Which Mac? Why? Where? - The compelling choice. | Apple iMac Desktop with 20" Display MB324LL/A (2.66 GHz...

Gorgeous - where have you been all my life? | Apple iMac Desktop with 20" Display MB324LL/A (2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD ...

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	• Apple iMac Desktop with 20" Display MB324LL/A (2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD ... Apple Computer Apple Computer average customer review:based on 43 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

iMac

I found the iMac easy to set up and I got it in less time than I expected, I believe 3 days. My experience with Apple has been great in the past. I would definitely recommend this.

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

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.

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Gorgeous - where have you been all my life?

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.

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An excellent computer - delivered on time

The Apple iMac is an excellent machine. Installs in a snap and even runs the WinXP Pro emulator - Parallels. Absolutely no problems.

Nice Upgrade

Had the iMac over night and everything was as promised.

24" display is stunning and unit has been performing flawlessly for the six weeks I have had it.

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 2.6GHz 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 20-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. 20 Glossy Widescreen TFT Active-Matrix (1680 x 1050, 290 cd/m2, 800 - 1 contrast ratio, 160°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 - 18.5? (H) x 19.1? (W) x 7.4? (D) Approximate Unit Weight - 20 Pounds

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