The G4 iMac was Steve Jobs’ Masterpiece
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- čas přidán 10. 05. 2024
- The iMac is iconic-but one model stands out from the rest. Literally.
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Join us as we delve into the iconic iMac G3, marking 25 years since its groundbreaking release. From Steve Jobs' strategic moves to rescue Apple from the brink of bankruptcy to the iMac's unprecedented success, discover the pivotal moments that shaped Apple's trajectory. Explore the highs of innovation with the iMac G4 and the lows of missteps like the G4 Cube, culminating in reflections on Apple's evolution and the enduring legacy of the iMac G3's design.
0:00 40-years of Mac!
0:23 90 days from bankruptcy
1:53 The iMac G3 saved Apple-but it also didn't
2:38 The new iMac must be PERFECT!
5:26 Unboxing the G4 iMac
11:57 How to plug stuff in...
12:32 The moment of truth!
14:13 The 2022 version of Mac OS X Tiger
15:26 So what happened...?
16:22 Today's iMac is the result of compromise
#apple #retro #imac #eurekaJ20 #eurekaRollRenew #eurekaCES #2024CES - Věda a technologie
Small detail: FRA more likely stands for Frankfurt Airport in Germany.
That seems much more credible hahahaha
There are two US Army Bases just a short drive from FRA so this would make sense
Yup- looks like it went to Sembach Kaserne Army base (AKA sembach air base) 19ish miles from Ramstien).
Mr Elvis Presley was stationed at Friedberg (not too far from Frankfurt am Main)
End the occupation lol
This with a retina screen and the internals of a mac mini or studio is my dream computer
S A M E
YES!!
I would love to see a custom build like that. Especially for the version of this with the bigger screen.
all you need is a screwdriver, an imac g4, and an m3 macbook pro
@@Cragdognamedbear I believe that has been done before!
I always liked the G4 ad were the person was walking past a store and the computer came to life like the lamp from the Pixar intro
Just made the computer look so fun
This was on purpose, Steve Jobs was a founder of Pixar
Great era 🎉❤
@@mattwalker5252no, Pixar was founded in the 70s by George Lucas. Lucas sold Pixar to Steve Jobs.
When Steve introduced this Mac, he declared that he thought it was the best thing they’d ever done up to that point. He was not wrong.
I don't know if it could be topped
Don't forget that Newsweek I think leaked the device before the official announcement by Steve. I think he mentioned it in his keynote.
@@spadesman_the_first3296 correct! It was Time Magazine!
He said that at every product launch.
I'm sure his estranged daughter was thrilled at that though.
The G4 iMac was everywhere, and it was great. It's what my high school had for our multi-media class to learn to edit on. It was powerful, compact, had a great screen, and the hinge on said screen was phenomenal. To this day it might be my favorite Apple Computer.
It’s amazing how the iMac was the first computer in people’s houses period. Hard to imagine in this day and age!
In some ways it was hard to imagine then given the C64 and Apple II had been out for 2 decades by the time it launched!
It wasn't, Over here in Europe it was all Brittish computing or IBM's
@@kiddy1992no, plenty of c64 around here as well.
@@snazzy You didn't mention the Amiga A500, and since this is the internet I am gonna complain about it.
You forgot the Amiga A500!
@@kiddy1992 was about to say. i was like 13 when i first time saw a macbook, which was a g4 macbook my music teacher had. i had only seen macs in american movies before. i got macbook pro in high school and around that time they got really popular.
everyone else: apple vision pro review
quinn: check this imac from 22 years ago
An iMac G4 format with 27, 30, 34" (ultrawide), and 38" ultrawide options would be awesome.
Why would you want yopour monitor to be attached top PC? With them separate you can choose withc monitor adn witch pc you want and replace them whenever you want.
@@danosk1It's a fair point; but not a universal one. If it were; the iMac (in any of its forms) wouldn't have sold. They're incredibly popular in schools/offices because you don't have all those cables for power/display/audio. It's a single unit.
