IMac G5
Encyclopedia
The iMac G5 was a series of desktop Macintosh
computers designed and built by Apple Inc. using the PowerPC
chip architecture. It was the last line of iMac
computers that used a PowerPC chip, making it the last of the iMacs that could run Mac OS 9
(Classic
) applications. In August 2004, the iMac
design was overhauled. By this time, the PowerPC 970
chip had been released and was being used in the Power Mac G5
line. Famously, the Power Mac G5 needed multiple fans in a large casing because of the larger heat output from the PowerPC 970. Apple's new iMac design managed to incorporate the PowerPC 970 into an all-in-one design with a distinctive form factor. The new design of the iMac used the same 17 and 20-inch widescreen LCDs, with all of the main logic board and optical drive mounted directly behind the LCD panel; this gave the appearance of a thickened desktop LCD monitor.
The iMac G5 was first released in August 2004 (iMac G5 - M9250LL/A - M9248LL/A - M9249LL/A - known as Rev A) as a 1.8Ghz 20-Inch model, along with the simultaneously introduced iMac G5/1.6 17-Inch and iMac G5/1.8 17-Inch. All featured a revolutionary integrated all-in-one enclosure approximately two inches deep with an advanced cooling system controlled by the operating system. At low CPU loads this rendered the iMac G5 virtually silent.
The iMac G5 was updated in March 2005 (known as - Rev B) with the model called the Ambient Light Sensor or ALS iMac G5. It replaced the first generation iMac G5 and has a handful of configuration differences - more RAM, a larger hard drive, improved graphics, Gigabit Ethernet, and standard AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
The iMac G5 was updated again in October 2005 (known as - Rev C), adding an iSight
webcam mounted above the LCD, and Apple's Front Row media interface. Improvements included faster processors, more RAM, a larger hard drive, and improved graphics. Notably this became the first Apple computer to use the PCI Express
expansion bus and DDR2 SDRAM
, adding these features shortly before they were incorporated into the Power Mac G5. This version had a slightly bowed back and lacked the VESA
Flat Display Mounting Interface
of the earlier iMac G5s. Although this iMac G5 looked like the two previous revisions, in fact it had a completely new and thinner case which allowed detailed design improvements including cooling and performance increases. 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 recommend no user serviceable items other than RAM which is accessible through a small door in the base edge of the iMac, however, in the intervening years many excellent guides and videos have been posted on the internet to support replacing some internals including the HDD and optical drives, but doing so would void any remaining Apple warranty.
The iSight iMac G5 has few reported issues although a potential problem exists with the optical drive - some brands of writable optical media (which are a little thicker than standard) can catch on the outer (iMac case) bezel resulting either in the CD/DVD reappearing on the desktop (a few seconds after the eject command/button), or in extreme cases 'popping' out completely onto the desktop as the force of the eject mechanism overcomes the disc catching on the bezel. The solution to this is to isolate those brands of disc and not use them.
The iSight iMac G5 PPC was caught in Apple's early 2006 scramble onto Intel and was replaced with the Intel-based iMac on January 10, 2006, beginning the 6 month transition of Apple's entire line of computers to Intel based motherboards.
The enclosure is suspended above the desk by an aluminum arm that can be replaced by a VESA
mounting plate, allowing the unit to be mounted using any VESA-standard mount. Apple boasted that it was the slimmest desktop computer on the market. The iMac G5 was available in three retail models (17-inch, 1.6 GHz is M9363LL/A; 17-inch, 1.8 GHz is M9249LL/A; 20-inch, 1.8 GHz is M9250LL/A) plus one education-only model that had no optical drive, no modem, and a more modest GeForce MX4000 graphics system. It shipped with OS X v10.3 Panther.
Here was the ad campaign.
The iMac G5 (iSight) also used a slightly slimmer case that would be used until August 7, 2007 when Apple used the same shape but used an aluminum and glass aesthetic. A downside of this case compared to its predecessor is that the stand can no longer be replaced with a VESA mount.
The iMac G5 (iSight) is harder to open (to see and work inside the computer) than the previous models.
The iMac G5 was declared "The Gold Standard of desktop PCs" by Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal.
