Happy 20th Launch Anniversary, iMac

[MacRumors]

On August 15, 1998, Apple officially released the first iMac, the candy-colored gumdrop-shaped iMac G3, launching a desktop machine that has continued to be updated and revised over the years.

Designed by Apple design chief Jony Ive, the iMac G3 was unique among computers at the time for its unusual shape, the use of translucent plastics that allowed the internals to be visible, and the bright colors that Apple adopted.

"This is iMac. The whole thing is translucent. You can see into it. It's so cool," said Jobs when introducing the iMac G3.

Apple's first iMac, which sold for $1,299 at launch, came equipped with a 233 - 700MHz PowerPC 750 G3 processor, 4GB of storage, a 15-inch CRT, a CD-ROM drive, and an ATI graphics card, components that don't sound impressive today but made for a powerful, well-rounded machine, that, in combination with the design, made the iMac a best seller.

At launch, and in the years following its release, Apple released the iMac G3 in a slew of shades that include the famous Bondi Blue, Blueberry, Grape, Graphite, Indigo, Lime, Sage, Strawberry, Ruby, Snow, Tangerine, and two patterned colors, Blue Dalmatian and Flower Power.

If you live near Michigan, all 13 colors of the original iMac G3 are on display at the Henry Ford Museum in a popup collection called "Looking Through Things," which has been introduced in celebration of the iMac's anniversary.

The iMac G3 was introduced just a year after Steve Jobs returned to lead Apple, and it came at a time when the company was still struggling and trying to find its footing. By 1999, Apple saw its first quarter profits more than triple, with the jump attributed to sales of the new iMac.

Apple in May celebrated the anniversary of the debut of the iMac G3, which, while launched in August, was first introduced by Jobs in May 1998.

20 years ago today, Steve introduced the world to iMac. It set Apple on a new course and forever changed the way people look at computers. pic.twitter.com/GbKno7YBHl - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 6, 2018

Since the iMac G3's 1998 debut, Apple has introduced several revisions to the desktop machine, launching design revisions in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2015.

Today, the iMac is available in 21.5 and 27-inch size options, with 4K and 5K Retina displays, respectively. Kaby Lake chips, AMD graphics, and super fast SSDs are included.

We also have an iMac Pro, a workstation class machine aimed at Apple's professional users with a unique Space Gray body, Xeon processors with up to 18 cores, Radeon Pro Vega graphics, and up to 4TB of SSD storage.

We're still expecting refreshed iMac models in 2018. There's no word on when the next design change is coming, but in 2018, Apple is expected to add 8th-generation Coffee Lake chips and other internal improvements that make a great desktop machine even better.

Article Link: Happy 20th Launch Anniversary, iMac

 

[AyeGear]

Happy Anniversary.

#LongLiveTheMac

 

[prism]

Wow, what a design journey from chubby to anorexic...

 

[macpeach55]

I Love my 2013 iMac, but the cost of replacing it with the latest version is a little eye-watering!
(Just about to have the Fusion Drive replaced with an EVO SSD, so it is at least nearer on par with my 2015 MBP)

But Definitely, Happy Anniversary, iMac!

 

[martyjmclean]

My primary school had so many of them. It was sad to see rows of rainbows turn white when they upgraded them, but at least kids couldn’t mismatch the colours haha.

 

[BvizioN]

Awesome to see the evolution


Happy Anniversary

 

[ikir]

Happy anniversary

 

[asdavis10]

Arguably the most important product of Apple's lifetime.

 

[Abazigal]

The iMac was the first product to be born out of Apple’s design-led culture.

It was this culture that led to Apple being as successful as they are today, and why (I believe) Apple will continue to be successful for a good many years to come.

Viva la Apple.

 

[dilbert99]

A new mac design every 2 years from 1998 to 2009, then it dries up just like the screenless macs

 

[green86]

No SCSI! No ADB! No expansion slots! No floppy!

USB isn't mature enough to really solely on it!

Steve Jobs wouldn’t have ever allowed this!


Oh wait...

 

[Blackstick]

I miss this era of childlike whimsy and goofy looking iMacs and iBooks, when they weren’t worried about being the largest company on earth. My stock portfolio disagrees with me though.

 

[Dilster3k]

Calling it now, either the September or likely the October Keynote will present a redesigned iMac. Likely slimmed down bezels and similar to the Thunderbolt Display's design. Otherwise the minor spec bump versions would've been released alongside the new MBP's.

 

[markcres]

Before the distraction of iToys, Apple really cared about innovating in computers. Now we get hype over a new iPhone that essentially looks the same and does the same as the previous iPhone while the computers are ignored.

 

[Mike MA]

Should be a good point in time to run a second, more serious Back to the Mac campaign to celebrate the date.

 

[Razzerman]

Wow, twenty years ago. How time flies!

I remember my old tangerine imac; I'd never buy another imac nowadays though.

 

[EntropyQ3]

I’ve owned (still own) all three models - original bondi blue, 17” lamp mac, and the last.
I’ve loved them all. Wonderful ride.
Lamp-mac was my favourite though.
Still stuck on the late 2009 27", since it is the last one that can be driven as a screen for a PC, and I don’t want to try to juggle two screens on my desk.

 

[44267547]

Before the distraction of iToys, Apple really cared about innovating in computers. Now we get hype over a new iPhone that essentially looks the same and does the same as the previous iPhone while the computers are ignored.

Computers are ignored? How so? Then what was the debut of the iMac Pro and 2018 MacBook Pro then in under the last year?

 

[usarioclave]

I have my mom's lamp mac with speakers, it's truly a classic design.

 

[simonmet]

I still have feelings for those first iMacs. I never got one and can't remember which colour I wanted the most, but do remember wanting it bad.

I feel nothing for recent iMacs. Absolutely nothing. They're superior in every way yet they don't have an ounce of personality. They're bland, utilitarian tools; design simplified into nothingness. The lampshade iMac was the last to have real personality. Then it started going downhill; first with the iMac G5 and then with each subsequent iMac until what we have today, which is just an evolution of the G5 design.

 

[nottorp]

Back then, Apple also had some desktops for heavy lifting didn't they? Now they're trying to convince us an all in one is good enough. (Don't mention promises of a pro desktop, I'll believe it when I see it, and I'm 75% certain they'll make it useless somehow.)

 

[entropys]

I really expected the new iMac to be released on the 15th. Sigh.

 

[smirking]

I still have feelings for those first iMacs. I never got one and can't remember which colour I wanted the most, but do remember wanting it bad.

Same here. I remember being so blown away by the design and price point of the original iMac that I wanted to buy one even though I already had a more powerful Mac. I had no use for an iMac. It felt like a historic moment and I just wanted to participate in some way. I merely wanted the experience of walking into the Apple dealer and walking back out with one, so I indulged.

After left the store with a shiny new iMac, I drove over to my dad's house and surprised my little sister with a new computer.

A few years later, I'd meet my wife. She had an iMac. We still have that iMac. I'm so tempted to pull it out of the closet and fire it up sometimes, but I just don't have the time to do anything fun with it.

These iMacs really bring back a lot of memories.

 

[entropys]

Computers are ignored? How so? Then what was the debut of the iMac Pro and 2018 MacBook Pro then in under the last year?

The iMac pro was a panic move because of the abuse from still loyal but wavering macheads. A stop gap. As for the MBP, it’s overpriced and very, very lonely with no other up to date siblings.

 

[sfwalter]

Congrats Apple. But seriously the iMacs design hasn’t changed since 2004.