It was 10 years ago – on May 6, 1998 – that Apple unveiled the computer that revolutionised the company and marked the end of the beige box computer forever.
Looking back at Apple iMac history
It looked like no computer before it, couldn't be bothered with floppy disks, introduced USB as a mainstream connection, and stood out in glorious translucent Bondi Blue plastic. And it had a terrible 'Puck' mouse almost as legendary in its awfulness as the computer was for its iconic status!
Happy 10th birthday, iMac.
Since his return to Apple the year before Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wanted the company to get back its mojo with something as different as the original Macintosh in 1984. He needed to make his mark on Apple and on the world again.
The egg or bubble-shaped Bondi Blue iMac (code-name Columbus) was unveiled at the very same auditorium as the Mac, Cupertino's Flint Center at De Anza College.
It was designed by Brit Jonathan Ive (a toilet designer from Chingford), who went on to win countless awards for other groundbreaking Apple products, such as the G4 Cube, PowerBook G4, iPod and iPhone.
Apple called the 15in iMac "the internet-age computer for the rest of us". It featured a 233MHz PowerPC G3, 32MB of RAM, 4GB hard drive, and 24x CD-ROM.
The iMac didn't actually go on sale until that August, but in the interim Apple took an amazing 150,000 orders – and it was soon the fastest-selling Mac ever.
Comments
What a terrific History said: The iMac has always been an industry leader and a pleasure to look at and useIt has evolved to become a fast and ultra-competent machine that is at the top of its game It is a machine with a bright past and a strong future-I cant wait for the next one
Rue said: Although the pathetically conservative technology nerds may have panned the dalmatian and flower power iMacs I saw teenage girls in my classroom petting the flower power iMac I acquired for students to make videos They cooed to it as well
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Mike Kaufmann said: Thank you for dumping that ugly Sony Blu-Ray Ad