Apple iMac MB325LL/A 24-inch Desktop PC (2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) Reviews

• Which Mac? Why? Where? - The compelling choice.

  
  By A6FIAB28IS79 on 2008-07-12
  My daughter--a busy MD, mom, photographer-hobbyist--suffered, in the middle of her hectic schedule, the loss of a computer and asked me for a recommendation. Powerbook or iMac? 20" or 24"? Which 20" or 24"? Apple Store or Amazon? After some deliberation and "research" (an overused and abused word by consumers these days for "shopping"), I recommended the recently tweaked and revised iMac 20" 2.66 Ghz for the following reasons:
  
  1. Someone with her busy schedule doesn't need to think about dragging a computer on her travels. Her PDA served her well during med school, but now she has to be person-focused at all times. A desktop machine tends to force its owner (like a piano) to make time as well as a work space for the machine, rather than have it constantly serving as a distraction. I would no more allow a notebook computer to replace my desktop machine than an electric piano replace my acoustic model, or a cell phone my regular home phone.
  
  2. The 24" model admittedly has acquired glowing reviews from pros and consumers alike and doesn't cost a whole lot more for the extra real estate. But it's a massive screen, not only devouring valuable living room space but threatening to absorb too much of the owner's and the kids' attention, as well as serve as an attractive danger to the prying hands of curious 1 and 3-year-olds. The graphics have a slight advantage over the 20" inch because they display well laterally, but lateral sight lines while good for movies are not what a serious user needs, whether for photography or professional practice. Finally, to make that 24" inch screen work up to its potential, you really need to add costly extras (or pick up the 3Ghz model with a different, more powerful graphics card--being shown at the Apple site but not as yet on Amazon).
  
  3. The CLINCHER. I thought the entry-level 2.4Ghz would be more than adequate (it probably is) until I read the most recent reviews at Macworldddotcom. The 2.66Ghz 1. comes with double the Ram (easily and cheaply installed by the user, I'll admit) PLUS 2. a speed boost, 3. a slightly bigger hard drive, and 4. a slightly better video card--for less than $300 more. It didn't require Macworld's pointing out that the 2.66Ghz represents the better value. Moreover, their tests of the two machines revealed that the slightly more expensive machine was actually a greater improvement in terms of speed than its published stats--a mere .266 Ghz increase--would suggest: their testers registered processing times for the 2.66GHz model that were 13% faster than those recorded for the 2.4Ghz model.
  
  4. Finally, the choice of seller. In the past I've scrutinized the numbers closely, trying to determine if the deal from Apple Store, even with Educators' Rates and various incentives like free printers, was truly better than Amazon's. At best, the numbers were "close," and were never conclusively in favor of Apple Store. And I've never realized any non-monetary advantages by purchasing Apple products from Apple Store, whereas Amazon has shown its customer-centric colors in my favor on a number of occasions, including my last two computer purchases. Apple Store, on the other hand, has in the past come up short more than once. (They certainly weren't helpful when they kept calling me about purchasing extended service contracts.) Moreover, simply checking out from Apple Store after a purchase amounts to an exercise in self-control because of all the "add-ons" they try to convince you to purchase before clicking on the "done" button. So once again, I'm giving Amazon the opportunity to disappoint me for the first time.
  
  

• Amazing Machine!

  
  By A2JLRS5MOEEZM1 on 2008-05-05
  This 24" Imac with the 2.8 gig core 2 duo just cannot be beat. Don't get the 20" when for only $400 or $500 more you can get all that extra screen real estate, a bigger hard drive, and faster chip. The screen is the real star here though-- just soooo beautiful and increases work capacity by allowing you to write or work on a spreadsheet while having your supporting data up next to it. The machine is whisper quiet, looks gorgeous on a desk, has all the power you could ever want, comes with the best operating system and additional software on the planet, and the giant screen lets you work efficiently and without eye strain! Leopard was meant to be run on a screen this big as it really let's you take advantage of spaces, widgets, the dock and even spotlight and finder.
  
  I've only had this Imac for 3 days, but so far the performance is dizzying. I typically fire up my Toshiba laptop (Pentium M 1.86 w/XP Home) in the morning and go and pour a cup of coffee before I even get to my login screen. Then I login and take another minute to 3 minute trip while i wait for it to boot up. On this Imac, you push the discreetly concealed button on the back and in less than 10 seconds you are ready to go. Shutting down is the same. Opening up the apps is super fast as well. I plan on putting photoshop on it soon, and I expect it to be great with the 2 gigs of ram that comes with it, but its easy enough to upgrade to 4 if necessary.
  
  I honestly can't imagine anyone would be less than 100% satisfied with this computer. Check out CNET's review if you don't believe me--it's pretty stellar.
  
  
  

• Wonderful machine!

  
  By A3K2BEZXDWOC3L on 2008-05-09
  I'm very happy with my new iMac. It's fast, has a beautiful screen, and I like how it looks and operates. The glossy screen works well for me, and any reflections disappear when I power it up. I can also run the few Windows programs that I need on it if I so choose. This iMac gives me the best of both worlds, really. I've been a Windows user for many many years and started making the move to Apple about a few years ago when I bought an iPod, then a Mac laptop, and now replacing my Dell desktop with this iMac. I haven't regretted switching for a moment.
  
  

• An ingenious mix of scintillating computing, extremely good design

  
  By A1GCN8CJCBJNTJ on 2008-05-24
  I will break this review into three parts: (1) The Machine (hardware), (2) its Mind (OS X.5 and other included software) and (3) Everything else
  
  (1) The Machine:
  
  Let me just state that in order to truly appreciate the beauty of this computer you have to admire it from two feet away! Words can't do justice to such wonderful piece of artful engineering - ultramodern, sleek, stylish and yet eminently environment friendly. Solid anodized aluminum body with shiny black glass front and matte black metal back barring the shiny apple logo - it is perched on a strong tiltable base in a seemless fashion. There are 2 firewire ports (400+800) and 3 USB2 ports on the back, right lower portion along with a gigabit ethernet port. Theoretically the only wire you will need to run this gorgeous yet ferociously fast beast is the power cable! As it ships from amazon it comes with a wired beautiful, very low profile, solid aluminum base keyboard with white keys and a wired mighty mouse. If you order it from Apple store online, you can choose the wireless (bluetooth) keyboard+mouse as an option for extra $40. It is probably the only computer that ships with a black suede-ish polishing cloth - to keep your machine at its shiny best.
  
