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Apple Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Steve Jobs Unveiling the iMac
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It has nothing to do with "fashion over function" since Apple's mobile line tends to be the hotbed for in-house hardware solutions like the A series SoC, the S series for Apple Watch, the Apple designed mobile GPU, and the other complimentary chips like the W and T series.
Spec bump. there's no way they'll redesign it and make it look more modern than the "iMac pros".
The buyer's guide reinforces my assertion that MacRumors isn't just a site for Apple cheerleaders. It is a site for balanced commentary on Apple products, pro or con. That's certainly why I visit this site.
Then again, if you look at the 2002 iMac, that's basically the inspiration MS used for the Surface Studio.
Yay! I installed a donated blue iBook for my friends on their reservation - what an occasion that was. Dial-in only at that time but it was big time cool. And I had one at home and also a 5300 laptop - with a Ricochet radio modem - did a web update from the end of the Moss Landing south jetty via UCSC once and again from Alcatraz - then a great white iBook with an 800MHZ chip - that was always running too hot - so I would run up to SF and buy a used iBook then swap in the HD from the DOA one. Did that for what 4 times? My 2008 first gen MacBook still runs fine, and I keep my iBook Bondi Blue USB keyboard as a backup for my mini.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the late Steve Jobs introducing the iMac, in what has become a defining moment in Apple's storied history. Apple CEO Tim Cook commemorated the occasion on Twitter today.
"This is iMac," said Jobs, who had returned to the helm of Apple as interim CEO just eight months prior, after being ousted from the company twelve years earlier. A large crowd erupted with applause at the Flint Center, the same theater where Jobs unveiled the original Macintosh back in 1984.
The excitement centered upon the fact that the iMac didn't look anything like other desktop PCs of the time. This wasn't a typical boxy monitor-and-tower in dull beige. This was an all-in-one machine with curvy, translucent plastic, first in bondi blue, and later in several other colors of the rainbow.
Jobs was as charismatic as always on stage:iMac was all about getting everyday people connected to the internet. In fact, the letter I in iMac stood for internet, according to Ken Segall, the creative director who came up with the name for the computer. It also stood for individual, instruct, inform, and inspire, according to Apple's presentation.
More importantly, the iMac was a turning point for Apple, a company that had lost its direction by the mid-1990s. Apple was hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, had a bloated product lineup with over a dozen Macintosh models, and seemed to lack a clear plan forward. That is, until Jobs stepped in.
Jobs aimed to simplify Apple's product lineup with a four-quadrant product matrix, with one desktop computer and one portable computer for consumers and professionals respectively. iMac filled the consumer-desktop quadrant.
Jobs in Apple's press release for the iMac:The original iMac pioneered many industry firsts such as USB, FireWire, and quiet fan-less operation, and while the removal of the floppy drive and legacy ports was controversial, the computer ultimately pushed the industry forward.
The original iMac's tech specsowerPC G3 processor clocked at 233MHz
15-inch display with 1,024×768 resolution
Two USB ports and Ethernet with a built-in software modem
4GB hard drive
32MB of RAM, expandable to 128MB
24x CD-ROM drive
Built-in stereo speakers with SRS sound
Apple-designed USB keyboard and mouse
Mac OS 8.1The strategy was effective, as the iMac kickstarted Apple's return to profitability, just months after it flirted with potential bankruptcy. iMac sales topped 278,000 units in the first six weeks, and in October 1998, Apple reported earnings of $106 million in its fourth quarter, contributing to its first profitable year since 1995.
The naming scheme lived on with the iPod in 2001, iPhone in 2007, and iPad in 2010, products that led Apple to become the world's most valuable company.
The success of the iMac was due in part to a significant marketing campaign developed by ad agency TBWA/Chiat/Day. The ads, both in print and video form, focused on the iMac's design and the simplicity of both setting it up and connecting to the internet. A few of the spots featured actor Jeff Goldblum.
A sampling of taglines from the campaign:Yum.
Sorry, no beige.
Chic. Not geek.
High-technicolor.
