Happy 20th Launch Anniversary, iMac

[arkitect]

I wish I could say "It seems like only yesterday!"

Still, 20 years… goodness. How the world has changed since then.

Had my name down pronto for the Bondi Blue…

 

[nottorp]

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

iMac Pro: all-in-one octopus. You may be fine hanging stuff off your computer that belongs inside the case, I'm not.

2018 MacBook Pro: still has the emoji keyboard, which is a solution looking for a problem. Moreover, there is no more current model with real keys, not even a castrated one.

 

[kazmac]

Owned a 1999 Turquoise, lampshade (my fave), 2007, 2009 (in 2010) and now a 2013.

Happy Birthday iMac.

 

[Jsameds]

We had one of the original Bondi Blue iMacs. I remember Jobs' line, something like 'Out of the box, booted up and on the internet in less than 10 minutes', which was unheard of at the time. A PC would take longer than that to get all the various bits and cables unpacked, never mind plugged in, booted up and configured - you were looking at around 40 minutes.

When we got it we timed it - 9 minutes something. Amazing machine, I think we've still got it somewhere. Probably still got SoundJam MP on it - the app that Apple bought out and turned into iTunes.

 

[BlueParadox]

“128GB of storage”

Is this right? Seems excess. I seem to remember the first iMac coming with about 4GB (or perhaps a bit more) of storage.

Whatever the case, Happy Birthday to a great machine.

 

[arkitect]

Owned a 1999 Turquoise, lampshade (my fave), 2007, 2009 (in 2010) and now a 2013.

Happy Birthday iMac.

The Lampshade was a nice design.

Definitely Luxo Jr's sibling.
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“128GB of storage”

Is this right? Seems excess. I seem to remember the first iMac coming with about 4GB (or perhaps a bit more) of storage.

Up to 128GB. But that was the stuff dreams where made off back then! The cost!

I think it was 4GB standard… and a slot-loading CD drive.

 

[Centris 650]

I bought my rev a when I was heading back to grad school. It was a great machine!

 

[meaning-matters]

Truly bold design.
(Mouse didn't work well.)

 

[simonmet]

We had one of the original Bondi Blue iMacs. I remember Jobs' line, something like 'Out of the box, booted up and on the internet in less than 10 minutes', which was unheard of at the time. A PC would take longer than that to get all the various bits and cables unpacked, never mind plugged in, booted up and configured - you were looking at around 40 minutes.

When we got it we timed it - 9 minutes something. Amazing machine, I think we've still got it somewhere. Probably still got SoundJam MP on it - the app that Apple bought out and turned into iTunes.

Great pic and story. I think I was a purchaser of SoundJam. I loved its visualisations too. Remember visualisations? #ifeelold

 

[maflynn]

I loved my Bondi Blue iMac, it was a great Mac, though I hated the mouse.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

My Bondi blue iMac was an awesome machine.

 

[ksec]

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.

Same here. I don't want a Zero or 1mm Bezels. But just something thinner will do. Like half of the current bezels.

The other thing I really wanted if the cooling system from iMac Pro to be used inside iMac. There is no reason why it is limited to Pro only. Apple can cool a 550W+ TDP form CPU + GPU on the iMac Pro, while the iMac can best only do 220W.
There is a world of difference even if Apple only allows upto 150W CPU and 250W GPU. It could fit a Core i9 plus Vega inside. Or even Nvidia Turing GPU if the rumours of Apple going to Nvidia is true.

And please, by the time this new iMac launch it will be the end of 2018, please make SSD / Flash storage as standard. It is literally a sin to sell premium computer with HDD as default.

 

[arkitect]

I loved my Bondi Blue iMac, it was a great Mac, though I hated the mouse.

That was one confused mouse, definitely. Never knew which way it was going.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

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.

They won't be doing 2 keynotes in September and with the iMac Pro less than a year old, I don't see a redesign coming already.

 

[maerz001]

September release an iPhone 8c in translucent colored plastic and call it a day

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Not 128GB MacRumours - wasn't it 10GB? I had one for my degree and that damn hard drive failed half way through my dissertation!!!!! Cost £200 in 2003 to replace the drive.
The plastic case of the iMac was very prone to cracking.

Very innovative design at the time - kind of really ugly but cute. Now the Emac was the ugliest thing ever wasn't it.

 

[Schnegg]

The iMac 5K is the only machine in the lineup without major issues. I hope they don‘t mess it up this fall.

 

[Shivetya]

Well, if we wanted to know the true importance of this product line all we have to remember is, they are not releasing a new model on this perfect date for it. At least as of 730EST the store is not changed. This if any date would have been ideal for not only a new model but a new chassis

 

[Krayzkat]

Will we see an iMac XX this year?

 

[imlovinit]

Man, the days when Apple loved colors

 

[James_C]

Old(ish) and New(ish) iMac - 2003 iMac (17" 1.25GHz USB2 ) that i recently acquired and replaced the Hard Disk with an SSD, added a Airport Extreme card, added BlueTooth for the Magic Mouse and upgraded the RAM to 2GB. The iMac on the left is a 2016 5K iMac. I always loved the 'Globe' iMac and the 'Lick-able' Aqua UI.

 

[400]

Had a Tangerine one, threw it when it got beyond economical repair and upgraded to emac. Now iMac again. Previous the Tangerine iMac it was Amiga. Kept that for some reason.

 

[anthorumor]

I love how at the end of the MacRumors article, it says, and I quote, "Buyer's Guide: iMac (Don't Buy)".

 

[TheTruth101]

Those days were amazing. Computers were evolving, electronic music was gaining traction big. The world was doing great! until 9/11 happened.

 

[garnerx]

I think it was 4GB standard… and a slot-loading CD drive.

Slot-loading drive came later, with the DV version. I had one of those, and also a bondi blue original version, which had a laptop-style non-powered drive tray that you'd have to pull out manually.

Later I had one of the chunky white ones before abandoning them completely when they dropped the CD drive.

They're kind of soulless these days. I used to see them as fun, futuristic and exciting, but now they're just bland slabs of metal.