Customer Reviews
Why didn't we go to the Dark Side sooner? 
2008-07-24
Ok, long story short, our XP desktop blew a motherboard several weeks ago and we ended up deciding to head over to the Big Box Electronics Retailer to look at updating our home system. The folks at the BBER were very helpful and spent about an hour and a half with us as we shopped for a new computer. We did due diligence and looked at a host of different Vista-based systems with different configs, and then spent some time looking at the iMacs. The more we looked, the more we liked, and we ended up walking out of the store with this 24" iMac desktop.
Downsides? Very few. First off, this is not a cheap system. We got ours for about the same price that Amazon is asking, but at $1700.00+, it's a significant investment. Docs? You don't get much, just a slim booklet that covers the basics. The keyboard and mouse cords could stand some length. We had a small issue with the printer drivers that come preloaded onto the Mac OS (couldn't get our HP all-in-one to do anything but print, no scanner or copy functions, but a quick update had the fix). That's about it.
Upsides? Oh, man, where do I start? Set up was EXTREMELY easy. We took it out of the box, plugged it in, plugged the keyboard and mouse in, and away we went. The Mac OS is very intuitive and fun to use, the computer comes loaded with tons of cool software, and peripheral set-up and compatibility is outstanding. We don't have to worry about viruses when surfing, either, as there are very few active viruses that will attack a Mac. The 24" screen is just overwhelmingly sharp. The machine is quiet, too, a welcome break from the constant fan noise that came off of our old tower.
This is an elegantly designed system that would be perfect for families or anyone who desires a user-friendly (yet immensely powerful) home work/play station. I heartily recommend it if you can afford it. It's a decision that we'll not regret.
Reviews By Lisa 
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!
Love My New iMac 2008-07-21
My old Apple G4 was having problems, so it was time for a new computer. I bought the iMac 20-inch 2 GB thru Amazon and simply love it. I also saved $$ by buying it thru Amazon. I didn't need a 24-inch, as I thought it was too big and would hurt my neck. And the 20-inch 1 GB was not quite enough memory. So we're now quite happy here.
FANTASTIC COMPUTER, BUT BUYER BEWARE! 2008-07-21
I know the title to this review sounds confusing, but it will make sense after you have finish reading it.
This computer is fantastic! The first time viewing the giant 24 inch display I had a "wow" experience. The display is bright, colors are vibrant, and with its high resolution, photos are more life like. Another truly amazing feature is how quiet it is. It is noiseless! No fan sound! No sound from the hard drive! The only time is does make a sound is when the CD/DVD Drive is being used. Apple hit a home run on this! Another thing I like is how easy it is to setup. All you have to do is plug the power cord into your surge protector, next plug the usb keyboard into one of the usb ports on the back of the display, finally plug the usb mouse into one of two usb ports located on either side of the keyboard and your done. Also, I like how fast this system is compared to Windows. It starts up and shuts down faster. It goes to sleep and wakes up in seconds! And I must mention this system is much more secure than Windows. In fact, on Apple's Website it states that no antivirus software is needed. So, bye, bye Norton! Side story: I was perplexed when I visited my local Apple Store for the first time and saw antivirus software on the shelf for sale. I asked an Apple Genius (that's what their employee's are called) why are they selling antivirus software when Apple's Website states that it's not necessary? She replied, "They only sell it is because some customers believe they need it". Regarding OS X. For me it's a totally new experience because I have been using Windows for over 20 years. So, for now I will withhold my opinion of OS X. I have heard though that its an excellent OS, and much better than Vista.
Now, for the buyer beware part. A few minutes after I turned it on for the first time, I noticed the display appeared blurry in the bottom right corner. After shutting the system down, I examined the area more closely. Looking at the black screen I could see what looked like fog that was slowly evaporating. Condensation had formed on the inside of the display! When I Googled it I was surprised to see the number of articles and forums documenting this problem. On some Websites I saw photos of iMacs where water droplets had formed on the inside of the display! Next, I called Apple Technical support. The support agent said he had never heard of this problem. I told him if he Googled it he could see for himself. He then put me on hold so he could research it. After a few minutes he returned and said that some systems do have this problem and suggested I exchange it for another one. I then called my local Apple Store and spoke with a manager. I asked him if knew of a condensation problem with the iMacs. He also said he never heard of it. He asked me where I purchased it from. I told him Amazon. He said a lot of resellers repackage defective merchandise and sell it as new (I'm pretty sure Amazon doesn't do this). I thought if the Apple Store manager claims none of the iMacs they sell have this problem then I will buy one from them; which is what I did. So, after returning home from the store I set it up. I then pressed the power button and crossed my fingers. After a few minutes I could see condensation beginning to form in the same area as the first one. Two iMacs in a row! In my opinion this is a major design flaw. And also, like the first system, the condensation did evaporate. I called Apple technical support and explained to the support agent that this was the second iMac that I purchased with a condensation problem. She asked me if the condensation is still present or did it evaporate? I told the her it did evaporate. She said the condensation should not return. And so far the condensation hasn't returned. But, who knows. I did purchase the AppleCare protection plan.
For now, in my opinion the Apple iMac is a winner, but it will become a loser if the condensation returns. And I will update this review if it does.
Fabulous computer 2008-07-17
My G4 tower died about 16 months ago and I've been working on an Intel Core Duo MacBook 13" since then. But this iMac Intel 20" that I just bought is an incredible machine. It's quiet, extremely fast (since I maxed out the RAM at 4gb) and just gorgeous to look at. Watching movies on it with the infrared remote before sleep is quite a nice cinematic experience.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase and highly recommend this computer to anyone looking for a nice desktop solution.
An excellent computer - delivered on time 2008-07-14
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 2.4GHz 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 2400 XT with 128MB 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
Which Mac? Why? Where? - The compelling choice. 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.
iMac 2008-07-05
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.
Nice Upgrade 2008-07-03
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.
Gorgeous - where have you been all my life? 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.
