History of the iMac

Today we’re going to explore the history of the iMac. How it was developed, why it represented the beginning of a new era at Apple, and how it saved the company from bankruptcy. the iMacs story begins with Steve Jobs return to Apple in May 1996. He realized Apple still had a lot of talented people, but their talents weren’t being utilized effectively. The Macintosh product lineup was so complex that retail workers were using flowcharts to get a better understanding of each model. Jobs figured that if their own employees couldn’t figure out the product lineup, then their customers certainly couldn’t either. To remedy this, Jobs told the designers that Apple would be putting all its energies behind just four products; a consumer desktop, pro desktop, consumer notebook, and pro notebook. And the first model they would begin working on was the consumer desktop computer.

[AppleExplained]

Did any of you guys actually own the original iMac??

[Jack-hxyz]

I thought it would be the history of the entire iMac line.

[Slacking]

The iMac was my first computer, my parentals bought it for me when I was in high school. I still have the original keyboard and mouse!

[YEdwardP]

I grew up using a Windows 95 PC at home. I distinctively remembering using an iMac at school and thinking it was a "toy" computer and not a real work computer because it was so colourful and transparent, lacked a right-click and lacked a 3.5" floppy disk drive, which I associated with "real work."

[CEKROM]

Very intersing =D
Thank you!
(Again)

[OroborOSX]

I wouldn’t call this the history of the iMac as much as it’s the history of the iMac LAUNCH. The iMac has since been interacted on a TON, and none of that is captured here.

[darc]

It’s sad that technology isn’t improving at the rate it used to. Just look at the iMac from 1998 to 2008 and 2008 to 2018.

[flirtwd]

I had the flower power iMac, Harmon Kardon isub . Amazing! 2001!

[Bonpu]

I loved the puck mouse for the simple reason I could move it with my mere finger tips while my hand heel rested stationary on the desk top. So much more comfortable. Next best thing to a trackpad.

[BloodRider]

Of course you wouldn't show your boss something you don't want him to pick.

[andresbravo]

20 years of the Original iMac Since 1998 Quoted as "The Most Original *Macintosh* Since the *Original* Macintosh"

[runforit]

That whole Performa line was a nightmare, but started to get better once the Power Macintosh models replaced the Performas in 1997. But, then again, Apple still had three professional systems at the time (7300, 8600, and the six-slot 9600), and three consumer systems (4400, which really wasn't an Apple-designed system, 5500 (with a built-in display), and 6500). That's a lot.

It seems like some revisionist computer historians forget this, but much of the technology for the iMac was already developed during the CHRP phase, which had begun even earlier by IBM with the PReP (PowerPC Reference Platform), when PowerPC hardware would have become more PC-like, which also added in the ability to run an OS other than Classic MacOS. Notably, CHRP Macs didn't have the ROM soldiered to the logic board, like all New World ROM systems.

Ive and Jobs just created a nice package for all of that hardware.

[rlk]

I have owned an iMac, the Bondi Blue with the Tray loading CDRom. Though I use a PC, I still plan to get/buy another faster iMac.

[WarriorsPhoto]

My buddy had one of those up until about three years ago. Thank God, she got rid of it. It was definitely way outdated. She'll definitely be keeping her new iMac for another 10 years hopefully. LOL

[luizpixel]

Seeing this video on iMac late 2006 ;)

[BennyR]

I remember how Steve promoted the Mouse of the first iMac very well even tho it was absolute trash. Thiy guy could sell snow to an Eskimo.

[Corristo]

Jobs didn't know that the first iMac didn't have a slot-loading CD drive? Seriously? Really makes you wonder how much he was actually involved in the design and creation, other than just saying yes or no to the work of other people.

[DylanChng]

Great video but I feel like the title should be history of iMac G3

[evanthurwachter]

*History of the Original iMac. Got confused because you have 2 videos with the same name but different content.

[dampelps]

Hey Apple Explained, do you have any sources of those quotes? I barely found source of Jony Ive quote. You always give a lot of information, don't you think you should provide sources then?