Today in Apple history: iMac G5 takes a page out of the iPod’s playbook

By

The iMac G5 looked like the world's biggest iPod.
The iMac G5 looked like the world's biggest iPod.
Photo: Matthew Pearce/Flickr CC

August 31: Today in Apple history: iMac G5 takes a page out of the iPod's playbook August 31, 2004: Apple launches the iMac G5, a distinctive, white plastic computer that looks a little like the world’s biggest iPod.

Housed in a 2-inch-thick enclosure reminiscent of Apple’s Cinema Displays, the new all-in-one machine bridges the gap between the pleasing plasticity of the iconic G3 iMac and the minimalist form factor of the ultra-slim aluminum Macs that will follow.

iMac G5 launch

Unlike the bulbous iMac G3, which packed all its internals into a large housing for a bulky cathode ray monitor, or the sunflower-inspired iMac G4, which had its guts built into its base unit, the iMac G5 design compressed everything into a single panel.

Today, we’re used to Macs incorporating the CPU, motherboard, drives and speakers into the all-in-one computer’s monitor. But in 2004, it was something few people had seen before. (The package got even more comprehensive the following year, when Apple added an integrated iSight webcam to the final iMac G5 revision.)

Likewise, we’ve become accustomed to the larger screens Apple helped pioneer. However, the iMac G5’s choice of 17- or 20-inch widescreen displays felt incredibly fresh and opulent at the time. (It wasn’t a total first for Apple, since some iMac G4 models also included a similar 20-inch screen).

It looks like an iPod!

There was no mistaking the fact that the iMac G5 came from the people who brought you the iPod.
There was no mistaking the fact that the iMac G5 came from the people who brought you the iPod.
Photo: Apple

The computer’s iPod-inspired design served another important function, too. It consciously linked the new iMac G5 with Apple’s most popular product at the time.

I constantly speak with people whose first Apple computer was the iMac G5. By 2004, Cupertino had come a long, long way from its 1990s nadir. But there were still plenty of people taking their first tentative steps into the Apple world.

By crafting a computer that closely resembled its iconic music player, Apple capitalized on the halo effect that later worked so well for the company and its ecosystem of iPhones, iPads and other interconnected devices.

iMac G5 specs

In terms of components, the iMac G5 came with a 160GB hard drive, 256MB of 400MHz SDRAM, an Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics card and a vertically mounted, slot-loading DVD-R SuperDrive. For connectivity, users could take advantage of Apple’s Emmy-winning FireWire technology, USB 2.0 and optional support for both AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth.

Because the iMac G5 ran hotter than its predecessor, Apple engineers used three “ultra-quiet” fans to cool the computer. The fans drew in cool air via the speaker grille and a slit in the back of the case.

The last PowerPC

For all its advances, however, the iMac G5 also marked an important closure point. It was the final iMac to use a PowerPC processor (more specifically, a 1.8GHz PowerPC 970 (G5) processor). Apple announced its momentous switch to Intel CPUs in June 2005.

In practical terms, this meant the iMac G5 was the last model capable of natively running Mac OS 9 (Classic) applications.

It was also the last iMac to be easily upgradeable by an average user. Opening it up required only unscrewing three screws on its underside. Then the owner could lift off the entire back of the machine to access its innards.

This process didn’t feel like it required an advanced engineering degree. Just about anybody could swap out the iMac G5’s hard drive, boost its RAM or simply clean its internal fans.

Also on this day in Apple history

August 31, 1999: Apple unveiled the Power Mac G4, its new line of computers that “deliver supercomputer-level performance on a desktop,” during a keynote at Seybold San Francisco. The new pro-level computer shared the stage with the Apple Cinema Display, a 22-inch LCD flat panel the company called “the largest LCD display ever brought to market.”

Apple touted the Power Mac G4’s incredible (for the time) power in a press release:

The Power Mac G4 is the first personal computer in history to deliver supercomputer-level performance of over one billion floating-point operations per second (gigaflops). The Power Mac G4 is powered by the revolutionary new PowerPC G4 chip architected by Apple, Motorola and IBM, which incorporates a new execution unit named the Velocity Engine — the heart of a supercomputer miniaturized onto a sliver of silicon.

Applications which tap the power of the Velocity Engine, such as Adobe’s Photoshop, run up to twice as fast as on 600MHz Pentium III-based PCs. Already, nearly 60 industry-leading developers are optimizing their products to take advantage of the unprecedented speed and performance of the G4 with Velocity Engine, with some of those products available immediately. The Power Mac G4 comes in a stunning, translucent clear, silver and graphite enclosure.

The Apple Cinema Display was no slouch when it came to specs, either. The 22-inch LCD screen offered the same viewing area as a 24-inch flat CRT display, Apple said, in a “letterbox” format with 1600 x 1024 pixels and 16.7 million true colors.

“Together, they create the ultimate system for publishing professionals,” Apple said.

Do you remember the iMac G5, the Power Mac G4 or the Apple Cinema Display?

Were you one of those people who took the plunge into Apple-ville for the first time with any of this gorgeous equipment? Leave your thoughts and recollections below.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.