It has been 28 years since the launch of the iconic Bondi Blue iMac G3, a product credited for saving Apple.

On August 15th, 1998, Apple released the first ever iMac, the company's all-in-one desktop computer. It was a modern take on computing at the time, swapping out the beige for a translucent, colourful look.

Originally launching in Bondi Blue, Apple refreshed its colour offerings in 1999, debuting fruit themed colours:

  • Blueberry
  • Grape
  • Lime
  • Strawberry
  • Tangerine

Apple often marketed the entire colourful lineup together, as the devices stood out from other PCs.

Many look back at the iMac G3 as one of Apple's most innovative products, that embodied Apple's Think Different slogan.

Internet Mac

Apple made a big deal out of the fact the iMac allowed anyone quick access to the internet, which was still emerging at the time.

The launch material on Apple's Website in 1998, highlights the device as "The easiest way to connect to the Internet."

"iMac combines the excitement of the Internet with the simplicity of Macintosh. It comes with everything you need to send and receive e-mail and surf the World Wide Web. Turn your new iMac on, and your friendly Setup Assistant asks you a few simple questions (the kind you know the answers to, like your name and phone number). Then it walks you through the steps of getting online, and helps you connect. Presto, instant Internet. You’re sharing e-mail with friends and family, and you’re well on your way to becoming a fully-certified Internet surfer. All within a few minutes of taking your iMac out of the box"

Legacy Tech

iMac was infamous at the time for moving on from legacy technology, for newer advancements. This was despite the fact that the legacy technology was still universally standard at the time.

iMac G3 replaced serial ports and the floppy disk drive with USB ports and an optical disk drive, even providing customers with the newer USB Apple Keyboard and USB Apple Mouse.

The first iMac launched with just 64MB of RAM and 6GB of hard drive storage. Today, Apple's base model iMac starts from 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage - that's about 256x more memory and 42.7x more storage.

iMac Today

28 years later, iMac remains a core member of the Mac lineup.

Following the Apple Silicon transition in 2020, Apple brought back the colourful lineup after a period of Silver and Space Grey iMac models.

Whilst iMac is now just 11.5mm thin, has a larger 24" display and built of Aluminium, its identity and purpose as a colourful, simple, all-in-one computer remains the same.

You can dive deeper into the tech specs and history of iMac G3, by viewing the product in the Everything Apple Product Library.