  It boots up very quickly and runs whisper quiet. You do not hear hard drive spinning sounds or fan noise when performing processor intensive tasks. As for performance, the 2.8 GHz dual core processor with 1066 MHz front side bus and 2 Gb RAM gets you through your tasks sliding smoothly like you are skating on ice. Let me get to the important part - the screen, some people harp on that issue quit a bit. I just adore the ultra-sharp glossy screen with 1920x1200 pixels (more than enough pixels to see 1080p HD video). It is very bright even at the lowest brightness setting, with extremely good contrast, and the colors are rich and vibrant. Your average photo will look terrific on this screen - you have to see it to believe it! Yes, as it is designed with glass in the front, you only get the glossy screen and no option for the older matte screen. And I am using the machine in the worst case scenario - with three windows right behind my chair! So understandably, I was quite worried by those criticisms that it might be unusable in my desk. When the machine is sleeping, you will see the black glass screen reflecting the whole room like a dark mirror - but once you wake her up, you will notice that the reflections almost completely disappeared as your eye's focal plane automatically shifts from the reflective exterior surface to your desktop displayed crisply on the LCD screen, several mm deeper from the surface. So yes, if you want to refocus your eye and just keep seeing the reflections, you could choose to - but chances are you will most likely notice that the reflections have magically disappeared once the screen comes to life. Also let me further qualify that I am not a professional in photo/video field - but I am a serious amateur photographer and am very happy with editing my pictures in this machine (love Aperture 2.0).
  
  (2) The Mind
  
  (i) OS X.5 Leopard: I will not rattle out all the 200+ new features on this current version of the Mac OS compared to Tiger. But I will tell you my favorite ones - (a) Time Machine - backs up the entire system every hour with zero intervention from the user's side. It runs for 2-10 minutes in the background backing up only things that have *changed* in the last one hour of usage. It is the best back up solution I have encountered thus far. (b) Coverflow with Quicklook - more useful than you might think, for navigating through the average folders. This feature gives gives a preview (actual view - not an 'icon') of the document without having to open the application and you can flip through the contents like they are pages of a book, by just scrolling your mouse wheel. Just amazing. (c) Multiple desktops - group together the applications you use together in their own desktop without being distracted by other open applications/windows. You can quickly flip through upto 16 desktops although I don't use more than 2 currently (could be a great boon for multitaskers) (d) New Mail and Calendar: Now google's IMAP mail and apple mail work wonderfully well together better than ever before. Calendar runs in the background all the time and dates and events on your email are automatically understood and underlined - you can add them to your calendar without opening calendar at all. (d) Widgets and Spotlight launch faster and perform better than in Tiger (e) As mentioned before, boot up times are extremely fast, although I have already 80 GB of data on the hard drive and tons of applications installed. However, unless a software update asks for a restart I don't do it - putting it to sleep is quite energy efficient and the iMac doesn't slow down at all even if it is running for weeks without rebooting. (f) System wide spell checker, grammar checker, dictionary and thesaurus. Now the dictionary/thesaurus includes an apple help/reference guide as well as wikipedia! I think I can go on and on with all the little features that I discover everyday - but the bottomline is if you are upgrading from *any* operating system, 10.5 will thrill you.
  
  (ii) The bundled applications are top of the class programs (called "Apps" for short in the mac world) that are extremely well designed and are ones you can actually use - as opposed to the crapware, trial ware and bloatware that comes bundled with PCs. iLife suite is a gem - although for my photography needs, I use Aperture 2.0, which is bought separately, instead of iPhoto which is very good for the average user. It even comes with all the drivers you need for booting Windows XP or Vista on a separate partition (BOOT CAMP) if you need that at all for some reason or other.
  
  (3) Everything Else:
  
  (a) Just one power cord for the mac and one for the Time Capsule (read about it elsewhere) replaced *EIGHT* power cords and power adapters I had before. Just imagine the jungle of wires that just disappeared with this all-in-one.
  
  (b) Unparalleled esthetics and the legendary ease of use
  
  [...]
  I personally do not have ANY negatives after 3 weeks of using the machine and will update this review if I find one.
  
  

• APPLE SAYS THIS IS A "USED" COMPUTER-WON'T SUPPORT IT

  
  By A2MJEAQ1F0GMAI on 2008-09-22
  I purchased this imac at the end of August 08. It worked fine for 2 or 3 days, then it suddenly began to shut off for no reason. The computer would often reboot, cycle on, then reboot again. I called Apple for support but was told they would not give me any phone support because my computer had originally been purchased in May 2008. Not by me, of course, but by Amazon. It was bought new from Apple with 90 days free phone support. Apparently, the fact that I had purchased it new from Amazon in August doesn't matter to Apple.
  I,m angry at Amazon for not informing me that my phone support had already expired and my hardware support was 3 months gone before I even bought the computer. I'm not so happy with Apple either. They told me that Amazon wasn't an "authorized reseller".
  I had to ship the computer to an Apple store 200 miles away for repair. They replaced a faulty power supply. I decided to buy an extended warranty to protect my investment.
  The computer seems to work fine now. I'm hoping this first "issue" with apple will be uncommon.
  I know things can go wrong when you first buy something like this. So I'm a little surprised at this warranty situation and I wonder if it is true of many of the items from Amazon. I've been a long-time customer of Amazon, buying numerous products in the past. Are my warranties and support there when I need them? You may want to consider buying this item directly from Apple.
  
