IMac G5

The iMac G5 is a series of all-in-one personal computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from August 2004 to March 2006. It is the final series of iMacs to use a PowerPC processor, making it the last type of iMac that can natively run Mac OS 9 (Classic) applications.

The iMac G5 was announced at the Apple Expo 2004 in Paris in August of 2004. There have been two major external physical designs of the iMac G5. The second version, introduced in October 2005 has a thinner design and an iSight camera.

The iMac G5 replaced the iMac G4 and was succeeded in January 2006 by the first Intel-based iMac.

Overview
The iMac G5 is an all-in-one personal computer. The machine has an integrated, flat 17- or 20 in liquid-crystal display (LCD), with the rest of the computer internals mounted behind it, or in a "chin" area below the display. The enclosure is 2 in deep. An L-shaped aluminum foot elevates the display off the resting surface and allows the screen to be tilted from between –5 to 25 degrees, though it does not offer height adjustment or side-to-side swiveling. A hole in the foot allows cables to be routed through it, and the entire foot can be removed to use another mounting method. On the top right edge of the iMac is an optical drive using a slot-loading mechanism to save space. On the back right of the machine is a single row of input/output ports: analog input and analog/digital outport, Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, a dial-up modem, and ethernet. Initial models featured AirPort Express and Bluetooth wireless connectivity as optional add-ons.

The G5 central processing unit is located under a large heat sink. To address the processor's heat output, the interior of the iMac is divided into multiple cooling zones, with the system monitoring heat and ramping fan speeds only when needed for quieter operation. The fans drew air from the speaker grilles at the bottom of the case up through vents in the back. The graphics processing unit is integrated directly to the motherboard and thus cannot be easily upgraded. The Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives and random access memory (RAM) of the iMac were the same as the contemporaneous Power Mac G5. In initial iMac G5 models, the interior could be easily accessed through the back by the removal of three captive screws.

Development
Apple introduced the iMac G4 in January 2002, the first iMac with a LCD. The 15-inch launch model was supplemented by models with 17- and 20-inch displays. These larger displays challenged the iMac G4's "sunflower" design, where the display was suspended above a base by an adjustable arm. The new PowerPC G5 processors that Apple first shipped with the Power Mac G5 also ran much hotter and required more cooling than the G4s they replaced; fitting them into Apple's smaller desktop machines or laptops was a special difficulty. Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak described the heart of the iMac as its all-in-one form factor, ease of use, focus on digital lifestyle applications, and innovative design, and that revamping it always meant keeping those factors in mind.

In redesigning the iMac, Apple went with an approach they had considered and then discarded with the G4 model—attaching the components behind the display. The new design kept the tilt adjustment from the previous model, and approximating swiveling by adding rubber feet on the base so that it could be easily adjusted; height adjustment was not included, with Joswiak justifying the change by saying that few customers raised or lowered their iMacs. To address the heat of the G5 processor, Apple divided the iMac's interior into three cooling zones: the processor, the hard drive, and the power supply and logic board. "By doing the three different cooling areas, we take a big heating challenge and break it into smaller ones, which is really the essence of good thermal design," Joswiak said. This allowed the machine to have quieter fans that only ran as fast—and as loudly—as needed. The new design allowed the design team to integrate the stereo speakers into the case, which had been a design concession of the previous model.

The iMac's exterior is white, double-shot plastic. following the similar look of the iMac G4 and the iPod music player. Jony Ive found the color bold yet restrained.

Release
The iMac G5 was announced at the Paris Mac Expo on August 31, 2004, and shipped in September. Advertising for the new iMac visually linked it to the iPod, by then fast becoming Apple's most important product; advertisements for the computer placed it alongside the music player and contained the tagline "From the creators of iPod." Apple focused on selling iMacs to iPod users via the Halo effect for the Apple brand. The company sought to allay concerns that the success of the iPod was to the detriment of the Mac division; "I really hope that when they see this iMac that it shows that it's not the case," Apple executive Phil Schiller told analysts. "We are applying our innovation and engineering design talents to everything we do, including the iPod and all of our Mac product lines."

The machine initially came in three configurations. A low-end 17-inch model featured a 1.6GHz processor, 256MB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, and a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive. A midrange model added a faster processor and the ability to burn DVDs, while the high-end model added a larger hard drive to pair with a 20-inch display. The high-end prices were hundreds of dollars less than the G4 models they replaced. Exclusively for the education market, Apple offered a cheaper model with a worse graphics chipset and smaller hard drive.

The iMac G5 was updated again in March 2005. The new models featured faster processors, more memory, larger hard drives, improved graphics, and double-layer optical drives (capable of burning 8.5GB DVDs.) The computer's networking was also improved with Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort and Bluetooth options now standard features. The outer physical design remained the same.

In October 2005, the final revision was released, adding an integrated iSight webcam mounted above the LCD and Apple's Front Row media interface. Other improvements included faster processors, more RAM, larger hard drives, and improved graphics. Notably this became the first Apple computer to use the PCI Express expansion bus and DDR2 SDRAM, with these features appearing shortly before they were incorporated into the Power Mac G5. It was declared "The Gold Standard of desktop PCs" by Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal.

Although the iMac G5 iSight looked outwardly similar to the two previous revisions, it has a slimmer, internally new design. Improvements included superior cooling and performance increases. The stand could no longer be replaced with a VESA mount. This case, unlike the previous models, opened only from the front and requires the LCD screen to be removed before internal components can be accessed. Apple recommended that no user service items other than RAM, which is accessible through a small door at the base of the housing. Guides have been posted on the internet to support replacing other components including the hard drive and optical drive, though doing so would have at one time voided any remaining Apple warranty.

The iMac G5 was succeeded by the Intel-based iMac on January 10, 2006, beginning the transition of Apple's entire line of computers to the Intel architecture six months ahead of schedule.

Reception
The IMac G5 was generally positively-received.

The design was often called conservative or predictable compared to its predecessors.

Jason Snell called it a glimpse of the future.

Its performance was often favorably compared to the more expensive Power Macs, with critics suggesting the only reason to get the more expensive models was if consumers needed to add expansion or graphics cards.

In comparison to the ergonomics of the iMac G4, the iMac G5's lack of height adjustment was criticized. Other complaints included the low amount of starting memory, and the lack of forward-facing ports so that peripherals could be more easily connected. Norr felt the sound from the iMac's built-in speakers was not as good as the external speakers that shipped with the IMac G4.