za9ra22's Full Review: Apple iMac 24 in. (MA878LL/A) Mac Desktop - with F...
The WOW factor:
Let me start by saying just one thing: Wow! Right, now that’s out of the way, down to business!
The 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo iMac is a pretty formidable system in every respect. At $1800 it is not inexpensive, at 24” the screen is not unobtrusive, and with a glossy finish it is hardly bland and easy on the eye. The 2.4GHz dual core processor is no slouch, and the design of this system is so striking that the only way to ignore it is to put a bag on your head.
Apple have a deserved reputation for innovative and often arresting industrial design, and as much as the Aluminium iMacs are an evolution from their all-white predecessors, the use of a single sheet of aluminium for the casing and the remarkably solid aluminium keyboard are perfect examples of the designer’s craft at it’s best. However, Apple also have a deserved reputation in some quarters for compromising function for form, so it was with some trepidation that I placed an order for one of these shiny, metal iMacs for use in the office.
I’ve never been a fan of all-in-one systems before, and in all honesty I wouldn’t have been this time either if it weren’t for the fact I couldn’t justify spending more of my boss’s money on a Mac Pro (even though I would have liked one!) and the Mac mini is simply not quite fast enough. So an iMac it had to be, and with the comments about variable color on the 20” model, I decided on a 24” instead.
In the box:
This is an all-in-one system where the logic board and all the circuitry is behind the screen, with a dual-layer 8x slot-loading DVD burner on the right-hand edge of the unit. There’s a 320Gb 7200rpm hard drive as standard, Airport (including 802.11n compatibility), Bluetooth, and both analog and digital audio input and outputs. The system stands on a pedestal base which allows the screen to be tilted forward and backward, and is easy to turn if needed.
As standard it comes with 1Gb RAM, but can take a maximum of 4 either later by the user or as options when buying. Other build-to-order options exist too, including Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, hard drive up to 1Tb, faster 2.8GHz C2D processor and external modem for dial up use. It also has a mini DVI port to connect it to external displays, where it can mirror the inbuilt display, or span the desktop across both, though in most instances a $20 adapter cable will be needed.
All ports and connectors are grouped together on the rear.
The latest wired aluminium keyboard and white mighty mouse are also supplied, along with the now-ubiquitous white remote for controlling Front Row, a power cable and small introductory booklet, install disks, and a cloth for wiping the screen when it needs it.
Putting it to use:
Unboxing is a typical Apple experience. Almost zen. The first striking thing about this system is that despite the physical size it is actually quite light, easy to handle, and built to what seems like high engineering standards. The pictures really don’t do it justice because this system is physically impressive even before it is fired up.
The base model comes with 1Gb as standard, leaving one of the two memory slots empty. I’d bought an additional 1Gb module from crucial.com for $22, and fitting that was a simple process involving removal of a single screw on the underside of the screen and sliding the module firmly into place. It took 2 minutes.
With the system sitting on the desk, the glossy screen looks daunting and highly reflective. At that point it is not difficult to imagine the reflections will interfere with use of the system, but the thought is dispelled immediately it is powered up, when the reflections simply disappear into the background.
The system boots very quickly, the first time into a simple setup assistant which allows it to be customized to the user and for data to be migrated from another system if needed. Even at that stage, the size and quality of the display becomes obvious, but once in use, the system really shows its colors.
The 2.4 iMac is fast. To be sure there are quicker computers, not least the Mac Pro range, but for users more used to older systems, this iMac has plenty of power under the hood, and runs in a way that can really best be described as very fluidly. Even with multiple applications open, the impression is of smooth operation and workflow, with no pauses or slowdowns, and seamless switching between apps.
And the screen…. Well, it is without doubt the most impressive feature of the system. While system performance is remarkable, the display is breathtaking. Colors really pop, whites really shine, black is really dark. The 1920x1200 native resolution gives a desktop with immense amounts of usable real estate for those who like to clutter up their workspace, and can of course be expanded by the use of Leopard’s ‘Spaces’ feature to two, four, or even more, virtual desktops, each with their on applications running. Switching between Spaces is as fluid as could be.
The iMac also handles running legacy software written for PPC processors very well using the in-built Rosetta translator. On slower Intel-based Macs, these applications tend to bog the system down a little, but the iMac is fast enough to cope. In my case, amongst the other software I typically have running, I use MS Word and Excel, Dreamweaver 8, Adobe inDesign 2 and some graphics utilities which are all PPC applications running in Rosetta, and with 2Gb RAM the system manages well.
In basic tests, measured against my G5 2GHz dual processor PowerMac (bought in late 2003 and claimed at the time to be the fastest desktop system available), the iMac turned in almost double the overall performance, scoring 154.1 in cumulative xbench tests against the G5’s 79.8. The G5 is certainly no slouch itself, but the iMac leaves it well behind. Real-world tests also bear this out, with the iMac performing typical tasks such as rendering effects in iMovie, applying filters in Photoshop, opening image files, rendering projects in iDVD all distinctly faster than the G5.
When video editing, the iMac seamlessly switches between modes without the tiny pauses and momentary delays that characterize the G5, and scrubbing the playhead is fluid in ways the G5 never quite achieved. Workflow ends up smoother and more focus can remain on the creative process as a consequence. The result is that working on the iMac is subtly smoother and less distracting – not least because it is also almost entirely silent. No fan noise unless the system is pressed hard, when the fan spins up to full speed.
And then, did I mention the screen?!! The more the system is used, the more the screen really does come into it’s own. Working with image files or video, the glossy screen makes it a delight to use, with vibrant colours and razor sharp graphics. Even word processing benefits, with text clear and sharp, and in use with DVD playback or iTunes content the quality of display is truly superb.
Downsides:
There do, however, appear to be small graduations of brightness towards the bottom of the screen, which don’t hinder use in any practical sense for most users, but could be problematic for professionals who need exact color calibration and consistency. The effect is very small, but present even so.
There are other downsides too. The system has only 3 USB ports (all mounted on the rear panel) which is woefully inadequate for most users these days. The port are easily accessible, but more would be nice. Apple do provide two USB2.0 ports on the keyboard so all is not lost, but they are not easy to access since they are recessed from the edges, and some devices, memory sticks for example, won’t fit as a result. Other devices may not function correctly. There is also only one Firewire 400 and one Firewire 800 port, which is restrictive for a system which is designed for use with external drives and devices such as camcorders.
The keyboard may additionally be a drawback for some. This little masterpiece of design is probably Apple’s most contentious keyboard to date. It lies very flat to the desk, and uses what amount to laptop key switches with little travel. The keyboard itself is plastic, with a sheet of aluminium on the top face. I’ve been a great fan of Apple’s ancient Extended II keyboard for many years, and continue to use them with a suitable adapter on my Macs, but the new aluminium keyboard with the iMac has been the first such device I have used and liked almost as much – much to my surprise.
The system also comes with Apple’s wired Mighty Mouse, a device I really don’t much like. It works, and works well, and after a brief period of familiarization even the scroll button is pleasing to use, but in a world where ergonomic designs have made mousing a relatively comfortable long-term activity, the mighty mouse is simply not comfortable enough. The ability to sideways scroll web pages using the button is pretty neat however!
Supplied software:
As with all other Macs, the iMac comes supplied with a number of applications pre-installed and ready to use, along with limited time demos of the iWork suite and MS Office 2004 Test Drive to give a flavor of this Microsoft bundle for those who have not experienced it on the Mac before. Also supplied is a copy of iLife 㢬, which includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, Garageband and iWeb. This is an excellent bundle of applications which offers remarkable sophistication and power for a free suite. Many people have complained at what is seen as the regressive nature of iMovie 㤐, so Apple provide a download link for the previous version for those who prefer it. Additionally, the iMac comes with iChat, which is capable of text, audio and video chat, Front Row, Apple’s elegantly simple media center/controller, and a small application called PhotoBooth, which makes use of the inbuilt iSight camera to allow pictures to be taken.
There are also the standard address book, calendar, calculator, DVD player and synchronization software, along with Preview for image and PDF viewing and the usual range of MacOS tools.
All in all, the software supplied is very broadly useful and usable, and many users will find they need little more. In typical Apple fashion, the software integrates seamlessly with the operating system, and with each other, making an excellent set of core functions and giving the system a wide range of sophisticated uses.
Overall:
For the $1800 price tag, you get a great deal for the money. The system has power, performance and flexibility, a stunning, rather large, high resolution display, a bundle of software that is both simple to use and sophisticated in scope, and a degree of integration which is very hard to beat.
The base memory is really not sufficient for demanding use, though currently a 4Gb upgrade (2 2Gb RAM modules) can be had for little more than $100, and the more modest upgrade from 1 to 2Gb is little more than $22.
In use, the system is fast and very comfortable to work with, impressive in display quality and hard to fault. The keyboard may not suit some, but almost any USB keyboard and mouse will work simply by plugging them in instead. A second display (indeed, even TV) can be added if needed, and while the number of ports is a little disappointing, it is not hard or expensive to supplement them with a hub or two if that is desired.
This level of performance is excellent, and certainly shows off many of Leopard’s great features to very good effect.
The 24” 2.4GHz iMac is not the fastest Mac, nor is it the cheapest by a long way. It is, however, an excellent set of compromises for those who want power but don’t need to hit the pinnacle of system performance, and who appreciate a stunning display that provides an abundance of workspace. For the serious user it is hard to fault despite the price tag, and should also be capable of satisfying the needs of many professional users at a cost somewhat lower than a Mac Pro with suitable screen. It is outpaced by the 2.8GHz iMac and the Mac Pro range, but is more than credible even so.
Recommendation:
Due to the glossy screen it would be wise to try one before buying, just to make sure the reflective nature of the display doesn’t impede use of the system, but even in my brightly lit office it does not cause any distractions to me. Your experience however could vary! If you like the display (and I suspect the vast majority love it) it is hard not to recommend this system to a broad range of users.
The one in the office has impressed me sufficiently that after spending the boss’s money on it, I’ve now spent my own on another for use at home.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1799 Operating System: Windows and Macintosh Processor speed: over 1000 Internal Storage: SuperDisk Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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