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
computers designed and built by Apple Inc. using the PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
chip architecture. It was the last line of iMac
IMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
computers that used a PowerPC chip, making it the last of the iMacs that could run Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
(Classic
Classic (Mac OS X)
Classic, or Classic Environment, was a hardware and software abstraction layer in Mac OS X that allowed applications compatible with Mac OS 9 to run on the Mac OS X operating system...
) applications. In August 2004, the iMac
IMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
design was overhauled. By this time, the PowerPC 970
PowerPC 970
The PowerPC 970, PowerPC 970FX, PowerPC 970GX, and PowerPC 970MP, are 64-bit Power Architecture processors from IBM introduced in 2002. When used in Apple Inc. machines, they were dubbed the PowerPC G5....
chip had been released and was being used in the Power Mac G5
Power Mac G5
The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal...
line. Famously, the Power Mac G5 needed multiple fans in a large casing because of the larger heat output from the PowerPC 970. Apple's new iMac design managed to incorporate the PowerPC 970 into an all-in-one design with a distinctive form factor. The new design of the iMac used the same 17 and 20-inch widescreen LCDs, with all of the main logic board and optical drive mounted directly behind the LCD panel; this gave the appearance of a thickened desktop LCD monitor.
The iMac G5 was first released in August 2004 (iMac G5 - M9250LL/A - M9248LL/A - M9249LL/A - known as Rev A) as a 1.8Ghz 20-Inch model, along with the simultaneously introduced iMac G5/1.6 17-Inch and iMac G5/1.8 17-Inch. All featured a revolutionary integrated all-in-one enclosure approximately two inches deep with an advanced cooling system controlled by the operating system. At low CPU loads this rendered the iMac G5 virtually silent.
The iMac G5 was updated in March 2005 (known as - Rev B) with the model called the Ambient Light Sensor or ALS iMac G5. It replaced the first generation iMac G5 and has a handful of configuration differences - more RAM, a larger hard drive, improved graphics, Gigabit Ethernet, and standard AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
The iMac G5 was updated again in October 2005 (known as - Rev C), adding an iSight
ISight
iSight is a webcam, both external and internal, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. The external iSight was sold retail for US$149, connected to a computer via a FireWire cable, and came with a set of mounts to place it atop any then-current Apple display, laptop computer, all-in-one desktop...
webcam mounted above the LCD, and Apple's Front Row media interface. Improvements included faster processors, more RAM, a larger hard drive, and improved graphics. Notably this became the first Apple computer to use the PCI Express
PCI Express
PCI Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards...
expansion bus and DDR2 SDRAM
DDR2 SDRAM
DDR2 SDRAM is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It supersedes the original DDR SDRAM specification and has itself been superseded by DDR3 SDRAM...
, adding these features shortly before they were incorporated into the Power Mac G5. This version had a slightly bowed back and lacked the VESA
VESA
VESA is an international standards body for computer graphics founded in 1989 by NEC Home Electronics and eight other video display adapter manufacturers.VESA's initial goal was to produce a standard for 800×600 SVGA resolution video displays...
Flat Display Mounting Interface
Flat Display Mounting Interface
The Flat Display Mounting Interface , also known as VESA Mounting Interface Standard or colloquially as VESA mount, is a family of standards defined by the Video Electronics Standards Association for mounting flat panel monitors, TVs, and other displays to stands or wall mounts...
of the earlier iMac G5s. Although this iMac G5 looked like the two previous revisions, in fact it had a completely new and thinner case which allowed detailed design improvements including cooling and performance increases. 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 recommend no user serviceable items other than RAM which is accessible through a small door in the base edge of the iMac, however, in the intervening years many excellent guides and videos have been posted on the internet to support replacing some internals including the HDD and optical drives, but doing so would void any remaining Apple warranty.
The iSight iMac G5 has few reported issues although a potential problem exists with the optical drive - some brands of writable optical media (which are a little thicker than standard) can catch on the outer (iMac case) bezel resulting either in the CD/DVD reappearing on the desktop (a few seconds after the eject command/button), or in extreme cases 'popping' out completely onto the desktop as the force of the eject mechanism overcomes the disc catching on the bezel. The solution to this is to isolate those brands of disc and not use them.
The iSight iMac G5 PPC was caught in Apple's early 2006 scramble onto Intel and was replaced with the Intel-based iMac on January 10, 2006, beginning the 6 month transition of Apple's entire line of computers to Intel based motherboards.