  
• Poor Display Ruins otherwise good All in One
  By A374CLBRSJYAM5 on 2008-05-11
  I purchased the new 20" Imac 2.4 ghz, as a replacement for a 17" G5 Imac.
  Apple loads a very capable processor and the superb Leaopard O.S. in a package just over $1,000.00. This could have been a very good system. Sadly Apple cut corners on the monitor. The monitor/display is a TN monitor that will NOT display millions of shades of colors. (Apple's website stretches the truth when it say millions of colors as it SIMULATES millions of colors through dithering... which looks horrible Google 20" Imac on youtube for more details). This makes this Imac useless for photo or video editing. I am sending mine back to Apple. It is truly sad that Apple would use a display that is inferior to the displays used in the white IMACs. To save money Apple made the entry level IMAC worse instead of better. This monitor belongs on a cheap Acer or Compaq laptop not on an IMAC. Shame on you Steve Jobs.
  If you want to edit photos on a MAC, you will need a 24" Imac, a white IMAC of any size, or a Mac Mini or PowerMac that can be hooked up to any LCD monitor.
  
  
• Perfect computer, controversial screen
  By AMWA0SAEY06AN on 2008-05-07
  Great computer overall (superb performance, usability, design), but glossy screen is not appropriate as for me. While bright and vivid, it has very visible reflections pretty much in any light I could get it in the store conditions. I felt tired after 10 minutes with it in well-lit conditions. If you plan to do photo editing or just use dark background for any purpose - put it against some Apple matte screen and decide yourself which is better for you.
  
  My choice is 24" 2006 generation refurbished white iMac, great matte screen, just a bit less powerful for the price of new entry-level 20". Very happy, for my tasks don't feel any lack of performance, nice bright vivid colors without reflections.
  
  
• Amazing Computer but Poor Screen
  By A2B5J5ESXV5RK5 on 2008-06-04
  We originally bought this 20" iMac to replace our two PCs that have recently become paperweights. The computer and OSX are amazing - I agree with every raving review here. We also got the wireless keyboard and mouse which are well worth the upgrade.
  
  I could not live with the low-quality TN screen however. I was not aware of the issue when I bought it. After setting it up, I noticed that the color tone and contrast would shift drastically as I moved my head only a few inches up and down. Granted, most LCD screens will do that to some extent, but I have never seen such poor viewing angles on a screen. For instance, in iTunes, the white and blue horizontal bars in the songlist panel would shift if I went from a slouching position to sitting straight - white bars shifted to blue, blue bars to white. There is also a very noticeable gradient vertically across the screen - the top of the screen is darker, while the icons in the dock appear washed out. There is no amount of calibration that can change this; it's simply the quality of the screen.
  
  After reading up on this issue online, I learned that this is indeed a problem with the new 20" iMac, and that the 24" iMac uses a superior screen. I went the Apple store to take a closer look and sure enough the 24" did not have this problem.
  
  We exchanged the 20" for the 24" and are absolutely thrilled with it. I suggest you take a close look at the two screens in a store before you buy (the Apple stores' evenly lit ceilings can be deceiving though). Look at the screen head-on an bob your head up and down. Do the same with the 24" and notice the difference. If that difference is worth $300 to you, then I highly suggest the larger screen. To me it was worth that and one star.
  
  
• Much Better Than Windows in Almost Every Way
  By A1E3OB6QMBKRYZ on 2008-06-20
  I recently purchased the 20 iMac with the 2.4 GHz Intel Dual Core processor and 1 GB RAM. This is the aluminum version over the previous plastic one.
  
  First of all, I was shocked at the size of this monster. I have a 17 monitor at work and pretty much measured out how large this one should have been. Boy, was I off the mark. I swear this thing comes in at close to 30 diagonally. Not that Im complaining, mind you, Im just glad I didnt get the 24 unit. That would have been larger than my TV.
  
  
  I had eye strain problems with my 13 MacBook so this definitely is a welcome change. If you cant read this screen you really need to get a guide dog.
  
  Now for the good points:
  
  Bright screen, great graphics. Some complain that the glass screen reflects glare. If it does, I havent noticed it.
  Thunderous sound coming from two discreet bottom firing speakers. Good enough that I stopped using my external Bose speakers. Not great in the bass department, mind you, but enough for most users.
  Takes all of 30 seconds to boot and 10 seconds (or less) to shut down. Keep in mind that the boot up time is NOT when you see the screen (like Windows) but the time from when you push the power button until the computer is ready to use. Its even quicker now that Ive added another 3 GB RAM.
  Unlike Vista which requires at least 1 GB RAM to run and prefers 2 GB, you can have Leopard zipping along with just 1 GB. The more the merrier.
  Ever try to download a file over 2 GB with Internet Explorer? If you said no, there is a reason. You cant download a file over 2 GB with Explorer. Safari, Apples browser, doesnt care what you download.
  Using wireless? Apples wireless N will suck in signals you didnt know existed. While at work one day it inadvertently locked on to an unsecured signal from the neighbor next door which happened to be stronger than my work signal. Making matters even more bizarre is the fact that my neighbor is a private college that apparently assigns various wireless signals to students. Before I realized it, my iMac was sucking in signals such as Student 1, etc and even went as far as to lock onto faculty signals. Good thing Im not into grade changing.
  Solid aluminum structure with enough heft (around 30 pounds) that a casual bump will not send it flying. Ive knocked my flat screen monitor around at work with a slight bump. Youll probably break a collar bone long before you budge this one.
  Wonderful keyboard that has minimal bulk. Its so thin youd think it would skip around a desk, but it doesnt. Crisp keystrokes and solid, sure footing.
  The CD/DVD super drive seems to burn disks much quicker and easier than my Windows unit. Some of that may be due to the Toast software I added, but not even Nero on Windows could burn disks as quickly.
  Much better graphics capability than the MacBooks (expect Pro). I was watching TV on it and the quality was just as good as the set I normally use.
  Loading a new program on Windows can be a trick. You have to insert the disk, wait for Windows to find it (sometimes go fishing when it doesnt), and then wait until Windows decides whether or not to accept it. If you have Vista, you have to wait for a security check. With OS X on Apple, you get an on screen icon that advises you to drag it to the applications folder on the HD icon. Drag and drop and thats it.
  Want to delete a file in Windows? You can do it the right way or the wrong way and it seems no matter which you chose, its wrong. Invariably you end up with scraps that will interfere with something. If you want to delete a program in Apple, merely go the Applications folder, find the offending program, and drag it to the Trash can. In less than 5 seconds its gone. Just how easy is this?
  You can run Windows faster on this Mac than you can on a similarly equipped Windows machine. You can use Boot Camp (which comes standard), Parallels for Mac, or WM Ware to create a second Windows partition on your Apple. Pretty neat, actually. Dont even think of trying to run Mac on your Windows machine. Aint happening.
  The button-less mouse is unique. Took some time to get used to a mouse without buttons but I did. Uses finger pressure to determine what you want. Would it be worth $50 or $60 as a separate purchase? No, probably not, but it is unique. Love the 360 degree roller ball, though. You can have on screen windows dancing all day with it.
  Got a printer or camera and lost the drivers? No problem, just plug it in and the computer will search for the appropriate drivers without your intervention. Windows claims to do this but, more often than not, it failed miserably.
  Customer service is tops. I had a problem the first day when an Apple download went awry because of a dropped Internet transmission. The machine went into an endless loop. I called Apples toll free number expecting somebody with limited English from a foreign country I couldnt locate with a map. I also expected to wait a good half hour to get a human. In the end I got an American within 5 minutes who took the time to correct the situation in all of 2 minutes. I had a previous laptop from a company I wont mention that claimed their service was tops. After talking to some guy from a country Id never heard of I finally gave up when our conversation consisted of me asking, What did you say? and I cant understand what youre talking about.
  How much would Mac OS X Leopard cost in all of its variations (comes standard with the computer, but if you have an older machine you might want to upgrade)? $139 for the basic, $139 for the intermediate version and $139 for the advanced version. Fact is, only one version exists and it costs $139 period. If you opt for Vista you have your choice of Basic (so lousy its free with most computers), Home Premium (about $199), Business (about $300) and Ultimate (sky is the limit). Whats the difference? From what I can figure, about $100 per upgrade level.
  
