iMac, Trendsetter

27 January 1999 - Evan Kleiman

When I first saw the original iMac, I knew that it would definitely be a trend setter, and definitely make a big iMpact on the world. I was right - the Bondi Blue Bombshell is definitely a trend setter, not only for other computers, but for many other things as well. Let's review them.

First, you obviously can see that the original iMac paved the way for the second Bondi Blue iMac and the new "fruit" colored iMacs. But this computer has also paved the way for all of Apple's new computers. The latest Apple didn't fall far from the tree. This computer is the new Power Mac G3.

When you first look at the new Power Mac, you see iMmediately that it is not beige. It's Blue and Ice! But the new G3 has even more of the iMac's principals - it has USB ports (as well as others, including ADB), no floppy drive, no SCSI ports, and dynamic ROM (don't worry what that is, it's a geek term).

But computers aren't all the iMac has iMpacted. It has impacted even more. A few weeks ago I was browsing eBay to see if they had any good deals on vintage Mac parts. I saw an ad for an iMac clock. I was a bit skeptical, so I checked it out. It was indeed an iMac clock. It was Bondi Blue! But, this clock was not made by or endorsed by Apple.

Also, while browsing the web I saw a site for a place in Japan that would let you send in your Gameboy. Then they would take apart your Gameboy and replace the case with a Bondi Blue and Ice case! Obviously, this service was not sponsored by Apple or Nintendo.

Lastly, I was at a store a few weeks ago and I heard a beeper. I looked over and saw a man looking at his beeper. His beeper was not plain black - as you can probably guess by now, it was Bondi Blue! I later found out that this beeper was just a coincidence, and, in fact, was made before the iMac came out. But it was still funny.

So, what will be next? Bondi Blue and Ice toasters? Bondi Blue and Ice cars? Or maybe Bondi Blue and Ice underwear? We'll just have to wait. 

Recent Mac Happens Columns

• MP3 Forever!, 6/26/00. Closing down Napster will not help already rich artists, but may prevent new ones from being discovered.
• Internet radio, 6/9/00. Internet radio solves problems with poor radio reception, but also lets you listen to radio from around the world.
• Software to make life easier, 5/23/00. Helpful software you may never have heard of.
• Mac Happens index
• Evansite, Evan's own site.

Recent Content on Low End Mac

• TruePower Battery Can Run WallStreet PowerBook Past the 5 Hour Mark, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 10.10. If you have a rugged old PowerBook but its battery is losing capacity, TruePower can give you plenty of time in the field.
• nVidia Inside Next MacBook?, Time for a Mac Netbook, Asus Launched MacBook Air Killer, and More, The 'Book Review, 10.10. Also photo reveals more about MacBook Pro, comparing 16:9 and 16:10 displays, Apple settles suit over faulty iBook and PowerBook adapters, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
• 30% of iPhone 3G Buyers Switched Carriers, EU Battery Rule May Force iPhone Redesign, and More, iNews Review, 10.10. Also iPhone 3G greatest consumer electronics device ever, track presidential polls on your iPhone, Talking English Dictionary, waterproof armbands, several new iPhone apps, and more.
• Economic Crunch May Slow Mac Sales, a Recycled Cube, ToCA Race Driver 3 for Mac, and More, Mac News Review, 10.10. Also don't buy RAM from Apple, customize your Mac's appearance, MacTribe expanding into print, My Apple Space social networking, and more.
• Modding Your Old Mac to Make It More Useful, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 10.09. If your old Mac is too slow, too noisy, too plain looking, or has too little room for expansion, you might want to mod it.
• What Would an $800 MacBook Mean for the Mac mini?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.09. If Apple does release an $800 entry-level MacBook next week, the $600 Mac mini is going to look very overpriced.

Latest Deals on Low End Mac

• Best Mac Pro Deals, 10.10. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,799; new, $1,949 after rebate; 2.8 4-core, $2,099 shipped; 8-core, $2,599 shipped; 3.0 $3,399 shipped; 3.2, $4,099 shipped.
• Best PowerBook G3 Deals, 10.10. Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
• Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, 10.10. Refurb 500 GB Time Capsule, $249; new, $294; refurb 1 TB, $419; new, $462; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; Base Station, $159; Express, $60.
• Best iMac G4 Deals, 10.09. Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $269; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz, $390; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $529.
• Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 10.09. Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $995; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,400 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,699; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
• Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' Deals, 10.09. DVD upgrade from 10.3, $75; upgrade bundle with 10.3, $118; full version, $129; family pack, $200; 10-user Server, $350; unlimited, $400.
• More links in our archive.

Mac Happens copyright 1999-2000 by Evan Kleiman. � Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, iPhone, PowerBook, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.