Customer Reviews

Apple iMac Desktop with 24" Display MA878LL/A (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This is my second imac since Jan of 2007. No my first did not break down,it's still going strong. I bought this one for myself and let my lady friend have my first one. We were both so impressed with the iMac that I wanted her to have one also.
At first I wasn't sure about the switch from my pc,but the more I use the imac the more I like it. I still have a few things to learn about it. imacs just are more stable than any pc I have had.
I have switched to a wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse,just can't get the hang of the mac mouse.
The only problem i've had so far is finding as much software as pc's have.How ever if you want to install windows on your imac it can run both operating systems. The programs that came installed on my imac work excellent and are very well advanced for photography(which is my main hobby) It is so nice to not have all those wires hanging all over the desk and I think it is the best looking monitor on the market.
If you are in doubt about switching to a Mac from a pc,take my word for it very easy. If I did it almost any one can. I am retired and have very little computer knowledge.

EDIT: Please note that I wrote this review very soon after these models came out to market. Some parts of this review are "outdated"..

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I have upgraded from 20'' iMac (previous generation) and this is simply stunning in every way. I personally have not found any problems with it yet and my experience has been phenomenal. There are few little things to consider when buying this Mac.

First of all, the verison I have comes with Intel Core 2 Extreme (I ordered the system from Apple). If you ARE planning on buying the version with Core 2 Extreme please know that it is a DUO chipset not QUAD. It has 2 cores, not 4. The difference in speed is only notable in certain applications such as games and advanced 3D apps.

This iMac is beautiful visually. The "skin" really suits the system well. The black Apple logo in front and on the back make it look more stylish than it is. The iSight camera is barely visible (which is a good thing for some folks). The computer is packaged in virtually the same box as previous iMacs except with different picture on the box.

The new keyboard I do not use.. I prefer my Logitech diNovo Edge(tm) which fits beautifully with this iMac. The mighty mouse is great, I have the wireless version and it tracks very smoothly. I don't have any cons with that.

The screen.. wow, 24 inches! It's big, probably bigger than many people need but.. boy.. is this a work of art! Watching a movie on this amazing display is an experience I haven't had before. The only con I found here is that you wouldn't want to put this in a very bright place or near a window. It is a glossy screen and while it adds style to the Mac it will turn the computer into a mirror if the environment you are working in is too bright.
Apple remote and Front Row are all the same. Very simple, elegant and just work. I don't use Front Row but for Front Row lovers this iMac is heaven! This IS the place where you'll want to watch your movies and photo slideshows on.

As I mentioned above, all iMacs are DUO. This version (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz) is FAST. Add an extra gig of RAM and you'll be flying in your iLife. Very good processor, I recommend Core 2 Extreme for advanced users. Don't get me wrong, 1GB is perfectly fine if all you're planning to do is work with iLife and Internet. However for the other applications such as Photoshop you'll need more RAM. Let's remember that the resolution on this thing is 1920x1200 and to run certain applications in full screen you'll need the horsepower.

Just like before an iMac is NOT a gaming machine. The graphics on this computer while are not bad, (256MB Radeon 2600 HD Pro), are still not good enough for "hardcore" gamers, even with Core 2 Extreme processor. There are good news, however! If you install Bootcamp on this Mac and put Vista on it you'll have full DirectX 10 support. Still.. if you're looking for hardcore gaming look somewhere else. For casual gamers like myself this will be more than enough.

Speaking of Bootcamp.. I don't think that the current drivers support the new iMacs as of yet. There will be a coming update for the beta and hopefully the new drivers will be included.

Another problem with Bootcamp is that you cannot install any 64-bit Windows versions, which is a disappointment since Core 2 architecture is 64-bit. Maybe they will fix it later? I don't know. I certainly hope so because when you pay for 4GB of RAM you want to be able to use all of it, not just 3GB.

iLife '08.. Great pack of applications which come with this Mac for free. Honestly.. there are some problems with the suite (minor issues) but I am sure they will be fixed with a future update from Apple. I do, however, believe that this suite was designed for this Mac.. everything is extremely fast.

Overall, I strongly believe that this is an amazing deal. You get a better computer for $200 less than the previous model. If you would like a more advanced iMac with more HD space and faster processor then head over to Apple and pick one there.

P/S. This goes to the reviewer who is not happy with the new design. The reason Apple chose aluminum design is because they want their computers to match the operating system visually. For example, the white finder bar and blue Aqua wallpaper in versions of Mac OS X Jaguar, Panther and Tiger look great on the white iMac.

