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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) | 
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| Brand: Apple
Category: Personal Computer
List Price: $1,799.00
Buy New: $1,699.00
You Save: $100.00 (6%)
New (4) from $1,699.00
Rating:  108 reviews
Sales Rank: 28
Media: Personal Computers
Operating System: Mac OS X
CPU Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speed: 2.8
CPU Type: Intel Core Duo
Processors: 2
System Memory: 2000
Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive Size: 320
Display Size: 24
Shipping Weight (lbs): 25.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 22.4 x 20.5
MPN: MB325LL/A
Model: MB325LL/A
UPC: 718908999318
EAN: 0885909203093
ASIN: B000WHZKGA
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | All-in-one Mac desktop with 24-inch glossy screen and sleek anodized aluminum enclosure | | • | 2.8 GHz "Penryn" Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 320 GB hard drive, 2 GB RAM (4 GB max), 8x multi-format/dual-layer SuperDrive | | • | 802.11n Wi-Fi (as well as 802.11a/b/g); Gigabit Ethernet; ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO video card (256 MB memory) | | • | Three USB 2.0, one FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, Mini-DVI output, audio line in/optical digital audio input (minijack) | | • | Pre-loaded with Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and iLife '08; includes wired keyboard and wired mouse |
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Amazon.com Product Description
Speedier than ever with the latest Intel dual-core processor, the Apple iMac all-in-one desktop PC sports a sleek, professional aluminum enclosure that's joined precisely to a 24-inch glass cover to create a virtually seamless front surface. It's powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which includess an amazingly fast 1066 MHz front-side bus speed and super-sized 6 MB L2 cache. Part of Intel's 45-nanometer (nm) Penryn series, this processor boosts both speed and efficiency while helping to reduce power consumption. This dual-core processor also provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multitasking, video, and gaming performance. The iMac also features an ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard--with an extended layout and dedicated keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, and Expose--as well as the wired Mighty Mouse. It's pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system, which enables easy backup of your most important data via Time Machine, a redesigned desktop that helps eliminate clutter. It also comes with the iLife '08 suite of applications--including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes--and the newest version of the fast-loading Safari web browser. Hardware features include a 320 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM (with a 4 GB maximum capacity), 8x SuperDrive for burning movies to DVD and music mixes to CD, integrated 802.11n wireless LAN, Gigabit Ethernet wired networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity, and ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO video card with 256 MB dedicated memory. Power on a Pedestal
Designed with a recyclable anodized aluminum frame and glass cover, the iMac is friendlier to the environment.. | 
The new keyboard's ultrathin anodized aluminum enclosure features low-profile keys that provide a crisp, responsive feel. | With its anodized aluminum frame set upon a sleek pedestal, the new iMac instantly transforms your workspace from cluttered desktop to brilliant display podium. Because the iMac's housing is made from a single sheet of aluminum, you won't see any seams or screws except for a single compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory slots. The glossy widescreen 24-inch glass display makes photos and movies come alive with rich color. And the built-in iSight camera and microphone are integrated so neatly you barely notice they're there. Aside from the design details, the iMac is also friendlier to the environment with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum. The power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent new Energy Star 4.0 requirements. With its elegant anodized aluminum enclosure, the new Apple Keyboard looks equally at home in your living room or on your desk. Just connect it to the USB port on your iMac and start enjoying the crisp, responsive feel of its low-profile keys. The extended layout has a full complement of keys, including document navigation controls, a numeric keypad, and special function keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, Expose, and more. Two USB 2.0 ports provide high-speed connectivity for your iPod, Mighty Mouse, digital camera, and other USB-based electronic devices.  | Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
Experience faster, more nimble application performance and improved energy efficiency with this 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo processor from Intel's 45nm Penryn lineup. The new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--helps to reduce power consumption while delivering. powerful processing speeds. This 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo processor is aided by a 1066 front-side bus speed and a super-sized 6 MB L2 cache--both top-of-the-line for Intel's Penryn processors. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) The Intel Core 2 Duo's 128-bit SSE3 vector engine handles 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, accelerating data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data. And its two execution cores are designed to share resources and conserve power, helping it to achieve higher levels of performance since it uses fewer watts. Hard Drive and Memory
The 320 GB Serial-ATA (SATA) hard drive (7200 RPM) quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0. The 2 GB of PC6400 DDR2 RAM (two 1 GB SO-DIMMs) has an industry-leading 800 MHz speed, and the RAM capacity can be increased to 4 GB. Graphics and Video
The 24-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD offers a resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels. It has a brightness rating of 385 cd/m2 (candela per square meter), a contrast ratio of 750:1, and a viewing angle of 178 degrees (both horizontal and vertical). An ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO graphics processor powers the iMac with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory. It features some of the most advanced graphics technology available and delivers new levels of visual realism and a huge texture fill rate for smooth surfaces and complex character details. GDDR3 (Graphics Double Data Rate, version 3) is a graphics card-specific memory technology that's better able to deliver fluid frame rates for even the most advanced games and applications. This iMac also enables you to connect a second display in either extended desktop mode or video mirroring mode. The mini-DVI port connects to DVI displays, VGA monitors and projectors, and S-video and composite devices using the appropriate adapter (sold separately). Wired and Wireless Connectivity
