[Macintosh]

Four years ago we introduced the first iMac. It changed the way people use computers. It changed the way people look at technology. Some people even said it changed the world. Now, six million iMacs later, we�re doing it again.

That is a quote from www.apple.com/imac

What do you think?

[ 04-21-2002: Message edited by: Macintosh ]

[chris_h]

no

[ 04-21-2002: Message edited by: Macintosh ]

[iKevin]

It helped convert me from a PC to the Macintosh!

[Justin W. Williams]

No other computer spawned so many translucent kitchen appliances, so yes it changed the world.

/me pats george foreman grill, stapler, and other translucent toys.

[seanyepez]

The first iMac made computers very approachable. Before that, PC's were very clinical and business-oriented. After the iMac, companies were forced to begin making computers to be sold to consumers and not to businesses.

[Mac Zealot]

the iMac made USB very popular, without it's drastic measures it took, today's computers wouldn't be as cheap, as usable, or as functional as they are. It also spawned a design revolution, and now apple seems to be the capital of style.

[seanyepez]

Originally posted by Mac Zealot:
<STRONG>the iMac made USB very popular, without it's drastic measures it took, today's computers wouldn't be as cheap, as usable, or as functional as they are. It also spawned a design revolution, and now apple seems to be the capital of style.</STRONG>

I don't think you're getting deep enough. I think the iMac was revolutionary because it sent the clear message to PC manufacturers that there was to be a stark change in the audiences products were to be designed for. Before the iMac, Windows was a business OS. Now, XP is geared strictly towards consumers and their multimedia needs. If you can't see it in Apple, you can definitely see it in IBM-compatibles.

[Ricky]

Originally posted by iKevin:
<STRONG>It helped convert me from a PC to the Macintosh!</STRONG>

Same here. I switched from PC to Mac thanks my little graphite wonder. I actually thought about selling it, and then I realized how crazy that would be.

[macthelastredman]

changed the color of computers

[cdhostage]

It made all new computers candylicious.

[Drakino]

The iMac didn't spark some consumer revolution. Consumers were buying tons of computers, and companies like Gateway were heavially geared towards that market. All in one units were even around before the iMac, just they wern't overly popular yet as most were LCD units and high end price tags attached.

It also didn't introduce the world to USB. Many companies were shipping USB equiped PCs in late 96, and support was added to Windows 95 and NT 4 on a limited fasion. Windows 98 saw the explosion of USB devices, and the PC world was able to use them without upgrading the computer for the most part. Was is a combination of PC and Mac that got USB into the popular area? Possibly, though with the market share PCs had back then, I tend to lean away from Apple as helping quite a bit.

The iMac made the world realise Apple was still there. It also made computer manufactures think about an all in one with a low price tag. Though all the PC makers were easially able to undercut Apples initial iMac price with no sweat.

Apple didn't start much with the iMac. They just showed everyone else a better way to do it, just as Palm showed Apple a proper PDA that would sell.

[Superchicken]

The iMac changed the world yeah.

I changed the world today. I consumed brocoli, that's a change.

How drastic the change was.... I dono.

I'd have to say it saved apple. Deffinately and apple is a fairly large part of the computer world, dispite their market share.

The iMac allowed people to look at a Mac and say... WOW.
It opened up the idea of computers that were easier to use.

Not to mention... it sparked the cheap translucent product revolution.
I mean look how many companies have coppied them?
I think the iMac opend the way for a lota people to notice apple's technology.

[�]

it made me buy a computer while I wanted to buy a pc actually.
i could buy it because i only needed a telephone bill and ID to buy it in payments.
and look at me now ;
a pbG4 Ti
a G4 quicksilver
a G3 b/w server
2 x 21"
1 x 18" tft
Draytek ADSL router with 1mbit/sec adsl
Que! external DVD-RW
and more of that stuff

I know I would have ended much more poorly when I picked a pc that day.

