Introduction to iMac Developer Note

This developer note gives a technical description of the 15” and 17” iMac computer. The note provides information about the computer’s internal design, input-output features, and expansion capabilities.

This developer note is intended to help hardware and software developers design products that are compatible with the products described here. If you are not already familiar with Macintosh computers or if you would simply like additional technical information, you should refer to Supplemental Reference Documents“.

Organization of This Document

The information in this note is arranged in the following chapters.

• Chapter 1, Introduction, introduces both configurations of the iMac computer, describes the features, and mentions a few software issues of interest to developers.

• Chapter 2, Architecture, describes the internal organization of the computer. It includes a functional block diagram and descriptions of the main components on the logic board.

• Chapter 3, Devices and Ports, describes the I/O ports and the built-in I/O devices for the computer.

• Chapter 4, RAM Expansion, includes development guidelines for the RAM expansion modules for the computer.

• Appendix A, Supplemental Reference Documents, tells where to find more information about specific technologies used in the iMac computer.

• Appendix B, Abbreviations, lists the standard units and abbreviations used in this developer note.