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The first iMac was USB only. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#Specifications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#Specifications

by _moof 3y ago

moffkalast 3y ago
It is genuinely surprising that out of all companies Apple was the one to pioneer USB usage. Quite the stark contrast with their current modus operandi of always making something custom so it can be as incompatible as possible with anything non-Apple (and so they can sell more dongles). Well until they were dragged kicking and screaming to USB-C by the EU anyway.
- MBCook 3y ago
  Are you referring to the 30 pin connector, which did stuff no other connector did? Or lightning, which was smaller and easier than anything else available since USB-C didn’t exist? You already mentioned USB. Perhaps FireWire? SCSI? Those were all standard. Oh. Laptop power connections? There was no standard until USB-C, which they use. People repeat this, but it hasn’t really been true since they gave up all the custom stuff with the iMac.
- dmonitor 3y ago
  you’re completely forgetting Apple being the first company to go all-in on USB C with their laptops. https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/9/8174219/apple-macbook-usb-type-c-connector https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/9/8174219/apple-macbook-usb-... It was really only the iPhone that lagged behind, and that’s because they switched to lightning not but a couple years before USB C was finalized, pissing off everyone who invested in the 20-pin connector ecosystem.
  - MBCook 3y ago
    That always annoyed me. I get that people had to change cables for the first time since they got their first iPod, but lightning was such a MASSIVE improvement over the 30 pin dock connector… I can’t imagine anyone would want to go back. I was really expecting something similar with the USB-C switch but it doesn’t seem to have happened.
- kube-system 3y ago
  Every proprietary connector I can think of that Apple has introduced was done to solve a problem that other connectors at the time did not solve.
runlevel1 3y ago
The Original Bondi Blue 233 MHz iMac Rev A (tray-loading CD-ROM) had: - 2x USB - 1x 10/100 Ethernet - 1x phone jack - Infrared port - 1x audio input - 1x audio output† - 2x headphone ports †I thought it had two front headphone ports so that two students could share a computer in school labs, but googling for that suggests it was probably a later revision feature. EDIT: It did indeed have 2 headphone ports on the front: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#/media/File:IMac_G3_Bondi_Blue,_three-quarters_view.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#/media/File:IMac_G3_Bo...

The first iMac was USB only. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#Specifications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#Specifications

by _moof 3y ago

The first iMac was USB only. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#Specifications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#Specifications

moffkalast 3y ago

It is genuinely surprising that out of all companies Apple was the one to pioneer USB usage. Quite the stark contrast with their current modus operandi of always making something custom so it can be as incompatible as possible with anything non-Apple (and so they can sell more dongles). Well until they were dragged kicking and screaming to USB-C by the EU anyway.

MBCook 3y ago
Are you referring to the 30 pin connector, which did stuff no other connector did? Or lightning, which was smaller and easier than anything else available since USB-C didn’t exist? You already mentioned USB. Perhaps FireWire? SCSI? Those were all standard. Oh. Laptop power connections? There was no standard until USB-C, which they use. People repeat this, but it hasn’t really been true since they gave up all the custom stuff with the iMac.
dmonitor 3y ago
you’re completely forgetting Apple being the first company to go all-in on USB C with their laptops. https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/9/8174219/apple-macbook-usb-type-c-connector https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/9/8174219/apple-macbook-usb-... It was really only the iPhone that lagged behind, and that’s because they switched to lightning not but a couple years before USB C was finalized, pissing off everyone who invested in the 20-pin connector ecosystem.
- MBCook 3y ago
  That always annoyed me. I get that people had to change cables for the first time since they got their first iPod, but lightning was such a MASSIVE improvement over the 30 pin dock connector… I can’t imagine anyone would want to go back. I was really expecting something similar with the USB-C switch but it doesn’t seem to have happened.
kube-system 3y ago
Every proprietary connector I can think of that Apple has introduced was done to solve a problem that other connectors at the time did not solve.

runlevel1 3y ago

The Original Bondi Blue 233 MHz iMac Rev A (tray-loading CD-ROM) had: - 2x USB - 1x 10/100 Ethernet - 1x phone jack - Infrared port - 1x audio input - 1x audio output† - 2x headphone ports †I thought it had two front headphone ports so that two students could share a computer in school labs, but googling for that suggests it was probably a later revision feature. EDIT: It did indeed have 2 headphone ports on the front: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#/media/File:IMac_G3_Bondi_Blue,_three-quarters_view.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3#/media/File:IMac_G3_Bo...