[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: � ]

[Langdon]

It was a pivotal point for Apple so......... if OS X catches on or the company begins to increase its market share then yes it will have changed the world. Because if it wasn�t for the Bondi and the strategy that it was spawned from then Apple would be in the toilet by now.

[pdjr]

It hardly changed the world. Do you believe all the copy that marketers create? Sucker.

After all, this is just a computer. If Apple eliminated hunger, then maybe I'd tender a yes to your idiotic question.

[darcybaston]

Heh, the term 'world' should be changed to say 'your world' considering anybody's world view is so different from another. For some it's their room and country while others it's a library.

Everything changes the 'world' if we define it as the collective consciousness or the life experience on earth. But considering a same event like a car crash can elicit different perspectives thus giving individuals different experiences from each other, there is no absolute life on earth experience, there's just YOUR experience on earth.

So yeah, 'your world' would make more sense and therefore, those interested in a computer world can experience change and revolution and those interested in a hunger-free world can also experience change and revolution.

db

[mac freak]

We really need a better phrase than "changing the world" --
Hell, I change the world every time I pick out some earwax!
Something has become DIFFERENT, therefore the world (the "world," of course, includes my ear) has CHANGED...

[Justin W. Williams]

Originally posted by mac freak:
<STRONG>We really need a better phrase than "changing the world" --
Hell, I change the world every time I pick out some earwax!
Something has become DIFFERENT, therefore the world (the "world," of course, includes my ear) has CHANGED...
</STRONG>

ok, well 'Did Apple Think Different With The New iMac?'

[Agent69]

I would say the iMac was/is unique and beautiful as an industrial design but I don't think it changed the world. The original Macs did that.

[Big Mac]

Originally posted by Agent69:
<STRONG>I would say the iMac was/is unique and beautiful as an industrial design but I don't think it changed the world. The original Macs did that.</STRONG>

Well said!

[OddManOut]

Did the original iMac change the world?

No, it certainly didn't

[Graymalkin]

While marketing hype is always pretty specious I think the iMac in its own way did change the world. For better or worse it heralded a new sort of technogeekery that had not really existed previously. In 1996 it was pretty lame to give your e-mail address as a method of contacting you. By 1999 it had become commonplace, in fact not having an e-mail address is now seen as sort of lame by most. It wasn't a PC company that was changing the chic factor of the web or the hip nature of computers. I'd say the iMac pretty much inspired people more than revolutionized everything. The iMac was cool and was pretty web aware, the knowlege that something cool could be associated with the geekdom of the internet I think was reassuring in a subconscious way to the masses. The introduction of the iMac and its web savvy gave the whole computer industry a kick start if you think about it. Before 1998 a PC was labeled as being a multimedia PC and the ability to have graphics on the screen was somehow impressive. Once the iMac was released the signs touting the ability to have fancy graphics was second to the ability to get on the internet. I'd consider that changing the world.

[maffioso]

It showed a time where Apple was taking its market and dividing it in order to tailor specific machines, ie iMac = consumer, iBook = consumer PB = Professional, PM = Professional.

I think it was Apple changing the way it operated marketed and built computers...

[nightflame]

Certainly didn't change the world. It takes something like September 11th to do that, and even so (snip).

It certainly changed the world of Apple though. They expanded their market by changing the way Wintel users used to think about the Mac.

Before 1998, the Macintosh was looked down as an ecclectic community. Now it's pretty "cool" to be a Mac user. I used to have my iMac at college in the newspaper club room. People came to take a glance on it, asking me about the advantages of having a Mac. Some were even caressing the case to really feel it. The important thing is, they suddenly became aware of the existence of the Mac, and for many of them, they thought for the first time about actually buying/using a Mac.

Though it may not be true for hardcore users (gamers, long-time users), more regular users than before tend to agree over the Macintosh superiority when it comes to ease-of-use, and they are even aware of the MHz myth. The only (though major) drawbacks are price (even though you kill yourself explaining the quality-price ratio) and laziness to change platforms, and this is why the world haven't changed as much as Apple would have wanted to.

So yes, it changed the [view of the computer] world [on the Mac].

Nightflame