Apple iMac Desktop (Apple-M8812LLA)

Bottom Line
The IMac is fun to use and offers a fairly complete hardware and software package, though its closed design means you won''t be able to upgrade it internally. With its limited graphics controller, this isn''t a killer entertainment machine.
Apple IMac
iMac Desktop (Apple-M8812LLA) Review, by Dan Littman October 24, 2002

WHAT'S HOT: Apple's high-end version of its new IMac is a little white hemisphere with a 17-inch widescreen LCD on a stalk poking out of the top. The 1440 by 900 display can swivel, and its chrome steel stalk folds on hinges in two places and is articulated so you can raise its top edge 20 inches above your desk or lower it to kneel at your keyboard and still tilt the screen to any angle. The screen displays bright, saturated colors and good detail, and text looks clean and crisp as well. Apple stocks the IMac with its own software, including Imovie--an editing program that makes it simple to import video over a FireWire port, arrange your clips on a time line, add titles and transitions, sync up a soundtrack, and save your production onto a DVD using its built-in DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive. Apple includes a copy of the AppleWorks productivity suite, and the Mac's OS X 10.2 operating system has plenty of useful features; for example, its Unix foundation includes the Grep text-search engine, and you can use built-in speech recognition to run the computer (though not to convert speech to text).
WHAT'S NOT: Apple set this IMac's price at an approachable $1999, but shorted it on some desirable basics. The spherical speakers, which have a proprietary connection to the IMac, sounded tinny and distorted audio at low volume. At this price, you get only 256MB of memory and a single empty memory slot. And while this model's 32MB NVidia GeForce4 MX graphics controller is more powerful than the GeForce2 MX controller used in the 15-inch flat-panel models, our test system dropped a lot of detail and color when playing DVDs. The IMac design is essentially closed--you can't change the display, or add any cards (except an 802.11b wireless networking card called the AirPort card) or internal drives. If you want a floppy drive, you have to buy an external USB unit. Finally, Apple offers stingy support: one year of warranty coverage and only 90 days of tech support.
WHAT ELSE: Because PC WorldBench 4 doesn't run on the Mac platform, we couldn't put the IMac through performance tests. In general use, however, the 800-MHz Power PC G4 model felt plenty fast on productivity apps but bogged down on DVDs and games.
UPSHOT: The IMac is fun to use and offers a fairly complete hardware and software package, though its closed design means you won't be able to upgrade it internally. With its limited graphics controller, this isn't a killer entertainment machine.
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Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
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Reviewed by: slarry5
Strengths: The computer is absolutely incredible. See the comments below.
Weaknesses: A little highly priced, but well worth the extra cost.
Overall: An incredible computer. Small, sleek, stylish and extremely well built. If you don'k know about Apple computers find out before you make the mistake of buying an Intel PC with Mr. Gates inferior XP system. Does everything well. FAST, fast, fast. Leaves the intel chips in the dust. Never crashes, no viruses and no maintainence. Macs never break down. The software IPhoto, ITunes, IMovie, IDVD are absolutely effortless to use and absolutely incredible. The new IMac with OS X puts XP to shame. Does everything a PC does but faster and better. The LCD screen has incredible resolution.
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Reviewed by: bususer
Strengths: Elegant time-savings user interface and applications; iApps; great 17" screen -- especially helpful is that can be easily moved
Weaknesses: Some IT managers still don't want to support the Mac. They don't understand that it requires very little support and can lower IT costs.
Overall: I switched to the Mac after 6 years on the Wintel platform. I consumed untold hours of IT support using Msft Windows and related products. If you and your IT department value your time, this is currently the world's most cost-effective computing platform. You'll even enjoy using it.
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Reviewed by: mgwil31
Strengths: Fun to use! All those fabulous free iApplications are pre-installed: iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD. The 'swivel'-screen is a big plus! The display is gorgeous!
Weaknesses: None!
Overall: With all the included useful free software from Apple, this 'flat' iMac has been fun from the very beginning! For anyone who likes to 'work' with music, pictures, and even home-made movies, this is the machine to have.
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Reviewed by: inzgary1
Strengths: The iMac G4 obviously offers the powerful, Pentiem 4 crushing G4 Processor. Mac OS X, the latest Macintosh operating system. Mac OS X has the features and power PC users dream of. It is fast, easy to use, and powerful.
Overall: This computer would be a great computer for a switcher. It has a beautiful design. It has a high quality display. I would recommend this computer to everyone.
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Reviewed by: punkaltrnative
Strengths: Fast! User Friendly! Can do Anything!
Weaknesses: None!
Overall: I love this computer! The other day I burnt my first DVD and it was as simple as point and click. The screen is the sharpest one ive ever seen. Its a million times better than any PC on the market and then some! It just keeps surprising me every day :)
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