iMac PowerPC 7445 (G4) 2003

The Apple iMac G4/1.0 15-Inch (Flat Panel) is equipped with a 1.0 GHz PowerPC 7445 (G4) processor that includes the AltiVec "Velocity Engine" vector processing unit and a 256k on-chip level 2 cache. It comes with 256 MB of RAM (333 MHz PC2700 DDR SDRAM), an 80.0 GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive (7200 RPM), a tray-loading 32X "Combo" drive, and NVIDIA GeForce4 MX graphics with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM (AGP 4X support). Optional cards provide support for AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth.

The internal components are contained within an appealing 10.6-inch half-sphere, ice-white case, featuring a chromed stainless steel neck that holds a 15" TFT Active Matrix LCD display. This model was supplied with MacOS X 10.2 "Jaguar" (and cannot boot into MacOS 9), along with an ice-white Apple Pro Keyboard, Mouse, and Speakers. In contrast to some earlier iMac models that used convection cooling, the iMac "Flat Panel" series is cooled by a quiet internal fan.

As the final generation of the iMac G4 series, this 15-inch model offered mature performance with its 1.0 GHz G4 processor and USB 2.0 ports. Its unique "sunflower" design continued to be beloved by many fans, even long after its release. The NVIDIA GeForce4 MX graphics were sufficient for standard tasks of the era, though they were found lacking for more advanced graphics work. The inability to boot into MacOS 9 was a disappointment for some users who still required the classic environment, but it also symbolized the complete transition to MacOS X. It was a memorable machine that balanced design and performance.