Apple Released the First iMac 25 Years Ago Today

[bluecoast]

I did a job for a company with an original iMac and loved using it.

Apple always set the priority for the mouse cursor high too, so it felt way smoother to use than Windows 95-98.

Even though macOS 8’s co-operative multitasking was terrible (not even in retrospect - it was terrible for the time).

 

[bluecoast]

I had one of these, in the original color. I always hated the mouse, they still can't get one right...

Haha you’re right!

For a company that popularised the mouse, it’s always been their Achilles heel wrist.

 

[BGPL]

I had one of these, in the original color. I always hated the mouse, they still can't get one right...

Apple doesn't build anything based on ergonomics. They design them for their marketing photos and how well they function in a wind tunnel. Imagine the potential of the Magic Mouse if it was ergonomic.

 

[macphoto861]

It's stunning to read those specs (32mb of RAM and 4gb HD!) compared to what is common today.

 

[suburbia]

My very first computer. Still have it, box, poster and all included collateral.

Strange fact: Purchased in April, 1999. Box identifies it as “Blueberry”. It’s a Rec C 333MHZ. However, it’s clearly a Bondi Blue casing. Even called up Apple back in the day and had an actual conversation with a very nice lady. She was stumped, had no answer why the box marked a Bondi as Blueberry. The days when Apple agents casually had a conversation with their customers...

 

[doolar]

That was one happy day when I collected my Tangerine iMac. I bought a Sony DV cam simultaneous and did my very first digital promo videos for local business. Good times!

 

[macphoto861]

The idea that anyone would put effort into how a computer looked was so revolutionary

I recall in the months after the bondi blue (and subsequent colored) iMacs were booming in popularity, I walked into a computer store and observed something truly pathetic on display... your typical beige PC towers, but with a small piece of translucent colored trim hastily attached to the front of it, as if to plead with potential buyers, "wait, don't buy that iMac, this computer looks just as cool!"

 

[scottrngr]

I had the original, then upgraded to the grey DV model, then to the flat panel. I remember when the redesign of the iMac was a big deal. Not so much any more.

 

[jazz1]

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the iMac, Apple's all-in-one desktop computer released on August 15, 1998.

Characterized by its striking translucent casing and 15-inch CRT display, the iMac was a departure from conventional computer design of the time. The machine led the way with several industry innovations, including the adoption of USB and FireWire, while simultaneously phasing out the floppy drive and other outdated ports. The computer came with a PowerPC G3 processor, 4GB hard drive, 32MB of RAM, a CD drive, two USB ports, and an Ethernet port, reflecting the emerging importance of internet connectivity at the time.

The iMac's design has evolved significantly over the years. In 2002, the iMac G4 was introduced with a unique dome base and flat-panel display. 2004 saw the launch of the iMac G5, a design that integrated all components behind the display, setting the standard for future all-in-one designs.

Apple unveiled the aluminum and glass unibody iMac in 2007 and added a Retina display to the machine in 2014. Apple introduced an "iMac Pro" variant in 2017, and, in 2021, the iMac was completely redesigned once again with the transition to Apple silicon.

As the iMac reaches this significant milestone, it continues to be the leading all-in-one computer and a prominent product in Apple's lineup. While the iMac did not receive an upgrade to the M2 chip, a refreshed model with the M3 chip is expected to launch toward the end of this year. Further in the future, Apple is expected to launch an even bigger and more powerful iMac model in what could be a reintroduction of the iMac Pro.

Article Link: Apple Released the First iMac 25 Years Ago Today

I remember buying on of these for my mother-in-law. Her first computer. I think the looks/design/color (red) got her over any fear of computing! Then of course the OS drew her in!

 

[NoGood@Usernames]

I recall in the months after the bondi blue (and subsequent colored) iMacs were booming in popularity, I walked into a computer store and observed something truly pathetic on display... your typical beige PC towers, but with a small piece of translucent colored trim hastily attached to the front of it, as if to plead with potential buyers, "wait, don't buy that iMac, this computer looks just as cool!"

Yep, Compaq jumped right on that!

 

[lgochoa]

Best looking iMac ever. Tangerine Rocks!!!

 

[Jumpthesnark]

I recall in the months after the bondi blue (and subsequent colored) iMacs were booming in popularity, I walked into a computer store and observed something truly pathetic on display... your typical beige PC towers, but with a small piece of translucent colored trim hastily attached to the front of it, as if to plead with potential buyers, "wait, don't buy that iMac, this computer looks just as cool!"

Oh the years after the iMac was released were HILARIOUSLY bad for PC design. Terrible hack job PCs thrown together into all sorts of wannabe shapes and colors. Every Best Buy looked like the island of colorful misfit toys.

 

[Sorinut]

Yep, Compaq jumped right on that!

eMachines too!

eMachines eOne - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[johnrlaporta]

Multicolor iMacs came out later...why not a straight Bondi iMac photo?

 

[johnrlaporta]

I had the original, then upgraded to the grey DV model, then to the flat panel. I remember when the redesign of the iMac was a big deal. Not so much any more.

Same garbage for over 15 years now. They were much cooler back when.

 

[Quicksilver867]

Seriously one of the greatest consumer product designs of all time. I have owned several G3s out of nostalgia alone. Currently have a G3/600 'Snow' in the attic - might just have to boot it up today.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I’m hoping Apple does something special for the 25th anniversary like introduce 32 inch model for 1799 with M3 Pro and 24 GBs of RAM standard. Who am I kidding?

 

[Sorinut]

Best looking iMac ever. Tangerine Rocks!!!

My college advisor/department chair had a tangerine iMac on his desk, which was pretty wild and odd to see in the chemistry department...never saw him use it, but then most of the faculty software didn't work on Mac. I was always jealous of that color, despite having an Indigo of my own, and it made me second-guess my choice every time I popped into his office.

 

[surfzen21]

Oh my... I was younger than 25 years when it came out, now I really feel old...

I remember seeing these all around my college dorms and thinking, wow those look cool. I would say 25% of dorm kids had them back then.

I had a poor mans Apple at the time, an Apple clone machine, which was only legally sold for a few years.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

I remember those first iMacs in a local electronic store. They mesmerized me from the window display. It was totally something different than all those beige PC boxes.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

How to connect to the internet in three easy steps:

1. Plug in
2. Get connected
3. Heh...there's no step 3. There's no step 3!

Jeff Goldblum singlehandedly carried the ads for the G3 generation. The Simplicity Shootout during Macworld was also a fun moment.

 

[Sorinut]

I had a poor mans Apple at the time, an Apple clone machine, which was only legally sold for a few years.

Some of the clones were more expensive than an actual Mac. Daystar made a quad-cpu machine that started at $12k, in the mid 90s.

 

[JimmyG]

What's going on, Tim...no anniversary M-series 28" or 32" iMac to celebrate the moment Steve righted-the-ship with iMac?!

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

What's going on, Tim...no anniversary M-series 28" or 32" iMac to celebrate the moment Steve righted-the-ship with iMac?!

I mean they discontinued the final iPod literally on the iPod's 20th Anniversary. Tim Cook's Apple does not care about legacy at all. All he wants is that sweet sweet iPhone money and cementing his legacy with AR-I mean "Spatial Computing" since Steve got all the love while he got none.

 

[Sorinut]

I mean they discontinued the final iPod literally on the iPod's 20th Anniversary. Tim Cook's Apple does not care about legacy at all. All he wants is that sweet sweet iPhone money and cementing his legacy with AR-I mean "Spatial Computing" since Steve got all the love while he got none.

To be fair to Tim, Steve Jobs hated nostalgia as well and wanted nothing to do with old designs or looking back.