At the end of the 90s, the iMac was the device that embodied a spirit of optimism and new approaches more than any other product. The concept of a fully integrated Mac was not new, as the first Macintosh had already relied on this design, but the design and clear future direction were. Translucent plastic, the elimination of the floppy disk drive and an integrated modem for easy Internet access were considered far-reaching changes. Two and a half decades later, however, it must be noted that the importance of the iMac in the product range has declined significantly. There are no longer two versions – and the model cycles are longer than in the notebook sector. April 2021: Apple presents the first M1 iMac
Exactly five years ago, the first M1-based iMac saw the light of day in the technology world (see article at the time). Apple had discontinued the iMac Pro a few weeks earlier, whereas the iMac 27″ with an Intel processor was to remain on sale for another year. On April 20th, the company showed the completely redesigned iMac at the “Spring Loaded” event. The 21.5″ became 24″, the casing thickness shrank, and numerous colors were available again for the first time since the knobby iMacs of the time.
The M1 chip brought significantly more performance – but there was no longer a version with a larger display. Nothing should change to this day, although rumors arose several times that Apple was interested in a comeback of the iMac Pro. The iMac M1 was followed by the M3 and M4 variants, whereas the M5 changeover is still a long time coming.
Predecessor and new generation
The “Spring Loaded” event had even more to offer
Apple’s April event of 2021 offered a few more announcements. The company presented the first generation of AirTags – which had already made its presence felt in the previous two years through numerous references. Apple also switched the iPad Pro from A to M chips and thus installed an M1 for the first time. The Apple TV also appeared in a new generation, which now relied on an A12 chip and received a revised remote control.
