Hands On with a 700 MHz iMac G4

I will be the first to admit that I have always considered the iMac G4 to be an odd looking computer. A coworker gave me an old one a few months ago, and I finally got the right power cord to set it up. It’s changed my opinion of the machine.

The iMac Legacy: After the G3

2008 – The G3 range of iMacs had propelled Apple into the public eye, had sometimes been the best selling personal computer on the market, and had helped Apple come back from the brink. Between the iMac and the iPod, the whole world was watching Apple.

Cult Macs Adored by Collectors

One of the things that sets Macs apart from other computers is their longevity. People don’t just throw them away. Macs tend to soldier on long after their spec sheets say that they’re “obsolete”. This may explain another phenomenon almost unique to the Macintosh subset of the computing world: Mac collectors. It’s understandable when you […]

20″ iMac G4 (Late 2003)

The biggest iMac to date, the 20″ model has a 1680 x 1050 display – and due to the weight of the screen, the base has to be heavier to counterbalance it. At 40.1 pounds, this is the heaviest iMac G4 yet. Except for the screen size and weight, the 20″ iMac G4 is identical […]

17″ iMac G4 (Late 2003)

The first iMac to reach 1.25 GHz, the 17″ G4 iMac has a wide aspect ratio “cinema” type screen and displays 1440 x 900 pixels – just perfect for DVDs. Along with the 1.0 GHz 15″ model, it’s the first iMac to support USB 2.0, and it’s also the first to sport GeForce 5200 graphics.

15″ iMac G4 (Late 2003)

The last revision of the 15″ flat panel iMac has a 1 GHz G4 processor, a 32x Combo drive, and 32 MB of video memory. Along with the 1.25 GHz 17″ model, it is the first iMac to support USB 2.0.

17″ iMac G4 (Early 2003)

The first iMac to reach 1 GHz, the 17″ G4 iMac has a wide aspect ratio “cinema” type screen and displays 1440 by 900 pixels – just perfect for DVDs. Other improvements over the old 800 MHz model include a slot for an 802.11g AirPort Extreme card, space for internal Bluetooth, 64 MB of video […]

Waiting for the Knockoffs

2002: The new iMac G4 is a hands-down winner. No one questions there. From the gushing reviews in the Mac press to the gushing reviews in the PC press and to the gushing reviews in the non-tech press, Apple has pretty much wowed everyone. Even absolute Luddites I know have seen pictures of it and […]

Playing the Game of Hype

2002: Apple is one of the few companies that can really get the hype machine working overtime. Both hardware and software have received the treatment as Apple has released each new product as the one thing that will bring world peace, alleviate famine, and abolish old age. The problem is that the sizzle-versus-steak ratio can […]

Macworld and the New iMac

2002 – I’m sitting in one of the lobbies at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, having made a pass through the entire exhibit hall, up and down every aisle. This is my first Macworld, and I’ve learned a few things, seen some things, and talked to a bunch of people.