Twenty-two years ago, the first iMac hit the scene, and it was revolutionary. The iMac G3 left an impression on the computing world and forever the industry.
The iMac is again on the verge of another revolution. No, not on the latest update of the 5K 27-inch iMac. I’m talking about the rumored release of the line, complete with a visual redesign and a new Apple Silicon processor, said to be above the horizon.
This may sound strange, but the iMac G3 and upcoming iMac revamp have a lot to offer. Looking at the legacy of the iMac G3 can give us ideas about Apple’s store for the future of the iMac.
Design revolution
In the mid-1990s, Apple was a company that got lost in the computing jungle. It churned on a succession of boring gray boxes just like the rest of the competition. The company had previously had an all-in-one computer – the original Macintosh was just one such machine since 1984 – but on the eve of Steve Jobs’ return in 1997, it was building standard computer towers like all others. All of this was a far cry from the days of the pirate-flag startup, Apple which would later tell us Think Different.
And then came the iMac G3. By the time it began in 1998, personal computers had been around for two decades, yet were not close to popular adoption, instead remaining as Neerad’s domain and technically a gift. Jobs and his design guru Johnny Ivey tried to change this by making iMac fun and attractive with bubble-shaped housing and bright, inviting colors.
There was a handle at the top of the device, not because Apple expected you to take it too far, but, in the words of Eve, “It makes a relationship possible.” It is approved. it is comfortable. This allows you to touch. “
Today, iMac finds itself in a similar situation. It has kept the same design since 2012, and while the swoop back and razor-thin edges were highly fashionable back, then, iMac’s huge bezels and oversized “chin” stick out like a sore thumb in today’s low world. Apple once again needs to restore the reliability of its desktop, showing the world that it still knows how to build an all-in-one machine that pushes the boundaries of design.
Looking at leaks and rumors, the next iMac can do just that. Both leakers Sunny Dixon and China Times have stated that the redesigned iMac with thinner bezels will be launched imminently. Current 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac models can bump up to 23-inch and 29-inch sizes, with more screen space for Mac fans.
While this would be a great debut, an even more radical redesign could be in the offering – one that was similar to the iMac G3 22 years ago. According to a recent patent, we know that Apple is considering making curved glass from a piece of glass. This would be the perfect way to relax Apple’s design chops and boost the iMac a lot. The current iMac design has done very well, but it needs an overhaul.
Like Apple in 1998, we were on the verge of happening.
not just a pretty face
Design aesthetics by the iMac G3 were not the only things. The internal components were equally important – and again, there are similarities with the future of the iMac.
The main reason for iMac G3 was translucent, so that users can get information about how the computer works. Instead of being hidden inside an opaque box, parts of the device were on show for all to see – and in doing so, they lost their secrets, their fear factor. They could be known and understood.
Those components were just as important as the external appearance of the computer. As Steve Jobs said at the time, “iMac is not about candy-colored computers. The iMac is about building a computer that is really cool, with no fan needed, which arises in fifteen seconds, with a superfine display with a superior sound system in a consumer computer. It is about a complete computer that expresses it even on the outside. And [competitors] Just look outside. They say, “We’ll add some color to this piece of junk computer, and we’ll have one too.” And they miss the point.
And what would happen on a redesigned iMac inside? Apple Silicon Processor. Earlier in 2020 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced that making their own chips in this way would allow them to improve the performance of their Macs, while making them more powerful. The company has already been making its own processors in its iPhones and iPads for many years, and these chips simply blow the competition. Apple has the form here, and there is no reason to doubt its WWDC claim.
If Apple’s lucky, history may just repeat itself.
Like the iMac G3, the Apple silicon processor will show the world that the iMac is not just about looks – it is also about revolutionary performance. The leaked benchmark has already revealed that Microsoft’s efforts on ARM processors are all running in an emitted environment. When Apple Silicon chips originally run on MacOS, the results may be even more impressive.
The Apple Silicon isn’t just about power and efficiency, though – it shows that even after Steve Jobs goes away, Apple can innovate its rivals in ways that may not last for nearly a decade. Which Apple competitors can claim a neural network, as Apple’s neural engine has built into its hardware? Or how about the T2 Security chip, which enables Face ID on iOS and helps power the industry’s best laptop speakers on the MacBook Pro 16? When Apple integrates T2 functionality into Apple Silicon processors, Face ID on a Mac will be an intuitive way to log in with facial recognition technology that can be far more secure than what Apple’s rivals have to offer.
In the same way the iMac G3 brought powerful computing components to a popular audience, the next iMac could bring many of Apple’s best advances for the Mac. Like two decades ago, iMac could seriously shake the computing industry. If Apple’s lucky, history may just repeat itself.
Editors recommendations
