January 14, 1999: Bondo, er Bondi… Whatever, People Love It

The original iMac was kind of a make or break proposition for Apple. The company had only recently returned to profitability but was offering very little to get consumers truly excited. Then Apple unveiled the gumdrop shaped original iMac.

Reaction was mixed. Some said it was revolutionary, some called the plastic case cheap and insubstantial. Others said it looked more like a designer item or toy than a real computer. Mac fans, by and large, were outraged by the replacement of legacy ports with USB hookups. In short, everyone had an opinion on the original iMac and the future of the machine wasn't assured.

Both the fans and the naysayers got a definitive answer when the iMac was revealed to be the best selling computer, by any manufacturer, for the final quarter of 1998 during this week in 1999.