You get a full complement of ports on the back of the iMac, including three USB 2.0 and two flavors of Firewire--400 and 800. | The iMac gives you plenty of room to grow, accommodating as many as five peripherals at a time thanks to its three USB 2.0 ports and the two USB 2.0 ports on the Apple Keyboard. It also includes two powered FireWire ports--one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 (one of the fastest peripheral standards available)--enabling you to quickly transfer content from digital video cameras, hard drives, and other high-speed devices. Share files around your house with built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet as well as the next-generation high-speed wireless 802.11n technology, which is integrated into the latest Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. The iMac is also Wi-Fi Certified to work with base stations and routers that use industry-standard 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g wireless technologies. The integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity--version 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)--allows you to use a wireless keyboard or mouse, and synchronize peripherals such as cell phones and PDAs. Enjoy high-quality sound on almost any speaker system with double-duty analog/digital audio. Record digital and analog sources through audio line in, perfect for your latest podcast in GarageBand. SuperDrive
Integrated neatly into the iMac is a slot-loading SuperDrive that lets you play and burn your own CDs and DVDs--including double-layer DVDs. And there's no disc tray--just slide the disc right in. It offers the following speeds: - Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
- Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
- Writes DVD-RW at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
- Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
- Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
- Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
- Reads CDs at up to 24x speed
Other Features
- Two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4 GB of RAM
- Built-in stereo speakers with internal 24-watt digital amplifier
- Support for external display in extended desktop mode: 1920 by 1200 pixels for digital and 2048 by 1536 pixels for analog
- Meets ENERGY STAR requirements with maximum continuous power rating of 280 watts
- Dimensions: 22.4 x 20.5 x 8.1 inches (WxHxD)
Preloaded with Leopard, you'll enjoy enhanced productivity and a clutter-free desktop (thanks to the the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks). | Preloaded with Leopard and iLife '08
The biggest Mac OS X upgrade ever, the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system features over 300 new features, including: - Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac
- A redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs
- Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application
- Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them
- A brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock
- Major enhancements to Mail and iChat
Leopard's new desktop includes the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks, a new way to organize files for quick and easy access with just one click. Leopard automatically places web, email and other downloads in a Downloads stack to maintain a clutter-free desktop, and you can instantly fan the contents of this and other Stacks into an elegant arc right from the Dock. The updated Finder includes Cover Flow and a new sidebar with a dramatically simplified way to search for, browse and copy content from any PC or Mac on a local network. Time Machine lets you easily back up all of the data on your Mac, find lost files and even restore all of the software on their Mac. With just a one-click setup, Time Machine automatically keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on the Mac. In the event a file is lost, you can search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos and other digital media and then instantly restore the file. The iMac also comes with the iLife '08 suite of applications that make it easy to live the digital life. Use iPhoto to share entire high-res photo albums with anyone who's got an email address. Break into indie filmmaking with iMovie and iDVD. Then take all the stuff you made on your iMac and share it on the web in one click with iWeb. iLife '08 also features iWeb '08, with live web widgets such as Google Maps that let you create even more dynamic websites, and GarageBand '08, with its new Magic GarageBand feature that makes it fun and easy for both musicians and non-musicians to create great sounding songs. Included Software
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools); iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand) What's in the Box
iMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation
Product Description
The all-in-one iMac packs a complete, high-performance computer?including the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors?into a beautifully thin, anodized aluminum and glass design. The latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor runs at 2.8GHz with advanced 45-nm process technology and 6MB of shared L2 cache, allowing you to run your applications faster and more efficiently than ever before. iMac features a glossy 24-inch widescreen display and ATI Radeon HD graphics that gives a blow-you-away level of detail and realism in games, three-dimensional graphics, high-resolution photos, and high-definition video that comes alive with rich, vivid color. Built into the top of iMac is an iSight camera. You'll hardly notice it's there until you want to launch iChat, Photo Booth, or iMovie. iSight is easy to use and highly advanced. The remarkable picture quality and color accuracy make this tiny feature huge. With iLife '08, Mac OS X Leopard, built-in wireless, speakers, and ultrathin anodized aluminum Apple Keyboard, you'll be creating, sharing, surfing, and playing within minutes of opening the box. 24 Glossy Widescreen TFT Active-Matrix (1920 x 1200, 385 cd/m2, 750 - 1 contrast ratio, 178 H/V viewing angle) Liquid Crystal Display Built-in iSight Camera with Microphone ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 Dedicated Video Memory Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x Double-Layer burning (DVD+-RW/CD-RW) Stereo speakers with 24-watt Digital Amplifier AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) 3 x USB 2.0 (2 x USB ports on keyboard), FireWire 800, FireWire 400, Optical Digital Audio Output/Headphone out, Optical Digital Audio input/audio line in, mini-DVI with support for DVI, VGA, S-Video, and Composite Video connections via Optional Adapter, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions - 20.5? (H) x 22.4? (W) x 8.1? (D) Approximate Unit Weight - 25.4 Pounds
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Amazing Machine! May 5, 2008
S. Maloney (NY, USA)
71 out of 72 found this review helpful
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.
An ingenious mix of scintillating computing, extremely good design May 24, 2008
Thirumalai Ramalingam
58 out of 59 found this review helpful
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.
Wonderful machine! May 9, 2008
Ted19111
62 out of 67 found this review helpful
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.
Which Mac? Why? Where? - The compelling choice. July 12, 2008
Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States)
85 out of 96 found this review helpful
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.
Much Better Than Windows in Almost Every Way June 20, 2008
MagnumMan (Florida)
29 out of 30 found this review helpful
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!
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