For family's as well who want a computer in the kitchen / family room / etc. It's super easy. Drop the computer on a table - plug in power, add keyboard/mouse, connect to wifi and you're done.
I'll agree for some having the monitor / computer separate is better - but I know it's not for everyone. Just like 2 or more monitors. Most gamers / tech people love it and can't even fathom why you'd want less - but I have users who out right ask to have the standard 2nd monitor we give them removed because they have no intention of using it :)
I have that, it's called an mac mini with external monitor. I got a 20" G4 imac as well, which I wished was just a g4 mini because it's a beast and take too much room. ;)
@@DaphoidGet a slim modern LCD with USB ports on the side of it, take off the stand and mount it to a desk mount monitor arm. A lot of arms actually have a channel that runs down the length of it so you can hide all the cables within the arm itself. Chuck a Mac mini next to it or screw a small shelf under your desk for it. You can plug your USB drives into the side of the screen and use the Bluetooth Apple mouse & keyboard on it. No ugly wires on display.
it still looks amazing, 20 years later. it also solves the problems with the current iMac with the tilt mechanism. I would love to see this revisited. I had a beige PC when this came out and I remember this so clearly, it was what made me pay attention to Apple
Insanely expensive though, 1499 dollars in 2002 is about 2500 dollars now, for an all in one, that is super expensive.
Specifically, that $150 million from Microsoft was part of the settlement deal for a lawsuit against them relating to QuickTime
For those unaware, QuickTime was ported to Windows by San Fransisco Canyon Company. Intel and Microsoft then bought a bunch of QuickTime code from SFCC and put it into Video for Windows. Which SFCC wasn't supposed to give them.
MichaelMJD did a whole episode specifically on this oft-repeated statement that just wasn’t true.
Bad research, unfortunately…
no
In 2003, When Microsoft sold the non-voting shares of Apple stock that they bought for their $150 million, they sold it for around $550 million, making a decent profit on the stock. Making money thanks to Apple was a nice bonus on top of having deflected legal challenges with their investment.
No, untrue.
God I love that old footage of you and Marques. Your enthusiasm for tech is so contagious, I love when your excitement comes through in your videos. I don't usually go in for unboxing videos but you made this informational and enjoyable! :)
Thanks so much, Travis!
This is my favorite kind of content you produce. Lots of nostalgia remembering using those great computers. And what a time to be alive where it seemed like nearly every keynote there was some mind blowing innovation.
Those were the days!
I might be trailing an old road, or jut plain wrong, but does anyone else, or have you Quinn, noticed the resemblance with Moonwind from Pixar's Soul? Energy, vibe, and likeness, uncanny...
same batch of magic mushrooms?
I had one of these and it was my favorite Mac. The damping on the neck/arm was absolutely perfect and effortless to move. The material of the base was absolutely beautiful. I don’t even know how to describe it. Such an amazingly unique design.
There is a CZcamsr who explains how to dismantle it to gain access to the LCD to convert to DVI and then you can fit in an Intel NUC or a tiny motherboard to bring it up to today's performances. I have tried this, but I'm having trouble getting the DVI to receive the signals. It's one of those projects that you start I never finish...
I saw that video 👍
I had the 17inch widescreen version. Beautiful iMac. The sound was stunning from those speakers too. You should make a modern day equivalent, with an M3 chip inside
They still sell i macs !
Yep, had the same one, just lovely. Also the time iTunes and iPods entered our home, playing music from the computer instead of stereo.
Loved the video. My first Mac was an iMac G4. I loved that machine and it's the reason I still use Macs today. Good times. Thanks for the memories.
So just had this thought come to mind. Seeing Steve Jobs integral roll in Pixar, and his integral roll in the development roll in the G4 mac. I would wager to say that the G4 design was a homage to the Pixar Lamp from the intro credit of Pixar movies. As they share very similar design elements in the way both the lamp and computer move.
