How the iMac almost wasn't the iMac

Apple boss, Steve Jobs, took a lot of convincing to embrace the name “iMac” when the company introduced the company-saving computer, but, as history shows us, he came round in the end.

That’s just one of the many nuggets contained in Cult Of Mac’s interesting interview with former TBWA\Chiat\Day creative director, Ken Segall, the man who thought up the iMac name and created the “Think Different” campaign.

He tells the story of how his team was introduced to the Bondi Blue iMac - and it seems the creative team were “horrified” when they first saw the appliance.

“We were pretty shocked but we couldn’t be frank,” Segall says. “We were guarded. We were being polite, but we were really thinking, ‘Jesus, do they know what they are doing? It was so radical.”

He then tells the story of the name, which required multiple meetings, many counter-suggestions, and which was never “formally” accepted by Jobs, who hated it, at least at first.

Segall also tells us a little about working with Jobs. “Jobs is a very Walt Disney-like character, Segall says. He’s best at creating teams - that’s how he’s creative. “He surrounds himself with creative people and gives them room to be creative,” Segall says. “He’s an interesting combo of taste, no compromise and charisma.””

“More times than not, he’s a charming, funny guy,” Segall adds.

More on Cult of Mac.