No artificial colors.
The rebirth of cool.
The most colorful way to the Internet.
Family vehicles for the information superhighway.
The thrill of surfing. The agony of choosing a color.
The most dramatically new Macintosh since the original.In the two decades since, the iMac has undergone several revisions, keeping up with rapid technological advancements. Over those years, Apple's attention to both design and function hasn't wavered.
In 2002, the iMac received its first significant redesign, with a thin flat-panel display affixed to a white semicircular base with a cantilevered metal arm. In 2004, Apple integrated the main logic board, optical drive, and other components behind the display, allowing for a thinner aluminum stand.
In 2007, Apple ditched white plastic and gave the iMac an aluminum enclosure backed by black plastic. A model with a complete aluminum unibody enclosure was released in 2009, and slimmed down in 2012. In 2014, the iMac gained 4K and 5K Retina displays. And, in 2017, the powerful iMac Pro was released.
It is 1998, though, that will always be remembered as the year Apple started a new chapter of success. Happy birthday to the iMac.
Article Link: Apple Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Steve Jobs Unveiling the iMac
Except maybe for Marty's DeLorean, iMac was an icon design coup that changed everything and empowered everybody's - esthetics and industrial expectations.
Most of those "don't buy" ratings are specific to updates coming in 2018, not that they're poorly rated products.
Roughly the same design for 14 years. I always liked the 2002 version. Wish as similar was made today.
I would love to see that, but I don’t think Cook will allow it because he’s a boring old fart.
Yes, Kidz Pix amazed me and was inspired at such a young age. I agree they were magical
Logic suggests that the iMac will come out in Space Gray, maybe even Gold and Rose Gold.
I don't expect bright colors. They could do it.
But they would start with iPhones first and work their way up. I believe these colors would be extremely popular, especially blue and green.
The good old days when colour was in Apple’s DNA. So sad to see the current bland colour options.
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so glad they did. the amount of space, heat and energy that CRT's used was ridiculous. Moving to LCD might have had a few drawbacks at first, but ultimately flat panel tech was one of the biggest reasons why computers and technology was able to suddenly move so much quicker.
As you can well see in the picture, the iMac design has BARELY CHANGED since 2004.
14 years with the same design...In computer time that is an eternity.
Sadly, that shows how little Apple cares about its computer line up.
As someone said before, Tim Cook sucked the magic out of Apple.
14 years with the same design...In computer time that is an eternity.
Sadly, that shows how little Apple cares about its computer line up.
As someone said before, Tim Cook sucked the magic out of Apple.
Funny reading through the comments like this through the thread. People sure have tinted their memory.
The Mac Mini and Mac Pro were both neglected LONG before Steve died. In fact, if Steve was still around, I would bet money that the Mac Mini would be axed by now.
He’s sucked the magic out of Apple so much that they are now more profitable and have a slew of popular products that people just keep buying.....
Under Cook we have seen AirPods and Apple Watch both of which are VERY popular, not only that but the iPhone has grown to do really well now with the Plus model and the regular! Oh and don’t forget the iPad is doing well also.
The iMac has saw a more thinner design change in 2012 (my first iMac and I love it) Apple also added both 4K and 5K iMacs, that doesn’t seem to be appreciated.
Oh and the MacBook Pro and MacBook sales have also been doing really well.
I don’t see what the problem is here
If you are the Samsung CEO, it's really sad to watch what's happening at Apple. iPhone X makes more profit than all the Samsung phones combined, and some people are calling it a failure.
2002 "lamp" design is still the best looking one to me. Fully adjustable screen was a GREAT feature. I know it is not going to happen, but I'd love to see the internals taken out of the screen and put back into the stand. Think of it like a lighter screen sitting on a Mac Mini with the design clever enough that the two parts can be replaced and fixed separately.
My very first Mac was a late 2010 27" iMac. Guess what? My wife still uses it as her main machine! I put an SSD in it. We now have 4 iMacs. Two 21.5" from 2009 and 2011 for the kids and a 2015 5k iMac for dad. I love them.