You could right click the mighty mouse without the side buttons. You can see right in the screen shot 8:59 that despite it not having two buttons you still get two buttons (3 including clicking the roller ball which was amazing, 4 if you include the side buttons). The design was just too good that I guess it confused a lot of people. I loved that mouse and the wireless version.
I still use one! I love it. You just have to lift your left finger so it registers a right click.
That’s what I get for going off script! We made an editors note haha sorry for the mistake
I came here to say this
“Too good that it confused people” is contradictory. If it’s confusing people, if it’s unintuitive, it wasn’t well designed. Nothing against the mouse, just that statement is a paradox.
Used these in my high school and can confirm. Had to change that setting to right click too many times
When I was in college there was a building called the Math Emporium where you took online math tests with proctors, studied, and sometimes had a math class for the more obscure subjects. It was basically a 1 story fully carpeted office building with hundreds of iMac G4's at desks configured in hexagonal clusters (so 6 desks per cluster). This video is nostalgic to me in both a good and bad way.
The dream of that iMac lives on today with the iPad Pro, using a Twelve South iPad stand, working as a display for a nearby Mac Mini. I’d love for you to do a video showing off the dream of Jobs, realized with his last unveiled product, the iPad.
If Apple can unify their their operating systems and actually have everything run across platforms, that would be great.
Seems like you are either compromising though by not being able to run iPad apps on the Mac, or not being able to run full featured apps with window Management on the iPad.
Does the iPad as a second display let you run iPad apps and Mac OS apps?
@@stevenswall There are two ways to answer your question. Assuming Apple Sidecar is being used to make the iPad extend the Mac desktop (because there are other apps and other ways to do it too)…
If the Mac hardware and OS version support installing and running iOS apps, then you can start an iOS app in macOS and drag it over to the secondary display (the iPad). This is about running iPad apps in macOS, and showing them on the iPad alongside whatever other macOS apps you show there through Sidecar, not using any iPad resources to run those apps.
On the iPad, Apple Sidecar is just another app, so for example, if the iPad is currently using Sidecar to show the macOS desktop, you can use any iPad OS app switch gesture to go to any app on that iPad. This is about running iPad apps on the iPad behind Sidecar, not using any Mac resources, the opposite of the previous paragraph.
It's a nice stand and a nice idea, but the design aesthetic doesn't quite match. Also, the iPad Pro (even the larger 12.9" one) is too small to serve as a comfortable desktop display. The modern iMac's display is nearly 4 times the size.
I literally bought an iMac G4 from eBay after watching this video. It arrived today and boy... that design is just timeless. It really is a peace of art.
It wouldn't be a snazzy lab without a robo-vacuum cameo! 6:07 did someones signature get doxxed? LOL?
Just grabbed a mint iMac G4 and rebuilding the system, from external FireWire SSD and potentially internal legacy SSD. An a firewire audio interface for hifi playing. True piece of Art.
The clear plastic aesthetic needs a comeback. Its soo nice looking
The G3 was fun and quirky looking, I remember loving them in early elementary school since they were the darling of my town's tech ed classes. The G4 was a work of art, worth keeping around just because of how good it looks no matter how obsolete the hardware is
I was working for Apple in a sales role at the time that these came out, and I cannot overstate how much customers *loved them.* I recently picked one up for myself again when a neighbor offered me theirs, complete in its original box. It's just as stunning and whimsical and graceful today as it was then, and I also hold it in very high regard as one of Apple's all-time best designs. Wonderful video, and congrats on your "Sunflower" G4!
I'm baffled about the superb condition of all the items in that box. Everything was still white, cables clean and no raffling, breaking or brittle rubber. Amazing
This is super interesting! Obviously this was a long time ago, but I started covering consumer electronics in 2004. I remember seeing one of these at my friend’s house prior to that - but I swore that was several years prior. Crazy how this was out just a couple of years before I got into this business. This, and the capacitive iPod, were amazing pieces of tech from that era!
I hate to break it to you, brother, but you’re old. 😝 Thanks for the comment, Dru!
Ive been loving seeing the upgrades and mods to those old G4 iMacs. Putting sleeper ITX PCs in them, or the new m-series Mac minis in the base.
