Customer Reviews

Apple iMac Desktop with 17" Display MA590LL/A (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

With some trepidation, I made the big switch from PC to MAC. It takes a little getting used to, but so far, so good! The 17" iMac is gorgeous and does what it is supposed to do. The Dual Core processor is a nice touch, it is very fast. The 1gb of standard RAM is sufficient for most, and if you need more, it is upgradeable to 3gb. There is a user-accessable panel so you can install the memory yourself. I would have liked a larger hard drive, maybe that is something I can upgrade in the future. The slot loading Super Drive does it all and is very cool--no trays to malfunction or break off. The system comes with a cool little remote control that attaches magnetically to the side of the monitor when not in use. You can access the multimedia functions of the computer with the remote via Front Row. The only complaint I have about the remote is that the battery was completely dead when I received the package! What's up with that, Amazon??? The keyboard and Mighty Mouse are cool and sleek. I don't know how long all this white is going to look good in my house, but here's hoping. The cable for the keyboard is not long enough, so if you want to maintain the minimalistic look of the iMac, I would suggest going wireless. The display is crystal clear and bright--great for watching DVDs. The built-in speakers are OK, there is some room for improvement there. The included software is pretty good, but they only give you a test drive of Office 2004; a full version would be much nicer! The iSight camera built in on the top of the display is pretty cool, and the Photo Booth software is fun to play around with. All in all, this is a good deal for the money--I would recommend!

This is not designed to be a technical review stuffed with a lot of jargon and technical data. This is a snapshot summary of what I think to be important to know for the average consumer looking for a more real summary of the iMac often omitted in a technical spec sheet offered by Apple, including set up, ergonomics, etc.

-Set up was a few minutes initially since I knew all my information. The computer took another 20 minutes or so to automatically download 7-8 updates to the iPod, OS, Quicktime, etc.
-Stand for the monitor is built in, plugged in the mouse and keyboard, power, and off I went! (No tools except fingers and arms!)
-No desktop, everything is built into the flat screen
-In the box the unit is about 25 pounds, including the mouse, keyboard, cables, etc. (I was so surprised how light it was!)
-8x DVD/CD burner
-Super fast start up after turning the computer on in as little as 15 seconds (although it seems to vary in certain situations). Shutdown is consistently quick at 13-15 seconds
-Runs 10.4.8 which offers several advancements over other Mac OS versions
-5 USBs!!! Three 2.0 USB needed for new iPods and other devices, and two 1.1 USB ports on the keyboard for a mouse or other low speed (or older) devices (plus you get 2 firewire ports... I use one fire wire for my iPod)
-Runs Windows XP if you buy "Parallels" or Apple's "Boot Camp" (Beta)... both have received high marks for compatibility, speed, and ease of install. Biggest difference is Boot Camp requires a reboot to use but offers almost full compatibility and the best speed, Parallels can run in parallel (can be launched like any program) but is slower for high end applications (games) and I don't think offers quite the same external device compatibility (I don't own Boot Camp, but really like Parallels... see my review of it for more details).
-160 GB hard drive is roomy for us, OS and everything that we have right now including 804 songs for our iPod is 43 GB leaving us 117 GB free still
-Built in wireless internet
-Built in Bluetooth (i.e. good for wireless keyboard or mouse)
-Ethernet connection for networking computers without wireless/Airport
-Super clear and bright computer screen and loud speakers (2 built in)
-1GB memory which I think can be upgraded to 3GB. I also think that this could be upgraded without assistance from a pro using only a Phillips type screwdriver and your fingers. However, as always, seek advice before doing anything like this on your computer.
-"Mighty Mouse" has a scroll wheel which is super handy. I thought it to be a gimmick but am delighted to find it so useful. My computer also works very well with my Sony Memory Stick Mouse/Drive (see my other reviews for this must have)
-Built in camera which can take stills or video (it appears as the little 1/4" x 1/4" black square at the top center edge of the unit)
-Extremely friendly to customize, including extensive availability of widgets (I was surprised to see so many different ones so quickly, reminds me of the pre-System 6 days with all the 3rd party freeware)
-iTunes!!!!
-Blazing fast internet (we have a high-speed wireless T1 line)

Con:
-Price
-Headphone jack is in the back (although it's the first plug and thus the easiest to access)
-I could still use another one or two USB 2.0 ports, keyboard has USB 1.0 connections that aren't very useful any longer with newer power hungry devices
-Unable to get bluetooth functionality working
-Screen saver and energy saver functionality overlap but controls/settings are in different locations so if you turn off the screen saver, energy saver may kick in and turn off your screen... took me a while to figure this out while I chased false system software problems

Bottom line: you get what you pay for and I highly recommend this item. We liked it so much that Mom got a 20" version 2 days after we did. Our Grandfather liked it so much he also got the 20" version about 10 days after we did and will be using it to run Windows XP. We'll browse the internet safely using Mac OS and then use "Parallels" to emulate XP to do everything else.

When friends and family see my 20-inch iMac and decide it's more than they need, I recommend this one.

They're still thanking me.

