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iMac, uMac, We All Mac... (5/6/98)
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Well! Quite an exciting day, eh? We never imagined that Apple would make an announcement that would totally overshadow the introduction of the new Wall Street Powerbooks. We're speaking, of course, of the iMac, the goofy-looking new consumer Macintosh due this August, whose color scheme reminds us a little too much of Aqua-Fresh toothpaste. For a good long time after seeing it, our only reaction was simply "what the hell is that?" Not to say that we don't find its bold curves, translucent blue-green and white case, and light-up mouse thoroughly charming; we're just in a state of shock over this new development. Mostly, we're stunned that Apple managed to keep this thing a complete and utter secret; I mean, we've all been waiting for the Wall Street announcement for months, after all, whereas the iMac caused nary a blip on anyone's radar until the sneak attack this afternoon. (Not that the post-announcement coverage hasn't been excellent to make up for lost time-- in particular, we recommend MacCentral's overview of the iMac, as well as Don Crabb's take on the whole thing, complete with a quote from a senior executive at Compaq who delivers up this gem: "Am I worried? You're damn right I'm worried... We've got to play catch-up.")
So this iMac, due in August, could well be the key to regaining some of Apple's lost market share; after all, for a piddly $1299, Joe Average could pick up a complete system that (at least in Steve Jobs' choreographed demo test) outperforms a 400 MHz Pentium II Wintel setup. The specs do indeed make us drool: 233 MHz G3 with 512K backside cache; 32 MB of RAM; 4 GB hard drive; 15" 1024x768 monitor; a kick-ass software bundle, including Filemaker Pro, Quicken 98, a slew of games to be announced, and AppleWorks (we're pleased to see that Apple has renamed ClarisWorks to AppleWorks, the name of the integrated productivity suite we used to run on our Apple //e); and a coolness quotient that even has diehard Wintel fans telling us they're thinking of buying one. We've long wanted a stylish new Mac to replace the aging LC575 in the AtAT kitchen, and it looks like we've found one. We can hardly wait until August...
In fact, there are only a few things that stick in our craw about the iMac. First of all, if the "i" really stands for Internet, why on earth is Apple including a 33 kpbs internal modem instead of a 56k one? Perhaps Apple can remedy this bizarre situation before the systems actually ship. Secondly, the apparent lack of any expansion slots and SCSI interface mean this just might be the least expandable Mac in history. Are we expected to wait for Iomega to ship a USB Zip drive? And finally, while we like how Apple is positioning the iMac as the 90's equivalent of the original Mac, the "Hello. (Again)" campaign might remind people just a wee bit too much of the 1987 cinematic disaster, starring Shelley Long in her post-Cheers movie career. The horror... the horror...
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 5/6/98 episode: May 6, 1998: Say hello to the iMac, who'll be joining the cast this August, filling the long-vacant role of "low-cost consumer Macintosh." Meanwhile, try not to stare, but it's hard not to notice that the iMac is missing some, er, "crucial parts;" to distract yourself, take a gander at the lovely and talented new Powerbooks that just joined the lineup, or amuse yourself with the upwardly-mobile antics of Apple's stock price...
Other scenes from that episode: 680: Farewell to the Floppy (5/6/98) All in all, the iMac has some very interesting omissions from its spec sheet. Since it's a super-cheap consumer machine, we suppose that leaving out the PCI slots isn't all that incongruous, though it seriously affects the iMac's viability as a game machine, as it can't be upgraded with a 3D acceleration card... 681: Our Cup Runneth Over (5/6/98) Of course, though it's easy to forget, the iMac wasn't the only thing that happened today. There was, as expected, the formal rollout of the new Powerbook G3's, formerly known as Wall Street and Main Street, available for order at the Apple Store and at fine Apple-authorized dealers near you...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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