iMac G5

iMac G5

The original iMac G5 with an Apple Wireless Mouse.
Developer	Apple Inc.
Type	Desktop
Release date	August 31, 2004 (original models), May 3, 2005 (Ambient Light Sensor model), and October 12, 2005 (iSight model)
Discontinued	January 10, 2006 (17"), and March 20, 2006 (20")
CPU	PowerPC G5, 1.6–2.1 GHz
Predecessor	iMac G4
Successor	Intel iMac
Website	Archived 2004-09-01 at the Wayback Machine

The iMac G5 is an all-in-one desktop computer designed and built by Apple Inc. It was the final iMac to use a PowerPC processor, making it the last model that could natively run Mac OS 9 (Classic) applications. It was replaced in 2006 by the Intel iMac.

History

Inside an iMac G5 20" Rev. A

In August 2004, the iMac design was overhauled. By this time, the PowerPC 970 processor 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 high heat output from the PowerPC 970.

Apple's new iMac managed to incorporate the PowerPC 970 into an all-in-one design with a distinctive form factor. The computer used the same 17 and 20-inch widescreen LCDs found in the iMac G4, with the main logic board and optical drive now mounted directly behind the LCD panel; this gave the appearance of a thickened desktop LCD monitor. The approximately two inches deep enclosure is suspended above the desk by an aluminum arm that can be replaced by a VESA mounting plate. The iMac G5 uses an advanced cooling system controlled by the operating system; at low CPU loads this rendered the iMac G5 virtually silent. Apple boasted that it was the slimmest desktop computer on the market.

The iMac G5 was updated in March 2005 to the Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) revision. It included 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.

In October 2005, the final revision was released, adding an integrated iSight webcam mounted above the LCD and Apple's Front Row media interface. Other improvements included faster processors, more RAM, larger hard drives, and improved graphics. Notably this became the first Apple computer to use the PCI Express expansion bus and DDR2 SDRAM, with these features appearing shortly before they were incorporated into the Power Mac G5. It was declared "The Gold Standard of desktop PCs" by Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal.

Although the iMac G5 iSight looked outwardly similar to the two previous revisions, it had a slimmer, internally new design. Improvements included superior cooling and performance increases. The stand could no longer be replaced with a VESA mount. 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 at the base of the housing. In the intervening years, many guides have been posted on the internet to support replacing other components including the hard drive and optical drive, though doing so voids any remaining Apple warranty.

The iMac G5 was succeeded by the Intel-based iMac on January 10, 2006, beginning the 6-month transition of Apple's entire line of computers to the Intel architecture.

Revision history

Component	iMac G5 (August 2004)		iMac G5 Ambient Light Sensor (May 2005)		iMac G5 iSight (October 2005)
Codename	"Hero"		"Q45C", "Q45D"		"Q87"
Model identifier	iMac8,1		iMac8,2		iMac12,1
Enclosure	White polycarbonate
Display	17", 1440 × 900	20", 1680 × 1050	17", 1440 × 900	20", 1680 × 1050	17", 1440 × 900	20", 1680 × 1050
	widescreen 16:10, matte display
Processor	1.6 or 1.8 GHz	1.8 GHz	1.8 or 2.0 GHz	2.0 GHz	1.9 GHz	2.1 GHz
	PowerPC G5 970fx
Cache	64 KB (instruction), 32 KB (data) L1, 512 KB L2 (1:1)
Front side bus	533 MHz or 600 MHz (3:1)		600 MHz or 667 MHz (3:1)		633 MHz (3:1)	700 MHz (3:1)
Memory	256 MB of 400 MHz PC-3200 DDR SDRAM Expandable to 2 GB				512 MB of 533 MHz PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM Expandable to 2.5 GB
Graphics	nVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics processor with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM nVidia GeForce 4 MX graphics processor with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM (Education Only)		ATI Radeon 9600 graphics processor with 128 MB of DDR SDRAM		ATI Radeon X600 Pro with 128 MB of DDR SDRAM	ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128 MB of DDR SDRAM
	AGP 8x				PCI Express
Hard drive	80 GB	160 GB	160 GB	250 GB	160 GB Optional: 250 or 500 GB	250 GB Optional: 500 GB
	Serial ATA 7200-rpm
Optical drive Slot-loading	CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive (1.6 GHz) CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive (1.8 GHz)	CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive	CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive (1.8 GHz) CD-RW/DVD-RW DL SuperDrive (2.0 GHz)	CD-RW/DVD-RW DL SuperDrive	CD-RW/DVD-R DL 8x SuperDrive
Connectivity	Optional AirPort Extreme 802.11b/g 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56k V.92 Modem Optional Bluetooth 1.1		Integrated Airport Extreme 802.11b/g Gigabit Ethernet 56k Modem Bluetooth 2.0+EDR		Integrated Airport Extreme 802.11b/g Gigabit Ethernet Optional 56k V.92 USB modem Bluetooth 2.0+EDR Built-in infrared (IR) receiver for Apple Remote
Peripherals	3x USB 2.0 2x Firewire 400 Audio input/audio output		3x USB 2.0 2x Firewire 400 Audio input/audio output Ambient Light Sensor		3x USB 2.0 2x Firewire 400 Audio input/audio output Ambient Light Sensor
Camera	None Optional External iSight Camera (640 × 480 0.3 MP)				Integrated iSight Camera (640 × 480 0.3 MP)
Video out	Mini-VGA
Original Operating System	Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther"		Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"
Maximum Operating System	Mac OS X 10.5.8 "Leopard"
Weight	18.5 lb / 8.4 kg (17"), 25.2 lb / 11.4 kg (20")				15.5 lb / 7 kg (17"), 22 lb / 10 kg (20")

Timeline of iMac and eMac models (sorted by screen sizes)
See also: List of Mac models

See also

• Apple, Inc.
• Macintosh