Wow. Ten years and the iMac has changed shape many times. But there is only one original. iMac shipped for the first time on August 15, 1998. This device is what signaled the return of Apple an the emergence of Jonathan Ive's designs that would dominate Apple's revolutionary harware for the next decade.
Those specs seem pretty paultry now but were impressive at the time. What is more impressive is that I know more than one person who still uses one of these ten year old machines...
The thing that impresses me most about your colleague that who still uses that 10-year-old machine is that they CAN. Just try to go back to your Windows 98/Pentium II computer and be productive. I dare you! No, I TRIPLE dog dare you!
I just finally got rid of my 233/Rev A iMac. I really wanted to hold onto it just for the historical value, but space is scarce.
It's easy to forget how revolutionary this thing was. Everybody was talking about it. It really was a shot heard 'round the world, and it kicked off a new era in PCs. Apple is on top now, thanks to the iPod, iPhone and amazing Macs, but this little blue guy is what started it all.
But, "the most wonderful mouse you've ever used?" Even Steve's RDF isn't strong enough to make that true.
I remember telling the IT support guys at my work back in 1999 that I was getting an iMac. They laughed and told me not to do it as "that thing hasn't even got a floppy drive". Best move I ever made.
I am writing this on my iMac DV which is one of many old Macs that i own, i have an iMac in every colour they made i love em! so east to upgrade and so cheap to pick up it still has the "wow factor"
This Spring my girlfriend dumped her four year old PC for a nine year old iMac. (Her brother was finally upgrading to a three year old iMac.) She loves her "new" Mac. The screen's a little small by today's standards, but it does everything she needs a home computer to do. It doesn't crash. Its interface is simple to navigate. She's not particularly computer savvy, but withing a few days she had configured her internet connection settings, set Mail to check both her email accounts and installed Firefox with AddBlock. She tells me it's like a whole new internet, and she no longer thinks of her computer as an adversary. She's going to be blown away in a few months when I giver her my old reliable workhorse, a Quicksilver G4.
I just picked up a RevB 233 iMac from the local swap shop a few months ago. it was running System 8.5 w/ 32MB of ram :P
For $40 I bought a used RevD 333 processor upgrade, bought 256MB of Ram, a usb wireless adapter, and swapped in a old 45GB Hard Drive. I got 10.4 installed, and my sister is using it now. She loves it, and it's working great for her. Nothing special, but it runs the basics great. When she outgrows it (she's 16 now), I'll probably use it as a web server.
iMacs = seriously cool bits of kit, just ask any 8 year old girl if she wants a 'pink' (ok Strawberry) computer or a dull box, no contest, an iMac DV does just about everything any youngster can need and no problems with uninvited 'guest applications'. And it just works, period.
Slide a DVD in, it plays, slot a CD in, it plays, connect it up to your wireless network? it works
Biggest problem for today? no Firewire on the latest iPods, USB1 is so slow.. Firewire to USB2 convertor anyone?
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Impressive indeed!
The thing that impresses me most about your colleague that who still uses that 10-year-old machine is that they CAN. Just try to go back to your Windows 98/Pentium II computer and be productive. I dare you! No, I TRIPLE dog dare you!
I know how you can!
Ha, the Key to being productive on a Win98 Era computer....Use Linux. Windows is a smattering of dog shiat anyway. I know. I use Vista *shudders*
Sorry if I ignored this fact.
Sorry if I ignored this fact. I wish he would recover as well as Apple recovered when he got back from Next.
I Miss Ya, Fella...
I just finally got rid of my 233/Rev A iMac. I really wanted to hold onto it just for the historical value, but space is scarce.
It's easy to forget how revolutionary this thing was. Everybody was talking about it. It really was a shot heard 'round the world, and it kicked off a new era in PCs. Apple is on top now, thanks to the iPod, iPhone and amazing Macs, but this little blue guy is what started it all.
But, "the most wonderful mouse you've ever used?" Even Steve's RDF isn't strong enough to make that true.
"what's the largest display
"what's the largest display you would ever want in a consumer computer?-
a 15" display running at 1024x768"
hehe cute old days, 24" standard please
Cool. A friend of mine just
Cool.
A friend of mine just ugraded to a new iMac last week. Up until then she *was* using the bondi blue guy.
Go figure that, Steve Balmer :-)
Switch
This was my first Mac : ) what a great day when I switched..
ugly grey boxes no more!! It was great experience with my blue iMac
I can't help notice how much
I can't help notice how much Steve has changed in 10 years!
Happy iMac day
I remember telling the IT support guys at my work back in 1999 that I was getting an iMac. They laughed and told me not to do it as "that thing hasn't even got a floppy drive". Best move I ever made.
Ten years on
I am writing this on my iMac DV which is one of many old Macs that i own, i have an iMac in every colour they made i love em! so east to upgrade and so cheap to pick up it still has the "wow factor"
Its nice to see how the other
Its nice to see how the other PC companies have moved away from boring beige boxes. Who am I kidding? I am typing on a boring beige box right now!
How could Jobs looks 20 years
How could Jobs looks 20 years younger, ten years ago?
20 years younger...
I dunno, maybe something happened in his life that aged him a little quicker. Like, oh, say, pancreatic cancer? Just a wild guess.
This Spring my girlfriend
This Spring my girlfriend dumped her four year old PC for a nine year old iMac. (Her brother was finally upgrading to a three year old iMac.) She loves her "new" Mac. The screen's a little small by today's standards, but it does everything she needs a home computer to do. It doesn't crash. Its interface is simple to navigate. She's not particularly computer savvy, but withing a few days she had configured her internet connection settings, set Mail to check both her email accounts and installed Firefox with AddBlock. She tells me it's like a whole new internet, and she no longer thinks of her computer as an adversary. She's going to be blown away in a few months when I giver her my old reliable workhorse, a Quicksilver G4.
1998???
Wow, that thing's 10 years old? Damn, time for an upgrade...
I just picked up a RevB 233
I just picked up a RevB 233 iMac from the local swap shop a few months ago. it was running System 8.5 w/ 32MB of ram :P
For $40 I bought a used RevD 333 processor upgrade, bought 256MB of Ram, a usb wireless adapter, and swapped in a old 45GB Hard Drive. I got 10.4 installed, and my sister is using it now. She loves it, and it's working great for her. Nothing special, but it runs the basics great. When she outgrows it (she's 16 now), I'll probably use it as a web server.
If I had more than $40 to spend on this computer, there are two things I'd do to it:
http://daystar-store.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=337
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820159403
oh well, maybe when i'm out of college and have expendable money...
iMac
iMacs = seriously cool bits of kit, just ask any 8 year old girl if she wants a 'pink' (ok Strawberry) computer or a dull box, no contest, an iMac DV does just about everything any youngster can need and no problems with uninvited 'guest applications'. And it just works, period.
Slide a DVD in, it plays, slot a CD in, it plays, connect it up to your wireless network? it works
Biggest problem for today? no Firewire on the latest iPods, USB1 is so slow.. Firewire to USB2 convertor anyone?
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