M1 iMac (24-Inch)

The return of vibrant hardware color options to the iMac lineup immediately brings to mind the G3 iMacs that Apple sold from 1998 to 2003. 20 years is a long time, but I’ll go back further, to the original Macintosh from 1984. Those original Macs were sold in any color you wanted, so long as it was beige, but the whole point of that original Mac was that it was supposed to look good. It was a thing you’d want to put on your desk just to have it on your desk — let alone what you could actually do with it.

Those G3 iMacs from 20 years ago brought back that same spirit. Totally different design language, of course, but that same intention of making a device that looked great — and cutting edge — in and of itself. The “cutting edge” part was the fatal flaw of something like the 1993 Color Classic — it didn’t look good or charming, it just looked dated and weird. Early ’90s Apple knew that they were missing something that mid-’80s Apple had, but they whiffed on what it was that they were missing. Personal computers aren’t like, say, wrist watches, where you hit on a good design and it can remain timeless for decades. Computer form factor design needs to move forward in conjunction with the underlying technology.

Adjectives that spring to mind after using one for the last week: bright, elegant, cheerful, fun, lightweight. That last one — lightweight — is a weird one for the iMac. It’s a desktop, not a portable. I’ve actually not picked it up or moved it since setting up. So I don’t even remember if it actually feels lightweight, but it looks lightweight. It looks refreshing. These new iMacs are objects that interior designers will love to place in a room — whether that room is an office, a bedroom, a kitchen, or a living room.

Leave a Comment