The boring beige computers Apple offered all the way up until the late ’90s would never get Jony Ive’s stamp of approval today. But fortunately for those who love retro, Apple’s latest iMac is now available with a beige paint job (and a bigger price tag).
Steve Jobs chose beige for the Apple II way back in 1977 because rival companies were all using gray cases. But when he returned to Apple in 1997, he set his sights on banishing beige boxes, and shortly after the company unveiled the iconic iMac G3 a year later, they were gone.
It took a heck of a long time for PC makers to follow suit, but beige is all but dead today.
Now, ColorWare is hoping it can make a comeback. Its new iMac Retro packs exactly the same specifications as the latest 27-inch all-in-one, except instead of cool aluminum, it sports a bland beige finish, complete with rainbow Apple logos front and back.
Buyers of the beige iMac also get a retro Magic Keyboard and mouse.
Photo: ColorWare
But there’s one rather large catch. Prices start at a whopping $3,799 for the 3.3GHz Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM and a 2TB Fusion Drive. That model would normally cost just $1,999 from Apple. And if you want to buy the keyboard and mouse separately, that’s $399.
Not only do you need bad taste, then — you also need money to burn if you want a beige iMac. You’ll also need to grab yours quickly, because ColorWare only made 25 of them, and only a few are left, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Photo: ColorWare
Source: ColorWare
