History
This is a real history making machine. Released in August 1998, it
was a revolutionary product that helped turn Apple's fortunes around.
The iMac was an
all in one computer with a 15" CRT, cased in bondi blue plastic. This computer,
unlike earlier Apple all-in-ones, was curved and elegant.
Apple took a chance and
installed USB connectivity instead of the older serial and SCSI ports,
in fact it was one of the first machines to do so. The removal of a floppy drive
was a daring move, but the included 56K modem meant small file movement
could be done via email - x86 PCs are still using floppy drives today!
These iMacs were originally shipped with OS 8.1, and will take up to OSX 10.3.9. They cannot use 10.4 or later.
Later machines were announced with speed bumped processors, more VRAM
and further choice in colour. It was the iMacs distinctive colouration that set it
apart from the rest and is still being imitated today.
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How to Identify these Machines
The iMac series can be distinguished by their optical drives. These early iMacs have a tray loading CD-ROM drive. The later machines have a slot loading CD optical drive and are dealt with on a separate page of this site.
The iMac G3 Tray loader is distinctive in its appearance. There were two major types
of tray-loaders - the original (rev A) was a Bondi Blue coloured G3 233MHz machine. The later
ones (revs B - D) were available in Bondi Blue, Blueberry, Strawberry, Tangerine, Grape and Green, with speeds from 233MHz to 333MHz.
To distinguish between the Rev A 233MHz iMac, and the Rev B 233MHz one, check the front of the machine. The Rev A has an IR port, which was dropped from the rest of the series.
If you are still unsure you can contact us on 01223 833 412 or by email for
confirmation. If you want to upgrade but aren't happy to install your upgrades
then we can help. Simply ask our engineers for further details.
Memory Upgrades
The iMac G3 Tray Loader has 2 memory socket available for upgrade. Depending on your machines processor speed it can accept
up to 512Mb of RAM - the earlier (233MHz) machines could only accept 256MB of RAM in 2 x 128MB modules.
| 1 | This RAM is not compatible with the Rev.A iMac - Rev.A iMacs were all shipped with OS 8.1, shipped before October 1998 and have only 2MB of VRAM. |
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 4 / 5 - Reasonably tricky.
WARNING: The iMac has a CRT tube which can store a build-up of electrostatic charge. These instructions assume you know and understand this danger.
Turn off the iMac and remove the power cable.
Turn your iMac so that the display is facing the surface
(a soft cloth can reduce scratching).
The bottom case is secured with one screw which is located in the middle of the underside handle.
Once this screw is removed the case can be moved upwards and placed to one side.
There are 3 sets of cables that need to be removed.
The first set goes to the right and is the power supply cable. The next one down is the monitor connection, and can be undone with
two screws. The third cable can be gently pulled upwards.
Once the cables have been disconnected you are ready to remove the inner
tray - this is secured with two screws near where the first was removed. Once these are out the entire tray can be pulled upwards
(assuming your iMac is face down) this tray has all the main elements of the system.
The memory is accessible under a metal protective grill. This reveals the user accessible slot. There is a second space hidden underneath
the other - this is difficult to do and professional installation is highly recommended. Once the RAM stick has been inserted reassemble machine
and your done.
Apple's own fitting guide is here.
If you are unsure of this procedures our engineers can do the work for you. Simply use this form to contact us.
CD & DVD Drive Upgrades
The iMac G3 Tray loader came equipped with a CD-ROM drive loaded by a tray at the front of the unit.
At present we don't stock internal CD writers which fit internally to the machine.
It is possible to use an external CD-RW via USB. However USB is a slow connection, which can only burn at around 4x speeds, no matter what speed the drive itself is rated at.
There are no optical drive upgrades available for these Macs
Difficulty 1/5 Easy.
Install any supplied software. Restart machine and connect the new device.
Internal Hard Drive Upgrades
This range of drives will work in your iMac G3 Tray loader - although user installation is difficult
(see below). Due to the age of the IDE controller in these iMacs, internal drives must be of 80GB or lower capacity.
If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.
Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 4 / 5 - Reasonably tricky
WARNING: The iMac has a CRT tube which can store a build-up of electrostatic charge. These instructions assume you know and understand this danger.
Turn off the machine and remove the power cable.
Turn your iMac so that the Display is facing the surface (a soft cloth can reduce scratching).
The bottom case is secured with one screw which is located in the middle of the underside handle.
Once this screw is removed the case can be moved upwards and placed to one side.
There are 3 sets of cables that need to be removed.
The first set goes to the right and is the power supply cable. The next one down is the monitor connection, and can be undone with
two screws. The third cable can be gently pulled upwards.
Once the cables have been disconnected you are ready to remove the inner
tray - this is secured with two screws near where the first was removed. Once these are out the entire tray can be pulled upwards
(assuming you iMac is face down) this tray has all the main elements of the system.
The hard drive is attached beneath the CD-ROM drive to the front of the chassis. The CD-ROM can be removed with the two screws to
the left and right of the unit. This reveals the hard drive.
The hard drive is itself mounted in another caddie. This is tricky to remove
as the caddie has catches at the rear which hold it in place. A bit of patience and wiggling is required.
Once the caddie is out the drive
is held in place with 4 screws. Remove these, replace the drive then reassemble.
Start computer from CD (hold down the C key) and initialise
the drive.
If you are unsure on how to carry out this procedure our engineers can help. Call on 01223 833412 or email.
Graphics Card Upgrades
The graphics card in your iMac Tray Loader is part of the main logic board. Unfortunately therefore it is
not possible to increase or change the graphics card. It may be worth expanding your memory to its maximum
to try and compensate, but this will have at best a limited effect on your iMac's 3D capabilities.
There are no graphics card upgrades available for these Macs
Expansion Card Upgrades
Your iMac G3 Tray Loader has no available PCMCIA or PCI sockets for connectivity expansion.
There are no expansion cards available for these Macs
Keyboards & Mice
The following keyboards and mice are compatible with this Mac.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy
Keyboards plug into the relevant port on your Mac. Mice can either be plugged into your keyboard, or they can be plugged directly into your Mac.
Power Supplies & Batteries
Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products
we supply for this Mac.
The fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Cables & Tools
Listed below are power cables, tools and related products
we supply for this Mac.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
External Hard Drive Upgrades
Due to the old connectivity, and lack of expandability of these Macs, no external hard drives are available for them.
There are no external hard drive upgrades available for these Macs.