  Bad (needs improvement) points:
  
  The keyboard has 2 included USB ports which is great, but they are hidden under the out edge lip of the keyboard. No way of connecting anything without lifting the board. If you have a fat USB dongle, forget it (itll make the board wobble when connected). By the way, if you opt for the wireless keyboard you do not get the extra USB ports.
  The built in super drive is great until the CD/DVD refuses to eject. I had a CD that was slightly warped (I didnt see it, the drive did) and got jammed in the system. It finally came out but not without some finesse. Sometimes a door is better. Also, its side mounted which means you cant have anything within 4 to 5 inches of the right side of this unit. If you have limited space, this could be a problem (maybe a top loader?).
  Fat chance youre doing any internal work on this puppy anytime soon. Looks to be a seamless piece of aluminum with just one screw and thats the RAM replacement door.
  It weighs 30 pounds and has a stand that flops around when you pick it up. It doesnt fall off or come loose, but it does hit you at the most inopportune times (and the stand must weigh 10 pounds itself and is solid metal).
  For aesthetic reasons, the USB, Firewire, and Ethernet ports are on the back. This keeps the wiring from interfering with the beauty of the aluminum front. Great until you need a port quickly. Minor irritation.
  Earlier iMac versions could be wall mounted, but not this one. It weighs too much. Would be nice since this is such a nicely designed unit.
  Limited programs as compared to Windows. Go into any office supply store and youll find hundreds of Windows programs and maybe 4 or 5 Apple versions. Oddly enough, in most cases the Apple programs work better than their Windows counterparts.
  No card reader? Cmon, even the cheapest desktop has a card reader, but not the Mac. Sort of behind the times there, Apple!
  
  If you havent figured it out yet, Im somewhat partial to the newer Intel based Macs. Mind you, I used Windows from the early 90s to present, but got tired of misfires such as Me and Vista. My last Vista laptop made it all of roughly one month before it dropped to the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) and wiped out years of records. Making matters worse, when I got another Windows system with the same Vista level (Home Premium) it wouldnt allow the transfer of records because the machine I used before had a newer service pack than the one I just purchased. I had to download a GB of useless updates to get transfer records. Any wonder why Windows users are clamoring for XP?
  
  Of course, most potential Apple buyers worry about the initial cost. My unit cost $1,100 and that may seem high, but do some comparisons. If you want a Windows desktop unit you first have to buy the CPU (about $600 with decent quality specs), then a monitor (about $250 for a decent unit) so youre out $850 already. Most Windows buyers will also opt for an upgraded keyboard and wireless mouse so add about another $75 to that and youre not far off the mark in the cost. Also, check on eBay and youll see that used Macs go for substantially more than used Windows computers. An iMac that is several years old may still go for $400 whereas a Windows desktop from the same era is considered a really nice paperweight. In fact, early clamshell Apple laptops running at less than 400 MHz still cost over $300 to buy in decent condition and these are computers over 10 years old!
  
  
  
• Computer Operates Very Well, Substandard Monitor and Ports
  By A9PG06HA54XO9 on 2008-06-12
  In terms of getting this iMac going it was as easy as everyone makes it out to be. I was switching over from a PC and even the iTunes transfer went better than I thought (thanks to some help from the iLounge forums. It boots up and operates VERY fast (30 seconds from pressing the power button to being on the web). The integration of the multiple included applications is phenomenal. I find I can have quite a few hefty programs (from anywhere) open and the machine manages to keep itself running very fast and almost completely silent. The new keyboard is slick and is surprisingly pleasant to type on.
  
  I got the iMac to simplify and improve the experience of the main things I use a home computer for. The 2 biggest of those are playing with my music collection and practicing photography. One has been a huge success (the iTunes and Airtunes) the other a major letdown (photos). The things I can't get over in terms of disappointment are the monitor quality and lack of USB ports.
  
