Watch Steve Jobs unveil the iMac 20 years ago to the day

[Shawn Knight]

20 years ago – to the day – on May 6, 1998, Apple interim chief executive Steve Jobs introduced the world to the first iMac. Jobs talked up the Jony Ive-designed iMac as if it was the best thing since sliced bread and for the company and the industry at the time, it kind of was.

The original iMac featured a wild-for-the-time all-in-one design with a translucent rear shell that was in stark contrast to the boring beige boxes of the era. The name “iMac” paid homage to its purpose – the “I” stood for Internet and the iMac was designed to get people on the Internet fast and simply. As you know, that “I” branding caught on and persists to this very day with the iPhone, the iPad and so on.

Apple ramped up its marketing effort as well, hiring Hollywood A-lister Jeff Goldblum to hawk the new machine in a series of television commercials.

Against all odds (this was Jobs’ second stint at Apple, after all), it worked. The iMac helped lead Apple’s turnaround, giving the company the ability to carry on into the 2000s where its truly game-changing products started to materialize.

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[regiq]

At that time it seemed to weird to me, now I'd like one.
But how did we manage to accommodate CRTs on our desks..?

 

[Fuchsia2020]

Nice looking design. I recall when I first viewed one of those machines -- seemed like a lot of heat build-up, but I guess they worked.

The iMac aluminum models would be fine, if they had a backdoor so work could be easily done, if required.

And the Mac Mini looks great, but once again hard to work on, and comes with a laptop HD in the base model. They should be ashamed to saddle their base models with 5400 spinners.

The iPhone and its big brothers, the iPads are looking dated. What ever happened to NEW designs by Apple. Everyone is just home counting money at Apple?

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Nice looking design. I recall when I first viewed one of those machines -- seemed like a lot of heat build-up, but I guess they worked.

The iMac aluminum models would be fine, if they had a backdoor so work could be easily done, if required.

And the Mac Mini looks great, but once again hard to work on, and comes with a laptop HD in the base model. They should be ashamed to saddle their base models with 5400 spinners.

The iPhone and its big brothers, the iPads are looking dated. What ever happened to NEW designs by Apple. Everyone is just home counting money at Apple?

Every apple design is like this to me IMO. they would all be great...if apple let us work on them. But they dont.

Whatever happened to the days of apple machines built to be maintained in a professional environment instead of being starbucks machines?

 

[Fearghast]

I recall seeing those huge-*** CRT displays in my uncle office for the first time.
He is a publisher for a small woodsman magazine.
I was really impressed back then and I still like the idea behind iMacs .
I would like to own one, I was really close to buying the top 27" model, but the brain and "it's not worth it" always won.

It's not cost-effective, but one day I probably buy one (and Bootcamp it immediately

 

[merikafyeah]

"We've got the coolest mouse on the planet right here". *holds up "puck" mouse*
Well at least one person thought a one-button mouse was a cool idea. XD

But you gotta hand it to Apple though. They did transparent computer cases long before 3rd party case manufacturers and boutique PC makers even thought of using windowed side panels and tempered glass chassis. Steve was way ahead of the curve on that one.

 

[bexwhitt]

Nice looking design. I recall when I first viewed one of those machines -- seemed like a lot of heat build-up, but I guess they worked.

The iMac aluminum models would be fine, if they had a backdoor so work could be easily done, if required.

And the Mac Mini looks great, but once again hard to work on, and comes with a laptop HD in the base model. They should be ashamed to saddle their base models with 5400 spinners.

The iPhone and its big brothers, the iPads are looking dated. What ever happened to NEW designs by Apple. Everyone is just home counting money at Apple?

Apple has an habit of inadequate heating, on Macbooks they would rather they ran quietly than cool

 

[ShagnWagn]

They looked like Fisher-Price kids toys back then and still do. They were junk compared to PCs then. Constant hardware issues, plus they were non-serviceable. Basically like their products now. Overpriced too.