to detail the differences and will post the differences when I do.  Several people have gotten this working, while others seem to be having some trouble.  I will try to go through this step by step and post detailed instructions of how t connect this.  I will also try to do it using a spliced DVI cable as most people seem to be going this route.

I am also working on the step by step for the cinema display 20" mod for those interested in doing that

17" DVI Pinout Confirmed

UPDATE: Please note that there are TWO DIFFERENT 17" necks.  This one works only for the 1 or 1.25ghz 17" Neck, not the 800mhz neck.  For updated information about BOTH necks and how to tell them apart please see this post:
The Two 17" iMac Necks


UPDATE #2: I have posted a step by step guide for the 17" version.  See this post:
Guide: 17" iMac G4 to DVI 

Here is the iMac G4 17" TMDS to DVI conversion guide.  I have just finished this and can confirm that it works beautifully.  I have not yet seen sleep mode, but the image is otherwise flawless.
A couple notes about the table.  The TMDS # refers to the pins on the 30pin JAE connector that plugs into to the LCD.   There are 2 large cables in the iMac neck for the TMDS signal.  One cable has four colors (Brown, Blue, Green, Red) each of these cables divides into a +RED, a -GREEN, and a BLACK (GROUND/SHIELD).  So up to pin 14 refers to these wires with the large wire written first.  The other cable has 8 multicolored wires.  Of these only the white and black connect to the DVI cable.  The others need to be connected to a power source.  This can be an ATX power supply or an AC to DC power brick.  I am using an AC to molex adapter, I stripped to molex leads to get a 12V rail, a 5V rail, and a GROUND.  The panel's actual specifications call for 3.3V to the PURPLE, YELLOW, and ORANGE wires, however as I don't have a 3.3V rail, I used 5V which worked fine.  I don't know if there are any long term consequences to using too much voltage, but if given the choice I'd go with 3.3V.  So I connected the 3 VCC wires together (PURPLE, YELLOW, and ORANGE) and connected them all to the 5V RED lead on my molex.  The 3 Ground wires get connected together (BLUE, GREEN, and GREY) and go to the GROUND - BLACK lead on my molex.

******However, there is one more thing, the DVI adapter will require 2 more connections.  This does not involve the iMac TMDS cable at all.  A computer doesn't send a signal through a DVI port not being used.  It only turns on when it gets a signal that there is something connected - this is the Hot Plug Detect.  It takes voltage from the monitor, because the iMac panel is not supplying anything to this pin (#16 on the DVI) we have to supply it.  Luckily pin 14 on the DVI supplies voltage to the iMac panel.  So, you will need an additional wire and a 1Kohm resistor.  Attach one end to DVI pin 14 (this pin should already have the RED wire from the iMac connected - so there will be two wires connected to pin 14 on the DVI), splice the 1 Kohm resistor into this wire and connect the other end to pin 16 on the DVI (the hot plug detect).  You will ALSO NEED A GROUND.  One more wire must be connected to pin 15 on the DVI and this wire can go with the other ground wires (BLUE, GREEN, and GREY) to connect to the Ground/Black lead on the power source.

Now connect the inverter to the power source (detailed in a previous post) and your done!!!

Few tips:
    As long as your colors match up you do not need to open the monitor housing.  But here is where the TMDS pins get their number.  The connector on the left is a 30 pin JAE connector that goes into the LCD panel.  The pins are numbered left to right.





 I highly recommend using one of these.  This is a DVI connector.  You can also remove these from a broken graphics card or motherboard.  The TMDS female ends can be pushed onto the male pins.  It takes some finesse, but can be done.  The nice thing about this is  you can verify your connection before you solder.  This is the connector with 3 pins placed.

Below is again the DVI pin assignments (corresponding to the Right-most column in the pinout).  The middle two rows (TMDS 4 and 5 are not used, nor are the analog data areas).  Plenty of other diagrams of DVI pinouts are available online if this one is confusing.  I also wanted to add that this diagram is a FEMALE DVI connector.  If you are cutting a male to male DVI plug or using a MALE connector, it will be the mirror image.

 Here are a couple of shots it operational.  This particular imac had the front bezel removed.  I apologize that the connections aren't very clear.  I'll try to add some better pics of the actual hookup in the future.  I will probably not being completing this as an all in one - I'm reserving my supplies for use on the 20".  I actually have made some headway with the 20" inverter and I will post updates shortly.

I know many are eager to try this out.  As always, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

17" iMac G4 LVDS Conversion - Video

Video of 17" iMac Mod

Here is a video of the mod in action.  I have connected it to a small mini itx computer running Windows 7.  As I said before, I do plan on getting a mac mini for this mod eventually.  I wanted to get a general sense with how the leopard user interface would work with a touchscreen, so I skinned the computer to look like leopard (using Rocketdock and Apple Icons).  The user interface works great.  Having the dock makes selecting programs easy.  With this networked computer I am only a few touches away from my entire home movie, picture, and music collection.  In addition, using Webtaps for firefox allows me to rapidly select videos from internet sites such as hulu.

To complete the look I am using the iMac G4's original keyboard (I like using the wired keyboard because I plan on concealing the actual computer, this gives me two easily accessible USB ports).  I have also added the magic mouse and the USB griffin powerwave adapter which allows me to use the iMac's original Orb speakers.

I hope that this blog has and will help with similar projects.  For myself, I have decided to next work on an ATOM/ION G4 Cube mod.  Similar mods to this have been done, but I think having a slot loading bluray home theater pc (capable of HD output) in the shape of an apple cube would look great in the family room.  Also, I hope to get back to a multitouch table that I had been doing some work on.  So one mod done and on to the next......

17" iMac G4 LVDS Conversion - Completed

UPDATE (11/4/11): Although not quite as worrisome as the 20" TMDS to LVDS conversion, I still recommend against using this method as high voltage inverter to CCFL wires go through the metal neck.  Please see my summary of mods or my 17" Step by Step Guide for an easier, more stable, cheaper, and safer way of doing this.

Original Post:
I actually get to write this post from my completed mod!!!! (Well from my laptop cloned to my monitor, but close enough).  I think it came out great.  The image is clear and bright.  The touch screen adds some weight, but there is no significant "monitor drift".  It took a while to get the touch screen working and calibrated, but it works fantastically.  In most situations I think touch screens on desktops make little sense, but for the G4, the ability to grab the screen move it towards you and  tilt it up makes it extremely fun and useful.  It's not multitouch, but that's OK.

This is the end of a really fun experience.  I think this is the perfect compromise between my two other mac mods and I do have to say that I actually think I prefer the proportions of the 17" vs. the 20".  For anyone debating - after doing both - I would strongly recommend the 17" over the 20".  The components are MUCH cheaper for the 17".  Also, 6 backlights in the 20" leaves a lot of voltage to travel through the neck.  The 17" allowed me to add much more shielding to the cables and made the mod significantly more stable and I still had enough room for a touchscreen.

I'll add a video in the near future to demonstrate the touch screen functionality and the mod in general.  When I became interested in doing this - I was shocked by how many others had similar ideas and I hope that this blog has helped and inspired others that are attempting to do a similar thing.  It is very doable and there is nothing that you can buy in a store that comes close to a one of a kind device that you build yourself.  That reminds me I'd like to thank fellow iMac G4 moders Blugray and MacOdyssey whose blogs and posts inspired me and without whom I never would have been able to finish (or even start) this project.

I have to admit though its a little weird to see Windows on the iMac G4.  I may have to get a mac mini for this computer, I'll just have to hide it under the desk .... ;) As always, I'm happy to answer any questions.  Good Luck!!