I’m fairly sure someone has put an OLED or IPS display into one by now.
I LOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE the iMac G4. One of my favorite computers of all time. Had so many great memories with it.
Thank you for the waves of happy nostalgia! I thought about making a scaled-up version with larger screen.
The drawings I did, it looked ungainly? I'm question marking, there, because I can't find my original drawings. Have you tried at your end to see what it would look like? A huge plum pudding with scaled-up arm and screen size. It sort of worked, I figured that oversized plum pudding would have lots of room to hide external storage and at one point I even considered making a built in bass/mid speaker (down-firing, with the electronics shielded from the vibrations) and hiding tweeters within the enlarged monitor's housing. I couldn't figure out how to make an enlarged version of the arm, I don't have the metal working skills.
If anyone has made an oversized version, I would love to see that. I know that's a lot of work but if you took that on, you'd be a legend! I mean, there are up-dated versions out there but I think you're right, one with a decent sized screen could be a huge seller for Apple.
I have one of these in kinda the same condition the speaker wire has yellowed a bit but overall great condition, I repasted the cpu and GPU, and replaced the hard drive. Overall this was my favorite Mac of all time, screen still looks amazing. Way ahead of its time. Appreciate the video man 👍🏻
First family computer.
Recently fired ours up from 2003 when I was 12.
What a gem of a machine to learn on. GarageBand and Logic both run surprisingly well on it still.
Loved this video. Please make a video on what went wrong with the iMac G5!
Excellent, I own the 1.2Ghz 20" version of this iconic computer, speakers and all - fully loaded up with RAM, running 10.4.11, and just love it... It produces the majority of my design work, still to this day... thanks to Adobe CS Suite that was offered free of charge from Adobe when Mac PPC went to INTEL. Thanks for this great video, and the introduction for me, to the 2022 version of OS X Tiger - can't wait to try that!
The very fact that this looks so modern even now is a testament to how much Apple was innovating at the time
I went to a small k-8 grade school and we had g3 imacs in our library/computer lab but we got one of these. It was the one everyone wanted to get on. It always surprised me that the school has macs.
I grew up with one of these computers. I'm having an extreme nostalgia-gasm right now!
As someone with vision issues, the swivel screen was a dream for me!
I’ve still got mine somewhere in storage, absolutely loved this computer.
Great edition! Thanks for including Shuriken. I'd love to see a video listing which old Macs can be brought back to useful lives with it and what limitations there may be.
I had (and loved) a Cube back in the day. I never thought it was as nice as this iMac, but I was always impressed with the looks, performance and those Harmon Kardon speakers.
Picked one of these in the box for 20 bucks last year and same with the cube. I absolutely love the looks
I’ve always loved this design. Form and function were met perfectly for this computer
Still have my original 17" 1Ghz, all in the factory packaging with speakers. It has been upgraded to the 1.25Ghz (2GB of ram) with USB 2.0. But the bottom original tray with 1Ghz motherboard in an antistatic bag in the box. It is also sitting next to the iRain design iMac desk, also put back in the box. Just waiting to set it back up when I have the room.
awesome vid. there was one of these abandoned at my college and i desperately wanted to retrofit it with modern components. such a sick design
0:23 I laughed so hard on "Slaughterhouse"😂😂😂😂😂
Why did i think geometry dash…? 💀
(The hard level next to bloodbath)
Great video man, love myself some history lessons in important world changing technology!❤
I agree, this is the most beautiful computer Apple has made. I have bought one of these and it is a great retro experience to play CDs and listen to the Harmon Kardon speakers (which still give it function; running Mac OS 10.4 Tiger). I would love to see this design on a current computer, perhaps with a mini-like computer at the base and with an option to expand with drives or GPUs and a magnetic way to attach an iPad as a second screen.
