To date, no iMac model has been sold with a touch screen. However, many different brands of touch screen computers, notebooks, etc. made attempts. As a result, today many tablet manufacturers offer keyboard cases, different mouse supports, etc. adding hardware to their tablets. The touch-screen iMac has not been included in any Apple launches to date. However, this iMac, produced in 1999, changes all that is known. Here is the touchscreen iMac produced 24 years ago and its details…
No, it’s not a prototype: It’s a kiosk device for public areas!
As we mentioned in the title, this is not a prototype product. A kiosk device that was produced exactly and used for a while. In other words, although not fully comprehensive, touchscreen iMac production was made exactly 24 years ago in 1999. The kiosk machines needed in public areas at that time actually created the need for touchscreen iMacs.
So far, no Apple engineer or team of engineers has worked on an iMac or MacBook with a touch panel. At least, such a rumor or news was not on the agenda. The iMac in question was not produced by an Apple employee, but by Elo Touch Solutions, which was an Apple authorized dealer and was dealing with external electrical and electronics business at that time.
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What is planned obsolescence? With the answer to this question, you will understand why old items are stronger…
As we mentioned before, these iMacs, which were produced as kiosk devices needed in public areas, actually consisted of a modification that gave the iMacs produced at that time only a touch screen feature. But we are not talking about modern touch screen technology. Instead, the iMac G3 sold by Elo had a system that used acoustic sound waves to determine where the user touched the screen.
In other words, you touch somewhere on the screen and the system determines where you touched with the vibration waves that occur at that time. As you can imagine, it was not a perfectly working system, but it was sufficient technology for devices to be used for kiosk purposes.
The touchscreen iMac shown in the video is one of the kiosk devices produced in 1999. The lucky thing is that it has never been used and has remained in its original state. The iMac G3 purchased by YouTuber Michael MJD is serving very well despite the past 24 years.