For Under A Grand, Hey Why Not?
Written: Mar 24 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ease of use, respectable performance, simplicity of form, great bang for the buck
Cons: Stupid, gimmicky color-flavors which diminish iMac's image to Mac loyalists
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| 29th_Candidate's Full Review: Apple iMac Indigo 15 in. (M7669LL/A) Mac Desktop |
If you are the type of computer consumer who's been tooling around with boxes since slide-rule was the cutting edge, don't waste your megahertz considering the iMac a viable buying option. But if you are at the "I'm-still-trying-to-figure-out-the-complexities-of-email" level of computer sophistication, or even a few levels above (perhaps the majority of computer dabblers out there), you've found your computer dream-machine.
For an entry level machine, you will be hard-pressed to find more bang for your buck ($999) on the computer store shelves. You certainly won't find it in anything Bill Gates or his IBM-compatible buddies offers. The "bang" can be summarized as 1) ease of use, 2) top of the line performance and 3) simplicity of form.
EASE OF USE
With respect to ease of use, the iMac requires virtually no set up. Take it out of the box, plug it in, turn it on... very hard to screw up. The pre-installed software even walks you through all aspects of ownership and email setup. The resulting user-friendly experience creates in the iMac's otherwise technically-befuddled user an experience of warm and giddy enthusiasm towards the mastering of other previously avoided technical challenges. In the technically-adept user, possessed of neither the time nor the inclination to wile away the hours customizing computer output or adding components ad infinitum, an experience of mindless, worry-free completion is henceforth generated.
PERFORMANCE
With respectable machine speed options in excess of 400 megahertz, this entry level muscle machine gives its user bragging rights in any professional level IBM-compatible user's circle. All that horsepower and a visual interface without having to sell his soul to the bugs and hassles guaranteed by "Windows 2000" (or any other memory-munching Windows "year" for that matter).
SIMPLICITY OF FORM
No need for the iMac user to add ulcer-to-insult trying to mix and match components he knows nothing about. It's all here in one simple package (plus keyboard). Not only is the "fuss & muss" disgust eliminated, but the iMac user is happily released from merely another opportunity to become the gouge-fodder of yet another salesman waiting to prey on an unsophisticated buyer. Add to this the buyer's ability to carry his newly bought product from place to place like a portable TV set, and you've completed the working definition of "simplicity of form."
If you are the expert level user or the hacker extraordinaire looking for customization options or the benefits associated with a professional level unit, spend the extra bucks and buy yourself a G4. But for the entry level to intermediate level user looking for ease of use, respectable performance and simplicity of form, all for a relatively miniscule $999, the iMac is the answer to your dreams
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
29th_Candidate
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Member: Jim Scileppi
Location: The 29th Congressional District, CA
Reviews written: 67
Trusted by: 515 members
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