iMacs and eMacs
Slot Loading iMac (Oct. 1999)
code name: Kihei
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- Mac OS 9 List is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
- Puma List is for those using Mac OS X 10.1.
- Jaguar List is for those using Mac OS X 10.2.
- Panther List is for those using Mac OS X 10.3.
- Tiger List is for those using Mac OS X 10.4.
Overview
With the October 1999 release of the first slot-loading iMacs, Apple moved to a new hardware architecture and a slightly smaller, lighter form factor.
Code named Kihei, the colored portion of the new iMacs was made of transparent plastic, and the design had no cooling fan, which made for quieter running. Apple also phased out matching color keyboards and mice; from this point forward, Apple keyboards and mice would come in white or black, not multiple colors.
The new hardware architecture included a 100 MHz system bus (vs. 66 MHz in earlier iMacs), support for up to 1 GB of RAM (vs. 256 MB), and a faster ATA bus for the hard drive and optical drive. (Maximum IDE drive size is 128 GB without third-party support. See How big a hard drive can I put in my iMac, eMac, or Power Mac? for your options.)
The first generation slot-loaders had ATI Rage 128 video with 8 MB of dedicated video memory and a VGA port for mirroring what was on the internal screen to an external display or projector.
These were the first iMacs with FireWire support (but not on all models), and they also had two separate USB controllers. AirPort is supported, but it requires a special adapter card to hold the AirPort card in place. These iMacs require Mac OS 8.6 or later.
There were three versions of the Oct. 1999 iMac:
iMac 350
The 350 MHz blueberry iMac was the runt of the litter. It had 64 MB of RAM, a 6 GB hard drive, and a 24x CD-ROM. This was one of two slot-loading iMac that didn't include FireWire support. It retailed for US$999.
iMac DV
The next step up was the 400 MHz iMac DV, which had a 10 GB hard drive and a 4x DVD-ROM drive. It includes two FireWire ports and was available in blueberry, strawberry, grape, tangerine, and lime. It sold for US$1,299 - the same price as the original 1998 iMac.
iMac DV SE
At the top of the heap was the 400 MHz iMac DV SE, which had a 13 GB hard drive, 128 MB of RAM, and came in graphite. It retailed at US$1,499.
These iMacs were replaced by 350-500 MHz ones in July 2000.
Details
- introduced 1999.10.05; replaced 2000.07.19
- requires Mac OS 8.6 through OS X 10.4.x
- CPU: 350-400 MHz PPC 750
- bus: 100 MHz
- RAM: 64/128 MB, expandable to 1 GB using two PC100 SDRAM (3.3 V, 64-bit, 168-pin, 100 MHz)
- VRAM: 8 MB SGRAM
- Video: supports resolutions of 640 x 480, 800 x 600, and 1024 x 768 using ATI RAGE 128 VR chip set and 2X AGP, has VGA port for external monitor, which can only display same resolutions as internal monitor
- monitor: 15" (13.8" viewable) multiscan to 1024 x 768
- L2 cache: 512 KB backside cache
- hard drive: 6/10/13 GB EIDE drive
- USB: 2 separate USB 1.1 ports and controllers
- FireWire 400: 2 ports (not on 350 MHz iMac)
- modem: built in v.90 56k modem
- ethernet: 10/100Base-T
- WiFi: requires AirPort Card Adapter, 802.11b AirPort Card
- Microphone: internal
- power: 150W
- height: 15.0 in/38.1 cm
- width: 15.0 in/38.1 cm
- depth: 17.1 in/43.5 cm
- weight: 34.7 lb/15.8 kg
Cautions
- G3 Macs may not be supported in Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard", which is scheduled to ship in October. Apple has not spoken on the record, but the beta cannot be installed on any G3 Mac.
- If you are running Mac OS 9.1 or later, iMac Firmware Update 4.1.9 should be installed. If you are using Mac OS X, you must boot from a Mac OS 9.1-9.2.2 writeable partition (not a CD or network disk) prior to updating. You cannot update to OS X 10.3 or later unless you first install Firmware Update 4.1.9.
- Update Firmware Before Installing Jaguar!, Geoff Duncan, TidBITS, 2002.10.28. If your firmware isn't at version 4.1.9, you need to boot into OS 9.1 and install it before attempting to install Jaguar (OS X 10.3) on your slot-loading CD-ROM or DVD iMac.
- For more information on firmware updates, see iMac: When to Install Available Updaters.
- You cannot boot a G3 iMac from an external USB drive.
Go to the iMac and eMac index.
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TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct
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Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.
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