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Apple iMac Desktop 15" M8535LL/B (800MHz PowerPC G4, 256MB RAM, 60GB HDD, DVD-RW/CD-RW drive)

Apple iMac Desktop 15" M8535LL/B (800MHz PowerPC G4, 256MB RAM, 60GB HDD, DVD-RW/CD-RW drive)

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome - best desktop computer ever
Review: This is the first Mac that I have ever owned, although years ago I used them at work. After using this for a few months I could never return to the land of Windows computing. Last night I installed Microsoft Office v.X on the computer in 5 minutes! No restarting either! Compare that to your Pentium 4 running Windows XP - you will be lucky if you can install MS Office in 1 hour and 2 restarts.

These computers don't crash and work right out of the box. There is some adjustment necessary to deal with the different interface, but within a matter of hours you will be productive and happy with your new iMac. I liked it so much in fact that I also acquired a Powerbook to take with me on business trips.....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This computer is fast
Review: Everyone, you know, the new 2.2 ghz P4 computer?
well, I have news for all of you, the new Imac is just as fast as them, yup, just as fast, the G4 procsser just owns the pitiful P4, BUY THIS COMPUTER it is sooooo much better than a pitifully slow in comparison non-mac!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Apple strikes their most asethectically pleasing yet
Review: This computer shouldn't even be called a computer. IT should be called a companion. Because that is exactly what it is. I bought one of these when they first came out, and have since been hooked on it. It works so well, its fast, never crashed, and it very easy to use. First off, the exterior is awesome, the screen is razor sharp, and easy to look at. The base is also sweet, and it holds the screen in seemingly mid-air. But the real reason to buy this is for the software. Running OSX, with iMovie, iDvd, and iPhoto, sharing, editing, and creating digital media has never been so easy. Hook up an iPod, and you really do have the center of the digital hub.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Newbie Switched, Struggled, but Happy as a Clam!
Review: I switched! I read the reviews, got excited, and bought online to save sales tax ... I felt the same when I bought my Harley Davidson: part of a special family. I need to start by mentioning that getting connected was not as easy as others describe. I got some setup information from my ISP but it didn't work quite as well as I expected. The documentation supplied with the machine is great for setting it up but manuals for individual programs, or simple navigation is weak for newbies. I finally got connected to almost 56K and things are working well. With that said, I can't tell you how smart this machine is! I purchased a new Sony digital camera which came with a CD-ROM software program and instructions on how to install. I put the disc in my desk drawer, plugged in the camera and the Apple recoginized the camera, and accepted my digital shots without any Sony software! I'm creating an album from this summer's vacation, burning CD's for family members and feeling great about moving away from MS! I hope Apple's "Switch" marketing program does well. More people on this planet should have a mac!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Gimmick!
Review: I have been a loyal Apple user for years, but I've finally had enough of their gimmicks used to lure users into buying new computers. It seems every 3 years or less, they come out with a new system that won't work on the computer you already bought. Making the computer look like a cute little lamp that has a movable monitor is a good gimmick, but what is missing are the basics:
1.) There is a major lack of software for this system. There is virtually one file sharing software that works with it called Limewire which crashes all the time. Kazaa and Bearshare don't have Mac versions of their software so you basically can't download songs, etc.
2.) The processors are slow...Only 800 mhz...PCs are over twice as fast. For this price you could get a 2.2 ghz PC.
3.) The price! You could buy a Windows machine with 512 megs of ram for less than the price of this gimmicky clunker.
4.) The reason to buy an Apple computer now is gone...Ease of use. The new system OSX is a nightmare. It's not the Mac you have grown to love if you have used Macs in the past.
5.) Nobody else uses them....There is little compatibility with the majority of computer users. Even Microsoft Office files don't translate properly on the Mac. I'm talking about the same version number!
6.) Upgrades to the available software lags way behind PC upgrades. Example: AOL 5.0 was the version I used on my Mac. All of my friends were using 7.0. You couldn't even upgrade on the Mac for about 1 1/2 years because only a few people use Macs and software companies don't want to support them anymore.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Too slow and too temperamental, finicky about hardware
Review: I bought an IMAC (OS X version 10.1.4, power PC G4 processor)three months ago. The graphics are beautiful, the sound is good, but unless one wants to look at pictures and listen to music, it is probably the wrong machine. It is very, very slow to respond. And it has great difficulty with hardware. In fact, it is incompatible with much of the hardware with which it supposed to be compatible. I have tried two different printers--and because of review guidelines on Amazon I cannot mention their names, and if you have ever been frustrated by trying to get two machines to talk to each other, multiply that frustration by 100 or 1000 and you will have the IMAC experience. The IMAC also works very poorly with at least one very popular Internet server, and again, since I cannot mention the name because of Amazon review guidelines, you will have to make a good inference.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nice computer but overpriced
Review: I am one of the few that doesn't think this computer is ugly. I do agree that it is overpriced for what you get. If the video card wasn't years out of date I would give it 3-4 stars. Sadly the GF2MX isn't powerful enough to run any of the new games in the store, so I can't reccomend this system. However I don't think any other computer looks as wild. I don't care if most people think its ugly, I love the whole retro 80's desk-lamp thing.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great product
Review: The 15" flat panel iMac earns all of the raves for product design and included software (the "i" apps are excellent). For some reason, the iMac does not photograph particulary well. it is much better looking in person. It is heavier than you might think and the base is larger than it appears in many photos.

The video card is not great (the new 17" screen version of the product addresses this problem). Given the tight placement of the components in the base, a fan was probably unavoidable. While the iMac fan is relatively quiet, I do miss my fanless G3 iMac for one reason --quiet.

It is also past time for a "speed bump" on the iMac.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A functional work of Art
Review: I've played with computers since the TRS-80 . Since 1984, I've used PCs. I've never been a fan of Apple or it's computers so I never owned one, until the beautiful iMac.

So why buy an iMac?

First the aesthetics. A beautiful machine no doubt. Unfortunately, although Apple has done an admirable job of reducing the number of cords they didn't complete the journey and make the keyboard, mouse and speakers wireless. The iMac still scores huge points on its form.

Next, function follows form! The cooling fan is so quiet you can hear it only in the quietest of rooms. The speakers, although beautiful clear half-globes, sound wonderful with clear high/midranges and warm bass even without the bass module. The keyboard has a wonderful touch and is useful with 2 USB ports. You will never have to worry about the mouse cord getting tangled again. And the fantastic screen is so deliciously clear and readable. It puts no strain on ones eyes and it effortlessly adjusts to any useable position with the touch of a finger. Apple has scored a home run with the functionality.

On hardware and software stability/compatibility the iMac stumbles a little. Everyone says Macs don't crash. This is simply not true as I have had numerous crashes out of iMusic, iPhoto, and iMovie. The only way I could get the computer to work again after one crash was to unplug it from the wall. The hardware, however, is all top notch and works perfectly. You can only modify your iMac internally by adding memory or an Airport card but with the USB (unfortunately not 2.0) and amazing Firewire ports (wow they're fast) you can add just about anything you want externally. This is clearly a next generation computer with no throwbacks to obsolete interfaces such as serial and parallel ports and 3.5" floppies. Bravo to Apple for that. So what does this mean? The computer is rock solid, the operating system is not quite there yet.

The much touted ease of use and integrated software is also a mixed blessing. In general, all of the iSoftware is very easy to use. iMusic being the best. Pop in a CD and iMusic starts. Connect to the internet and with a click it finds all of the titles and artists for your CD. Way cool and time saving. Click one button and you're ripping songs. It also plays songs from the CD while it rips... very cool and very easy. Hook up an iPod and it automatically updates it for you. It is so simple, easy, and fun you will be making your own portable music library within minutes. iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD still need work. All are pretty easy to use but there is no manual and the help is lacking. When I was trying to import movies and pictures into iPhoto, it would not let me or tell me why. Very frustrating (reason: iMovie will import only DV or a specific movie format. It won't import normal Quicktime movies. Also, the JPEGs were the wrong size so it would not import them.) All of that should be transparent to me. The next thing about these programs is that they are easy to use but you'll outgrow them after the first time you use them. These programs could easily have been made more powerful without making them any more difficult. However, once you start playing with your photos and movies and creating marvelous digital albums of your life, you'll be addicted. I made a movie from pictures of a recent hiking trip. Set it to music and I was amazed. A whole new world has opened. In addition, it was incredibly nice to plug in my Digital Camera, my Digital Camcorder, and my Smart Media reader and have them all work seamlessly. No trying to figure out how to install a driver. No wondering if you loaded the software in the right sequence. It just worked. Very Very nice.

To the PC veteran thinking about switching. For the most part things work very similarly so you should have no trouble using the machine. If you stick with the standard mouse, you will miss the right click and scroll wheel. iMac can read PC files so you can copy any info you want to the Mac. Also, the is a Windows emulator so you can even run many of your programs albeit slower.

To the computer newbie. Apple really touts the ease of using the iMac. I would say it is easier to use than a PC. But, that doesn't mean it is as easy to use as a common household appliance. The help system is pretty descent but doesn't replace a good manual that all computers so sadly lack. You absolutely must learn file management and common commands. In plain English, don't expect to just plug in the iMac and know how to do anything useful. Take a class, read a book, or have a friend teach you.

Apples, to me, have always been overpriced--one of the reasons I never owned one. Although there is no comparable PC, the iMac does cost slightly more than a comparatively equipped PC but the difference is negligible.

So what does all this mumbo jumbo boil down to. Very simple. If you like to play games, don't buy one. The video card is obsolete and there are relatively few games available. If this computer speaks to your soul, buy one. If you're in the market for a computer in iMac's price range, buy one.

As far as which iMac to get. I recommend the G4 800. You get a faster computer, more memory, a bigger hard drive, and a DVD burner. Quite a good deal. If you don't want or need the DVD burner then get the cheapest one. There is really not enough in the middle one to pay the extra (speakers, more memory, and DVD player).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great machine. Needs a bigger screen
Review: It is Macintosh and Apple at their best. Superbly crafted, beautiful to look at, ergonomically useful and confortable, not what you would expect from a computer. What can you do with a Mac, everything that you can do with your PC and more.

Only drawback, for what I do I would like at least 1280x1024.

When it came out, I just had to have one.


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