XtremeMac U.F.O. for iMac
History
Introduced: Late 2002
Discontinued: 2004
Original Retail Price: $129.99
Tech Specs
Connectors: 4x USB; 2x FireWire 800
Compatible With: iMac G4 (15”, 17”, 20”)
Condition & Notes
The U.F.O. is a product made by XtremeMac, a third-party manufacturer of Mac hardware accessories beginning in the early 2000s. It is a dock that was specifically designed for use with the iMac G4, providing the user with additional front-facing USB and FireWire ports.
The dock sits neatly underneath any iMac G4, slightly raising the machine (though this can be negated via the adjustable display). It features space for cable management, sliding doors to hide any unused ports, and a cool blue LED halo “glow” effect that can be switched on or off.
Originally launched in late 2002, the U.F.O. is one of the first products made by XtremeMac. As of mid-2025, XtremeMac is still making accessories for modern Apple products. Though their website is still around, viewing the product page for this item requires use of the Internet Archive.
This unit was in mint condition when I acquired it, and is complete with the original box and packaging.
Packaging
U.F.O.
There are several cutouts around the lower perimeter of the unit where the speaker and keyboard cables can be fed into it.
Each of the two I/O panels each has a sliding door that can be used to cover the ports when not in use.
The two halves of the unit simply come apart, with no clips or fasteners. They are held together by the weight of the iMac when it sits on top. There is void space inside to route the excess cabling from the keyboard, speakers, and other accessories. The lower half is made of clear acrylic and has engraved labels denoting the cable routing locations.
Power adapter and AC cable for the U.F.O.
The rear has the USB and FireWire 400 link cables, the power input jack, and cutouts for the other cables to pass through.
Manufacturer’s sticker on the bottom of the upper part of the unit, listing a Florida business address.
The sticker on the lower half notes that the port layout on some iMac G4s is different than others, so the cable routing may vary. This accessory was designed for the later models that have the port layout shown here. Earlier models (such as the 700 and 800 MHz 15” machines) have these port locations reversed, so the cables must be routed differently.
The adapter actually has XtremeMac branding on the label.
With iMac G4 (20”)
Such a neat and clean-looking accessory!
The U.F.O. is a bit fiddly to set up, as it takes some effort to get all the cables to lay flat on the inside and not interfere with putting the two halves together. But once it’s in place, having the front-facing USB and FireWire ports is very handy.
There is also a switch (above right) to turn off the blue “glow” if desired.
With the keyboard and the U.F.O. itself plugged in, there is still one USB and one FireWire port available on the rear of the iMac itself.