The iMac has one of the more unique histories among desktop computer lines. Perhaps what sets it apart more than anything is that it was one of the first - and to date, certainly the most commercially successful - of the "all-in-one" computer desktops. The original iMac, released in 1998, contained a G3 (roughly similar to a Pentium II) 233 MHz CPU running on a 66 MHz system bus, and sold for $1,299. External expandability was limited to two USB 1 ports on the side of the system, and two more USB 1 ports on the keyboard. When it was first released, the iMac came in only one design, the now infamous (and uniquely translucent) "Bondi Blue":
In terms of both style and power, iMacs have changed considerably in the nine plus years since their original release. The 20" flat-screen Intel iMacs, which run Core 2 Duos at 2.0 or 2.4 GHz on an 800 MHz Front Side Bus, are described below:
| Hardware |
| Model |
20" iMac (MA876LL) |
20" iMac (MA877LL) |
| Processor |
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo |
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo |
| L2 Cache |
4 MB Shared |
4 MB Shared |
| Front Side Bus |
800 MHz |
800 MHz |
| Memory |
1 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (1 x 1 GB)
Upgradeable to 2 GB (2 x 1 GB) or 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Hard Drive |
250 GB 7200 RPM SATA
Upgradeable to 320 GB or 500 GB |
320 GB 7200 RPM SATA
Upgradeable to 500 GB or 750 GB |
| Optical Drive |
8x "SuperDrive" with 4x DL
(CD-RW DVD±R DL DVD±RW) |
8x "SuperDrive" with 4x DL
(CD-RW DVD±R DL DVD±RW) |
| Graphics |
ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128 MB RAM (no upgrade options) |
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256 MB RAM (no upgrade options) |
| Display |
20" (viewable) glossy wide screen TFT active-matrix LCD, 1680 by 1050 pixels, millions of colors |
| Display Ports |
Mini-DVI output port (support for DVI, VGA, S-video, and composite video connections via adapter (sold separately) |
| Audio |
Built-in stereo speakers with 24-watt digital amplifier, built-in microphone, optical digital audio output/headphone out, optical digital audio input/audio line in |
| Video |
Built-in iSight Camera |
| Ports |
One FireWire 800, One FireWire 400, Three USB 2, plus Two USB 2 on Keyboard |
| Network |
Wired: 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet
Wireless: AirPort Extreme (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR |
| Warrantee |
90 days free phone support, one year limited warrantee |
| Accessories |
USB Keyboard and Mouse plus Remote Control all included, IR Receiver included, Wireless Keyboard and Mouse are available |
| Software |
Mac OS X 10.4.10 Tiger Operating System, iLife '08 (including Microsoft Office Demo), iWork '08 (30 day trial), Front Row, and Photo Booth |
| Base Model Price |
$1,199.00 |
$1,499.00 |