Yes, there's a lower-priced 17-inch Apple computer called "iMac" but it's really Apple's replacement for the eMac classroom computer. It comes with a 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 512Mb of system RAM. The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator takes a minimum of 64 Mb from the system RAM plus up to 16 Mb for 3D graphics, leaving 432Mb for the operating system. The optical Combo drive reads CDs and DVDs but only burns music and data CDs. Airport Wi-Fi is built in but there's no Bluetooth, Front Row media or Apple Remote. It's a workhorse but hardly a thoroughbred.

Maybe Apple wanted to go head-to-head with the cheapie PC makers and say "Look! We did it! An iMac for under a grand!" And like a loss-leader Windows PC, once you add all the upgrades you really, really want, you'll come pretty darn close to the price of this iMac. Some items like Bluetooth and a DVD-burning SuperDrive aren't even available as upgrades.

For an extra couple of C-notes, this iMac shares the goods with its 20- and 24-inch siblings: a zippier 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor with a 4Mb L2 cache (translation: it's a rocket sled on greased rails), a full Gigabyte of system RAM, both AirPort and Bluetooth wireless, a SuperDrive that burns CDs and DVDs, an ATI Radeon X1600 graphics processor with its own 128 Mb of video RAM, and Front Row entertainment center with Apple Remote. Like the bigger iMacs, this one already supports every major feature in OS X Tiger like Core Image and Core Audio, and that means it's ready for Core Animation in OS X Leopard without any hardware upgrades. About the only thing you'll want to add is a good set of speakers and if you're not crazy about the Apple Mighty Mouse (an acquired taste), any USB mouse or trackball will do. The iMac won't care. Just plug it in and get on with your life without so much as a reboot.

In another review, I dubbed the 20-inch iMac "Still THE computer for the rest of us." That makes this iMac "The OTHER computer for the rest of us."

UPDATE: On August 7, 2007, Apple discontinued the 17-inch iMac. For the price of this iMac, you can now buy the Apple iMac Desktop with 20" Display MA876LL/A (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive). Bigger screen and hard drive, snazzy good looks inspired by the Apple Cinema Display, and the latest ATI graphics.

Recently I have been looking for a new computer for my daughter. As a former NASA research scientist I have been a fan of Macintosh computers for many years and find that they keep getting better and better for quite reasonable prices. Naturally, my first consideration was an iMac. But I felt that I should at least check out some of the PCs being advertised at super low prices. To my surprise I found that a PC advertised for $500 would actually cost several hundred dollars more when configured with adequate RAM and software and still be far less of a computer than any iMac. In my opinion Macs in general are still better computers -- and better buys -- than PCs. They are far more user friendly, will readily run Office and other Microsoft software -- even Windows -- as well as the powerful and convenient Mac OS X software, and are still the best way to avoid problems with viruses. I recommend all of the computers in the iMac line, but this one has a lot of value per dollar.

I switched from PC to Mac myself several months ago (Mac Pro). I bought this iMac to replace my wife's PC to eventually move to an all Mac household (I still have a PC for the kids that I'll replace when it dies). There are several pitfalls to migrating to Macs from PCs:
1) Figuring out how to move emails and contact lists was painful (at least if you use Microsoft Outlook). Once I found out how -- I ended up having to purchase O2Mac -- it was relatively easy, but not without a couple minor problems. Biggest problem? The 'to' and 'from' addresses in imported emails come across as a text string, not an address, so if you do a reply all, Mail doesn't recognize the string as an email address.
2) You will need to buy all new software or also purchase Parallels to run your existing PC software. To run Parallels you also have to have an installable version of Windows and preferably 1 gig of RAM. You can run with less than 1 gig, but the ability to switch windows, etc. will suffer.
3) Mac software is in an awkward stage right now converting to Universal code to run more efficiently on the Intel processors. There are some programs that are on the threshold of being re-written, so you are forced to either buy twice, wait, or buy the slower, PowerPC written software and experience slower performance.
4) If you are trying to do something complicated, it is easier to find friends who are experts on PCs than Macs (of course with PCs its also more likely you'll be forced to do something complicated and need to find a friend who is an expert on a PC).
5) If you've been using a PC for a long time, there are many shortcuts and ways of doing things that you'll have to relearn.

Would I do it again? Yes. Would my wife since I switched her? No. She was used to doing things one way and is now having to relearn stuff she's been doing for 15 years. Am I glad my wife switched to Mac? Absolutely. As the defacto tech support guy for our household, I was sick of PC problems - system performance degrading over time, software that stops working, system stability problems after installing new software, viruses, etc. I haven't had any of those kind of problems with the Macs. It hasn't been without some frustrations and teaching myself new stuff and it certainly has cost me more than I anticipated in new software, etc., but I am still glad I did it.

As to the specifics of the 17 inch iMac: This is a great computer - very easy to set up and use right out of the box. Reason's I didn't give it 5 stars (very picky):
- I would like a higher resolution display. The colors are terrific, but I think a 17" display should be more than 1440x900. In general, the iMac displays use lower resolutions than the best monitors you would typically find (e.g., my 20" Samsung flat panel monitor attached to my Mac Pro is 1900x1200 where the 20" iMac is only 1680x1050).
- The usb cables on the keyboard are too short. The length is fine if the keyboard is on the desktop, but you need an extension if you have the keyboard in a drawer under the desk.
- I don't like that the standard Mac mouse doesn't have a right button. I love the roller ball on top, but I got rid of the mighty mouse in favor of a Microsoft mouse with left and right buttons. There are too many things I do with right clicks to lose it.

