Apple's Latest iMac Is Elegant, Powerful, Surprisingly Affordable

The Wall Street Journal - Tech Pages ^ | 9/23/2004 | WALTER S. MOSSBERG

[Swordmaker]

I am writing these words on the most elegant desktop computer I've ever used, a computer that is not only uncommonly beautiful but fast and powerful, virus-free and surprisingly affordable.

This machine takes up no more space on a desk than a flat-panel monitor. In fact, the entire computer is contained behind a flat-panel screen in a space just 2 inches thick -- thinner than most flat-panel monitors alone.

Yet it houses one of the most advanced processors on the market; a roomy hard disk; a CD or DVD recorder; wired or wireless Internet connectivity; and a full complement of ports and connectors.

I'm talking about Apple Computer's new iMac G5 desktop, which starts at $1,299 for a model with a 17-inch wide-screen display, and rises to $1,899 for a version with a massive 20-inch wide-screen display. It's another design coup by Apple.

[Swordmaker]

Mac Ping List PING!

iMAc G5 Review in Wall Street Journal

If you want to be included or excluded from the Mac Ping List, please Freepmail me.

[lainde]

bttt

[Vermonter]

But the new iMac actually costs less than comparable Windows machines. For instance, Gateway's all-in-one Profile 5 model, with a built-in 17-inch flat-panel screen, costs $1,499, compared with $1,299 for the 17-inch iMac, and the Gateway is much thicker and lacks a dedicated graphics card like the iMac's. Even if you increase the iMac's memory to match the Gateway's 512 megabytes, the iMac is still $125 cheaper.

If you tried to match the specs of the base iMac G5 in a traditional Dell tower, you'd also pay more. A Dell Dimension 4600, with the best processor, Windows XP Pro, the best 17-inch flat-panel monitor, a CD recorder and the same graphics card, costs $7 more than the 17-inch iMac. And it's much bulkier and uglier.

[Sundog]

ping me for apple. I bought my first one in 84 -- the 128K machine, and I've been getting them ever since.

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, I want one of these, although this concept was (sort of) tried four years ago and more by Gateway. Thanks SW, add me please to the Mac ping list.

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Apple G5 iMac Apple Computer Inc.

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[SunkenCiv]

Oops, sorry, "SM", not "SW".

[SunkenCiv]

Alas, the ports do not include FireWire 800 or Ethernet (relies on wireless for the latter).

George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent

[Vermonter]

Ethernet appears to be included.

http://www.apple.com/imac/


"Of course the iMac G5 offers all the right ports to connect to your universe with ease. Starting with the new headphone jack that’s also a mini-optical plug. So you can watch DVDs and listen to them in 5.1 surround sound. You’ll also find a passel of USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 connectors for your camera, camcorder or gamepad. Or if you want to connect your iMac to your TV or a digital projector, the mini-VGA port gives you the option. The line in jack lets you record an electric guitar into GarageBand. iMac offers Ethernet for wired networking as well as a modem for dial-up Internet. Your modem can also double as a fax machine."

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86813

"The iMac G5 has a built-in 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet port. The iMac G5 computer can be connected to an Ethernet cable from a cable or DSL modem, hub, switch, or router, or to another Macintosh computer. The connected device can be either a 10Base-T or a 100Base-TX device; the port automatically detects which type of device is connected. You don't have to use an Ethernet crossover cable to connect to other Ethernet devices."

[pageonetoo]

ping me for apple. I bought my first one in 84 -- the 128K machine, and I've been getting them ever since.

I was late on the scene, and got a fat-Mac, with a 512k ROM, and a 5 MEGAbyte internal hard drive from GCC. It linked to a 24 pin dot matrix printer from Apple, which I later replaced with an HP for drawings. I used Mac Draft to do house plans, and never got close to filling the HD... at first!

3 1/2 disks ruled!

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, turns out... I wandered over to CompUSA, asked the geek there, then checked it out. The 17" 160 Mhz (which is what they had) had the RJ45 right at the bottom. And naturally wireless is also available (perhaps as an add-on, I have no interest in wireless).

[Bush2000]

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, did it really exist?

[Swordmaker]

And naturally wireless is also available (perhaps as an add-on, I have no interest in wireless).

Both Airport Extreme and BlueTooth are available as optional extras.

[Swordmaker]

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, did it really exist?

If a tree falls in the forest and Bush2000 is totally deaf, does it really exist?

[Bush2000]

I'm not the one that Apple is targeting. There are hundreds of millions of deaf people who simply won't hear this tree falling in Apple's forest.

[SunkenCiv]

I didn't mention it, but I was sucked in by the design when all I'd seen were the pictures. Seeing it in person is even better. The 17" is plenty large enough (although it's "letterbox" style, so it's not as tall as what I'm used to), and it's pretty, and all the ports are easy to get to, and it's lightweight and easy to reposition (or transport), and of course it is cheaper to operate than a CRT.

I doubt there's any way to improve its looks. It would be nice to add FW 800, and the usual (add' memory, bus speed, processor speed).

By next year, there will have been a couple of iterations, and I may have some cash cash cash, so I'll get one of these new ones after they're no longer made. The 20" are backordered, the geek (works for Apple) said they're on the way, but no one seems to know where they are. I blame John Kerry. ;')