The Power of Vintage
iMac G3
iMac G3: Steve Jobs’ Comeback
The iMac G3 was Apple’s first major product after Steve Jobs returned to the company. It was sold from 1998 to 2003 and designed as an affordable web-ready computer for everyday users. The G3 replaced older tech, such as floppy disk drives and serial ports, with a CD-ROM drive and USB ports.
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Launch price: $1,299 (August 1998)
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Original colors: Bondi Blue, Grape, Tangerine, Blueberry, Lime, Strawberry
Introducing the Apple Computers
Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Apple Computers, Inc. changed people’s perceptions of personal computers.
- Apple I was the first computer with a single-circuit board and ROM
- Apple II was the first commercially available computer with color graphics
- The Macintosh was the first personal computer featuring a mouse-driven graphical user interface
Introducing the Atari ST
Computer Made for the Masses, not the Classes
Released in April 1985, the Atari ST was one of the first 16-bit home computers in the world.
Based on Motorola 68K, the ST offered processing power, 512K of RAM, a GUI, 512 colors, and a 3-voice sound. All that for $799, when the IBM PC and Macintosh could do less for a much higher price tag.
Introducing the Amiga
Amiga – The Multimedia Powerhouse of the 1980s
The Amiga was a groundbreaking line of home and professional computers developed by Commodore between 1985 and 1994. Based on the Motorola 68K architecture, Amiga systems introduced a host of innovative features far ahead of their time, including:
- 4,096 on-screen colors
- Hardware-accelerated graphics
- Stereo PCM audio
- Preemptive multitasking
- A mouse-driven graphical user interface
These capabilities made the Amiga the first affordable multimedia computer, long before the term “multimedia” became mainstream. It quickly became the go-to platform for graphic designers, digital artists, animators, musicians, DJs, and video editors—many of whom launched their careers on an Amiga. That said, its most popular application was undoubtedly video gaming.
Amiga CD32
The Amazing Amiga CD32 Console
Released in Europe in September 1993, the Amiga CD32 was a 32-bit video game console built on the architecture of Commodore's A1200 computer. Although initially launched in Europe, it was also sold in Canada, Australia, and Brazil.
The CD32 enjoyed a strong start in Europe, quickly capturing a 50% share of the UK’s CD-ROM-based console market. However, Commodore’s expansion into the US was halted when 30,000 CD32 units were seized in the Philippines due to a patent dispute. This legal setback had a serious impact on the company’s already fragile financial state. As a result, the console was discontinued in April 1994.
- It is estimated that only 200,000 units of the CD32 were ever produced
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