Mac OS X Leopard will be coming out in October and will not have the same desktop. A transparent finder bar, reflective dock and a green leaves wallpaper by default make it look more appealing on the aluminum version of this computer. Let's not forget that the entire Leopard OS looks as if it's made out of aluminum. The new Finder, the new looks of Control Panel applications and others make it look as a metal design. Maybe this is THE reason why Apple has the aluminum theme on their website? ;)

Personally, I like the new metal look. It makes everything look very stylish and when Leopard comes out, the "desktop experience" will certainly be phenomenal.

I'm new to Apple and am switching over from PCs. I recently got reeled in with their iPhone and their iPod, and then now this iMac - it really surprised me. I had to have one. So I bought this 24" 2.4 Ghz and bought an additional 1 GB of ram before leaving the apple store.

I installed the extra ram (very easy) before I even powered up the computer for the first time. This is quite simply the coolest computer I've ever owned. The sleek, ergonomic design really simplifies your computing.

I no longer have to worry about accidentally ramming my knee into the PC tower under my desk. No more fumbling under my desk on my knees with usb and connection cables. Everything is accessible on your desktop (literally!). The screen is bright and glossy, and the keyboard is so low to the desktop, it literally changes your whole typing experience.

I am running Windows XP Pro on the Parallels Virtual Machine on this iMac so that I can have access to my Windows-based applications as well. (Word of caution: If you're planning to do this, you must supply the full, genuine copy of XP yourself; it does not come bundled with the iMac. Also you will have to run antivirus and anti-spyware software plus a firewall for the Windows part of your configuration just as you normally do in Windows).

So with the ability to run Windows, you can get the best of both worlds. So there's really no reason at all for anyone not to buy this iMac; on o,ne hand, I'm kicking myself for not switching sooner. But on the other hand, this iMac - especially with its new sleek design and its ability to run Windows - is easily the best iMac they've put out to date.

This must be my eighth desktop Mac since 1991, my fourth iMac since 1998, and it's definitely my first new Mac in a good two and a half years. And although I'm certainly not sorry I shelled out the money for this beauty, I'm not as blown away by its performance as I'd imagined I would be.

My previous Mac, now semi-retired to a bedroom, was a 20-inch G5, 1.8 Ghz, 2 Mb of RAM. That one was a huge step up from its predecessor. Somehow, I don't feel that way this time around.

Even though my new 24'' 2.4 Ghz Intel Mac is outfitted with the maximum 4GB of RAM, speed and productivity gains seem incremental. Not that it's a snail. It's just...not that impressive, as upgrades go. At best, I notice relatively hefty speed improvements where I don't care that much -- importing CDs into iTunes is easily 40, 50% quicker -- and very little difference where it actually matters to me, Photoshop performance included.

Migrating my data from the old Mac to the new one via a Firewire cable was painfully slow this time around -- something like 27 hours(!). After that, I had lots of problems with passwords not getting stored properly in Keychain Access, necessitating multiple calls to Apple's help line. Oh, and I actually lost all the data in ecto, my blog program. 1,400-plus posts mysteriously vanished. I have a backup, but still...

Compounding the problems was the fact that I upgraded to Photoshop CS3 (from CS2) the same weekend I started using my new Mac. I'm sorry to report a string of Photoshop crashes -- and whenever Photoshop goes down, in my case, it takes all the other applications with it. At that point, the entire computer, right down to the Finder, becomes unusable: the cursor vanishes for 15 or 20 seconds, then resurfaces, but no amount of clicking or force-quitting (option-command-esc) produces any results whatsoever. Hard restarts are required. I have a suspicion this is Photoshop's (Adobe's) fault, not Apple's. Regardless, it's a serious annoyance. The issue seems less lethal and less frequent since I upgraded from 1Gb to 4Gb of RAM. We'll see.

The new iMac somehow also screwed up my Airport Extreme network a bit -- one of my other Macs (an oldie from 1999 or 2000) suddenly no longer sees the network and has been stubbornly offline since the day I began using its bigger, brasher brother. I guess that's another call to Apple.

