Oh, I once had to move one to an Apple Store for service…which ultimately they declined to do because they admitted it didn’t work and they couldn’t figure out why. They did kindly pull the hard drive for me and I have no complaint.
But the only way I found to transport it was to wrap two compression straps (like the ones for sleeping bags) vertically on either side of the stand, then run a third strap between them at the top to use as a handle. It wasn’t ideal, but definitely manageable. It was almost as workable as that Apple backpack for the original Macintosh where the guy is riding a bicycle as though he were balanced.
Off the top of my head, I can suggest wearing work gloves, much like what people (should) do when they move any other heavy object.
Of course, it shouldn’t be necessary. My old QuickSilver G4 Mac has handles with nice rounded edges, making it easy to carry, even though it is pretty heavy.
It’s still better than my first few PCs, where the steel cases often had sharp edges. I cut myself on several occasions while performing major work on them (like swapping a motherboard). Which caused me to paraphrase a popular quote about SCSI and say that the computer required a blood sacrifice.
I remember once painfully lugging my 27" iMac from the parking lot to the Apple store inside the mall. While checking it in for repairs, I asked the employee how she carried these things around. She said, “Easy–use the Captain America grip!” She then demonstrated: approach the Mac from behind, insert your arm between the stand and the screen, and lift with the stand/screen pivot in the crook of your elbow. No more sore fingers!
I’ve moved my 27 inch iMac a few times. A couple of times I took it to the Apple Store to be fixed. I put it in the box it came in, which I saved, and it was easy to move. Another time I was having my carpets all taken out and my hardwood floors refinished. I put it in the box and moved it to a room not being worked on. I can carry it without the box but it’s so much easier in the box.
The box (which most people seem to forget once they’ve unpacked and set up) is a minor miracle of modern packaging. Probably not the most efficient way to ship 24 iMacs because of the wedge shape, but it is a wonder of beautiful function.
The architecture of Apple product boxes is almost as impressive as the design of their products. I usually save them. When I recycle products to family members and friends, I pack them in the original boxes, if possible.
