Evolution of the iMac

The iMac was the first all-in-one Macintosh computer announced by Steve Jobs in 1998. Although the first iMac computer only had 32 megabytes of RAM and a hard drive with storage of only 4 gigabytes, the iMac has evolved to become one of the The fastest and most reliable computers today! This is the

evolution

of the iMac! Apple's first personal computer was the Macintosh 128k released on January 24, 1984 for $2,495. It had a 9-inch screen and extremely low specifications, but at the time these specifications were impressive and that led to strong sales of the Macintosh. In a few months, 70,000 units were sold. Apple made many more computers, including the Apple Performa series.

Unfortunately for Apple, this led to a series of setbacks and more and more consumers chose a Windows computer. Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996 and realized that things at Apple had to change. He saw the Internet as a real opportunity to build a computer with the Internet. "And iMac comes from combining the excitement of the Internet with the simplicity of the Macintosh. This... ...is iMac." So just 2 years later, in 1998, Apple announced the iMac G3. No one had imagined that a company struggling to keep up with its competitors would design and build something that would change the personal computer industry.

The first advantage this computer had was that it gave users faster access to the Internet. Unlike what we have today, the Internet was becoming popular and devices were not optimized for use. In fact, it became one of the selling points of the iMac G3 with the popular slogan "There is no step 3!", meaning that users only had to follow two steps to connect to the Internet. This may not seem like a big deal now, but it was back then! Furthermore, at that time many computers were simply boxes and towers. The iMac G3 looked completely different with a translucent "Bondi Blue" egg-shaped chassis with a 15-inch display that Forbes magazine described as an "industry-altering hit." The G3 also used a CD drive instead of a floppy drive, which was a controversial change.

The iMac G3 had a G3 PowerPC processor, 32 megabytes of RAM, 2 megabytes of video RAM, 4 gigabytes of storage and a price of $1,299. It was a huge success and sold over 280,000 units in the first 6 weeks after its release! In 1999, a new model of the G3 was launched with more colors. RAM, Video RAM and Storage have been upgraded. A year later another model of the G3 was released with significantly better specifications. Fun fact The “I” in iMac stands for Internet. Ken Segall proposed this name and Steve Jobs didn't agree at first because he wanted to call it, wait for it... ...the "MacMan" That would have been a funny name for a computer that couldn't play the official Pac-Man.

In 2002, Apple introduced the iMac G4 with an improved design. The CTR monitor on the iMac G3 was replaced by a flat screen on the iMac G4. The screen was supported by a stainless steel arm attached to a hemispherical base. The design gave this new computer a unique appearance that made it appear as if the screen was floating in the air. On this occasion, customers will be able to choose between 15, 17 and 20-inch models. The G4 featured a faster processor, improved RAM and video RAM, 40 gigabytes of storage, and had a starting price of $1,299. Two years later, Apple completely changed the design of the iMac with the iMac G5.

This was the first iMac to have its entire computer hidden behind a flat screen. The flat screen was supported by an aluminum stand and was considered the “thinnest.” desktop computer at that time. The G5 was available with 17- and 20-inch screens and the specifications were significantly improved. The low-end model cost $1,299 while the more expensive 20-inch model sold for $1,899. In 2005, the iMac G5 received an integrated iSight camera. RAM, video RAM and storage have also been improved. It had a base storage of 160 gigabytes, but was also available in 250 or even 500 gigabytes. Fun fact 2006 saw the arrival of the first iMacs using Intel processors and this began a historic partnership between the world's leading chip innovator and, in my opinion, the most innovative computing company in the world.

Just when you think Apple has nothing new to offer, they will always surprise you with groundbreaking innovation. In 2007, they replaced the white polycarbonate plastic used in previous models with aluminum and a black bezel around the screen on the iMac Aluminum. This model was more aesthetically pleasing and was the first to use the wireless keyboard and magic mouse. The iMac Aluminum was the first to have 1 gigabyte of RAM and storage options ranging from 250 GB to 1 Terrabyte. Surprisingly, the starting price was reduced to $1,199, or $100 less than all previous models. In 2009, Apple further improved the iMac Aliminum by introducing the Unibody.

Unlike previous models, it was the first to have an edge-to-edge glass display with a larger screen size of 21.5 inches. Additionally, unlike previous models, it had a widescreen aspect ratio of 16 to 9, which has since become an international standard for computer monitors. All features have been updated, with significantly more RAM, video RAM, and 500 gigabytes of storage. In 2012, Apple launched the iMac Slim Unibody, slim because it was much thinner than all previous models. The processor has been upgraded to a Core i5 processor, making it much faster. That's not all, it also had 8 gigabytes of memory and 1 terrabyte of Fusion Drive storage.

This type of storage combines a hard drive with a solid-state drive and offers a substantial increase in speed compared to the hard drive used in previous models. The 21-inch model cost $1,299, and a few months later the 27-inch model was released for $1,799. In 2014, Apple launched the first iMac with a 5K retina display. "In an iMac, the experience starts with the display. And now we are very proud to introduce the first iMac with a 5K retina display. With 14.7 million pixels, this goes far beyond high definition. It offers the ultimate in a single computer, the definitive exhibition." Although the appearance did not change much from its predecessor, some specifications such as the 2 gigabyte graphics card were greatly improved.

However, the price was increased to a whopping $2,499. A more affordable model hit the market a year later with the 21.5-inch iMac 4K. The iMac Pro is what would later be known as the “most powerful Mac ever.” This model was presented in 2017 and is the last iMac that would have an Intel processor. The iMac Pro also has a 27-inch 5K retina display and is equipped with powerful processors and graphics cards. All of these features come with a very high starting price of, wait for it… $4,999! In 2019, options of a staggering 256 gigabytes of memory and a 16-gigabyte Radeon Pro Vega 64X graphics card became available, making it not only the most powerful iMac ever, but also one of the most powerful PCs. powerful in the world.

Fun fact: If you had bought the iMac Pro with the top specs, the price would have been $14,299! "Say hello to the new iMac! You've never seen a computer like this before." In April 2021 the new iMac was announced. It is available in 7 different colors and is very fine. It can be this thin thanks to the new M1 chip. This chip combines CPU and GPU and is expected to be 85% faster than the iMac Pro. It is the M1 chip. Which is kind of magic. And it makes the new iMac fast. Like your applications open instantly and quickly. Like checking that text while you clean out your inbox, while you share that photo while you quickly stream that show.

That's fast The new iMac comes with a 24-inch 4.5K retina display, 8 gigabytes of unified RAM, 256 gigabytes of solid-state drive storage, and a starting price of $1,299. It's very impressive to see how the iMac has evolved over the years and I can't wait to see how Apple will continue to innovate. Subscribe so we can continue making educational animations!