The screen of the new computer, though beautiful, is a mixed bag. As before, it's way too bright at night, even when you turn the brightness level all the way down. You'll need some freeware like DarkAdapted X or Shades to tame it. The screen size is impressive (lots of real estate for Photoshop's arsenal of floating palettes), the sharpness is awesome, the colors are vibrant if a little oversaturated, and the super-glossy finish that others have complained about doesn't bother me much (although there are times when I'm aware of reflections and I have to remind myself to see 'past' or 'through' them). Fingerprints are much more visible than before and, despite Apple's thoughtful inclusion of a soft cloth, difficult to wipe off. Best keep a bottle of Windex handy! The discreetly built-in iSight camera is nice though, and I'm finally iChatting and Skyping all over the place.

The remote, alas, is white -- not an eyesore, but it doesn't go with the aluminum-finish look of the computer (and neither does the otherwise excellent snow white Mighty Mouse). Also, there apparently is no longer a place to stick the remote to the computer case magnetically, inviting clutter (very un-Apple-like).

I don't have to look at the back of the machine much, but whenever I do, I wonder what Apple was thinking. Matte black is an asinine color for a panel that contains vital USB, Firewire, video, and other ports. Even during the day I fumble; at night, I need a little flashlight to let me see what I'm doing. With the white back, I had no such problems. Also, on the previous iMac, the ports were in a more logical place, right around the right edge of the screen, where they were more easily accessible.

I do appreciate the new i-apps, especially iPhoto, which has seriously bested previous versions with great new (and long-overdue) features. For instance, the program now shows you thumbnails of the photos on your memory card BEFORE you import them.

I'm perhaps most pleased with how quiet this machine is. Even in the dead of night, with almost no ambient sounds anywhere, I can barely hear the internal fan. It's easily drowned out by the soft ticking of the clock on my wall. Fantastic. My old(er) iMac was considerably noisier from the get-go and more so as the months and years went by.

Is this a great new iMac? Yup. A good value? Affirmative. Is it perfection? Not by any stretch. Guess I'll try again in early 2010. ;-)

UPDATE, Sept. 23: Things have gotten beter. The upgrade to 4Gb of RM has made Photoshop CS3 a lot more stable, it seems, and I'm seeing much faster performance now too. The photo-batch-processing program I use, DxO Optics Pro, now takes just 2.5 to 3 hours to power through 500-plus 10-megapixel images, as opposed to roughly seven hours on my old Mac. iPhoto, with a 4,000-image library, launches and is ready to go in five seconds flat, roughly four of five times as fast as before. On the other hand, I've had five or six instances where the colors on the screen randomly went haywire systemwide, taking on positively pyschedelic hues and appearing as if you're viewing them through some kind of sheer fabric. This seems to require a restart. Still troubleshooting that one.

While I'm happy overall, this iMac has given me the most reasons to scratch my head (and call Apple) of any Macintosh I've owned in the last ten years.

I've never regretted changing computers every 2-3 years: the improvements are instantly noticeable at the practical level. This particular iMac model definitely offers the most bang for the buck, but I was holding off for the announcement that Leopard would come installed with the machine. At least it would seem feasible for Amazon to offer to purchasers of this model a special deal on the new OS. On the positive side, this machine does comes with iLife '08, but the retention of Tiger will likely lead the prospective buyer to consider the competing offer from Apple Store, which does advertise this machine postage-free with Leopard installed.

It's really a close call, possibly coming down to as small a matter as the sales tax charged by Apple Store. If you factor in the latter, the Amazon deal with the rebate is still almost a hundred less than Apple Store's best price (to students and educators). But if you're serious about purchasing and installing Leopard, they're practically even, with Apple Store pricing out at about 20 less. On the other hand, if you factor in Amazon Visa's 3-point per dollar incentive, Amazon (computer + Leopard) comes in at 20 under Apple Store's best price. But what about the intangibles? Frankly, I like Amazon better than Apple Store, Bezos better than Jobs. Amazon's return policy is more "no-nonsense" with less small print, they don't try to hit you up with all of the "extra's" (extended service contracts, added RAM, Airport, etc.), and unlike Apple Store they're not going to have employees calling you on the phone pushing a service contract or selling more time on the one you have. The choice is clear if you're not a student or educator: go with Amazon. If you're a scholar or pedagogue, it's admittedly a closer call. I've purchased computers from both places, most recently from Amazon. The latter gets my business once again.

