RIP iMac G3 (1998-2003)

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Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
So the Apple Store was down this morning. At first blush there were no changes. But what was overlooked is the fact that Apple removed the classic iMac G3 CRT from its online store.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    You are right. I thought the monitors panel looked strange there.



    Now the eMac and iBook are tied for 'lowest priced Mac'. But at $999, it's still quite expensive to swtich.
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  • Reply 2 of 20
    709709 Posts: 2,016member
    Good eye DH. A moment of silence while we mourn the loss of our gumdrop friend....
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  • Reply 3 of 20
    thegeldingthegelding Posts: 3,230member
    snow gumdrop is still available at the apple edu store for 749....g
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  • Reply 4 of 20
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    (reminiscently)



    I remember when iMac and I would go out back and play in the back yard. He would always be like, "Hey, dude, let's get out the wiffle bat and hit the ball around!"



    So we'd get out there, and try to catch the balls the other one would hit. And then iMac would say, "Hey, let's go break into the tobacco store down the street!"



    I wasn't real interested in breaking into the tobacco store...but because iMac was such a great friend, I knew I could trust him not to get us in trouble.



    So we went down to the tobacco store, broke in, and stole a box of Cuban cigars from the back room -- you know, the special box that the owner kept JUST for himself. We went and sat underneath Mr. Tree. Oh, yeah. Mr. Tree was this BIG huge tree that we always sat under, played in, and told stories to.



    And then, we got to horsing around. Mr. Tree got set on fire. I was like, "iMac, what the hell? Do you see what we did?! We just set Mr. Tree on fire!"



    And iMac was like, "Deal with it, bitch! It's just a tree! You didn't have to come along and steal the cigars anyway!"



    And about that time the fire department showed up. We got sent home to our parents and I personally was grounded for like 3 years! Mr. Tree ended up being a complete loss. But man, what a great story, huh?



    Good times. Good times. Me and iMac: Good times.
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  • Reply 5 of 20
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Ha ha, good post CosmoNut.



    It's too bad really - if they would just price the darn thing properly I'd love to pick one up.



    Poor little fellah.
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  • Reply 6 of 20
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    Ah, you will be missed. Love the gumdrop--I think it's my favorite desktop Mac.
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  • Reply 7 of 20
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    Well, this is sad.



    The thing had reached a point where it had to be about 500-600 CANADIAN to be competitive. But rather than sell it for the 350-500 USD it should have been at, Apple decided yet again that they just don't need the market-share. OK, good riddance.



    But now they've got some serious work to do. No way a non-superdrive eMac is worth more than 1000 Canadian, about 650 USD. Already competitors have towers plus LCD's for that price. How far behind can Apple really afford to get on consumer desktop pricing?



    Even though the new mad icon looks like crap:



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  • Reply 8 of 20
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    This is where I would normally insert a "you sound like a broken record" post for Matsu.



    Only he's right.



    :o
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  • Reply 9 of 20
    proxyproxy Posts: 232member
    Still available on

    Apple store UK
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  • Reply 10 of 20
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DHagan4755

    At first blush there were no changes. But what was overlooked is the fact that Apple removed the classic iMac G3 CRT from its online store.



    Good catch, DHagan4755. I was only able to focus on the lack of iPod updates.



    I still remember going to the CompUSA on 5th Avenue when the iMac went on sale on August 15, 1998. Talked to a nice reporter and got quoted in the New York Post the next day. Bought an iMac for my then-fiancee (now wife) a few days later, even though I'd just shelled out for a Wallstreet PowerBook G3 a few months before. The Rev.A still sits on my desk, and served me well the two times my iBook had to go to Texas for repairs. I guess I'll have to keep it as a historical memento now.



    Escher
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  • Reply 11 of 20
    Genius post CosmoNut, genius.
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  • Reply 12 of 20
    kecksykecksy Posts: 1,002member
    All I can say is, it's about freaking time!
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  • Reply 13 of 20
    mcqmcq Posts: 1,543member
    And C|Net acknowledges the iMac as well:



    iMac RiP - C|Net
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  • Reply 14 of 20
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    It's about time, but it'll be missed.
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  • Reply 15 of 20
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    Still can be bought under education, no surprise...
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  • Reply 16 of 20
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Wow, that is pretty sad...in a geeky kind of way. Think about it: what that computer represents in the big scheme of things!







    I loved mine. In so many ways, I prefer it over the G4-powered, LCD model I currently own, believe it or not. It was beautiful. In its heyday, it was damn near perfection, especially for the market it was aimed for: easy to set-up/use e-mail, surfing and writing machine.



    But tons of us used Illustrator, Photoshop and other "serious" apps on them all day long and never once regretted not getting a G4 tower.



    Farewell, my little gumdrop. You came, you saw, you kicked everything back into gear.



    BTW, I'm slated to get my tangerine iMac DV back at some point because the person I sold it to was a friend and we made a strict pact that when she's ready to move on to something else, I get to buy the iMac back from her. She can't sell it to anyone else.



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  • Reply 17 of 20
    Quote:

    I get to buy the iMac back from her. She can't sell it to anyone else.



    I made the same deal with a friend of mine who bought Spot, my Blue Dalmatian iMac!
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  • Reply 18 of 20
    mimacmimac Posts: 872member
    Ahhh, sweet little gumdrop, fare thee well.



    The original iMac will be seen as one of the biggest icons of the 20th century and will be worth holding on to or obtaining one as a future investment.

    Everyone here should keep an eye out for a good example and buy if the price is right so you can have a piece of Apple history - the computer that turned around Apples fortune.



    It'd be worth a few bucks of anyones money in years to come.
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  • Reply 19 of 20
    xterra48xterra48 Posts: 169member
    I wonder if this means a new low priced (for apple) machine will enter the market as a switcher/ cube that has been discussed many times.
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  • Reply 20 of 20
    artman @_@artman @_@ Posts: 2,546member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pscates



    I loved mine. In so many ways, I prefer it over the G4-powered, LCD model I currently own, believe it or not. It was beautiful. In its heyday, it was damn near perfection, especially for the market it was aimed for: easy to set-up/use e-mail, surfing and writing machine.



    But tons of us used Illustrator, Photoshop and other "serious" apps on them all day long and never once regretted not getting a G4 tower.





    Confession time.



    The Revision A Bondi Blue iMac I bought in '98 was my first Mac I ever owned. It was a perfect "entry" machine, cost wise. I've used Macs at jobs but never could afford one.



    My Bondi Blue is residing at my Mom's place. All set up, desk and everything. But she doesn't touch it. I think its just that she never really caught on to it. But it's safe and sound...



    I worked that 'ol iMac to the bone. Photoshop/Image Ready, Illustrator, Quark, Flash, Dreamweaver, Bryce...even games (anyone remember Abuse?).



    I've got I guess is the last power " gumdrop" iMac (G3 700 Graphite SE)...? It's a lot better and a lot faster (OS X and all!). Just wish I could get work to really put it to the test.
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