Lego’s Ideas platform, where fans pitch custom set designs for the world to vote on, is always brimming with quirky, creative proposals. Scroll through, and you’ll find everything from a detailed replica of the Palace of Versailles to Piet Mondrian’s New York Boogie Woogie reimagined in bricks, plus a life-size ping-pong paddle and even a “loaf cat” (a nod to that viral internet meme, if you’re in the know).
But for anyone who loves retro tech with a creative edge, one submission stands out: a Lego version of the Apple iMac G3. It’s already racking up votes on the site—enough that it could soon hit the threshold for an official review by Lego. And honestly? I’m crossing my fingers it makes the cut. This isn’t just another build; it’s the nostalgic retro toy I never realized I needed, and it could easily join the ranks of the best Lego sets for adults.
For those unfamiliar, Lego Ideas lets fans submit their own set concepts, which then get voted on by the community. As 9to5mac first pointed out, this iMac G3 design—made up of around 700 pieces—comes from a fan designer going by Terauma. It’s a faithful tribute to Apple’s iconic 1998 all-in-one computer, the machine that helped define a era of tech.
Lately, the iMac G3 has been having a major moment, thanks to the ongoing Y2K nostalgia trend. What made it so memorable? For starters, it swapped out clunky floppy disk drives for a built-in CD-ROM—revolutionary at the time. But its real claim to fame was its look: a sleek, curved frame made of translucent plastic that stood out like a neon beacon next to the boring, boxy desktop PCs of the late ’90s (it even earned a spot on our list of the 100 best Apple products ever).
It was also a pivotal design for Apple: one of the first major projects from Jony Ive, and widely seen as the product that turned the company’s fortunes around after Steve Jobs returned in 1997. Fun fact? There was even a touchscreen version of the iMac G3—years ahead of its time, and a feature Apple hasn’t revisited for its desktop computers since.
Terauma’s Lego design nails those iconic details. It sports the iMac G3’s signature Bondi Blue hue, comes with the classic translucent keyboard, and includes that tiny, round “hockey puck” mouse we all either loved or hated. Even the inside gets love: there’s a mini replica of the computer’s cathode ray tube (CRT) and motherboard, adding a level of detail that tech fans will geek out over.
Terauma used BrickLink Studio (formerly called Stud.io) to design and render the concept—a free desktop tool that lets users build virtual models with digital Lego bricks. “When I was a kid, my brother and I spent hours playing games on this iMac,” the designer wrote. “If Lego released this set, I’d love for people to hold that nostalgia in their hands again.”
To move forward, Lego Ideas submissions need 10,000 votes to earn an official review from Lego’s team. As of right now, the iMac G3 has nearly 6,900 votes—and with over 300 days left to hit the goal, it’s got a solid shot at making it.
Of course, there’s a big hurdle: copyright. A lot of people are skeptical that Apple would ever sign off on a Lego collaboration. Let’s be real—Apple usually steers clear of novelty brand partnerships, save for a few carefully chosen ones (think Nike and Hermès).
But Lego has a proven track record here. Over the years, it’s locked in deals with some of the biggest names in entertainment and design: Disney, Star Wars, Ferrari, Nike, even Ikea. If any brand can convince the Cupertino tech giant to play nice, it’s Lego. Here’s hoping they pull it off—this iMac G3 set deserves to exist.
