In its 36 years in business , Apple has produced hundreds of computer model in a dizzying raiment of sizes , manner , and capabilities . All along the mode , fans and critic alike have lauded Apple for its unequalled and typical design sense — even in the awkward years before Steve Jobs rejoined the company , believe it or not .
However , if a company produces hundreds of computer models , chances are that a few might come out look a small too classifiable , little too unique , or petty tooweird . Here are the five uncanny Macs ever released by Apple .
5. Flower Power and Blue Dalmatian iMacs (2001)
About three year into theiMac G3 ’s lifetime , Apple go out of colors . It had invent iMacs that were Bondi Blue , Blueberry , Strawberry , Lime , Tangerine , Grape , Graphite , Indigo , Ruby , Sage , and Snow .
That left the calculator Divine in a piece of a conundrum . Apple led the industry in calculator colors since 1998 , but the amazing gait of their invention had forget them with very few colors to choose from . Where could they go from there ?
InFebruary 2001 , Apple found the solution : It debuted iMacs with multicolor patterns named Blue Dalmatian and Flower Power that came form into the sheath charge card . One style cite a dog breed that is , in fact , never dispirited , while the other wink at the 1960s hippie movement , which was apropos to absolutely nothing computer - relate in the year 2001 .
Some think the new patterns wereugly , while others just secretly barfed . I still have not meet a believable account of someone fawning over the tumid designs .
Beneath their tacky exteriors , they were solid , dependable iMacs , of path . But outdoors , they were both really weird , so they share a tie for the act five spot on this tilt .
4. Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (1997)
If one were asked to name the most lenient , over - direct personal reckoner ever make , one might casually remark the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh . Then duck .
Apple released the $ 7499 - computer to celebrate its 20th day of remembrance in business — almost a twelvemonth after that anniversary had passed . The machine be more money than most individuals had in their camber accounts at the sentence , and its resulting scarceness cover a rage - corresponding follow that persists to this day .
After watchingthis promotional videofrom 1997 , it becomes manifest that Apple’sJonathan Ivehad a hand in theTwentieth Anniversary Macintosh ’s conception . ( If you do n’t have the time to watch , I ’ll summarize the video : gatefold , pop - in , touchpad , prostrate screen , metal viewpoint , leather . )
This prompts the question : Is this computer what come about when Apple ’s asterisk designer is left to his own gimmick ? Or is it just what happens when he ’s under bad direction ? Whichever it was , it made him speak in gibberish , which I quote from the video :
“ So if you imagine an object that ’s a television , that ’s a radio , that ’s a computing machine — whatever computer means . If you imagine an aim that has an unbelievable speech sound system . If you imagine all of those functionality , all those engineering science , if you ideate them converge into one object , what should that object be ? What on earth should it wait like ? ”
The solvent , if you had n’t guessed , is the fourth weirdest Mac on our list .
3. Power Macintosh G4 Cube (2000)
Just after Steve Jobs announced the Power Mac G4 Cube in 2000 , Apple fans at once remembered thecube - shaped NeXT Computerfrom 1988 and set about to sense a pattern emerging .
Aside from those two computers , that theory has never really been put to a good trial . Perhaps some sidereal day Apple will expel a hoard of cube - shape iPod prototypes ( with regular hexahedron - form earbuds — ouch ! ) . Until then , I ’ll take on that the only two notable third power - influence personal computer release in the United States arrived under the purview of Jobs . So yes , he probably like cubes . Too much , in fact .
During the G4 Cube’sintroduction , Jobs spent what seemed like a minor infinity going over the fact that the automobile was a pure 8 - column inch cube suspended in a quartz - clear acrylic inclosure , as if that were itschief marketing point . That might bewhy the motorcar did n’t sell very well — and it also might be why it ’s the third weirdest Mac ever released .
2. Macintosh XL (1985)
You ’re looking at the originalHackintosh . That ’s what sept call the Macintosh XL back in the mid-1980s , because the product boast the body of an Apple Lisa 2/10 and the brain of a Mac .
The Lisa debuted in 1983 ( prey the Macintosh by one twelvemonth ) with the exorbitant price of $ 9995 ( misapprehension routine 1 ) . Understandably , sales were slow . Apple attempted to revitalise the Lisa descent with the release of the Lisa 2 , which launch alongside the first Macintosh in January 1984 ( fault number 2 ) . Macs outsell Lisas by a huge margin , and Apple knew the Lisa chopine was doom .
assay to clear out existing Lisa 2 inventory , Apple bundled the unit with Macintosh emulation software and re - trademark it as the Macintosh XL . It launched in January 1985 as part of theMacintosh Officesystem .
To Apple ’s surprise , gamey - end consumers snapped up the $ 3995 Macintosh XL in striking way , buying up Apple ’s intact supply within five months of its discharge .
With 2 MB of RAM and a 10 megabit intragroup hard cause ( at a time when the most powerful “ regular ” Mac include a non - upgradeable 512 KB of RAM and no hard campaign ) , the Mac XL seemed a deal for users who desire a Mac with enough memory to actually be useful . It even sported a high show resoluteness than its smaller Mac cousin ( 608 by 431 versus 512 by 342 on the original Mac ) .
Analysts , who had no idea of Apple ’s original stock - clearing plans for the XL , openly voice their confusion about why Apple killed its most popular new product . But Apple had no intention of building any more Macintosh XLs , and this weird machine bit the dust in June 1985 .
1. Power Macintosh G3 All-In-One (1998)
Pop quiz : Name the first partly translucent all - in - one Macintosh . If you enunciate “ iMac , ” you ’d be horribly , terribly mistaken . But we ’d all forgive you for think that .
No , that laurels goes to the Power Macintosh G3 All - In - One , announce in March 1998 — a mere two month before the iMac . surprisingly , this 59 - pound animate being of a simple machine slip in under Steve Jobs ’s watch , although you’re able to be assured that this molar - shaped monstrosity traces its origins to a meter before he took charge .
With a 233 or 266 MHz PowerPC G3 CPU , a 15 - in monitor , 4 GB hard drive , and 24X CD - ROM private road , you ’d be excuse for mean this auto is an iMac on paper . After all , the two machines share standardized service line specs .
But you ’d be incorrect , again . The iMac ditched the duplicate floppy driving force , the intragroup PCI slots , and the grotesque , tooth - like visual aspect that tip the scales to make the G3 All - In - One the weird Mac of all clock time .
