iM 25!
On August 15, 1998, Apple launched the first iMac computer, marking a significant milestone that — perhaps worryingly for those who vividly recall buying the stocky, translucent desktop — now lies 25 years behind us.
Steve Jobs had returned to Apple just one year earlier, aiming to breathe new life into the company's fading fortunes. With Jobs and design visionary Jony Ive at the helm, Apple created a fresh incarnation of the all-in-one computer concept that they popularized with the Macintosh back in 1984.
The iMac, often credited as Apple’s savior, helped to rekindle the company's profitability. In 2001, when the first iPod was unveiled to the world, Mac sales commanded a staggering 70% share of the company's net revenue, contributing an impressive $4.4 billion.
Desktoppled
However, today's spotlight on Apple's stage has indisputably shifted to the iPhone, leaving Macs in the wings somewhat. Indeed, the current iteration of the iMac, which pays homage to its ancestor with a vibrant spectrum of 7 colors, has not received an update in over 800 days — the longest gap in its history.
Macs, once the cornerstone of Apple's success, now represent a mere fraction of total net sales, contributing around 10% at $40 billion — a number that’s more reliant on laptops than desktops now, too. As hybrid work seems set to stick around and we rely on portable devices more than ever, it’s difficult to imagine the iMac regaining its place atop the Apple throne — but, at least for a while, the Bondi blue behemoth ruled.
