There has been speculation about Apple’s possible launch for years. a touchscreen Mac. But the company has always been blunt in its statements: There will be no touchscreen Macs for this type of interaction. iPad is here With a fully adapted operating system like iPadOS.

Although it was sometimes suggested that Apple was working on a touch-screen Mac that would be Steve Jobs’ nightmare, this never came to fruition. But that doesn’t mean a touchscreen Mac never existed. And the proof is this A 1999 iMac prototype that could be controlled by touch, despite having an older design with a tube display. And we can see this in the video.

A touchscreen Mac from 1999

As YouTuber Michael MJD demonstrates in his latest video, The touch-screen iMac G3 was produced in 1999.. This popular color iMac was one of the first devices introduced by Steve Jobs after his return to Apple and is the main culprit for the success the company has enjoyed since then.

Of course, it didn’t have a touch screen, it was operated by a keyboard and an interesting disk-shaped mouse. However, in 1999 a A company called Elo produces and sells touchscreen versions of the iMac G3 Through Apple’s Value-Added Reseller Program use as kiosk machines. Now we are very used to using touch screens to buy tickets or train tickets, but In 1999 this was a novelty.

The iconic colorful iMac G3 had a touch version

It seems incredible that they were able to pull this off at the time, but this prototype is proof of that. Michael M.J.D. bought from eBay and this is a prototype from the company, not one of the ones they eventually use in their kiosks.

We do not know whether Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs was aware of this change in his valuable iMac. He already made it clear in 2010 that this didn’t mean much. “Touchpads don’t want to be vertical” Due to the fatigue it creates on the user’s arm when used for a long time.

In one way or another, There was a touchscreen iMac in 1999 and this video is proof of that. Although its use is very specific and ahead of its time, it should not be forgotten.