Impressions on iMac
Well, I just got a iMac 20" Intel 2.16 Ghz and I'm also happy with this machine. It justs seems so smooth. I rip DVDs, use iPhoto, iPulse, etc. and everything goes so well. Well, I guess it's time for a review:
- Screen; 10/10; The iMac's screen is gorgeous. Humongus, widescreen and lush. It's amazing. One of the best parts. The 1680x1050 resoultion is excellent, but 1920x1200 might have been nicer. Of course, that would kill sales of the 24". :D
- Processor; 9/10; The Core 2 Duo, faster then my G4 [1.25 Ghz] by about 4.5x at some things, it's quite fast. Downsides? Being a notebook processor, it costs about the same as a 2.33ghz desktop model (it's 2.16Ghz,) but is slower. Of course, this saves power.
- Memory, HD, and Video: 8/10: Decent for a machine of this caliber, the video processor, a X1600, will play many games capably. The HD is huge; this scores a 10/10. The RAM is decent. It's 1GB; 2GB or 1.5GB would have been better.
- Other stuff and Design; 10/10; The design is excellent. It's slim yet comfortable and not awkward looking. The iSight camera and Dual-layer DVD burner are nice bonuses, and the keyboard and mouse are first rate as far as bundled ones go. The amount of USB ports is a nice touch; three on the machine and two on the keyboard; with keyboard and mouse plugged in, you still have 3 ports left. There are also two FireWire 400 ports, absent on many machines, as well as gigabit, not 10/100, Ethernet.
- Software and OS; 9/10; The bundled software suite is nice but not as good as Apple used to do. It contains a movie editor, picture manager/editor, outliner, board games, music/video organizer/player, DVD burner, and music maker, as well as a Web Publisher. Most applications are absolutely first rate and excellent. The OS is smooth but has a few faults; I wish the UNIX integration and Web server were better, and I wish that a Backup program were included. Furthermore, the iChat software, while nice, has poor compatibility.
- Value; 8/10; You can't really compare this to a PC. The PC will be faster, more expandable, and more compatible, whereas the Mac will be easier to use, come with more cool stuff, and be designed better, and have better support.
- Overall: 9.5/10: One of Apple's Best. A worthy competitor to the PC world.

<< Home