Announcing ‘Aqua and Bondi,’ a New Book Looking at The Road to OS X and The Computer That Saved Apple

Readers of this site will no doubt know my affinity for the iMac G3. It is an important computer, as it breathed new life into the Macintosh line after the disastrous 1990s. It was cool and fun, and brought things like USB and the Internet to the Mac user base.

However, that’s only part of the story. At the same time as it was selling Bondi, Tangerine and Flower Power desktop computers, Apple was hard at work building its next-generation operating system after acquiring NeXT in 1996. This came after several failed attempts to do so internally. Pink, Taligent and Copland all imploded far short of the finish line.

Even the first attempt at combining Mac OS and NeXTSTEP technology was a miss. Rhapsody was a bold attempt to bring Mac users and developers into a new world, but it didn’t do so in the right way. As Apple struggled in releasing Mac OS X, the iMac helped keep the lights on and customers happy.

Aqua and Bondi

Aqua and Bondi is an 80-page examination of these products. In it, I look at what went so wrong inside Apple in the 90s, talk about the software strategies that came and went over the years and, of course, the iMac.

I’ve been working on this project since the fall, and am excited to say today that the book is for sale today on the iBooks Store or as a PDF. Both versions are just $3.99.

I think you’ll enjoy it. Thanks in advance for the support.

Apple’s 2016 (RED) Plans →

Apple PR:

In honor of World AIDS Day, Apple is offering more ways than ever for customers to join (RED) in its mission to create an AIDS-free generation. Apple is the world’s largest corporate contributor to the Global Fund, and this year marks its 10th anniversary of supporting (RED) in the fight to end AIDS.

This year’s program includes some (RED) accessories including an iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case and Apple Watch band. Many developers and The Killers are donating proceeds to the cause.

There’s also this, which really jumped out at me:

Starting tomorrow through December 6, Apple is donating $1 to (RED)’s mission for every purchase made with Apple Pay at any Apple store, on Apple.com or through the Apple Store app, up to $1 million. Bank of America will also make a donation for every Apple Pay transaction using its cards, also up to $1 million.

Very cool. This program is one of the rare good causes Steve Jobs’ Apple was involved in, and it’s great to see it expand under Tim Cook.

Apple Paying for iMac Hinge Repairs →

Joe Rossignol at MacRumors:

Apple has internally announced it will issue a refund to customers who previously paid for an iMac display hinge replacement or repair, according to a recently updated service document obtained by MacRumors.

[…]

Apple’s service document acknowledges some 27-inch iMacs shipped between December 2012 and July 2014 may be affected by an issue with the display hinge, resulting in the screen no longer adjusting and continuously tilting forward. The issue appears to be limited to late 2012 and late 2013 models in particular.

My understanding is that this repair is usually about $70 here in the U.S., at least for 27-inch models.1 That price seems pretty cheap to me, as the repair is quite complicated. The display has to be removed, then the entire computer has to be scooped out of the case to access the hinge.

This photo from iFixit’s teardown of the computer shows the hinge on the inside of the back case:

Late 2013 iMac

The problem seems to stem from the fact that some of the components in the hinge are made of plastic, and sometimes fail after years of heating and cooling repeatedly. I don’t know if the service parts used in the repair are any better, but I’m glad Apple is making it right for customers with the issue. Drooping iMacs are no fun for anyone.


  1. I’ve heard that some users have had the repair paid for by Apple on out of warranty machines, but clearly that hasn’t been universally applied. 

Connected #119: Tiered Levels of Surprise →

This week, Myke and I talk about CNN’s acquisition of Beme before answering questions about Relay FM, self employment and Casey Liss.

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Canopy →

My friends at Studio Neat have a new product out today:

Canopy is a case for your Apple Magic Keyboard that folds open to create a stand for your iPad or iPhone. Now you can use a full size, honest-to-god keyboard with your device.

I’ve been using a prototype all for several months with my 9.7″ iPad Pro, and I really like using it and a Magic Keyboard over the iPad Smart Keyboard. At $40, it’s a no-brainer.

The Case Against ARM Macs →

Jason Snell, writing at Macworld:

Okay, so the 680×0 era lasted 10 years. The PowerPC era lasted 12 years. We’re now almost 11 years into the Intel era. All things being equal, the time seems right for a fourth processor transition, and soon.

It could definitely happen. I don’t want to say that it won’t, because Apple’s desire to chart its own course and not be beholden to other companies for key parts of its products is well known. Having proven itself a capable chip designer with the A series, Apple could very well dump Intel and strike out on its own.

But I don’t think Apple will.

Jason makes a lot of good points in this piece, and I agree with his line of thinking on this.