  As I've started to work more on my photos on this machine it's honestly been crushing to have to see them look so poor. The colors are washed out and images can be compressed looking. As CAN be the case with LCDs, the screen appearance changes dramatically with your viewing position. I find I have re-tilt the monitor if I shift in my seat at all. My PC is/was on a Sony Trinitron CRT; a good monitor but not something that broke the bank. It's still hooked up waiting for me to pull off the final programs and there is no question I've downgraded in overall image quality. My Dell LCD at work also does not seem to have the color and view direction issues that the iMac has. I wish I'd read Amazon user Fiction Pilot's review of this machine before I ordered mine. I feel pretty burned by this but can't say I'm willing to stomach the restocking fee and the extra $300 for the 24".
  
  The computer comes with 3 USB ports, a firewire 400 port, firewire 800 port. People will point out that there are USB ports on the keyboard as well, but they are fairly impractical. I was concerned about going from 7 USB ports to 2 (the keyboard takes up 1) but hoped I could juggle and prioritize. Turns out the process is as painful as I feared. I've had to suck it up and get a speed-choking hub. Also, there are no memory card slots on any Mac (which is absurd). This just compounds the problem for the USB ports.
  
  (By the way, I'd have gone 2 1/2 stars but that's not an option in the Amazon reviews.)
  
  
• Love it, of course
  By A112URHTVUJEAZ on 2008-05-30
  I was a Windows/PC user for 15 years, which is more than half my life. When it was time to buy a new computer recently, I waffled about making the leap to Mac and eventually turned coward. Three weeks ago I bought a new PC. I spent almost three days setting everything up and dealing with Vista. On the fourth day, it wouldn't recognise its monitor any more. I was done. I took it back and bought this beautiful baby.
  
  I'm absolutely in love with it. The screwy secured wireless network my husband set up in our house? It took three hours to get the PC to recognize and accept it. This Mac? One minute. Everything's been like that -- beautifully simplistic and intuitively easy to use. I've cut the clutter on my desk by 2/3rds. And sweet heavens is this baby fast. The screen is gorgeous and my kids keep begging to be allowed to play with it. Not going to happen. The iMac is mine, all mine!
  
  The only drawback I've found is that I haven't found a personal finance program that competes with Microsoft Money. I've tried out three so far, all of which have had issues, and the reviews on Quicken are god awful. But that's okay, because I can use bootcamp and run XP and Money. Beautiful, I'm telling ya!
  
  
• AMAZING!!!
  By A197UU55OQX8GG on 2008-05-11
  We bought this machine with our stimulus payment to replace a 7 year-old machine that I'm not even going to compare this to. Not even close.
  
  I will compare it to the MacBook Pro that I use for work. I'm not sure if it's a difference in OS (this being 10.5 and the work machine having 10.4) or the difference between laptop and desktop, but this machine is SUPER FAST!!!
  
  Setup was quick and painless - as with all Macs.
  
  It's also amazingly quiet.
  
  The screen is HUGE and the image quality is outstanding - even with the glossy surface.
  
  I like the keyboard an mouse so much that I bought a set for my work laptop.
  
  I won't comment on the long term reliability until I've had it for a while, but if it's anything like my last machine (which the kids are now using), I'm not too worried.
  
  
• fantastic
  By A34CFG3JR0IKB8 on 2008-05-20
  I have iMac for a couple of weeks now. This completes the switch of our household from Windows XP to Mac OS. Before we had Windows desk-top and lap-top. Lap-top was replaced with MacBook 13 in half-a-year ago, and now the desktop is replaced by 24-in iMac. I was somewhat worried about need to learn a new OS. I am still going though some minor pains of figuring out how to do this and that, but overall the Leopard looks fantastic, and transition process in much easier than I've expected. Unlike other reviewers, me and members of my family have absolutely no problem with the glossy screen. My wife and I watch movies on it. I've also got a 500 GB WD hard drive with firewire which I use for Time Machine. That was easy, and the Time Machine is the coolest application I've seen. Overall, this is the best computer I've ever had.
  
  
• What doesn't work - if you're thinking of switching to Mac
  By AO3XHMF58CQZ on 2008-09-29
  I switched to a Mac in February after getting fed up with my XP laptop. I expected some problems, but after about six months, realized I simply could not continue to use the Mac for work (even though I do like it). Here's a partial list of what doesn't quite work as hoped:
  
  1) Microsoft Office compatibility. Simply put, while Office for Mac is pretty good, it's not seamless. I'd say it's a 90% job, and that's not good enough for many people. If you work with colleagues to co-author documents, you'll have small glitches a lot. I always used to write documents on the Mac, then do a round of "post-production" on a PC to make sure they looked OK in a Windows environment. Office for Mac crashes A LOT and I've lost a lot of work, even with frequent saves. (A common theme: there is a workaround - save frequently and do post-production, but this is time-consuming and makes my computing experience more difficult). Another example that really got to me: if you ever copy and paste Excel tables or PowerPoint slides into Word documents, the "enhanced metafile" option isn't available, and you end up with a low-res copy and paste job that doesn't look professional. I do financial services work, and we copy and paste charts, tables, etc all the time. It blew my mind that something as simply as copy and paste was beyond a $2500 computer.
  
  2) Microsoft Messenger compatibility. The Messenger offered for Mac is terrible: no video chat, no offline messages, usually doesn't display pictures. (Again, you can use a third party program like aMSN, but again, it's time consuming, not straightforward, and still doesn't work as well as Messenger for Windows).
  
  3) Entourage and Outlook simply aren't (easily or intuitively) compatible: I never got my old work e-mails over (and I'm reasonably computer literate). Now, I can't get the newer ones back from the Mac to my new Windows PC. (Again, this is possible, but certainly not easy).
  
  4) Software / other compatibility issues: phone synchronization software (and many others) don't seem to work as well on a Mac. Maybe you can get them working, but it's a constant battle. After about three weeks of regular use, at some point the wireless simply stopped connecting to the office network - I hadn't changed anything. We had three professionals look at it, and nobody could figure out why. The Windows PC's all worked fine on our network. So in the end, we had to drill a hole in the wall so I could plug it in with a cable.
  
