Carl Berkeley / Flickr
When you look back down the tilt of thebest Macs of all fourth dimension , the iMac G3 from 1998 garners a peck of congratulations for assign Apple back on the function , and justifiedly so . But there ’s another Mac from that menses that often gets pretermit — and today it celebrates its 25th anniversary .
That Apple computer is the Power Mac G3 450 risque and White edition . While the colorfuliMac G3opened up a new era for Apple by forging its report as a forward - thinking companionship that built fun , innovative computers , the Power Mac G3 Blue and White cement that idea , prove that Apple was back in a big mode .
Carl Berkeley / Flickr
What was all the tiff about ? Well , countenance ’s start with its outward show . The clue is in the name : While past Power Mac model ( and about every survive PC on the market ) used a boring ecru tower aesthetic , the Power Mac G3 adopt from the iMac and mixed thing up with a blue - and - blank design that was immediately recognizable . It was creative , classifiable and worthy — not things usually associated with computers in those Clarence Day , and specially not with pro - grade machines .
Interestingly , the Blue and White 450 model was not the original revision of the Power Mac G3 . The Power Mac G3 initially launched in 1997 with the bland beige face that Apple had been struggle to deal for yr . Yet , after thebright blue iMac G3launched in 1998 , Apple bed it could never go back to the old way of doing things . And thus , the Blue and White Power Mac G3 was born in January 1999 . Six calendar month later saw the arrival of the 450 model and the internal index it brought with it .
This computer was n’t just about external appearing — it had a bunch of magnificent features on the inside too .
For one matter , it come with an cunning hinged panel that let you start the side of the computer by only lift a door latch . The motherboard was posit to the side instrument panel , meaning you could lay it flat and get at all the factor without needing to achieve inside the information processing system itself . You could even unfold the Power Mac while it was running , all without a preventative . It was a exploiter - friendly way of intellection that was almost whole absent from the challenger — something Apple has continued to explore with more recentMac Pro design .
The 450 interlingual rendition of the Power Mac G3 was a meaning upgrade over its 1997 predecessor in terms of constituent , too . It had faster chips proffer clock speeds of up to 450Mhz ( hence the name ) , faster retentiveness , and a fast motherboard , show that an attractive design did n’t have to mean sacrificing performance . Notably , the Blue and White edition was also the first Mac to embark with FireWire . This boasted 400 Mbps conveyance hurrying , which at the time was a superfast connection for hook up your peripherals .
at long last , the Power Mac G3 Blue and White edition proved that high - powered computers did n’t involve to be boring and utter serious . They could have a splash of people of colour and a touch of personality , bunch in inventive features that made your sprightliness easier , and still volunteer excellent carrying into action . In a world filled with beige boxes , what better way could there be to suffer out ?
While Apple ’s Mac desktops have been oriented more toward the professional crowd , the colourful approach is still alive and well in the current lineup ofiMacs . The Power Mac G3 was clear a calculator from a unlike earned run average , but it will always apply a notable spot in data processor history .
