24 Years Ago, the First iMac Went on Sale: Relive Steve Jobs' Iconic Presentation

On August 15, 1998, the first iMac, introduced by Steve Jobs just a few months prior, officially went on sale, marking a turning point for Apple and the first true consumer desktop from the company.


"The excitement of the internet. The simplicity of Macintosh" is how Jobs described the first ‌iMac‌ during the now iconic keynote on May 6, 1998. During the presentation, Jobs compared it to other desktop computers on the market. According to Jobs, those computers were slow, featured smaller 13 to 14-inch displays, probably didn't have any networking capabilities, and were ugly. The original ‌iMac‌ hoped to target each weak point with faster performance, a better-looking design, and updated I/O ports.

hello again imac
"We decided to make this thing fast," Jobs said, touting the at the time powerful G3/233 processor. The first ‌iMac‌ featured a 15-inch display that was 1024x768, 32MB of standard memory, 4GB of disk storage, a 24x CD-ROM drive, a 100Mb Ethernet port, a 33.6Kb modem, and a 4MB IrDA. The original ‌iMac‌ had stereo SRS sound, two 12MB USB ports, and a keyboard and mouse for I/O and peripherals.

imac colorful way to internet
Iconically, it featured a translucent design that allowed people to see inside the machine. "The back of this thing looks better than the front of the other guys, by the way," Jobs jokingly said about its design compared to the competitors on the market. On the front of the ‌iMac‌, beneath the display, it featured stereo surround speakers, infrared, a CD-ROM, and a headphone jack.

tim cook apple hello imac
The original ‌iMac‌ retailed for $1,299, and since its introduction 24 years ago, the ‌iMac‌ has transformed and evolved a great deal. Apple's latest ‌iMac‌, the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ with M1, is similar to the original ‌iMac‌ in that it's offered in many colors. The ‌iMac‌'s design has continued to radically change, becoming thinner, slimmer, and more powerful over the years.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...

Top Rated Comments

DMG35 Avatar
38 months ago
I still have one, its an aquarium now though.. Need a new fish for it….



Attachment Image
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1557750 Avatar
38 months ago
Iconic it is. Look at him in a suit!

Miss you, Steve.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lioness~ Avatar
38 months ago
Remember these days and Steve with much ❤️
Felt like you were on a very special journey that few experienced with that amazing guy.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BenTrovato Avatar
38 months ago
Loved how exciting the late 90's were for computing across the board
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NightFlight Avatar
38 months ago
I had one of the first ones I could get my hands on. Bondi blue, it looked exactly like the first picture and I absolutely loved it.

Ah, memories.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kalsta Avatar
38 months ago
Hear the audience laugh when Steve says that Apple staff have great stock options! Oh the irony with the benefit of hindsight.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)