This is my favorite of the 20for20 series so far. Some others have been “Okay, that’s interesting, but what’s the point?” This one resonates. It is such a weird, oddball computer, and Jason & Stephen nail the awkwardness of it all.
I worked for a children's book publisher whose art director got one of these for himself. Despite all of the pretty good work we all did there, this was a big indicator of how the company was run. I left after almost a year.
I love that machine! I could not afford one until they came out as vintage collectibles and I managed to find a few deals. They do sound beautiful! They can be upgraded a bit, to a PPC, USB, Ethernet, etc. They are still useful, just not for big jobs, and they are so damn pretty!
Steve Jobs hated this thing, but then in 2004 said "Let's make a flat computer again, people can actually afford it now." So it was the modern iMac before even the egg-shaped iMac was a thing. It's far more fun to look at than my iMac M3, but by simply connecting a modern "satellite speakers with a subwoofer on the floor" to a modern iMac, you basically have a modernized TAM. Honestly though, the integrated power supply/subwoofer with be the easiest way to get TAM style sound on an iMac.
You hit the funny, but missed talking about the usefulness of this system. The 20th Anniversary Mac internally was, just an All-In-One 5400 desktop mother board being powered by a 601e processor. Which at the same time these were being sold, I owned as my first every apple computer. Everything this system could do, my 5400 with its built-in 15 inch Sony CRT could also perform. Both computers used the same Apple Video capture card system, both computers used the same Apple TV/FM card system (with its matching black remote control), both had a CD-ROM drive, both had a floppy drive, and accepted in the communication bay a slot for an internal modem. While my original 5400 system died after about 6-years, I currently own to replace it in my collection an All-in-One 5500 which has the same form factor and after installing my Apple video card, TV/FM radio card, etc. it is still fun being able to control my 5500 with the matching black remote control.
I was about to post this exact post. I second this motion! I'm betting the reason was that Jason wasn't sure he wanted this computer to be the debut episode of his series.
This was not at *ALL* a product which should never have shipped. What a silly thing to say. This was an extraordinary product, an aspirational product. How many amazing computers had we seen back then? And every damned one of them would never, ever be sold, because they were just ridiculous experiments. So many of them, you'd look at and just wish Apple would sell *that*. I remember Frog Design had produced a bunch of them. You'd see those things, lust for them, pine for them, dream of them, and then... oh look, Apple has a new beige box. One of them, pathetically, you recently named in your list of the top 20 because... uh... it was a little smaller than the enormous beige box they'd made right before and because you personally had good memories of yours. Fine. It's your list. It's not just me who disagreed with that, though. But you didn't need to own a 20th anniversary Mac to love it. Could I afford one? No of course not. I was a kid. But I couldn't afford a Ferrari either, and the world would be a sadder, more dreary place without them. The IIcx? LOL. Who else would have even thought of it if you hadn't put it in the list.
Get yourself someone who looks at you like Stephen looks at that Mac.
This is my favorite of the 20for20 series so far. Some others have been “Okay, that’s interesting, but what’s the point?” This one resonates. It is such a weird, oddball computer, and Jason & Stephen nail the awkwardness of it all.
I have one of the few that made it to Australia!!! It keeps on booting itself up.
I worked for a children's book publisher whose art director got one of these for himself. Despite all of the pretty good work we all did there, this was a big indicator of how the company was run. I left after almost a year.
I love that machine! I could not afford one until they came out as vintage collectibles and I managed to find a few deals. They do sound beautiful! They can be upgraded a bit, to a PPC, USB, Ethernet, etc. They are still useful, just not for big jobs, and they are so damn pretty!
Is that the one that was on Seinfeld in the background?
Yep!
Steve Jobs hated this thing, but then in 2004 said "Let's make a flat computer again, people can actually afford it now." So it was the modern iMac before even the egg-shaped iMac was a thing. It's far more fun to look at than my iMac M3, but by simply connecting a modern "satellite speakers with a subwoofer on the floor" to a modern iMac, you basically have a modernized TAM. Honestly though, the integrated power supply/subwoofer with be the easiest way to get TAM style sound on an iMac.
You hit the funny, but missed talking about the usefulness of this system. The 20th Anniversary Mac internally was, just an All-In-One 5400 desktop mother board being powered by a 601e processor. Which at the same time these were being sold, I owned as my first every apple computer. Everything this system could do, my 5400 with its built-in 15 inch Sony CRT could also perform. Both computers used the same Apple Video capture card system, both computers used the same Apple TV/FM card system (with its matching black remote control), both had a CD-ROM drive, both had a floppy drive, and accepted in the communication bay a slot for an internal modem. While my original 5400 system died after about 6-years, I currently own to replace it in my collection an All-in-One 5500 which has the same form factor and after installing my Apple video card, TV/FM radio card, etc. it is still fun being able to control my 5500 with the matching black remote control.
Stephen’s adoration of the TAM in the beginning has the same energy as Justin McElroy and his Big Beautiful Buick Enclave.
The startup chime though.
why the hell wasnt this number 20??? 20 macs for 2020 number 20 20th anniversary mac
I was about to post this exact post. I second this motion! I'm betting the reason was that Jason wasn't sure he wanted this computer to be the debut episode of his series.
Ha ha! I thought it was much more notable than that. Also this is a story entirely about inappropriate numbering...
TAM might have been weird but we haven’t got to the G3 All in One yet?
Finding your groove. The usually laconic Stephen's lascivious intro sets the tone for this Mac. Well done. Made me laugh. :)
Wasn't this the Mac that Alfred used in Batman & Robin?
The original trash can
I AM SPARTACUS!!
This was not at *ALL* a product which should never have shipped. What a silly thing to say. This was an extraordinary product, an aspirational product. How many amazing computers had we seen back then? And every damned one of them would never, ever be sold, because they were just ridiculous experiments. So many of them, you'd look at and just wish Apple would sell *that*. I remember Frog Design had produced a bunch of them. You'd see those things, lust for them, pine for them, dream of them, and then... oh look, Apple has a new beige box. One of them, pathetically, you recently named in your list of the top 20 because... uh... it was a little smaller than the enormous beige box they'd made right before and because you personally had good memories of yours. Fine. It's your list. It's not just me who disagreed with that, though. But you didn't need to own a 20th anniversary Mac to love it. Could I afford one? No of course not. I was a kid. But I couldn't afford a Ferrari either, and the world would be a sadder, more dreary place without them. The IIcx? LOL. Who else would have even thought of it if you hadn't put it in the list.
Gil Amelio is that you?