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Backside iMac storage is more functional (and artistic) than you’d think

Meet The Baxters –A Family of Rear-Mounted Storage Solutions and Art for iMacs.
Baxters are innovative Apple iMacs storage solutions that help you free up even more desk space with artistic shelving, thereby expanding the concept of the space-saving all-in-one PC. Available now on Kickstarter with a starting price of $45 for the finished version, you can get yourself a handy place to store everything from your phone to your external hard drive, all within easy reach.

While many desktops and monitors might end up with their backs against the wall, that’s not the case for all. For those who’s backside faces outward into a room, there’s some additional functionality — and aesthetic enjoyment — to be had. Baxters, produced by Understands, are an attempt to leverage both of those with a shelving unit with a printed finish or custom artwork.

The campaign offers a number of different options, with $2 pledges letting those with laser cutters or CNC machines cut their own Baxter using the design files. Meanwhile, $20 gets you the plain-wood DIY kit that you build yourself, while $45 gives you a Baxter shelf with a metallic finish. A wood veneer can be had for $55, while $65 gets you the full, custom-artwork option.

There are also different options for shelving, from a single large one to multiple smaller shelves, which can be used for storing plants, mounting external hard drives, managing cables (you could always use a “puck”) or holding headphones and other accessories.

You don’t have to use it all as a shelf though. The “Art Baxter” is designed to turn the rear of your iMac (whether you have a 5K display or not) into a true work of art, with a printed picture of your choice. While the family photos seem a little redundant to us — if it’s on the back of your monitor, you can’t see it — some of the more artistic slants seem like a nice way to brighten up an office.

All Baxter designs can fit 21.5 to 27-inch and earlier iMacs and are made from cross-laminated birch for strength and stability, without being too weighty. They don’t need any tools to fit or adjust either, they just slot into place.

All designs are currently slated to begin shipping in January 2018, though as with all Kickstarter campaigns we must remind you that there is no guarantee. While the short time between the campaign and shipping seems promising, it may also be ambitious, so be aware that you aren’t buying a product from a store, but pledging to receive something at some point in the future.

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Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
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