  5) Browser - some web sites simply don't work unless you're using Internet Explorer. Personally I never use IE unless the web site won't work otherwise, but I find it's vital to have access to IE just in case you need it. A great example is a very well known vendor of audio books - their site simply doesn't work on Firefox or Safari. I use this very same site with IE on my Windows PC and it works fine. I recently had a problem verifying my account info with this company and they actually told me there is no solution on a Mac - only PC. So the web site was literally useless to me - I couldn't download or even listen to books I'd already purchased - and I love audio books! Similarly, I just tried to update my status in a professional organization I belong to, and their web site simply only works with IE. This happens more often than one might think... and IE doesn't exist for Mac anymore.
  
  A common theme here (at least among points 1-3) is "it's Microsoft's fault". That might well be true - but the point here isn't to take a position on whether a monopoly is or isn't healthy for the computer industry, the economy, or anything else. It's to point out that to the extent that you use Microsoft software, or collaborate with people that do, I don't think you'll be happy using a Mac.
  
  (Note: I also spent $400 buying a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate and tried both Parallels and Bootcamp. I REALLY wanted this Mac to work! It works OK but not great, and in the end why would you want to switch back and forth all the time, not to mention the extra cost, when you can just use a PC?)
  
  To be fair, I suspect that some, perhaps many, of my complaints could have been "fixed" by a competent IT professional. However, as I said, I'm reasonably computer literate - I've been using computers at work and school for 15 years, so I'm probably as capable as the average user. If it's this hard for me, then it will be for many others, and I don't think it's fair or accurate to describe Macs as easy or intuitive - or even more reliable, since you constantly have to worry about how a document produced on the Mac will appear once it gets to a Windows PC.
  
  I loved many other things about the Mac: no bloatware, super reliable operating system, great search function, great looking, some really nice features (e.g. Spaces), etc.
  
  However, my recommendation is: if your work is in any way dependent on Microsoft software, or if you collaborate with Windows PC users in Microsoft Office, or if you simply want to avoid a lot of compatibility headaches, stick with a Windows PC.
  
  Bottom line: if I had known then what I know now, I never would have bought the iMac.
  
  
• Love It
  By A2X5VHNALJ8HAD on 2008-06-01
  I've had this machine for about six months now it's been a pleasure to use; virtually silent and troublefree. I've been a mac owner for decades, and this is the best machine I've had yet. The screen is amazingly clear and the glossiness isn't a distraction. I use graphics programs such as Photoshop and InDesign and this is everything I need. It's worked perfectly right out of the box.
  
  The one exception is the Time Machine backup program that automatically backs up to a connected spare hard drive. I feel that the program doesn't have enough options for what it saves (it saves everything) versus only the essential files that I want to save. The Time Machine backups take up an enormous amount of hard disk space on your spare drive, and as a result I've deleted the program from the applications folder and just backup manually.
  
  The new-style keyboard took a bit of getting used to at first. I like crisp, clicky keyboards and originally felt that the Apple keyboard didn't have enough key travel and cushion (I really pound the keyboard). But I've since adjusted and really don't think about it anymore. Because of this experience, I think I'd be comfortable getting the macbooks because previously I'd been leery of the similar feel of their keyboards. In any case, I definitely replaced the mouse; I prefer mice with PC-style right click buttons, one case where I feel M$ products are superior.
  
  Overall I'm very happy with this machine. I don't have to worry about constantly fight crapware or malware while using the Internet. I just turn it on and it works; freeing me up to use it rather than spend my time maintaining it.
  
  
• You'll stare in awe...
  By A3Q30NBLMAY4ZG on 2008-07-22
  Ok, so I'm a Mac newb. I've been a die-hard Windows user since 3.0. I used to hate the Mac's because I always thought they were too expensive and the fact that it was such a closed system, you could never tinker with it.
  
  Well, I've grown and matured. We recently purchased this iMac 24" and when I took it out of the box and powered it up, we all just stared at it in awe. The fit and finish is just amazing. The screen, including the resolution, brightness, is just out of this world.
  
  When we finally came out of our trance from just looking at the machine, I decided to poke around the OS a little. For the most part, it's very intuitive. It wasn't until several weeks later that I realized I could program the 2nd mouse button on the mighty mouse. Once I did that, all my frustration went away. But before then, I have to say, I didn't realize at how addicted I am to the right mouse click.
  
  The bundled software included on the Mac is fantastic. The iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD products are not only very useful, they're just plain fun to toy around with.
  
  My only gripes with the Mac are mostly based on what seemed to be a slighly buggy OS. The most unreliable applications are Safari, and Firefox. Oddly, I installed Firefox because I was getting to hate safari. There's still a huge number of websites that don't recognize it as a real browser.
  
  We debated on whether to buy MS Office or iWork. We opted for iWork, which for the most part I'm happy with. However, it's still just a very rudimentary Office bundle and doesn't quite have all the features I was hoping for. However, the built-in templates are very cool.
  
  The only thing I did to make the transition from PC to Mac better was buy a copy of VMware Fusion and converted our old PC into a VM. When ever we're stuck and have no patience to figure something out, we jump start the old PC in Fusion. BTW, if you're an old PC user and haven't checked out fusion, do so now!!
  
  Overall, we are so pleased with the iMac. The hardware is just fantastic and the OS has become a pleasure to use. I would highly recommend this to anyone considering making the switch or if you're in the market to upgrade an older Mac. You won't be disappointed.
  
  
• My wife has Switched
  By A1QNYLBG73QRNF on 2008-06-09
  It took about two days to copy over all her files from a few-years-old Dell desktop, install the necessary applications, internet bookmarks, and test it all. The iMac has worked perfectly since, and web access in particular is vastly faster than it was on the Dell.
  
  The mouse that Apple ships with these machines is mediocre, and we replaced it with a fancy Microsoft optical mouse. The keyboard is fine. With the Dell, the CPU sat on the floor next to her desk but, even so, the iMac takes less desktop space because the base is better designed and it doesn't need external speakers.
  
  It ships with a variety of Apple-specific applications for word processing, composing music, etc. My wife doesn't use any of that -- Microsoft Office 2008 home edition costs only $120 and she prefers it. We installed a "Time Capsule" backup drive as well, and it seems to be working (we haven't had to rely on it).
  
