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iMac G5

An original iMac G5 with an Apple Wireless Mouse
Manufacturer	Apple Computer
Type	All-in-one
Release date	August 31, 2004; 19 years ago (2004-08-31)
Introductory price	US$1,299 (equivalent to $2,095 in 2023) - US$1,899 (equivalent to $3,063 in 2023) [1]
Discontinued	January 10, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-01-10) (17" model) March 20, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-03-20) (20" model)
Predecessor	eMac iMac G4
Successor	Intel iMac
Related	Power Mac G5
Website	www.apple.com/imac/ at the Wayback Machine (archived September 1, 2004)

The iMac G5 is a series of all-in-one personal computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from August 2004 to March 2006. It is the final series of iMacs to use a PowerPC processor, making it the last type of iMac that can natively run Mac OS 9 ( Classic) applications.

The iMac G5 was announced at the Apple Expo 2004 in Paris in August of 2004. ^{[2] [3]} There have been two major external physical designs of the iMac G5. The second version, introduced in October 2005 has a thinner design and an iSight camera.

The iMac G5 replaced the iMac G4 and was succeeded in January 2006 by the first Intel-based iMac.

Overview

The iMac G5 is an all-in-one personal computer. The machine has an integrated, flat 17- or 20-inch (51 cm) liquid-crystal display (LCD), with the rest of the computer internals mounted behind it, or in a "chin" area below the display. The enclosure is 2 inches (5.1 cm) deep. An L-shaped aluminum foot elevates the display off the resting surface and allows the screen to be tilted from between –5 to 25 degrees, though it does not offer height adjustment or side-to-side swiveling. A hole in the foot allows cables to be routed through it, and the entire foot can be removed to use another mounting method. ^[4]

On the right edge and back of the iMac are the slot-loading optical drive and a single row of input/output ports: analog input and analog/digital outport, Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, a dial-up modem, and ethernet. ^[4]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2024)

Development

Apple introduced the iMac G4 in January 2002, the first iMac with a LCD. The 15-inch launch model was supplemented by models with 17 and 20-inch displays. These larger displays challenged the iMac G4's "sunflower" design, where the display was suspended above a base by an adjustable arm. ^[5] The new PowerPC G5 processors that Apple first shipped with the Power Mac G5 also ran much hotter and required more cooling than the G4s they replaced; fitting them into Apple's smaller desktop machines or laptops was a special difficulty. ^[6]

In redesigning the iMac, Apple went with an approach they had repudiated with the G4 model—attaching the components behind the display. The new design kept the tilt adjustment from the previous model, and approximating swiveling by adding rubber feet on the base so that it could be easily adjusted; height adjustment was not included, with hardware marketing executive Greg Joswiak justifying the change by saying that few customers raised or lowered their iMacs. ^[7]

The iMac was colored white, following the similar color in the iMac G4 and the iPod music player. Jony Ive found the color bold yet restrained. ^[8]

Release

The iMac G5 was announced at the Paris Mac Expo on August 31, 2004. ^[9]

Advertising for the new iMac visually linked it to the iPod, by then fast becoming Apple's most important product; advertisements for the computer placed it alongside the music player and contained the tagline "From the creators of iPod." ^[9] Apple focused on selling iMacs to iPod users via the Halo effect for the Apple brand. ^[10]

The iMac G5 was updated in March 2005. The new models featured faster processors, more memory, larger hard drives, more RAM, larger hard drives, improved graphics, and double-layer optical drives (capable of burning 8.5GB DVDs.) The computer's networking was also improved with Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort and Bluetooth options now standard features. The outer physical design remained the same. ^{[11] [12]}

In October 2005, the final revision was released, adding an integrated iSight webcam mounted above the LCD and Apple's Front Row media interface. Other improvements included faster processors, more RAM, larger hard drives, and improved graphics. Notably this became the first Apple computer to use the PCI Express expansion bus and DDR2 SDRAM, with these features appearing shortly before they were incorporated into the Power Mac G5. It was declared "The Gold Standard of desktop PCs" by Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal. ^[13]

Although the iMac G5 iSight looked outwardly similar to the two previous revisions, it has a slimmer, internally new design. Improvements included superior cooling and performance increases. The stand could no longer be replaced with a VESA mount. This case, unlike the previous models, opened only from the front and requires the LCD screen to be removed before internal components can be accessed. Apple recommended that no user service items other than RAM, which is accessible through a small door at the base of the housing. Guides have been posted on the internet to support replacing other components including the hard drive and optical drive, though doing so would have at one time voided any remaining Apple warranty.

The iMac G5 was succeeded by the Intel-based iMac on January 10, 2006, beginning the transition of Apple's entire line of computers to the Intel architecture. ^[14]

Reception

The IMac G5 was generally positively-received.

Its performance was often favorably compared to the more expensive Power Macs, with critics suggesting the only reason to get the more expensive models was if consumers needed to add expansion or graphics cards. ^[11]

In comparison to the ergonomics of the iMac G4, the iMac G5's lack of height adjustment was criticized. ^[15] Other complaints included the low amount of starting memory, ^{[16] [17]} and the lack of forward-facing ports so that peripherals could be more easily connected. ^[15]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2024)

Specifications

Timeline of iMac models

Timeline of iMac and eMac models (sorted by screen sizes) v t e
See also: List of Mac models

References

Sources

• Isaacson, Walter (2013). Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster. ISBN  978-1-4516-4854-6.
• Miller, Dan (February 2005). "The 20th Annual Editors' Choice Awards: Best Mac". Macworld. Vol. 22, no. 2. p. 72. ISSN  0741-8647.
• Norr, Henry (December 2004). "Apple's Consumer Desktop Strikes a New Pose". Macworld. Vol. 21, no. 12. Reviews. pp. 22–25. ISSN  0741-8647.
• Norr, Henry (September 2005). "iMac G5s: Welcome Improvements Across Consumer Line". Macworld. Vol. 22, no. 9. Reviews. pp. 28–32. ISSN  0741-8647.
• Seff, Jonathan (November 2004). "Cover Story: iMac G5". Macworld. Vol. 21, no. 11. pp. 50–54. ISSN  0741-8647.
• Snell, Jason (November 2004). "The Once and Future iMac". Macworld. Vol. 21, no. 11. From the Editor's Desk. p. 5. ISSN  0741-8647.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to IMac G5.

• iMac specs at Everymac.com