G4 MDD (3,6) Power Cable

[CC_333]

My North American Rev. C iMac shipped with a very similar disk package featuring 8.5.1 Install and Restore disks, but it additionally included two World Book Encyclopedia disks (the main program disk and a data disk). It seems many (most?) iMacs shipped with either 8.1 (Rev. A and B) or 8.6 (later Rev. C and Rev. D), so does that make having one with stock 8.5.1 disks a relative oddity?

I don't think I have the original anymore, so I can't check the part numbers. I eventually found a duplicate set with the same software and 8.5.1 Install/Restore set, but I don't know if their part numbers match the originals.

c

 

[mac27]

Thanks, that is good to know re: your Rev. C and is also consistent with what I have at present.

Rev. B iMacs did not ship with OS 8.1, but rather OS 8.5. This is indicated on EveryMac and I also personally have one where this is indicated on the original box etc. See CompleteSet for more details.

I updated the Rev. C "Other Discs" field to include the World Book CDs. Do you happen to know if it shipped with any of the other discs that prior and later models shipped with (Photo Soap, Williams-Sonoma etc.)?

 

[CC_333]

I can confirm that in addition to the aforementioned Install/Restore and World Book disks, it did also ship with Quicken 98, Williams-Sonoma Guide to Good Cooking and Kai's Photo Soap. Were there any others I'm forgetting?

That's interesting, so apparently the Rev. B and early Rev. C shipped with 8.5, and the latter Rev. Cs and Rev. D with 8.6?

I will note that 8.1 boots successfully on my Rev. C, but that's not surprising, given that all the models are essentially the same as the original Rev. A which came stock with 8.1.

Here's a fun little footnote: 8.5 and possibly also 8.1 (I can't remember) were able to boot my Lombard PowerBook with virtually no effort, although USB (and probably other stuff I lacked the ability to test) didn't work. Again, this isn't too surprising, given that the Lombard and tray loader iMacs seem to share a lot in common architecturally. In fact, I think I read somewhere once that the iMac was so rushed, that it essentially was for all intents and purposes a PowerBook design (probably some cross between a Wallstreet and what later became the Lombard) that was refactored to fit inside the iMac's case. Is that true?

c

 

[mac27]

Great, I have updated the entry with those discs. Do you also happen to know if it also shipped with MDK or Adobe PageMill? If so, that would be the same as those that came before and after.

I also still need the part number for that packet (overall), but doesn't sound like we have that here. Also would be good to know if it shipped with the lime-green envelope that the rev. Ds did, or if it was another color.

I believe that is correct, re: revs C and D, but is there evidence that late rev C machines shipped with 8.6? Would you be able to enlighten me on that, if so?

Neat footnote! Yes, Lombards shipped with 8.6 so I'm not surprised to hear it. OS 8 seems to be much more open on different machines in that regard, versus 9 just based on what I've seen. I can't comment on the PowerBook/iMac theory but it also would not surprise me terribly.

 

[CC_333]

Great, I have updated the entry with those discs. Do you also happen to know if it also shipped with MDK or Adobe PageMill? If so, that would be the same as those that came before and after.

I don't know what MDK is, but I had forgotten that it does also include PageMill (3.0, if it matters). I had a feeling I was forgetting something!

I also still need the part number for that packet (overall), but doesn't sound like we have that here. Also would be good to know if it shipped with the lime-green envelope that the rev. Ds did, or if it was another color.

I'm sure I still have it somewhere, but it's been a long time.

That said, it was a small yellow binder, not an envelope with the disks in paper sleeves (my Slot Loader had that; it was orange, but once again, no part number, alas).

I believe that is correct, re: revs C and D, but is there evidence that late rev C machines shipped with 8.6? Would you be able to enlighten me on that, if so?

I'm afraid that's all I know, and I admit it is partly speculative. According to the iMac G3 Wikipedia page, the original Revs. A through D shipped mainly with 8.5 or 8.5.1, with only the earliest Rev. A's shipping with 8.1. That said, I think I'm onto something: Rev. D was released April 15, 1999, and 8.6 was released just under a month later, on May 10, so that suggests that no Rev. C's (aside from refurbished ones, perhaps) came with 8.6 from the factory, and likewise for the earliest of the Rev. D's released before May 10, because it hadn't been released yet.

Also, 9 wasn't released until October 23, 1999, whereas the first Slot Loaders were released October 5, so that means that the earliest Slot Loaders likely shipped with 8.6 also. Whew! What a messy rollout!!

Neat footnote! Yes, Lombards shipped with 8.6 so I'm not surprised to hear it. OS 8 seems to be much more open on different machines in that regard, versus 9 just based on what I've seen. I can't comment on the PowerBook/iMac theory but it also would not surprise me terribly.

Yes! Regardless of whether or not it was truly based on a PowerBook, the original iMac was a bit of a kludge and definitely borrowed some PB design aspects. For example, the CPU and laptop-style RAM slots are on a PowerBook-style daughtercard which resembles that of the Lombard. Although this doesn't prove the PB theory defintively, it does lend some credence to it.

c

 

[mac27]

I don't know what MDK is, but I had forgotten that it does also include PageMill (3.0, if it matters). I had a feeling I was forgetting something!

Cool, thanks, I have updated the info with PageMill. That's the same packet (materials, anyways) as the Rev Ds and the early slot-loaders so I combined them all together.

I'm sure I still have it somewhere, but it's been a long time.

That said, it was a small yellow binder, not an envelope with the disks in paper sleeves (my Slot Loader had that; it was orange, but once again, no part number, alas).

Very interesting that the Rev Cs also shipped with the yellow binder that the Rev As and Bs did; would have thought it'd been the lime ones that came later. But I have updated that also.

I'm afraid that's all I know, and I admit it is partly speculative. According to the iMac G3 Wikipedia page, the original Revs. A through D shipped mainly with 8.5 or 8.5.1, with only the earliest Rev. A's shipping with 8.1. That said, I think I'm onto something: Rev. D was released April 15, 1999, and 8.6 was released just under a month later, on May 10, so that suggests that no Rev. C's (aside from refurbished ones, perhaps) came with 8.6 from the factory, and likewise for the earliest of the Rev. D's released before May 10, because it hadn't been released yet.

Also, 9 wasn't released until October 23, 1999, whereas the first Slot Loaders were released October 5, so that means that the earliest Slot Loaders likely shipped with 8.6 also. Whew! What a messy rollout!!

Cool, I have updated the Rev D entry with that new knowledge. Yeah this era was very messy! You can see on the CompleteSet tabs for machines like the Power Mac G4 that there were sometimes literally half a dozen different disc/packet versions I've found for some models; it is a wreck in terms of trying to organize it all together. But I am trying to make it as clear as I can with the way I am organizing it.

Yes! Regardless of whether or not it was truly based on a PowerBook, the original iMac was a bit of a kludge and definitely borrowed some PB design aspects. For example, the CPU and laptop-style RAM slots are on a PowerBook-style daughtercard which resembles that of the Lombard. Although this doesn't prove the PB theory defintively, it does lend some credence to it.

For sure. Not to mention the whole mezzanine slot situation as well as the obvious use of DB-15 in the case ... etc etc. The slot loaders were so much more refined.