3 ms·

It was hugely successful. They sold millions at at time when a highly successful computer model would sell a few hundred thousand boxes. It’s absolutely accura

It was hugely successful. They sold millions at at time when a highly successful computer model would sell a few hundred thousand boxes. It’s absolutely accurate to say the iMac is the product that launched the modern era of Apple. Had it been a flop the company likely would have gone under.

prmoustache 3y ago
"millions" is a big vague. Do you have a number of units solds for the first gen imac G3 compared to say, the combined sales of all the Macintosh PowerMacintosh/Performa models of the generation before and the global growth of regular PC at the time? My perception, and I emphasize in the word perception, because I lack numbers, is that the early imac and ibook were quite ridiculized for their appearance and the imac/ibook/probook series started being fashionable and successful items the generation after those: white ibook, flat LCD panel imac G4, titanium powerbooks...Those were the ones you would see elsewhere compared to the aquarium looking imac g3 and the clamshell "toilet seat" ibook that nobody wanted to be seen with. Hence me looking for numbers instead of praising news article written with rose tinted glasses and without sales numbers. And I mean by that it may have saved apple temporarily by at least reversing/flattening the curb while not being a mega success. Macs were losing market share every year, just not losing more market share or gaining a little bit can be considered a success even without making a huge dent in the PC market.
- twoodfin 3y ago
  https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/04/19/how-apple-went-from-bust-to-five-million-colorful-imacs-sold/amp/ https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/04/19/how-apple-went-fr...
  - prmoustache 3y ago
    Thanks! I saw a chart that was showing the revenues and they didn't really grow from 1998 to 2000. The real increase started between 2001 - 2005 which correspond to the second gen imac and more importantly the ipod. Having said that the apple share stopped declining after the first imace release so it may not have generated a lot of money but at least gave confidence in the market.

prmoustache 3y ago

"millions" is a big vague. Do you have a number of units solds for the first gen imac G3 compared to say, the combined sales of all the Macintosh PowerMacintosh/Performa models of the generation before and the global growth of regular PC at the time? My perception, and I emphasize in the word perception, because I lack numbers, is that the early imac and ibook were quite ridiculized for their appearance and the imac/ibook/probook series started being fashionable and successful items the generation after those: white ibook, flat LCD panel imac G4, titanium powerbooks...Those were the ones you would see elsewhere compared to the aquarium looking imac g3 and the clamshell "toilet seat" ibook that nobody wanted to be seen with. Hence me looking for numbers instead of praising news article written with rose tinted glasses and without sales numbers. And I mean by that it may have saved apple temporarily by at least reversing/flattening the curb while not being a mega success. Macs were losing market share every year, just not losing more market share or gaining a little bit can be considered a success even without making a huge dent in the PC market.

twoodfin 3y ago
https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/04/19/how-apple-went-from-bust-to-five-million-colorful-imacs-sold/amp/ https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/04/19/how-apple-went-fr...
- prmoustache 3y ago
  Thanks! I saw a chart that was showing the revenues and they didn't really grow from 1998 to 2000. The real increase started between 2001 - 2005 which correspond to the second gen imac and more importantly the ipod. Having said that the apple share stopped declining after the first imace release so it may not have generated a lot of money but at least gave confidence in the market.