philgrad's Full Review: Apple iMac 15 in. (M8535LL/B) Mac Desktop
I just traded in my old G4 tower for the top-of-the-line iMac, complete with Superdrive (CD-R/RW, DVD-R), and I have to say that the few negatives are far outweighed by the sheer joy of using this amazing machine.
The GUI of OS X zips along under the 800mhz processor (note: make sure you get at least an extra 256 MB of RAM installed), and installation of RAM and the optional AirPort wireless networking card is a snap. There are only two RAM slots, however, and only one is truly user accessible, so buy more RAM than you think you need up front.
The ports are plentiful, including firewire (IEEE 1394), USB, ethernet, modem, and an external monitor (the display will be mirrored only). With most peripherals using either USB or Firewire these days, and hubs being ridiculously cheap, there is truly no need for any legacy ports. Oddly, Apple chose form over function and placed all the ports in the rear of the machine, along with the power button. If you are someone who plugs and unplugs devices frequently, I'd recommend getting a hub and putting it somewhere more accessible than the rear of the iMac.
The SuperDrive works well, either burning CDs or DVDs. This is one of the only commercially available DVD burners that can master DVDs such that they will play in consumer DVD players. With the included iMovie 2 software (elegant and simple to use), you can put your digital pictures and film into DVD format, complete with animated menus. My only complaint is that when the drive is spinning at full speed it is a little noisy. This is only apparent because the cooling fan inside the iMac is nearly silent.
The screen on the new iMac is amazing--by gripping the clear "halo" around the screen, you can position it at almost any angle and height. The resolution is crisp, and the 15" LCD gives you the equivalent real estate of a 17" conventional (CRT) monitor without taking up a huge amount of desk space. I challenge anyone to not be impressed with this gorgeous monitor appearing to float on its arm above your desk.
The keyboard and mouse are a bit of a letdown. The mouse still has only one button, although Ctrl-clicking offers the same functionality (with less convenience). What is sorely missed is a scroll button, something I consider a necessity in these web-browsing days. The keyboard is adequate, but nothing special. The key response is quiet and non-mushy.
Overall, I find myself using this machine whenever possible, leaving my hand-built PC unused. The combination of the fantastic ergonomics of the Mac, coupled with the power and grace of the new OS X is a winning combination. The fact that the price of the iMac is less than you can get for a comparable PC makes it an even sweeter purchase.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1799 Operating System: Macintosh Processor speed: 701-800 RAM: More than 256 Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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