July 8, 2004: Apple Stops Taking Orders for the iMac

The iMac, since its introduction, has been Apple's flagship product. The iMac generally features Apple's pro line chip at a consumer friendly price and, to top it all off, an integrated monitor. In short, the iMac has always been Apple's most compelling computer for consumers.

Unfortunately, for those who desired one of Apple's best sellers, Apple couldn't provide the machines. The problem stemmed from the transition to the G5 chip. The G4 "Sunflower" iMacs had been EOL'd (end of life) but the G5 powered iMacs weren't ready to go, owing, most speculated, to a G5 chip shortage from IBM.

Apple, who had been planning on an ample supply of the G5 chips, had already eschewed ordering the parts necessary to produce G4 iMacs. Thus, they were forced to stop taking orders for the G4 iMac during the first week of July, 2004.