The iMac Channel

The iMac: First of a Family?

5 July 1998 - Dan Knight

Don Crabb was the first to speculate in public that the iMac wouldn't stand alone for long (The iMac line, Don Crabb, MacCentral, 9 June 1998).

I have to agree with him.

The iMac is as revolutionary as the original Macintosh -- without breaking software compatibility (see The iMac: truly revolutionary). And just as the first Macintosh gave birth to the Fat Mac, Mac Plus, Mac II, and dozens of other models, I believe the iMac will soon be seen as the ancestor of a whole family of iMacs.

Apple has changed the paradigm from components to integration. You don't buy an iMac, then add a monitor and a modem. All the important parts are right there when you buy it. And USB will make adding a cable modem, Zip drive, or scanner easier than ever.

The iMac can easily become several niche computers.

The Network iMac

Already equipped with a fast Ethernet port, the iMac is ready for business and school. Drop the unnecessary modem and bump standard RAM to 64 MB and you have the ideal network computer at the same price.

The Expandable iMac

Take the Network iMac and put a Device Bay where the CD-ROM resides. Then add FireWire. Put an extra DIMM slot on the motherboard and leave out the modem.

This lets the buyer choose CD-ROM, DVD, or a removable media drive for the Device Bay - and you can hot swap them at will. FireWire provides access to fast external hard drives and video equipment.

For perhaps $200-300 more than the basic iMac, the serious Mac user who doesn't find a 15" screen constraining has a lot of options.

The Modular iMac

This is where we start getting serious: an iMac without a built-in monitor, with one or two PCI slots, with FireWire, and with one or two Device Bays. Cute, compact, and inexpensive, this could eventually replace the Power Macintosh series.

The AV iMac

Take the Modular iMac, build in a 17" monitor and better sound, and you have the AV iMac. Hefty, powerful, and still visually attractive.

The Portable iMac

Some people need the power of a PowerBook G3 without the price. And they don't need to run off a battery.

For these Mac users, an iMac with an LCD display cuts the iMac weight without compromising performance. The design could be a hybrid of iMac and PowerBook, lightweight and inexpensive. Provide just enough battery power to retain memory in sleep mode for a day or two and you'd have a great portable computer.

Although the display would increase this model's price, the ability to dispense with expensive power management features could make it a very attractive alternative to the PowerBook.

The iMac Family

This is all speculation, but it makes sense that Apple would capitalize on the new iMac brand recognition. It's much easier to say iMac than Power Macintosh G3 All-in-One, or even Power Mac G3. And within a year, if not months, the iMac brand will become as recognizable as the Apple brand, the PowerBook name, and the "up to twice as fast" G3 processor.

Apple's survival depends not just on great computers, but memorable ones. The iMac will be that and deserves to father a whole new line of computers.

Fix Home Button Delay, Tablet the Ultimate Mobile PC, iPad Notebook a Possibility, and More, iOS News Review, 2012.02.10. Also using your iPad at work, two photo editors, a new iPad text editor, Macally's magnetic iPad 2 stand, and more.
White MacBook Goes End-of-Life, Logitech Touch Mouse Supports Gestures, Firmware Updates, and More, The 'Book Review, 2012.02.10. Also MacBook Air better than any Ultrabook, docks for MacBook Pro models, Intel offers improved SSDs, and more.
Mac and iOS Browsers: Options Galore, Freeware Forum, 2012.02.10. Safari is adequate on Mac and great on iOS, but the range of good alternatives is stunning. LEM writers share their favorites.
Apple's Support Lead Shipping, Smartphones Outsell PCs, OS X Ported to ARM by Intern, and More, Mac News Review, 2012.02.10. Also the power of Tex-Edit Plus, Google and Twitter are already censoring the Web, Snow Leopard Security Update, and more.
LogMeIn: Remote Screen Sharing for the Rest of Us, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2012.02.09. Configuring the Mac's built-in screen sharing to work over the Internet can be difficult or impossible. LogMeIn makes it easy.
15 Years Ago Motorola Unveiled the PowerPC G3, Low End Mac Round Table, 2012.02.06. The G3 processor was optimized for real world Mac software and made a big leap forward in efficiency.
Don't Kill Caps Lock, Learning to Love the iOS Keyboard, and an Adaptive iPad Keyboard, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2012.02.06. The Caps Lock key has a useful function, the iPad's keyboard really is useful, and checking out an adaptive keyboard for the iPad.
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