Technical specifications
| Component | iMac G5 | iMac G5 (Ambient Light Sensor) | iMac G5 (iSight) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codename | "Hero" | "Q45C", "Q45D" | "Q87" |
| Display Display device A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form... (all widescreen) |
17" matte display, 1440 x 900 | ||
| 20" matte display, 1680 x 1050 | |||
| Graphics Computer graphics Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware.... |
nVidia GeForce 4 MX graphics processor with 32MB of DDR SDRAM or nVidia GeForce FX 5200 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR SDRAM AGP 8x |
ATI Radeon 9600 graphics processor with 128MB of DDR SDRAM AGP 8x |
ATI Radeon X600 Pro or ATI Radeon X600 XT graphics processor with 128MB of DDR SDRAM PCI Express |
| Processor Central processing unit The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in... |
1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz PowerPC 970fx (G5) | 1.8 GHz or 2.0 GHz PowerPC 970fx (G5) | 1.9 GHz or 2.1 GHz PowerPC 970fx (G5) |
| Cache Cache In computer engineering, a cache is a component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. The data that is stored within a cache might be values that have been computed earlier or duplicates of original values that are stored elsewhere... |
64 KB (instruction), 32 KB (data) L1, 512 KB L2 (1:1) | ||
| Front side bus Front side bus A front-side bus is a computer communication interface often used in computers during the 1990s and 2000s.It typically carries data between the central processing unit and a memory controller hub, known as the northbridge.... |
533Mhz or 600Mhz (3:1) | 600Mhz or 667Mhz (3:1) | 633Mhz or 700Mhz (3:1) |
| Memory | 256 MB of 400 MHz DDR SDRAM DDR SDRAM Double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory is a class of memory integrated circuits used in computers. DDR SDRAM has been superseded by DDR2 SDRAM and DDR3 SDRAM, neither of which are either forward or backward compatible with DDR SDRAM, meaning that DDR2 or DDR3 memory modules... Expandable to 2 GB |
512 MB of 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 SDRAM is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It supersedes the original DDR SDRAM specification and has itself been superseded by DDR3 SDRAM... Expandable to 2.5 GB |
|
| Hard drive | 120 GB or 160 GB Serial Ata Drive | 160 GB or 250 GB Serial Ata Drive | |
| AirPort Extreme | Optional 802.11b/g IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent... |
Standard 802.11b/g IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent... |
|
| Bluetooth Bluetooth Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security... |
Optional Bluetooth 1.1 | Standard Bluetooth 2.0+EDR | |
| Optical drive | 8x DVD read, 24x CD-R and 16x CD-RW recording, 8x DVD±R read Combo drive Combo Drive A Combo drive is a type of optical drive that combines CD-R/CD-RW recording capability with the ability to read DVD media. The term is used almost exclusively by Apple Inc. as a name for the low-end substitute for their high-end SuperDrive, which was designed to both read and write DVD and DVD... or 8x DVD±R read, 8x DVD±R writes, 4x DVD±RW writes or 2.4x DVD±R writes, 24x CD read, 24x CD-R, and 16x CD-RW recording SuperDrive SuperDrive SuperDrive is a trademark used by Apple Inc. for two different storage drives: from 1988–99 to refer to a high-density floppy disk drive capable of reading all major 3.5" disk formats; and from 2001 onwards to refer to a combined CD/DVD reader/writer.... |
8x DVD read, 24x CD-R and 16x CD-RW recording Combo drive Combo Drive A Combo drive is a type of optical drive that combines CD-R/CD-RW recording capability with the ability to read DVD media. The term is used almost exclusively by Apple Inc. as a name for the low-end substitute for their high-end SuperDrive, which was designed to both read and write DVD and DVD... or 8x DVD±R read, 4x DVD±R writes or 2x DVD±RW writes, 24x CD read, 16x CD-R, and 8x CD-RW recording SuperDrive SuperDrive SuperDrive is a trademark used by Apple Inc. for two different storage drives: from 1988–99 to refer to a high-density floppy disk drive capable of reading all major 3.5" disk formats; and from 2001 onwards to refer to a combined CD/DVD reader/writer.... |
|