  Her favorite thing about the computer is the screen saver in which photographs spin onto the screen. Our kids like that too.
  
  
• Reviews By Lisa
  By A1PJM1OM2QJ7G2 on 2008-07-24
  Summary: I'm going review something very near and dear to me, my computer. I'll admit that I wasn't being very frugal when I bought it. You see, this is my first Mac. So, I went to the Apple store in the mall, and I let them tell me what I wanted. Even though I feel I overpaid, I love it and am glad I have it!
  
  Model: Part number MB199LL/A (not exactly the same as the one on Amazon, but the features are very similar, and I did buy it back in November)
  
  Features: My iMac has a 20" screen, a 2.0ghz Intel Processor, 2gb of RAM (because I upgraded from 1gb), and 250gb of hard disk space. I opted for a wireless keyboard and mouse, got the extended warranty (which I almost never do, but I was a little nervous about switching to Mac), and Apple One to One membership, which is a training program. I immediately upgraded the operating system to Leopard. Some included software titles are iLife (including iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, etc), Garage Band, Safari, Time Machine and much more!
  
  Value: After the extras listed above, my total came out to be $1,667.00 before tax. It's more expensive, but it's worth it. Everything just works, just like the commercials say. I do think I could have gotten off cheaper if I had shopped around a little and I really didn't need the training - after one session, I never went back!
  
  Ease of Use: I have been a Windows user my entire life except for a few experiments with various forms of Linux. I really wanted a new computer, had cash to spend and did not want to deal with the hassle of Vista. I have not at all been disappointed by Apple. Yes, I sometimes get confused about only having one click on the mouse and some keyboard stuff, but I got used to it fast. The fact that all the OS X software works together is very cool. I don't even miss MS Office since I use Open Office and my email client is web based. I decided to replace Safari with Firefox, and life has been good so far. The iLife software is very easy to use and lets me do things that I have struggled to do on the PC like editing photos and movies. I also really like the built in camera and have had some fun playing with the Photo Booth. I even was easily able to use Garage Band to create mp3 files of my chorus music with my voice to help me learn the lyrics. Another favorite of mine is the Time Machine - I never have to worry about backing up my computer files again - it's all automatic!
  
  I love my iMac - if you're on the fence, jump!
  
  
  
• My 88 year old father's first Mac is this 24" iMac
  By A3T1J6ZJ2IWX2B on 2008-08-11
  He's had a personal computer since the early 1980's so he is a Switcher rather than a Newbee. I've got a 2 year old iMac, and am writing this after setting up his new system and watching him use it.
  
  Providing the technical support for him, including removing spyware once or twice, should now be much simpler. We've tried out iChat for video conferencing from my home to his, and I've helped him with some questions about Mail with the screensharing capability. It also seems to be a hit with other people in his retirement community. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for parents you do tech support for!
  
  The system is so quiet you can't tell if it is on. This is not particularly good because there no longer is the screensaver/sleep mode light on the front panel. It needs an indicator light.
  
  The unconventional design of the keyboard and mouse were unsettling for him at first. (At 88 you do get set in your ways.) I didn't find it a problem. Some additional USB ports would be welcome, as would a SD memory slot. Why can't Apple put these on their consumer systems when everyone else does?
  
  Bought an external FireWire drive and connected it. Within a minute had it backing up via TimeMachine. Backup worries solved!
  
  His desk is much tidier with the iMac that it was with the Windows box. Should be fewer problems with things getting disconnected.
  
  He's using Mail/AddressBook/Calendar just fine now, and will be using iWork. I visited last weekend and he had iPhoto viewing the 10,000+ images scanned from 6 decades of slides. He never got the hang of looking at them with his old Windows box.
  
  I won't give this review 5 stars because of the need for Parallels for a few of programs (a genealogy program, WordPerfect, and a decent Quicken version) that require Parallels/Fusion that might cause confusion. Also it would be nice if display elements could be resized larger (Windows will do this, most of OS X can but it is a disabled feature -- maybe in January 2009 with the OS 10.6, Snow Leopard?)
  
  
  
• Awesome
  By A1RLS5H3CFKE3U on 2008-05-29
  Like another reviewer, we bought this with our stimulus check to replace a 7 year old machine. This is our first Mac, and, although I had reasons to switch, I am constantly blown away by all of the little details, the fit and finish of this beautiful machine. Even the keyboard makes other keyboards seem like cheap, flimsy crap. OS X is impressive, the processor, hard drive and memory haven't been taxed yet. I'm a Windows developer by day, but can't wait to use this machine. The UNIX underpinnings and XCode tools are wonderful. I can't say enough good things about this, but I don't have any other Mac experience less than 15 years old to compare it to. I considered the refurbished 24", primarily because of the IPS vs TN display, but the display is fantastic compared to my 22" displays at work, and the bump in processor speed and front side bus makes this a bit more future proof - I plan on having this for years to come, so I wanted to make sure I had the latest proc.
  
  Highly recommended.
  
  
• Shuts down randomly!
  By A3T4IH1AJ6MCFO on 2008-11-08
  I have had nothing but problems with this computer ever since I got it. I am a photographer, and had assumed that with Apple's "reputation" and the ridiculous price of their products, they would produce a quality computer. WRONG. Since the beginning, it has shut down on my randomly, and it doesn't matter how long I have used it, had it on, which applications are being utilized, how many, etc. There is absolutely no method to the madness. Instead of taking it right back to the store like I should have done, I tried to call Apple Support since I had popped the $250 for it and figured I should use it. Every time I called them (after multiple shut downs), they would give me a different "fix," as if there wasn't a single standard procedure, and every operator had to wing it on their own experience. After multiple calls, they sent me over to an Apple store, where I spent 4 hours while the tech studied my computer inside and out. After testing the hardware, he said there was nothing wrong with it, and the best he could do was send me home with some mickey-moused homemade script that would auto-save my work in Numbers and Pages every 1 minute so that I wouldn't at least lose my entire document and have to start over again like I had been. Wow. What $250 buys me. They also said that if it keeps acting up, to reinstall the OS, which I did when I got home, and not 24 hours later, it shut down again. I'm about to throw it out the window and try not to think about the $1800+ I spent on the computer, support and extra software. What an absolute waste.
  
