Photo: Fernando Carmona / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
iMac G5 (iSight)
A built-in camera and a remote control join the thin white iMac.
Overview
The last PowerPC iMac was also the best of the G5s. A tiny iSight webcam sat above the screen for video chat, the new Front Row software turned the Mac into a media center controlled by a six-button Apple Remote, and the case slimmed down to about an inch and a half.
It was the first Apple computer with PCI Express and DDR2 memory. The 17-inch model ran a 1.9 GHz G5 with an ATI Radeon X600 Pro, 512 MB of memory and a 160 GB drive, while the 20-inch ran at 2.1 GHz with 250 GB. Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 were standard, and the modem disappeared.
It was replaced just three months later by an Intel iMac.
Why it mattered
It put a camera and a remote into every iMac and ended the PowerPC era for the product line.
At a glance
- Announced
- October 12, 2005
- Released
- October 12, 2005
- Discontinued
- January 10, 2006
- Launch price
- $1,299
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC G5 (970FX), 1.9 GHz
- Display
- 17" or 20"
- Storage
- 160 or 250 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Built-in iSight camera
- Front Row and Apple Remote
- PCI Express and DDR2 memory
- Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth built in
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 17-inch or 20-inch
- Type
- Widescreen TFT LCD
- Resolution
- 1440 x 900 (17-inch), 1680 x 1050 (20-inch)
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC G5 (970FX), 1.9 GHz (17-inch) or 2.1 GHz (20-inch)
Memory
- RAM
- 512 MB DDR2, expandable to 2.5 GB
- Storage options
- 160 GB (17-inch) or 250 GB (20-inch) hard disk; SuperDrive
Graphics
- GPU
- ATI Radeon X600 Pro (17-inch) or X600 XT (20-inch), 128 MB
Ports
- Ports
- 3 USB 2.0, 2 FireWire 400, mini-DVI, Gigabit Ethernet, audio in and out
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Camera
- Camera
- Built-in iSight
Design
- Weight
- 7.0 kg (15.5 lb) for the 17-inch
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS X 10.4.2 Tiger
Availability
- Announced
- October 12, 2005
- Released
- October 12, 2005
- Discontinued
- January 10, 2006
- Launch price
- $1,299
Colors
- Finishes
- White