| Standard Features | 3 Built-in USB 2.0 and 2 Firewire 400 ports, Built-in stereo speakers, Built-in microphone, audio input, audio output, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, Built=in modem, Mini-VGA Port | 3 Built-in USB 2.0 and 2 Firewire 400 ports, Built-in stereo speakers, Built-in microphone, Audio Input, Audio Output, Built-modem, Gigabit Ethernet, Mini-VGA Port, Ambient Light Sensor | 3 Built-in USB 2.0 and 2 Firewire 400 ports, Built-in stereo speakers, Built-in iSight Camera, Built-in microphone, Audio Input, Audio Output, Built-in modem, Gigabit Ethernet, External VGA port |
| Maximum Operating System | Mac OS X v10.5 Mac OS X v10.5 Mac OS X Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released on 26 October 2007 as the successor of Tiger , and is available in two variants: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a... "Leopard" |
||
| Weight | 18.5 pounds / 8.4 kg (17"), 25.2 lbs. / 11.4 kg (20") | 15.5 lbs. / 7 kg (17"), 22 lbs. / 10 kg (20") | |
iMac G5
- August 1, 2004 — Apple releases an all-new iMac line, with both the LCD screen (17 or 20-inch widescreen) and computer (including power supply) contained in a 2 inches (50.8 mm) flat-panel housing. Its specifications include:
- A PowerPC G5PowerPC 970The PowerPC 970, PowerPC 970FX, PowerPC 970GX, and PowerPC 970MP, are 64-bit Power Architecture processors from IBM introduced in 2002. When used in Apple Inc. machines, they were dubbed the PowerPC G5....
processor at 1.6 or 1.8 GHz - Serial ATASataSata is a traditional dish from the Malaysian state of Terengganu, consisting of spiced fish meat wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill.It is a type of Malaysian fish cake, or otak-otak...
hard drive (ATA in the Education Model) - An nVidiaNVIDIANvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
GeForce FX 5200 Ultra GPU - USB 2.0 and FireWire 400
- 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port
- A V.92 modem
- A video-out port, an analogue audio-in jack, and a combination analogue/mini-TOSLINKTOSLINKTOSLINK is a standardized optical fiber connection system. Also known generically as an "optical audio cable," its most common use is in consumer audio equipment , where it carries a digital audio stream from components such as MiniDisc, CD and DVD players, DAT recorders, computers, and modern...
audio-out jack (like the one in the AirPort Express units)
- A PowerPC G5
The enclosure is suspended above the desk by an aluminum arm that can be replaced by a VESA
VESA
VESA is an international standards body for computer graphics founded in 1989 by NEC Home Electronics and eight other video display adapter manufacturers.VESA's initial goal was to produce a standard for 800×600 SVGA resolution video displays...
mounting plate, allowing the unit to be mounted using any VESA-standard mount. Apple boasted that it was the slimmest desktop computer on the market. The iMac G5 was available in three retail models (17-inch, 1.6 GHz is M9363LL/A; 17-inch, 1.8 GHz is M9249LL/A; 20-inch, 1.8 GHz is M9250LL/A) plus one education-only model that had no optical drive, no modem, and a more modest GeForce MX4000 graphics system. It shipped with OS X v10.3 Panther.
Here was the ad campaign.
iMac G5 (Ambient Light Sensor)
- May 3, 2005 — Apple releases "Rev. B", or the "Ambient Light Sensor" line (the name refers to a new light sensor on the bottom of the iMac that adjusts the glow intensity of the white pulsating sleep indicator light according to the ambient light).
- The entry model is now 17-inch, 1.8 GHz (M9843LL/A).
- The mid-model is 17-inch, 2.0 GHz (M9844LL/A).
- The top model is 20-inch, 2.0 GHz (M9845LL/A). All models utilized the PowerPC 970FX, re-fabricated at 90 nm.
- All models now feature 512MB of DDR-400 RAM standard;
- The hard drive capacity is increased to 250GB on the top model, with an option of 400GB.
- Optional upgrades did include a double-layered 8× SuperDrive. All models now feature AirPort Extreme wireless, BluetoothBluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
2.0+EDR, and an ATIATI TechnologiesATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
RadeonRadeonRadeon is a brand of graphics processing units and random access memory produced by Advanced Micro Devices , first launched in 2000 by ATI Technologies, which was acquired by AMD in 2006. Radeon is the successor to the Rage line. There are four different groups, which can be differentiated by...