  
• Awesome!!!
  By ABRKS57MOYIZ5 on 2008-06-11
  It took me long enough to switch from a pc to a mac. I'm glad I did. This iMac is unbelievable. Take it for a test drive if you have the chance and you'll see what I mean.
  
  
• In love with my iMac and Leopard
  By A8ODBHSIQV9TM on 2008-06-04
  I finally made the move from PC/Windows to Mac/Leopard and couldn't be happier with the switch. It's wonderful to have everything in the sleek, elegant design of the iMac -- no more tower, separate camera for Skype calls, microphone, etc. Less wires and more space. It's so much easier to plug things into the back of the iMac then to have to fish around on the tower I had on my floor. Everything is easy to find. It is definitely worth having the 24" screen where I can easily display documents, web pages, etc. side by side. Perhaps the greatest boon is Leopard. It is so easy to organize and do my work (I use many applications often at the same time). Things like spaces and the dashboard are ingenious and make everything so much easier. I don't even need to have a calculator on my desk anymore. I could go on and on. As I said in the title, I am in love! It does take some time to make the transition from PC, but it is well worth it.
  
  
• Gorgeous - where have you been all my life?
  By APE9MHI8P120T on 2008-07-03
  If you ever visit an Apple Store, be sure to take a long look at the iMacs on display, but be aware that the mechanics for the 24-inch screen model are far superior to those of the 20-inch model. I think it is worth the extra dollars to get the larger model.
  
  Also be aware that you will want to scan your old slides. It is miraculous how well a good scanner (Canon's 8800) and Adobe Photoshop automatically dust off your old slides and give them life again, so good they look like they were taken yesterday! And the display on the iMac - well, it is a miracle!
  
  The only negative thing I could think to include is the very hot top surface of the computer, which has three fans working inside to keep it cool, but right now, as I type this, the interior components are all running above 100 (Fahrenheit). You should keep the iMac away from where small children could accidentally run their hands over the top edge.
  
  This is a totally silent machine, too - no whirring, ticking, or gurgling. I also doubled the RAM to 4 GB, which is virtually mandatory if you do photos and music. The cost for doing that was less than $100.
  
  I highly recommend this one! You will not be disappointed.
  
  
• iMac computer
  By A3PDSS3KH9W7OC on 2008-07-24
  I purchased an Apple iMac Desktop with 20" Display.
  Within two weeks, the computer crashed and could not be started up. Apple Care referred me to a local Apple store for repair. Because I had not purchased the computer directly from Apple, Apple gave me a choice: Contact Amazon and return the computer, or leave it at the Apple store for two weeks for repair. If I had purchased the computer directly from Apple, they would have replaced the computer on the spot.
  THIS WAS NOT AN AMAZON PROBLEM, it is an Apple policy problem and an Apple hardware problem. I wrote them about this unjust policy, but have not received a response from them.
  The computer was repaired, however all information on the computer was subject to compromise while in the Apple store for repair.
  Conclusion: I think this is an unfair policy by Apple....not only to me, but to Amazon. Amazon has always stood behind their products 100%. Apple could learn something from Amazon! I purchased the computer from Amazon because of a $75 rebate offer. In the future I would probably purchase the computer directly from Apple.
  
  
• Best computer I have ever owned
  By A37OHP8CAD1CRY on 2008-05-18
  This is a great machine. I never thought I would be so happy with a new computer. Right out of the box it was ready to go. I plugged it in, set up my user name etc. and let it automatically update. It was ready to run at full speed in about 20 minutes. Everything works so well on it. GREAT JOB APPLE!
  
  
• Another great iMac
  By A3CVLUAY52TOYZ on 2008-06-01
  Just to add my positive views to those already expressed. This is another flawless (so far:) Apple product, probably the 15th or so I've purchased in the last 24 years.
  
  
• More than expected
  By A2RAQ84ZVW7BHJ on 2008-06-07
  As usual with Mac, this iMAC exceeds all expectations.The biggest surprise was; upon turning it on for the first time, it asked if I was using Time Machine. When I said yes, plugged it in and walked away for a half hour, I came back to a fully loaded machine.
  
  
• Love it!!
  By A2V4S24E6ZU7N1 on 2008-06-11
  New Mac user here. In fact, I bought the product online, got cold feet (fear that I wouldn't be able to figure it out), and canceled before it was set for delivery.... Thought about it some more over the weekend and ended up purchasing it on Monday.
  
  Received the product quickly and when I took it out of the box, I thought, "Where are all of the cords and hard drive?".... There aren't any! Amazing... I'm totally 100% satisfied and am definitely a Mac lover now. I still have a lot to learn, but it's a lot of fun! Bought Microsoft Word & Excel and I am good to go. If you're contemplating on whether to convert to Mac, DO IT! It's much, much different than the one I used in the early 90's!
  
  
• AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION...
  By AUARCGPW0KDXK on 2008-06-30
  This is my first Mac. I had looked into getting a mabook, macbook pro, too, but this is also my main media device so i went for the gorgeous 24" screen. Learning the ins and outs of OS X has been a pleasure as the whole thing is very user friendly, and it just makes sense. The speed has been good, i plan to up the ram tho i doesn't seem to need it. The isight produces a fine picture.
  
  The only complaint I have is that the wired mouse wire is distractingly short. I will definitely invest in the wireless keyboard and mouse. The distressing thing about the computer is it is hard to find programs for mac, but i've got simple needs.
  
  Overall, I'm satisfied with it. Prolly been turned to the dark mac side now but at least i'll be smiling over here.
  
  

• Apple Cinema 20-inch Flat-Panel Display
• Apple Cinema 23-inch HD Flat-Panel Display
• Apple Cinema 30-inch HD Flat-Panel Display
• Apple iWork '08
• Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.4 Leopard [5-User Family Pack]

• AppleCare Protection Plan MA520LL/A for iMac
• Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student Edition
• Apple iWork '08
• VMware Fusion [OLD VERSION]
• Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual