Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz, 1GB RAM)

Manufacturer: Apple Part number: MA877LL/A

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$1,129.95 - $1,782.00 at 4 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 97 reviews

Aug 2007

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Product series; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: With its super-elegant new design and a strong configuration, Apple's new iMac competes with the PC desktop market better than perhaps any previous Mac to date. Unless you're a gamer or an upgrade enthusiast, we can think of very few reasons not to make an iMac your next desktop.

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CNET editors' review

Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz, 1GB RAM)

price range: $1,129.95 - $1,782.00

Reviewed by: Rich Brown
Reviewed on: 08/08/2007
Updated on:09/19/2007
Released on: 08/08/2007

The good: Along with its best-in-class design and solid-feeling, thin keyboard, the new Apple iMac desktop offers more performance and features than many Windows-based PCs; robust iLife '08 digital media suite.

The bad: No word on means of upgrading to Apple's new Leopard OS when it's released; anemic phone support.

The bottom line: With its super-elegant new design and a strong configuration, Apple's new iMac competes with the PC desktop market better than perhaps any previous Mac to date. Unless you're a gamer or an upgrade enthusiast, we can think of very few reasons not to make an iMac your next desktop.

Read full review

Editor's note: Our review unit featured a $150 memory upgrade, which doubled the default 1GB allotment on the 20-inch, 2.4GHz iMac. The price links on this page reflect the standard $1,499 configuration.

Photo gallery:
Apple iMac, unboxed

As reader "dechah" wrote in response to our blog covering the announcement of Apple's new iMacs, Apple's is not the first all-in-one desktop with a glossy screen, an ultrathin keyboard, and a trim profile. But unlike Sony's, HP's, and others' all-in-one efforts, no other vendor comes close to Apple's near-seamless aesthetic. And as the new iMac design impresses visually, so do its features and overall performance compete against other, similarly priced desktops. The usual iMac caveats of the truncated upgrade path and the less-than-stellar support apply, and we also have questions about about the lag between the iMac's release and the launch of Apple's new Leopard operating system two months from now. Aside from those relatively minor concerns, Apple's new iMac is the most complete and most attractive mainstream desktop on the market, all-in-one or otherwise.

Apple sent us its 20-inch wide-screen iMac with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 mobile processor. It also doubled the default memory to 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, bringing our review model's price to $1,649, up from the standard $1,499 for the 2.4GHz model. Our review unit also includes a 320GB hard drive, Apple's SuperDrive dual-layer DVD burner, a new wide-bandwidth 802.11n wireless adapter, a 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics chip, and wired versions of the Apple Mighty Mouse and the brand-new thin Apple keyboard. Apple still doesn't offer an HD optical drive, although we can't say we're all that surprised. Overall, its specs are up-to-date enough. Be wary of customizing further, as Apple charges more for hard drive and memory upgrades than the industry averages.

At least as far as the internal hardware, the iMac hasn't changed that much. The new CPU and graphics card are only generational updates, but they help Apple bring strong performance. Now that the Intel-compatible Mac version of Photoshop CS3 is out, Apple can compete on a level playing field with Windows desktops. And as expected, the new iMac dominates on Photoshop and on multimedia multitasking, and it also does very well on iTunes and CineBench, the latter as much a measure of overall multicore processing power as it is an indicator of a system's ability to process movie files. Compared to a wide range of competing mainstream desktops, the new Apple iMac more than holds its own, with one typical exception: gaming.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Apple iMac

133

Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition

157

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m8120n

178

Velocity Micro ProMagix E2035

184

Dell Inspiron 531

232

Sony VAIO TP1 Living Room PC

243

Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition

139

Apple iMac

161

Velocity Micro ProMagix E2035

178

Sony VAIO TP1 Living Room PC

229

Multimedia multitasking (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Apple iMac

597

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m8120n

612.9

Gateway DX430X

1059

Sony VAIO TP1 Living Room PC

1174

CineBench
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Rendering Multiple CPUs

Rendering Single CPU

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m8120n

1241

400

Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition

923

503

Apple iMac

754

400

Velocity Micro ProMagix E2035

733

400

Dell Inspiron 531

654

354

Sony VAIO TP1 Living Room PC

546

299

Despite its new ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics chip, the iMac still isn't very well suited to playing 3D games. On our Quake 4 test, at a forgiving 1,024x768 resolution, the iMac turned in an only marginally acceptable 39 frames per second. We were surprised by that, since Quake 4 sits on the tail end of what we consider current 3D games. Comparable Windows PCs from Dell and Velocity Micro perform much better. You should be able to play less-advanced 3D games on the iMac, but we're still disappointed that Apple doesn't want to take gaming seriously.

Quake 4 performance (in frames per second)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

1,024 x 768 (4x AA, 8x AF)

Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition

94.1

Velocity Micro ProMagix E2035

83.7

Dell Inspiron 531

69.5

Apple iMac

39.2

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m8120n

15.5

The biggest improvement, specs-wise, is in the iMac's 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter, which is enabled right out of the box (unlike the older iMac and its $2 charge for the firmware update to turn 802.11n on). 802.11n gives you roughly twice the range and between two and three times as much practical data bandwidth as the older 802.11a, b, or g standards. Of course, you'll need a compatible wireless router to get the benefits of 802.11n, and because the Draft N standard hasn't been completely standardized yet (which is why you'll see it referred to as "Draft" N), your best bet is an N router from the same manufacturer as your N Wi-Fi adapter. Fortunately, Apple's Airport Extreme router is 802.11n-based, and it also received an update to Gigabit Ethernet, sweetening the pot. For our own testing, we successfully connected the iMac to an older 802.11b router, but your mileage may vary, depending on the make and model of your networking hardware. 802.11n was a deciding factor in awarding Apple an Editors' Choice award. If you spec out a system from any other PC vendor, you'll get within $100 or so of a comparable iMac, but of all the major computer vendors, only Apple offers Draft N wireless in a desktop.

In addition to 802.11n wireless, Apple also increased the bandwidth of wired data transfers, thanks to a FireWire 800 port on the back of the unit. No Windows PC offers this, either. FireWire 800 should particularly benefit digital video editors who need to transfer HD movies via a digital camcorder--or really, anyone that needs to move large amounts of data from an external device. FireWire 800 was formerly an exclusive to Apple's Mac Pro, but by bringing it to the iMac, Apple makes its mainstream desktop even friendlier to professional customers.

Among the typical array of rear-side ports, the iMac's FireWire 800 input give you a nice boost to external data transfers.

After the hardware specs, then, the rest of the updates to the iMac are mostly cosmetic, but they make a significant impact on the overall appeal of this desktop. The brushed-aluminum, glass, and black plastic chassis sets the iMac apart visually from any other desktop on the market. Apple even went so far as to include a black chamois cloth in the box to wipe off fingerprints from the glossy exterior. We found that the system gets very hot to the touch after using it for only a few minutes, so you'd be smart to store it in a well-ventilated area.

Alongside the new chassis, Apple also updated the design of its bundled keyboard. We received the wired model, which comes with a USB input on either side. Apple tells us that the wireless version is still a few weeks off, and that it will be a $30 upgrade when it hits. But tethered or no, the new keyboard shines for its combination of hyperminimalized design and solid build quality. When we saw the first pictures of the keyboard, we thought that it wouldn't be substantial enough to stay in place while you typed on it. But due to either the aluminum case or the extra weight added internally, we had no trouble with the keyboard sliding around. The MacBook Pro-style key mechanics also have a smooth response that make it a pleasure to type on. Our only complaint is that the hot keys sit on the top edge, rather than along the sides. We've found the latter design provides easier access, although the included Apple Remote gives you the long-distance control capability to make up for it.

The new iMac keyboard is an outstanding example of Apple's trademark industrial design.

The rest of the new design tweaks to the iMac are minor. Apple went to extra effort to hide the built-in iSight video camera and microphone, to the point where the tiny pin pricks on the top edge that reveal the microphone are barely noticeable. We can't say we found the original design that obtrusive. We're sad to see that the new model has no power indicator light, though. We found the softly pulsing white LED underneath the skin of the old iMac comforting as it kept its steady beat.

Apple also included its new iLife '08 media software suite, which gives you all manner of tools for organizing and editing digital photos and videos. We'll let our standalone reviews of iLife and the new iWork suite get into the specifics of those applications, although we will say that the robust suite of iLife apps was another deciding factor in awarding this system an Editors' Choice.

We have reservations, though, about the iMac's operating system. Our biggest complaint with this new system is that, even though Apple's new Leopard operating system is only two months away, Apple hasn't deigned to inform anyone about its upgrade plans. We find that oversight irksome and inconsiderate, especially since in the past, major operating system updates have run $129. As much as we like this system, we think you'd be smart to wait until October to buy one, when the new OS would presumably be included at no extra cost.

Our other gripe, that Apple's support is lackluster, is far from news. That you get only 90 days of phone support with an Apple always feels like a slap in the face when we read it. At least the year-long warranty for parts and labor meets the industry standard. Apple's user community has also proven itself a useful resource, and you can find tons of helpful troubleshooting tips on Apple's forum.

Find out more about how we test desktop systems.

System configurations:

Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz)
Apple OS X; 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics chip; 320GB 7,200rpm hard drive;

Dell Inspiron 531
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.6GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT graphics card; 250GB 7,200rpm Western Digital hard drive

Gateway DX430X
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6420; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 320MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card; 500GB 7,200rpm Seagate hard drive

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m8120n
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600; 3GB 1,066MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 128MB Nvidia GeForce 7350 LE graphics card; two 320GB 7,200rpm Hitachi hard drives

Sony VAIO TP1 Living Room PC
Windows Vista Home Premium; 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5600; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 32MB (shared) Intel 945GM integrated graphics chip; 300GB 7,200rpm Seagate hard drive

Velocity Micro ProMagix E2035
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6600; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT graphics card; 320GB 7,200rpm Hitachi hard drive

Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition
Windows Vista Home Premium; 1.86Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo 6320; 2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB GeForce 8600 GT graphics card; 320GB 7,200rpm Hitachi hard drive

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 97 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 97

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9 stars

Enjoying my new machine

by Andy Meadow on August 9, 2007

Pros: Snappy performance

Cons: Glare from screen, OS upgrade unclear, peculiar wireless keyboard

Summary: I upgraded from a 1.8 GHz G5 iMac to the 2.4 GHz 20" aluminum iMac. The new machine has a much snappier feel to it overall, and individual ...

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Summary: I upgraded from a 1.8 GHz G5 iMac to the 2.4 GHz 20" aluminum iMac. The new machine has a much snappier feel to it overall, and individual apps such as iPhoto and Civilization IV perform much better (in the case of Civ IV, it performs as it should have all along). The new keyboard is surprisingly good for a fast typist such as myself, and iPhoto '08 is sensational! I don't think I care for the glossy screen, though, as it reflects too much glare. I also wanted a wireless keyboard, but the new Apple model is missing a lot of useful keys. These are minor complaints--I'm quite delighted with the purchase.

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26 out of 27 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

C-Net needs some common sense

by calvin7hobbs on August 9, 2007

Pros: Elegant design, price, feature set, mac

Cons: not fully upgradeable

Summary: CNet cons - don't know how to upgrade to Leopard? With a DVD, of course, the same way everything has been upgraded for all of history. Why is this ...

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Summary: CNet cons - don't know how to upgrade to Leopard? With a DVD, of course, the same way everything has been upgraded for all of history. Why is this a con? Why is this even mentioned? You might as well say - Cons: Don't know how to plug power cord into wall. C-Net needs to hire new editors with legitimate cons. Phone support is weak? Maybe you had a bad rep. In general, Apple has some of the best phone support available.

Unless you need multiple hard drives or extremely powerful graphics processing, this computer is the most compelling desktop on the market.

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18 out of 27 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 stars

A decent second computer, but will never be my workhorse.

by dnj1706 on August 29, 2007

Pros: Rich colors, ultra-clear screen, very quiet, small footprint

Cons: Placement of FireWire/USB ports; terrible mouse; DVD slot;; OS X

Summary: I've built my own PCs for many years now, so the price of any Mac was always about three times more than I ever cared to pay for a ...

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Summary: I've built my own PCs for many years now, so the price of any Mac was always about three times more than I ever cared to pay for a machine of the given specs. I'm a tinkerer, a tuner, a customization junkie, and I love to be able to design a system to exacting custom specs -- namely, mine. I also love to be able to upgrade, enhance, and overhaul at will, and again, Macs generally don't satisfy in that regard.

But still, I'm also a believer in using the right tool for the job, and there were certain things (some Mac-only apps) which made sense for me to use, so I purchased my first Mac - a 20" iMac. Of all possible Macs, it was the correct fit for the relatively light duty I need for it to perform.

I immediately appreciated the clarity and color response of the display. Rich colors are very much like candy to me, and I really liked what I saw.

I also liked that it didn't take up much space, because I don't have a whole lot of room for it. I was quite impressed with how quiet it is, too, and it actually took my wife a little while even to realize it was sitting there. Despite its size, it really does keep a low profile.

A few things about the design are very irritating, however. The FireWire and USB ports being on the back of the case is a very poor design decision; whenever I build my own, I make sure I have plenty right up from and easily accessible. USB plugs have to be aligned correctly in order to insert, and it's not the easiest thing to do when you're trying to reach around the back of the screen.

I also don't particularly care for the DVD drive slot. I don't like complicated transport systems; it's too much which can go wrong, and in an all-in-one system, any repair means you're without your machine for the duration. I also do not like the ejection; it's difficult to remove a disc without touching the business side of it, and I like to keep my discs print-free.

Overall, it runs fine, robustly and quietly. I do realize it's a fluke, but it's also the truth -- when I got through the registration and booted up for the very first time, I opened the very first app -- Safari -- and the system locked up. I have not had a problem since, and have no reason to anticipate one, but it seemed worth mentioning.

Now, having come from a Windows or Linux environment, I was actually looking forward to fully immersing myself in OS X. I have to say, after working with it for a while, I do not find it intuitive or as user-friendly as it could be. Right-clicking for item menus is second nature to me, and it's frustrating to have to go the extra step of holding down CTRL while I click. Also, I find the number of choices pretty limited when you do finally get to that menu. For example, I wanted to re-format an external hard drive and found that you can't just do it with a right-click; you need to dig through a couple of folders to get to the disk utility app, and then go through a number of steps.

Also, I've been tripped up multiple times by the need to "eject" an external drive or (to a lesser extent) a USB thumb drive before disconnecting; it keeps the devices from being truly plug and play and it's just not necessary in Windows -- and the need for OS X to write hidden files ("Trashes," e.g.) to the devices is a little creepy.

Further, the lack of customization options for the OS interface as a whole is disappointing. Being used to the ability to customize just about every pixel on the screen, I find the few choices in OS X rather limiting.

I do enjoy the direct access to Apple trailers and everything else accessible from the remote control; I think it's a nice touch. It's not something useful for work, but it's a nice diversion on a break.

I can see where the iMac might have considerable appeal to the light-use home user who just wants to surf the web, organize photos or videos, listen to music, chat online, etc.. And it'll be fine for running the few apps I need it for. But I'm just too used to having a very high level of control over both the hardware and the OS I use, and I don't have that with the iMac. I *really* want things done *my* way, and OS X doesn't seem ideal for that.

So, while it's a solid performer, has a fantastic display, and is going to do what I need it to do, it won't lure me away from my main machine for the bulk of my work.

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11 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Sleek Sleek Sleek

by auscop on August 10, 2007

Pros: Very small form factor, very sexy, Unix based OS, not Microsoft.

Cons: No current cheap/free upgrade plan to Leopard

Summary: I have only just joined CNet reviews and I am about ready to quit just because of the sheer stupidity of some of the posters, where's my morning coffee... ...

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Summary: I have only just joined CNet reviews and I am about ready to quit just because of the sheer stupidity of some of the posters, where's my morning coffee... Folk need to remember what are we reviewing here, we are not reviewing the latest gaming machine or the latest xtreme PC for upgrade geeks, (me in my former life )The iMac is designed for the average user and family, to send e-mail, surf the web, etc. etc. but the main reason to go iMac is for it's Multimedia abilities, not to play the latest online game. Now here's your chance to slam me, I don't own the iMAC yet, the last time I owned an Apple was the Apple 2GS back in the late 80's so why should I be able to rate the iMAC? Well I am done playing graphically intense games, I am done with having to worry about viruses on my PC every day, I am tired of the Blue Screen of Death, I am tired of upgrading my PC that has so many parts something is sure to fail once every 6 months or so, I am tired of trying to use Pinnacle software to make home DVD's and have it suck up 80% of my 2GB of RAM, I am tired of the noise the 5 fans in the PC make, and lastly I need to upgrade as I recently blew all the USB ports in the computer and I sure hell ain't going to go with VISTA.
So if you are not going to use the iMAC for what it is intended, then don't rate it for what it is not. If you want to upgrade look in to the MAC Pro. As soon as Apple offer a good deal on upgrading to Leopard, I will be buying the 2.8Ghz beast. For now it is nothing but pure engineering brilliance and I look forward to be having a true multimedia experience.

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11 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Silly CNET

by mpulze on August 10, 2007

Pros: Style, quality, OSX, Performance, iLife 08

Cons: It doesn't walk the dog.

Summary: I was a little put off by the cons in Cnet's review. Clearly more unbiased responsible journalism is needed here. I assume that Cnet was referring to wanting a ...

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Summary: I was a little put off by the cons in Cnet's review. Clearly more unbiased responsible journalism is needed here. I assume that Cnet was referring to wanting a free upgrade when Leopard is released, I doubt if they are ignorant on how to physcialy install it. I am not sure how this is even a con. I wonder if Cnet would also like a coupon for a free processor upgrade later. If I remember correctly Microsoft didn't offer a Vista upgrade for free when it was released. They charged $20 to upgrade to a featureless basic version and around $200 for a premium version upgrade.

Evidently CNET must have reached a below par person at Apple's tech support. They are generally very knowledgeable, polite and easy to understand. I wonder if they have had the unfortunate opportunity to deal with Dell or HP's support lately! I really think the rest of the industry should get some lessons on support from Apple.

I just got my new iMac 20" and I love it. The aluminum case it just beautiful. The keyboard did feel a bit different at first but I got used to it quickly. I do wish that the wireless model wasn't missing the numeric keypad. The included iLife 08 suite is phenomenal. I love the new features in iPhoto and the all new iMovie just blew me away. The machine is fast and consistent. I noticed a huge speed increase in Photoshop CS3 and Civ IV. The glossy screen is great for me since I work with a lot of photographs. The built in web cam is also a plus. It is a great multimedia machine along with being able to run Windows if needed. I can not see anyone being disappointed with it. I clearly am not.

I was a faithful windows/pc user until 1-05 when I purchased my first Mac, a G5 1.8 20" iMac. Now there is no going back. Unfortunately I do have to work with windows based pcs at work since I do IT . It was Apple's stable OS that won me over. Of course their stylish and quality products helped too. As long as they keep it up they will keep me. So far I have not been disappointed.

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9 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

PC to iMac Convert Very Pleased

by pheuker75 on August 22, 2007

Pros: Design, size, user interface, speed, and cool factor

Cons: Fashion-forward keyboard, at-home customization lacking

Summary: The first computer I ever owned was an Apple IIe. I still believed in Santa and learned the Turtle programming language. The next 24 years were a blur of IBM ...

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Summary: The first computer I ever owned was an Apple IIe. I still believed in Santa and learned the Turtle programming language. The next 24 years were a blur of IBM Aptiva, PC clones, Dell Inspirion, and there might have been an HP in there. I struggled to understand how to use poorly integrated PC software, freezes, virus program after virus program, and eventually fatal crashes.

On an impluse, I walked into the Apple Store in Bridgewater, NJ asked for the new 20" iMac and bought it. No questions. From the two hours it took to open the box, have ALL of my old PC files uploaded to the new iMac, iPhoto organizing all of my 2,000+ photos, iTunes loaded with songs from my iPod (legally, of course), e-mail accounts configured, and surfing the net on my wireless network I was completely hooked. That's not even the good part.

The user interface (UI) for the Apple software is super-slick and so well integrated it hardly seems like different pieces of software. I wouldn't ever considered how to create a website with my photos and videos with a blog and soundtracks to each page, but with iWeb I can. I have a degree in finance and couldn't tell the difference between a subnet and a Java and here I am inviting my friends and family to vew my wesite.

More things that are awesome about this iMac...no drivers. Everything I plugged into the USB ports (three on the head and two on the keyboard) just worked. From cameras, cell phones, external hard drive, video cameras, etc. They all just worked.

OS X has also simplified the menu screens. There are no long hierarcies to wade through to find what you want. It is more or less an experience you need to have with the machine, not have some idiot like me tell you about it.

STOP READING THIS REVIEW AND BUY THIS COMPUTER!!

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8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Best OS and customer service in the industry

by camp88 on August 9, 2007

Pros: Design detail to the core, from the package to the retail experience

Cons: No track pad on wireless keyboard

Summary: Instead of reviewing the OS that the iMac doesn't come with (or advertise that it comes with), I'll review the OS that actually comes installed on the machine, . . . ...

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Summary: Instead of reviewing the OS that the iMac doesn't come with (or advertise that it comes with), I'll review the OS that actually comes installed on the machine, . . . since CNET didn't bother to do this. In short, it's the best available OS you can get on a consumer-level computer. As for Apple service, I've found them to be world class. In fact, they've won awards for their service year in and year out, including Business Week's placing them in the top 25 "Customer Service Champions" across all industries--not just computers. But I can only go by my own experience, which has been trouble-free with Apple and my Xbox experience which has been something out of Dante's nine circles of the red ring of death. So it's all relative, and by that score Apple stands alone in its industryy.
My one complaint is that while the wireless keyboard works great and looks great, they could've built in a trackpad when they shortened it and that would allow me to do away with the wireless mouse. Besides that, the machine rocks from the iLife updates to the rock solid OS and the world class customer service.

By the way, if CNET can give a product an 8.2 then why can't reviewers give a review to the first decimal? I'd give it a 9.5 if the rating wizard was wize enough to make it so. But it's not perfect so I'm not giving it a 10.0

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8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

A beautiful revision. A capabale gaming machine too (read on).

by htdefiant on August 9, 2007

Pros: Runs OS X, glossy screen, stylish keyboard, built in camera and mic.

Cons: Can't upgrade monitor, can't easily upgrade most components

Summary: Apple has once again created a stunning desktop that is fully featured, stylish, and not too hard on the wallet. The glossy screen looks great, and it makes the 20 ...

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Summary: Apple has once again created a stunning desktop that is fully featured, stylish, and not too hard on the wallet. The glossy screen looks great, and it makes the 20 inches feel larger. The keyboard takes a few minutes to get used to, but once you do, you won't want to go back to a traditional. It runs OS X, which still beats out Windows in many facets, not to mention the next revision of OS X which is due in October. It comes with the brand new iLife '08, which has some awesome new features. And I don't really understand why websites don't mention the fact that this is a fully capable gaming machine. Use Boot Camp, the Apple software that lets you put Windows on your Mac. Reboot and game away. This is the only desktop you'll need.

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7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

so awesome

by wliang on August 10, 2007

Pros: Screen looks great, wi-fi is nice and the overall quality is superb

Cons: Can't seem to find any

Summary: i have the 24 inch model which is so fresh. The screen quality is really, really good. the new keyboard is good too. It was a nice change. i have ...

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Summary: i have the 24 inch model which is so fresh. The screen quality is really, really good. the new keyboard is good too. It was a nice change. i have it running off of my wireless box at home. Launching applications was fast. Its just a great new mac that offers so much.

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6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

The best computer I've ever had. I will never buy a PC again

by msmyla on January 7, 2008

Pros: Operating system (Leopard); design; speed; ease of use; huge variety of free, pre-installed applications, remote

Cons: Keyboard - only partially, the screen catches fingerprints easily

Summary: All you have to do when you get your iMac is to get it out of the box, put it on your desk, plug in 3 cables (keyboard, mouse unless ...

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Summary: All you have to do when you get your iMac is to get it out of the box, put it on your desk, plug in 3 cables (keyboard, mouse unless they're wireless and the power cable). Then register the product and you're ready to use this awesome computer. What you get pre-installed: Office for Mac test drive, iWork '08 trial version (I strongly advise you to buy iWork - it's easy to use, you can make beautiful presentations, export everything to Office, Acrobat Reader and more and it's cheap), iLife '08 (iDVD, iPhoto, GarageBand, iWeb which are all perfect for typical home use - you can do everything you want with photos, music, videos, web sites and more), Safari (which is pretty good but rather download Firefox, it's faster and more compatible), Apple Mail (which is easy to set up and very helpful), Photo Booth (with such great effects and backgrounds!), iTunes, Quick Time Player, Dashboard (you can download free widgets for it and it's one of the best features of Macs - soooooo helpful!), Time Machine (I don't use it because an external hard drive is needed), iChat, helpful Stickies & Spaces, iMovie, Automator, in Text Edit a "computer-woman" can read what you had written and so much more... Front Row, controlled by the remote, is ideal for music & movies, very convenient and it shows top movies and TV shows every day thanks to an Internet connection. iMac can connect to the Internet wirelessly, which I think is great. The cover flow function is beautiful and convenient. The Dock is soooooo great: you don't have to minimize all the windows just to launch an application. This computer starts up extremely fast, saves energy and is just a whole lot better and safer than PCs (viruses!!!). The only application you will probably need to download is Skype (because, for instance, even Acrobat Reader is pre-installed).

The iMac looks awesome, too. Beautiful, with an extraordinary screen, easy to adjust (except for catching fingerprints easily; fortunately, there's a cleaning wipe in the box). The mouse is intuitive and beautiful, unforunately, it gets dirty and collects dust too easily; so do the screen and the keyboard. And about the keyboard? It's beautiful, thin, with 2 USB ports and that's it. It's uncomfortable and you can even get an electric shock when your hands are sweaty. There are also only 5 USB ports, two of which "occupy" the mouse and the keyboard. But it has a FireWire port, and a built in camera, which is very useful and of pretty good quality.

In spite of all those cons, this is definitely the best computer I've ever had, and if I could change it to a faster and more expensive PC, I wouldn't do that. Microsoft Windows kills those machines. The only computer I could swap my iMac for is... an iMac, but with a bigger screen. And if you want to buy a computer for house or small business, this is the best choice you can make.

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Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz, 1GB RAM)

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