the new Apple iMac

From: Keith Whitehead <K.J.Whitehead_at_massey.ac.nz>
Date: Thu May 7 15:55:22 1998

>Anyone see the new Apple iMac unveiled today? I like it. Instant
>classic.
>
>

Yep...a VERY souped up Mac 128...infact this one expands up to 128 Meg
Ram..coincidence (or hey a really neat conspiracy theory).

Looks like Steve has got back to his roots...the computer as a home appliance.
Wonder if I can run Dark Castle on it :-)

However it looks as though like the 128 it is a closed box, note:
NO mention of SCSI
NO mention of a floppy drive
NO mention of a ZIP drive
NO mention of an expansion bus
NO mention of firewire
NO mention if the internal modem is upgradeable to 56K
NO mention of video in/out

However
ALL existing peripherals will be redundant
NO ADB, therefore all input devices will need to be redisgned
        ie trackballs,graphics tablets, joysticks, etc
How can you share data with a PC owner with no magnetic media for transport
Will the IR port be compatible with existing printers with IR ports

With all of the missing bits, and obviously a home machine, have 10/100
ethernet rather than firewire seems...well....stupid!

But on the plus side the blue tanslucent top is so weird that it is cool.

Personally I will wait for generation 2 when they have finally figured out
the world has moved on since the original Mac and they now expect some
level of expandability. I will almost put money the Gen2 with have dumped
the e/net in favour of firewire, just as ADB has been replced with USB.


Cheers
Received on Thu May 07 1998 - 15:55:22 BST