9600 graphics chip with 128MB of VRAM as standard. Also the 10/100 Ethernet network interface has been upgraded to Gigabit Ethernet. All models shipped with iLifeILifeiLife is a suite of software applications developed by Apple for organizing, editing, and publishing photos, movies, and music. The suite comprises five applications: iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb, all of which run on the Mac OS X operating system....
'05 and Apple's then-new Mac OS X v10.4Mac OS X v10.4Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Tiger was released to the public on 29 April 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X Panther , which had been released 18 months earlier...
Tiger.
iMac G5 (iSight)
- October 12, 2005 — At the "One More Thing" event, Apple released new iMac G5s (the "Rev. C", or the "iSight" line); a 17-inch display running at 1.9 GHz (MA063L/A) and 20-inch display model running at 2.1 GHz (MA064L/A) with:
- A built-in USB 2.0 iSightISightiSight is a webcam, both external and internal, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. The external iSight was sold retail for US$149, connected to a computer via a FireWire cable, and came with a set of mounts to place it atop any then-current Apple display, laptop computer, all-in-one desktop...
camera - A remote controlRemote controlA remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
called Apple RemoteApple RemoteThe Apple Remote is a remote control made for use with Apple products with infrared capabilities released after October 2005. The device was announced by Steve Jobs on October 12, 2005. The remote is largely based on the interface of the first generation iPod Shuffle and has only six buttons... - Horizontal input ports rather than vertical configuration.
- Thinner 1.5-inch (3.8-cm) flat panel housing with a curved rear housing
- 512 MB PC2-4200 (533 MHz) DDR2DDR2DDR2 may refer to:* DDR2 SDRAM, the computer memory technology* Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMix, the video game* DDR2 , a human gene...
; expandable to 2.5GB total memory - Slot-loading 8x; double-layer SuperDriveSuperDriveSuperDrive is a trademark used by Apple Inc. for two different storage drives: from 1988–99 to refer to a high-density floppy disk drive capable of reading all major 3.5" disk formats; and from 2001 onwards to refer to a combined CD/DVD reader/writer....
(DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) - Mighty MouseApple Mighty MouseThe Apple Mouse is a multi-button USB mouse manufactured and sold by Apple Inc. It was announced and sold for the first time on August 2, 2005, and a Bluetooth version was available from 2006 to 2009...
- A PCI-Express ATI Radeon X600 (Pro for the 17-inch model and XT for the 20-inch model) graphics chip with 128MB DDR VRAM
- Built-in media center software called Front RowFront RowFront Row is a media center software for Apple's Macintosh computers and Apple TV for navigating and viewing video, photos, podcasts, and music from a computer, optical disc, or the Internet through a 10-foot user interface . The software relies on iTunes and iPhoto and is controlled by an Apple...
- Note: the built-in V.92V.92V.92 is an ITU-T recommendation, titled Enhancements to Recommendation V.90, that establishes a modem standard allowing near 56 kb/s download and 48 kb/s upload rates. With V.92 PCM is used for both the upstream and downstream connections; previously 56K modems only used PCM for downstream...
modemModemA modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
was removed and is now offered as the optional Apple USB ModemApple USB ModemThe Apple USB Modem was a combined 56 kbit/s data modem and 14.4 kbit/s fax external USB modem introduced by Apple Inc. after the internal 56k modem was dropped on the October 12, 2005 iMac G5 revision.-History:...
. The USB modem is available on the Apple StoreApple Store (online)The Apple Store is the online store of Apple Inc.. All of Apple's product lines are carried as well as select brands of accessories for its products. It is owned and operated by Apple in Cupertino, California...
website and also in Apple retail storeApple Store (retail)The Apple Retail Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc., dealing in computers and consumer electronics. The stores sell Macintosh personal computers, software, iPods, iPads, iPhones, third-party accessories, and other consumer electronics such as Apple TV...
s.
- A built-in USB 2.0 iSight
The iMac G5 (iSight) also used a slightly slimmer case that would be used until August 7, 2007 when Apple used the same shape but used an aluminum and glass aesthetic. A downside of this case compared to its predecessor is that the stand can no longer be replaced with a VESA mount.
The iMac G5 (iSight) is harder to open (to see and work inside the computer) than the previous models.
The iMac G5 was declared "The Gold Standard of desktop PCs" by Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal.