Apple's New iMac - a 24-Inch Powerhouse
Written: Apr 22 '09
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Pros: sleek, elegant design with serious computing power
Cons: the only real cons are nit-picky ones
The Bottom Line: The lowest tier of Apple's 24-inch iMacs offers the perfect balance of computing power, elegant design, and reasonable price. It's plenty computer for the majority of desktop users.
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| DrFaustus's Full Review: Apple iMac 24 in. (MB418LL/A) Mac Desktop - with F... |
I've been asked plenty of times over the years why I prefer to use Macs instead of PC's. More often than not, I explain that it's out of a force of habit - back when I started college and found myself in the computer labs on a regular basis, the Mac computers were available to use on a more regular basis than the PC's were, so they were the ones that I went to for my classwork. Not to much later when I came time to buy a computer for myself (and every few years thereafter when it came time for an upgrade), I chose Mac because that's what I know.
Having just bought one of Apple's 2009 models of iMac to replace my increasingly long-in-the-tooth desktop, I'm getting asked that same question more often than usual, now. I still use the same stock respose when I answer, but I'm starting to admit to myself that it's more than just my old habits. Apple just simply makes a very, very solid product that's really hard to beat.
Apple's 2009 update to the iMac line doesn't look any different from the previous generation. Just like the 2008 and 2007 models, the entire computer is extremely compact. All internal components are tucked behind the widescreen monitor itself (available in either 20 inch or 24 inch sizes), and everything is encased in a sleek aluminum and black plastic enclosure. At first glance, it's easy to mistake either size of the iMac for just a monitor. Only the slightly rounded backside needed to accommodate all the internal hardware betrays that there's more than just display going on here. (Of course the long row of USB, firewire, and display ports, along with the DVD drive slot on the side and the built-in speakers on the bottom of the case are also big clues, but we're talking about first glances here.)
Part of the Apple experience has, for years, been about the aesthetics, and the iMac continues to live up to that reputation. Between the rounded edges of the aluminum case, the sleek metal stand, (very sturdy, yet a barely larger than a trade paperback book to help users conserve on desk real estate), Apple's button-less, yet still two-button Mighty Mouse, and the compact aluminum keyboard, the whole set-up is a triumph of sleek minimalist elegance that might be the kind of creation sixties ad execs would have dreamt up if there were visionary enough to know what computers would be nearly half-a-century later.
(Not to get off on a tangent here, but speaking of that keyboard, it can feel awfully small. Apple's latest standard keyboard eliminates the numeric keypad, the cluster of keys that includes "page up" and "page down." For anyone that needs the familiar comfort of that numeric keypad, a full-size keyboard is still available at no extra charge, but only as a special order option through Apple's website.)
The whole aesthetic aspect is the most noticeable aspect of any Apple product, including the iMac, but none of it matters without the computing power and hardware to make things useful. Fortunately, this year's refresh of the iMac line is more than powerful enough to suit vast majority of users' needs, especially when we figure in the different sizes and internal configurations.
When it came time for me to pick out my new computer, I opted for the 24-inch size. Not only was I able to get more screen real estate (1,920 by 1,200 pixels as opposed to the 20-inch model's 1680 by 1,050 resolution), the larger size also offered several different hardware configurations instead of the one-size-fits-all configuration of the 20-inch model. Amongst those different options for the 24-inch model are processor speed (2.66 GHz, 2.93Ghz, or 3.06GHz), hard drive space (640 MB or 1 TB), and graphical support (Nvidia GeForce 9400M which shares its video processing duty with the computer's main memory for the lower of the three models, and Nvidia GeForce GT, with its own separate dedicated memory for the two higher models). RAM for all three models is a standard 4 GB - more than enough to meet the typical user's needs for years to come. All three models are fast enough that users will only notice processor lag while processing especially large image files or converting video files to DVD format. And given the proliferation of external storage options these days, getting a few hundred extra gigabytes of hard drive wasn't that much of a priority for me. The most pressing issue for anyone looking at the three models of 24-inch iMacs is the video card. Since I'm not a hard-core gamer addicted to video games with bleeding edge graphics, the low-end video card, more than capable of handling online videos and less graphics intensive games like Civilization was plenty for me. A little extra superfluous graphical oomph wasn't enough for me to justify the three hundred dollar price jump between the low-end model and the mid-range one.
This particular model of iMac is more than enough power for any desktop user whose job doesn't involve heavy-duty, high-end graphics or video production. Is it the right desktop computer for you, though? That all comes down to the whole user experience you're looking for. Regardless of the hardware specs, the crown jewel of Apple's entire product line has long been the Mac Operating System and all the software components that come along with it. Anyone who's used Apple's OSX for any length of time in the last few years can attest to how stable and intuitive the user experience is. Crashes are virtually unheard of , and the computer can run for weeks or even months without getting bogged down enough to necessitate a reboot. Apple's suite of media programs let home users dabble with professional-level media authoring - recording and mixing music and podcasts with Garage Band, editing together home movies into cinematic masterpieces with iMovie, managing and retouching your myriad digital pictures with iPhoto, creating and hosting websites without having to learn any HTML code thanks to iWeb, and so much more. They're all tied in together seamlessly to make any projects a breeze. Even third-party software tends to run great on the iMac, since developers can tailor their programs specifically for Apple's modestly sized product line rather than having to account for a near-infinite variety of hardware configurations that show up on the PC side of the computing world.
(And it's important to note for anyone who's entrenched in the PC side of computing, all of Apple's iMac (in fact, all of their current desktop and laptop models) can run Windows – something especially useful if there's a particular piece of software you can't live without that hasn't been programmed to run on the Apple operating system.)
No new computer is going to be absolutely flawless, and there are a few valid gripes to be found with this latest model of iMac, particularly considering things that Apple has offered in the past:
• Apple only offers the computer with a glossy screen. There is no matte option, so users who get a lot of direct sunlight are in for good deal of glare.
• Support for Firewire 400 devices has been dropped. Users with older devices that connect though Firewire 400 (like my old external hard drive) can still use them, but they'll need to purchase a special cable to be able to connect them to the iMac's Firewire 800 port.
• There is no bundled-in Apple Media Remote to go along with the computer as their had been in the past. Users who want to browse through their media collections from across the room will have to purchase one separately. If you have one from an older Mac, though, you can still use it just fine with the new line of iMacs.
But there is far more that I've found to love about the computer:
• The big, bright display not only offers plenty of workspace, it also looks great when watching DVD's or Hulu videos whether sitting at the desk or watching from across the room. And everything still looks sharp even if you're watching the screen from a steep angle.
• Apple sells some top-notch peripherals like the wireless bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse that practically set themselves up with no need to fiddle with drivers or other downloads.
• Not only does the computer run smoothly now, it'll continue to do so for quite some time. (My previous desktop Mac was purchased in the fall of 1999, and it ran every operating system that Apple released through 2007 without complaint. I have every indication that this new iMac will last at least as long.
• there is hardly ever a need to download drivers for printers, scanners, and other USB peripherals
• a built-in iSight camera and microphone for video conferencing or vlogging
• a serious price drop from last year's 24-inch iMac models
• minimal desktop footprint for such a large-screened computer
And that's just scratching the surface.
Even the most die-hard Mac enthusiast will agree that customers pay a premium when they buy an Apple product. This iMac is no exception. Similar-sized all-in-one PC's can be found for several hundred dollars cheaper. For me, though, it's not just a matter of being familiar and comfortable with Macs. I didn't hesitate to pay that Apple premium because I knew that those bargain priced PC's would end up leaving me with headaches that I don't need to worry about now.
As for the various iMac configurations that Apple offers right now, my best advice is to pass over the 20-inch model. That screen may be big enough for many users, but the base level 24-inch model, and only three hundred dollars more, offers double the RAM, double the hard drive space, better screen resolution, and higher overall video quality. Unless you work professionally in video and photography or are into hardcore, cutting edge games (and those hardcore gamers, frankly, aren't going to be considering Apple computers to begin with), the low-end of Apple's 24-inch iMac is absolutely the way to go for all your desktop computing needs for now and for years to come.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1399
Operating System: Macintosh
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DrFaustus
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