I hope this helps.

I made the PC to Mac switch about 3 months ago, with the 2.0GHz iMac w/ wireless keyboard and mouse, and so far am extremely satisfied. I was reluctant to make the swap, since I've been using Microsoft operating systems for at least 15 years. Last time I even saw a Mac was 10 years ago in college. Frustrated by my PC constantly crashing, intrigued by its reputation and impressed by the iMac's sleek design, I made the plunge.

Performance has been great. I had to install MS Office, so I have some compatibility with work, and so far it has worked well. The system has yet to crash, lock up, or severely annoy me. I love the small footprint the system leaves. One power cord, wireless keyboard, mouse and internet connection...it doesn't get any better than that. No more clutter under my desk.

Wow! I Think this is one of the best desktop available in the market. I bought this iMac 2 months ago after the apple upgraded to Intel Core 2 Duo with 1 GB ram (prior is just Intel Core Duo with 512MB based on the same price). Everything is perfect for me. The design is not only gorgeous and slim but it comes up with a bundle of cool softwares like iTune, iPhoto, iMovie, IDVD, Garageband. In my view point, the apple tries to design all digital media applications (song, photo, movie and music creation) for Mac and they've done a great job on that. In the iMac, every component seems to carefully assemble with high qualty components to maximize the overall performance. For me, there is no need to buy any additional hardware except the software which is kind of expensive and limited. Anyway, it seem like if there is any problem on the iMac, we gotta bring it to the Apple's service only. We don't allow to get into inside to fix it but that should be a rare case.

However, for some software you should be aware the compatibility to Intel-based iMac processor because some cannot run on that processor yet.

Overall, I'm very happy to switch from PC to Mac and I think I should do it for a long time. The performance is solid you almost never face the pause problem when running multiple tasks like happenning on PC. Sound from fan or hardisk is pretty quite. Make up your mind and I think you won't be disappointed.

It's a perpect computer, I buy in Amazon, I chance PC to MAC and the change is very big, but Iam adapted very fast, the MAC OSX is very friendly. Sorry for my english. Iam Venezuelan.
Greetings from my country.

I also made the switch from an old Pentium 4 PC to this iMac and so far so good. The OSX is very stable and far more elegant than Windows. The start up/re-boot and power down times, as stated by another user here, are, compared to windows, blazingly fast to say the least!
The only drawback that I found with Mac(not the hardware but the OSX itself), are the PREFERENCES. These small files, keep all the programs and OS preferences, BUT they are prone to get corrupted very easily, causing a program or a OS component aka finder to behave oddly or erratic so if you are experiencing some program's behaving in a bizarre way, the first thing to try is to locate it's preference and delete it(them), or even better, download the free "preferential treatment" utility and this little gem will locate most of the time the corrupted preferences.
Another thing I PERSONALLY do not like also with OSX, is the lack of graphic user interface tweaking: changing desktop themes, mouse pointers, colors etc. so you have to resort on third party utilities to change things to your personal taste and this can be a source for trouble, because some of these utilities change core files of your system or use too much RAM, so if you want a slim OS, you are doomed to use the boring aqua theme.

On the other hand, the machine is super quite and I am using it mainly to compose music with Digital Performer, which is a professional program to record sounds and MIDI to Hard Disk. It has being doing this task flawlessly for a month and a half without any problems at all, but I had to add more RAM for this task, which proved to be an expensive option, because Apple do not provide more than TWO RAM slots, so, if for example, you want to turn your iMac into a 2 Gb RAM machine, coming with 1 Gb factory installed, anyone coud think, well, I just add a new 1Gb module and I am done!!!.. not so fast, because with only 2 slots, you have either to buy 2 new 1 Gb modules ($70 ea) and discard two perfectly functional new 500Mb modules, or, buy 1 TWO Gb module ($140) and keep installed one of the 500Mb modules turning your machine into a 2.5 Gb machine which is the best option.
Either way, you wind up loosing money because of Apple's iMac RAM slot design.

Other than these observations, the machine runs great!!! it is fast, it handles audio and video great and it boots up very very fast! what else can you ask for a very quiet and almost portable system without the VIRUS and SPY/CRAPWARE that infests the Windows world ???

This machine was a beautiful piece to our living room, was super fast, just all round fabulous until one month following the warranty these vertical lines started appearing on the screen one at a time until the screen was no longer useable. Myself and some 5000 other people (on an on-line petition that I participated in) had the same issue and the Apple technician that I spoke to stated that they knew nothing about it. The machines manufactured in 2006 were affected by this defective display issue. The part to repair is $724. My advice for anyone purchasing this unit is UNLESS IT COMES WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY STAY AWAY!!! I have since purchased a 27" iMac and a MacBook Pro and both are great.