Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect desktop computer, 25 Oct 2007
Having just bought one of these machines for my family, I am think about buying them for my whole company at work!
This machine has four very good things going for it:
1. It has the most user-friendly, visually-appealing and stable operating system out there. OSX Tiger was always a cut above Windows XP let alone Vista, but OSX Leopard is even better. So for the computing envoronment alone, this machine is a must.
2. The all-in one design is practical and simple. It makes the whole process of using a computer easy and enjoyable while leaving the workspace where you use it clear and uncluttered without un-necessary boxes and wires. The iMac fits just about anywhere, making it an ideal family computer to sit in the kitchen or a kid's bedroom.
3. The design isn't just cool, it is a work of genius. Yes, it looks attractive, but everything about its operation has been carefully thought out. I particulalry like the new keyboard. Ignore people who say it isn't good for writing long documents etc. It is fine. Do you honestly think Apple would release a keyboard that was ergonomically inept? I don't think so. Key feel and travel is on a par with any other top end keyboard out there. It just seems a little weird at first because it breaks the mould and itsn't what you expect. Also ignore criticsims about the reflective screen too. Just make sure the ambiant lighting is directed straight at the screen.
4. The technical specifications make this machine ideal for 99% of all uses and applications, including downloading music, managing photos, school pojects, MS Office, and surfing the web. It will also run games, although I have to say, as a parent, this was never a priority in buying such a machine for my family.
I was never an Apple fan until I started using a Mac Book Pro at the beginning of this year. Ultimately, my choice of system was driven by the operating system. Apple's OSX is quite simply mind-blowing. If you are not familiar with it, then you need to try it. It doesn't take much getting used to and is just so intutive, clever and a delight to spend time with. The fact that Apple also creates machines with very attractive and totally practical industrial design to go with their operating system is just a bonus.
Finally, having bought an iMac recently, I don't think I'm going to need to buy another computer for quite some time, which is more than I can say for last year's Dell, which is now little more than a useless piece of scrap plastic.
So, yes, fellow Amazonians, I thoroughly recommend you take a byte of the Apple!
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gilding the lily, 17 Nov 2007
Lets get the obvious out of the way...it's an Apple so it's gonna be reliable, easy to use & a bit of a looker. There's also the fact that Macs new OS X Leopard is under the bonnet along with a brighter display & this is a must have upgrade right? Not really. If you have the older 20' 2.16 Ghz unit the truth is there is not much here to recommend an upgrade. Yeah it's true that this is far more attractive to the eye, you know all that 'recycled' anodised metal instead of boring old placcy, and yet...
I don't know quite why but this new model lacks the charm of previous ones. Read the previous reviews & believe them when they tell you that this display is waaaay too bright. You know when you stumble out of bed in the morning & plonk yourself in front of the screen to check you're mail,(c'mon I know I'm not alone here),? Well better get used to the searing pain as something akin to the floodlights at Wembly burn your retina's to the back of your head! The toolbar seems to shimmer as it flashes out at you. I think Apple my have overdone this whole brightness thing.
True enough the processing speeds are an improvement,(2.4Ghz now instead of 2.16), but the old unit was no slouch.
One item that really seems to be causing a bit of a stir is the new keyboard. As about as flat as you can get with keys raised just a couple of millimeters above a matching silver metal board. Some hate it, I love it. I find it easier to use & the easiest keyboard on the planet to keep clean,(the old one was the final resting place for every homeless bit of crud it could find),.
The new operating system is great and it's wireless networking ability alongside it's improved ability for timed backups is great but it's not the big step forward that Vista was for Microsoft. That's not to say I think that Vista can hold a candle to this, it can't, it's just that Apple really only needed a few adjustments to their OS. It wasn't broke so why fix it? Really that's the message for this new desktop too, the old one wasn't broken so not much has been fixed. If you have the older 2.16 20' inch & don't see anything in the new one you can't live without then don't bother upgrading, you really aren't going to see huge leaps for your money. Maybe try upgrading your RAMM memory if you haven't already done so,( this has also changed on the new model by the way, it can be upgraded to 4G instead of the old 3), or install the new OS perhaps if you think it has extra's you need.
If however you are in the market for something new & especially if you are toying with the idea of changing from a PC then put that 5th star on this review because you are in for a treat. I refer you back to the beginning of the review,reliable,(forget about virus's forever!), easy to use,(Macs are incredibly intuitive & unlike PC's a trip to the Apple shop if you're stuck is a rewarding & pleasurable experience), & Apple have a design team that leave all PC's looking shabby in their wake.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
20" iMac is a winner!, 12 Dec 2007
I have used PCs for around 15 years - you get used to them, warts & all, but it is utterly refreshing to now be able to use a Mac.
The Mac is an absolute breeze to set up out of the box - no lengthy Windows registration and the like, just a couple of clicks and you're away. The Mac immediately found my wireless router - simplicity to connect - then we were surfing! Email is a doddle to set up - just tell the Mac your email address and email password, it then gets all necessary POP and SMTP settings automatically from your ISP. Bang! your email is now working!
The new Leopard operating system is very, very good - hook-up your (optional) external drive for back-ups and Leopard automatically knows what you've connected and sets it all up, without having to load any CDs or searching the net for drivers. Connecting your digital camera...? Easy with Leopard, it knows your camera and automatically gets pictures from your camera if you want it to.
Boot-up time is around 20 seconds (3 minutes + with my PC laptop!), and safely turning off the iMac takes 5 seconds flat! That's it.
Downsides...? None really, I suppose the built-in speakers are a bit weak but I've just bought some meaty plug-in speakers so that's no problem.
Sure, Mac's are not cheap by any means...but if you have the cash, are sick of your sluggish PC and fancy a change, take the iMac plunge. You won't regret it.
Update: After having used the iMac for 3 months now, I love it even more than before. Don't doubt them...just buy one! After a Windows PC you will be suitably refreshed.
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