I had the widescreen model back starting around 2003 or 4 I think. I loved it, and those speakers were no joke. It was a really exciting time because iLife came out soon after I got this computer and I fell in love with GarageBand for recording guitar… so many good memories with this computer
My parents had it when it was released back in the day. When they stopped using it (they became too old) I carefully put it back in its original box after restoring its original MacOS Tiger. Unfortunately, the DVD Combo drive was broken so I would need to get a replacement. So it is sitting in the box waiting to another reveal... You gave me a great idea with Shuriken :)
There's a skit on Rick and Morty about 'True Level'. That's what it was like moving the monitor arm on the iMac G4.
I’ve been watching your videos for years now and this has got to be one of the best videos you’ve ever made!
Thanks so much!
I absolutely love the story you tell with it, and also how you tell it!
I love the design of the imac g4
Got em all, 15”, 17” and the Cadillac 20” - my favourite computer desktops of all time.Thx for video!
Speaking of that manual my Apple 2e came with a disk that showed you how and what to click the mouse for.
I loved that “how to plug stuff in” music montage part, it was really fun to watch!
This was a fantastic video! Hope to see more historic retrospectives like this one :)
I had a super-drive, wide-screen version of this in the early to mid 2000s to replace my previous Gen3. I fondly remember fondling the round base and its smooth surface and warmth. In fact both might be still in boxes somewhere in my house.
More videos like these, Quinn! Hermoso y educativo cómo siempre el video
That is the only apple mouse I have ever used. Never owned a Mac. Only friends growing up had one of those beauties in their house. What a nostalgic design. Those 98/99 iMacs were a wonderful treat to the eyes, contrasted against the black and beige landscape that was home computing back then.
Still got my fully specked out G4. It was my first apple computer I ever bought. Although, in college we used the G3s, so that was cool.
Quinn, you should do a mod where you put a Mac mini in the bottom part of the case and attach a modern monitor to the stand.
Slight correction on the Might Mouse buttons, as my first Mac was the iMac G5 that came with that: the right-click was detected via a touch sensitive surface, while the entire mouse still physically clicked. The annoying aspect was that you would have to lift your index finger so the mouse would only sense your middle finger on the right side, in order for it to register. The squeeze functionality was a separate and equally annoying input to use, and by default was set to Exposé.
My G5 also came with the later keyboard that did indeed collect every crumb and cat hair imaginable. I very quickly replaced both keyboard and mouse with Logitech versions.
I always wondered what that dial on the bottom of the mouse was for. After 20 years, thanks for letting me know!
I remember my dad unboxing this same iMac!! Bring back the great accessories this came with
I had one of these (new) years ago. Fantastic futuristic design. That arm was a serious hunk of metal.
picked up a 800mhz g4 imac a while back for like 60 bucks, i love this little thing, it's such a beautiful computer
I remember well the huge 20" screen version. I lusted for it but it was way out of reach for a poor student. The next big breakthrough iMac - for me - was the 4K 21.5". That gorgeous screen for a budget price still impresses me to the day.
I very much remember this launch and I sort of didn't get it at the time, as everyone thought it was going to look as the iMac G5 ended up looking. It wasn't until I saw one that it sunk in. Later in 2007 I really needed a desktop Mac and I found a 20inch end of the line model and it ended up in use for the next 7 years; sadly it got damaged in a house move and it was a write off. It was a great machine.
Man, I'm just stunned that I been subscribed to you since you were a young kid doing headphone reviews. Wow, how time flies 🙂
I still have one of these. IIRC, 700MHz was the base model and it came with speakers.
The G4 is still an absolute king of design. What a beauty. I want to get one and modify it with an M1 Mac mini’s internals to get a modern G4
Back in the day I wanted to switch from a PC to a Mac, and I bought one of these “snowball” Macs. Unfortunately, I got a dud. Over the course of three months, the hard drive went out and the drive broke twice. I got fed up with it and managed to get them to take it back at the place I bought it from and just went back to my old computer. But I did love the design of it and even today think it looks really good.
I lived in a quad-Plex apartment in Raleigh, NC, when this came out. My neighbor had one of these and it was sitting in his window, where I would adoringly gaze at the back of it every day when I left the apartment….
yeah, i've been searching for a imac g4, just for the monitor stand. granted, a bigger an heavier panel might need a stronger spring to work as it should but that's the least of my worries.
omg. Tell me why I have been looking at retro mods for the G4 iLamp for the past 3 weeks obsessing over it, and then this video reads my mind
Love the retro Mac memories, great video! I've always liked older hardware to new, but I like new enough to be current, but not necessarily bleeding edge.
They offered the Imac G4 in a 20 inch version but it is almost impossible to find today.
The big problem with the G4 was the arm would break down and it was really hard to fix it.
I ordered mine (27 inch) via the same retailer (MacConnection) also shipped to APO, AE! Apple would not ship anything outside continental US, especially not APO, AE. Mac/PC Connection would.
Mine was with SuperDrive and with speakers. My sister still keeps it. Did you notice Europe plug adapter? I had just the same, as well...
This video is a delight. Thank you
Really iconic computer! great momentum!
Hey Quinn! love the vintage apple videos. What is the coffee table book you showed a few times throughout this video?
It would,ve been amazing if this form factor returned with M series chips, being able to adjust the display so freely is great. I wonder how hard would it be to DIY it with a mac studio
We used to have one of these in my house growing up, in fact: I actually think we still have it laying somewhere in our attic. I'm pretty sure this was the first computer I ever used and I remember being so amazed by it as a kid. If it wasn't for this computer (and later the G5) I would have never learned to use Photoshop when I was a kid, and I probably woud not have become a designer. There's also just something about having a desktop computer sat in the living room for the entire household to use that I miss, it's something that we've lost with laptops.
I have one of these. Of course, I don't use it anymore. It is just sitting as an objet d' art on a high shelf. But, I loved it and was very mad at Apple when they discontinued the design. Will have to try the Shuriken software. Thanks!
Lmfao! The comment about a fancy store having an imac was so accurate 😂
When I was a kid in elementary school, one hour every week we would have “computer class”. We would go in a room with about 30 iMac G3’s and we each got to play and type on the computers. I absolutely loved it!
I bought one a few years ago. Maxed out the RAM. It plays Sim City 2000 and Civ2 VERY WELL. I also have fun doing basic web browsing in a mobile mode.
I remember when the 15 inch iMac with an lcd came out. I kind of liked it. When the 17 inch version came out, I used it once at UCSC. The extra two inches of screen length made a big difference as far as making it easier to organize my work load. That is what made me like the iMac.
I always hoped for an eGPU enclosure with an iMac compatible mount patterned after the iMac G4. It was a beautiful machine!
I had two of those. I loved them. I had the small screen and then the 17 inch screen.
I always wanted this model! I would be so keen on a limited release of the G4 form factor with modern internals 😍
These were awesome. Remember having these at school and plugging in the mouse to the keyboard next door without them noticing and creating havoc.
9:33 I was not expecting the ominous jump-scare from the cameraman when you started looking at the specs on the box
Hopefully there will be a 3rd party iPad Doc version of this because an M3 iPad with (supposedly) OLED panels would be one of the best ideas, I would love to have this for work, home and everywhere else. then you could just take the tablet off when you need to walk around with it and doc it back on when you need more IO, (I know I'm just describing a normal doc) but one that has the same spirit as the old designs.
i love my imac g4. it sits on my bookshelf as a true art piece. its still plugged in and occasionally use it as a music player - everyone wanted that computer when it came out…
I still have mine too. It is in my home office. It is a nice display piece. I still love the look of it !!
@@BretSnyder (sigh). when apple had drive… and were fun :(
Did you try turning up the brightness manually in the Display settings? Very cool machine! Thanks!
I have a 800Mhz one and love it, not for it's specs but for it's design. All other mainstream desktop computers are basically cubes. Sure the imac before it was sort of not a cube having it's sides rounded and squeezed and there are some custom PC's that are different but I don't think any one can find a mainstream computers that brakes the moulde quite as well.