Our top topic 20 years ago was the iMac G5. At the Mac Expo in Paris, Phil Schiller presented a new iMac, representing the ill Steve Jobs. It was not quite as flat as today’s models, but it marked the transition from the desk lamp design of its predecessor to the computer that was inconspicuously integrated into the flat screen as we know it today. It was also the first time that the G5 chip was used in the all-in-one Mac. The cheapest new iMac with a 17-inch display, 1.6 GHz processor clock speed and 256 MB RAM cost 1,369 euros 20 years ago. The slightly faster top model with 1.8 GHz, whose 20-inch screen otherwise managed 1,680 x 1,050 pixels, cost 1,999 euros. We also had the opportunity to put the then fastest and hard-to-get-to-get PowerMac G5 through its paces in the test lab. A dual G5 with 2.5 GHz operates in its impressive tower case. That’s super fast, but also hungry, which is why Apple has given it an elaborate water cooling system.
As a further highlight, we present a large overview of audio and MIDI interfaces, keyboards and more. This means that amateur musicians can really get started with Apple’s music software GarageBand without spending hundreds of euros. And we compare alternatives to the iTunes Music Store, from the Russian online service allofmp3.com to offers from Sony or Karstadt to musicload.de from Telekom. And in the review of the game “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”, our author finally gives “serious thought to the wear resistance of the controller and your own fingers” due to the fortunate level of difficulty. This is compensated for – assuming you have a powerful Mac – by impressive graphics and soundscapes as well as integrated original recordings from the film of the same name.
With our digital offering Mac Life+ you can download and read all issues of Mac Life since 2002 as PDFs free of charge – you can find issue 10/2004 here.
World events and pop culture
Die Summer Olympics return to the birthplace of the Olympics in Athens, Greece, and will take place in Europe for the first time since 1992 in August 2004. +++ The cinema is showing the “Bourne Conspiracy” the second part of the action-packed thriller series with Matt Damon in the role of former CIA assassin Jason Bourne. +++ Maroon 5 release the single “She Will Be Loved” from their debut album “Songs About Jane”. The title reaches high chart positions worldwide. +++ With the Games Convention One of the largest trade fairs for computer games, interactive entertainment, hardware and information software in Europe takes place in Leipzig. Around 105,000 visitors and 270 exhibitors attend. +++ The cinema is showing “Spider Man 2”. The sequel to the first Spider-Man film with Tobey Maguire in the title role of the iconic Marvel superhero is once again bringing in a lot of money at the box office.
