Under the auspices of interim CEO Steve Jobs, Apple’s venerable, company-saving iMac was released to the public on August 15, 1998, twenty-five years ago today.
Steve Jobs’ iMac unveiling on May 6, 1998 begins at 15:55:
Here’s Apple’s original press release:
CUPERTINO, California — May 6, 1998 — In a major move in to the consumer market, Apple Computer, Inc. today unveiled iMac — the “Internet-age computer for the rest of us.” iMac features a striking design, easy Internet access and Pentium-toasting PowerPC G3 performance for US$1299.
“We designed iMac to deliver the things consumers care about most – the excitement of the Internet and the simplicity of the Mac,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s Interim CEO. “iMac is next year’s computer for $1299; not last year’s computer for $999.”
“Today we brought romance and innovation back into the industry,” added Jobs. “iMac reminds everyone of what Apple stands for.”
iMac is a complete Internet-age computer right out of the box, featuring:
• A speedy PowerPC G3 microprocessor running at 233MHz with a high speed 512k backside L2 memory cache;
• Built-in 15-inch high quality display with 1024×768 resolution, 13.8-inch diagonal viewable image size;
• Easy connectivity – one button Internet access, internal 33.6Kbps modem, 10/100Base-Tx Ethernet, 12Mbps Universal Serial Bus (USB), and 4Mbps infrared port (IrDA);
• The world’s easiest to use operating system, Mac OS 8.1, which runs thousands of Macintosh software titles;
• All housed in a stunning translucent enclosure that breaks new ground in industrial design.
iMac, available worldwide in August in one configuration for US$1299, will also include:
• 32MB SDRAM (expandable to 128MB);
• 2MB SGRAM (expandable to 4MB);
• 4GB IDE Hard disk drive;
• 24x CD-ROM drive;
• 10/100Base-Tx Ethernet;
• 33.6Kbps software modem;
• Two 12Mbps Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports;
• 4Mbps infrared technology (IrDA) port;
• Built-in stereo speakers with SRS sound;
• 66MHz system bus;
• Mac OS 8.1;
• Apple USB Keyboard and Apple USB Mouse.
Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original mission – to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world.
SOURCE: Apple Computer, Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: Happy 25th Birthday, iMac!
One more thing, because we never forget:
“The iMac will only sell to some of the true believers. The iMac doesn’t include a floppy disk drive drive for doing file backups or sharing of data. It’s an astonishing lapse from Jobs, who should have learned better… the iMac is clean, elegant, floppy-free – and doomed.” — Hiawatha Bray, The Boston Globe, 1998
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Bought a loaded Blueberry on Day One. The HISTORIC resurgence of Apple Computer with prodigal son Jobs returning to RIGHT the company he founded, the world’s FIRST three trillion company is nothing short of REMARKABLE. Empty suit Cook with a creative deficiency relegated to balance sheet sidelines…
What do you think Tim should be doing differently? The Apple watch is amazing, the Vision Pro looks amazing. Apple services (eg Siri) have always been a mess, seems like an Cue problem.
Tim should RETIRE. Take the millions and buy an island and Apple desperately needs to hire a creative visionary!
Nuff said…
To do what though?
It would be great to replace my 27″ iMac from 2012 ( which works really well to this day as my main work computer, but can no longer be updated with the newest OS ) to a faster 27″ iMac with an Apple M Chip, but so far, I am unable to. So, until that day comes, Happy Birthday iMac! Love ya dearly!
I was at a computer store that specialized in Macs, and I’ll never forget when the first press release came out there (via fax). EVERY employee gathered around the black and white printout oohing and awwing. An extremely popular leap in design that wowed everyone for years.
So much fun to go back in time and read the tech reviews and prognostications of writers like Hiawatha Bray and John C. Dvorak. Paid shills for the PC/Microsoft crowd. Clueless.
Burn CDs!!! https://youtu.be/VyBI2vti2lE
Our family got one set of our grandparents one of these; and it worked great for a couple of 80 year olds entering into the internet age.
Miss those calls asking how to work something; and yet, flabergasted that my current cell phone has loads more computing power.
The iMac news I am interested in – a new 27-30 inch iMac.
I wanna buy a new iMac