iMac G4 With Revolutionary Floating Display Announced 20 Years Ago Today - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iMac G4 With Revolutionary Floating Display Announced 20 Years Ago Today

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Apple announcing the iMac G4. Unveiled on January 7, 2002, the iMac G4 featured a unique design with a flat-screen panel mounted on an adjustable arm and a hemisphere base housing the computer's internal components.

the new imac g4 feature
Nicknamed the Lamp or Sunflower, the iMac G4 was innovative for its time as an all-in-one computer with a flat screen that can be moved around freely.

"The new iMac ushers in the age of flat-screen computing for everyone. The CRT display is now officially dead," said Apple's former CEO Steve Jobs in a press release announcing the iMac G4. "And with its powerful G4 processor and SuperDrive, everyone can now affordably create and burn their own custom DVDs and CDs."

Key features of the iMac G4 included a 15-inch flat-screen LCD, 700 MHz or 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor options, a SuperDrive built into the base for CD/DVDs, up to a 60GB hard drive, up to 1GB of RAM, two FireWire ports, and five USB ports. By the end of 2003, Apple had also released larger 17-inch and 20-inch display sizes.

In his 2002 review of the iMac G4 for Macworld, longtime Apple reporter Jason Snell described the computer as "nothing short of a triumph."

Popular Stories

iphone 18 pro blue%402x

iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Dark Gray Chassis Leaked [Update]

Thursday June 4, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows. The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity....
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...
iOS 27 All the New App Features

iOS 27: All the Rumored App Features

Wednesday June 3, 2026 3:48 pm PDT by
Siri is getting a major overhaul in iOS 27, but Apple also has some big updates planned for apps like Camera, Photos, and Wallet. There are multiple new AI features in the works, plus some non-AI upgrades. Camera Apple is moving Visual Intelligence from the Camera Control button to the Camera app in iOS 27, according to Bloomberg. There will be a Siri mode that will be available alongside...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
58 months ago
Still looking good. I'm pretty sure many of the MacRumors forum members are lucky enough to play around with it on here. Consider yourself lucky.



Attachment Image
Score: 62 Votes (Like | Disagree)
58 months ago
Still looks modern, which is a great achievement when it comes to technology.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
58 months ago
For a split second, I saw that picture, and thought "they're bringing that design back? Woooooo! Might just be the push I need to get a new Mac!"

Then I saw it was just a historical retrospective, and I turned to the side to look at the still-functional iMac G4 sitting on my bookshelf, and shook my head sadly.

That hovering display was REALLY ergonomic for me, the ability to move it up and down and side-to-side so effortlessly still can't be matched by modern all-in-one designs.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ramsos Avatar
58 months ago
I wanted one of these so bad, never had one. Still kinda want one.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDevil7334 Avatar
58 months ago
Still one of the best Apple designs ever. Loved this computer back in the day!
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikhsub1 Avatar
58 months ago
Man I thought my G4 cube was the hottest thing ever made until I got this iMac. Hot damn Apple was great back then.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)