at the time the only source of
revenues for Apple, increased
from 2.7 million to 3.8 million
a year. This at a time when
Windows PCs were shipping
about 100 million units.
That was enough to ensure
survival. Today Mac units
are five times higher while
Windows PCs are about 2.5
times higher. The following
graph shows the impact of
iMac on the Mac's trajectory.
Second, the iMac was the first
host of OS X, an operating
system built on Unix which
made it extremely flexible.
iMac gave Apple the space
for OS X to be developed and
to be optimized for various
hardware. The experience
with OS X and its inherent
scaleability (down as well as
up) meant that it could be
Just in Time
The iMac launched May 6
1998, exactly 20 years ago.
It is not the most significant
computer to ever exist. It
was a clear descendant
of the original Mac which
established the "all-in-one"
desktop computer category.
That category, to which it
still belongs, is a modest
segment. The last time Apple
reported portable sales
separately was in late 2012
when the desktops/servers
and pro systems combined
made up only 20% of all Mac
sales by units. If iMac were
10% of Mac sales, it would
represent about 2 million
units in 2017.
Desktops evolved into
laptops and personal
computing evolved into
pocket computing.
Becoming more personal
means more intimacy and
this is leading to wearable
computing. There is more
beyond that to be sure.
But the iMac is a historically
significant machine. It
allowed Apple to start on a
new trajectory. It did this by
first offering a financial lifeline.
Sales of Macs, which were
BY HORACE DEDIU (ASYMCO.COM)
36 MacDirectory
COLUMN
considered for the post-PC
devices of the future.
Lastly, iMac's design
screamed "consumer
product" which went from
signaling inferiority to
superiority. It set a standard
for novelty, creativity and
dynamism in the category
that was considered second-
rate. In the early 2000s
consumers began to lead
in the adoption of new
technologies. DVD drives,
internet connectivity, wifi,
instant messaging, media
consumption exploded. All
the while institutions, hung
up on legacy, began to block
technologies. At this pivotal
moment, the iMac spoke with
its looks. It didn't just imply a
new order, it stated it.