As for models, unless you're a professional photographer or planning to use your computer as a substitute for an HD TV set, 20" is more screen than most of us need. The 20" with the 2.4 Ghz processor, 320 Gig hard drive, and better graphic specs--even though it's 300 extra--gives you practically the same specs as the 24" giant-screen models. Especially if you plan to hang on to the computer for several or more years, the extra expense is probably worth it. As for some other reviewers' criticisms of this latest iMac, I was able to transfer everything from my previous iMac to this one in less than an hour via firewire cable, and I've never heard of anyone "complaining" about an overly bright screen. (I'd call it an improvement, but simply adjust it to your liking.) I did have a bit of difficulty re-synching my external storage drive (no big deal), and, yes, I did notice some diminution of the Airport signal to my notebook computer (I suspect that the new version of Airport Extreme--the square-shaped base with the so-called "draft n" protocol rather than the dome-shaped base--will readily fix this).

Finally, a few surprises: 1. Amazon included a disc of the new OS, Leopard (Bless them! An extra, fairly sizable savings--not even an extra $10 charge, and I'd expected to spend an addition $110); 2. the keyboard is so paper-thin that it sinks down too far in my desk's pull-out tray, making it necessary to construct an elevated bed for the thin metal slab to be accessible to my itchy fingers; 3. this 20" iMac is actually lighter in weight than the 4-year-old 17" iMac it's replacing; 4. lastly, the internal speakers produce incredible sound, even to this musician's ears. Unless you insist on sub-sonic bass frequencies vibrating your chair, plan on disconnecting your component stereo from your computer; 5. Amazon takes all of the grief and uncertainty out of rebates by enabling you to apply for them on-line, no little pieces of cardboard to cut out and "gotcha" surprises (i.e. invalidation of the rebate due to a slip-up on your part). In conclusion, Tiger, Leopard, or both, you can't go wrong taking your Safari to Amazon.

This is my first iMac and switched from Windows (XP&Vista) after many years of windows experience. iMac user experience is a sheer joy. Everything about iMac is so elegant. iLife '08 & iWork '08 is absolutely stunning.

The one thing I found little inconvenient to use is the Apple mighty mouse. May be because I am so used to the Microsoft mouse.

Please go ahead and enjoy the iMac user experience. These computers are very desirable to own.....

There are so many people critizing the glossy screen and the new look, especially the black border. I was in doubt myself before. However, after owning a 24 inch MAC for a couple of days, I would offer my two cents for perspective buyers:

1) Glossy screen: yes, when it is powered down and only showing a BLACK screen, it is an iMirror. However, as soon as you start it, all the reflections are gone. The screen is just beautiful to look at with crisp image and astonishing colors.
2) New look: yes I was, for one, very into the old white look. Thought that was sleek and was put off a little by this new look and the black border. But now it is growing on me. I felt I actually start to really like the new design because it matches all my other electronics and computers at home. The black border conceals the built-in camera well and also makes the colors on screen pop by contrast. Plus, the old white look is too plastic, like a toy, not a $2000 computer.

As far as the performance goes, very smooth. Setup is a breeze and all applications run very well. User interface is so much better the PCs. I just hope I don't run into the freezing issues many people are complaining about. All in all, once you own it, you will love it. A lot of people who said Apple made the wrong choice by going with a glossy screen and the new design actually don't own the new mac and didn't have the opportunity to try it out to learn to enjoy it. It does take some time to get used to but once you do, you will appreicate the updates.

I am taking one star off because with such an expensive product Apple is still holding off. 2G RAM gives this computer such a big boost in performance and Apple only offers 1G in standard model which was the industry standard RAM a couple of years ago. Come on, additional 1G memory only costs about $40 nowadays. Also, the sound system is not that great. Volume is really low even after I maxed it.

I bought this to upgrade my iMac G5 1.7 ghz computer. This computer is so much faster. It is also silent. The only thing I can hear is the superdrive when it is writing or reading a DVD/CD. Ram is super easy to upgrade. I recommend putting in another 1 GB stick. It only cost me about $55 to add 1 GB of ram. The keyboard is great. I did not think I would like it but when I am work (on a PC), I really miss the keyboard. I also did not think I would like the glossy screen but I really love it. The screen does not come calibrated correctly so after a little calibration (which again is really easy to do) it looks great! This thing is so super thin too! It makes my older iMac look fat! Also, If you want to wait for the new OS software, purchase this in October after they release it. Otherwise be antsy like me and buy it now. I think I will wait until an update to OS 10.5 comes out anyways to work out the bugs. I have no complaints about this computer.

I have been a PC Guy since 1983 using the old IBM XT and AT's and use XP on a daily basis. I have become so fed up with the Microsoft handcuffs and the slow as a snail performance. I needed a new computer and I could not find one that I wanted with XP because the majority of them come with Vista.

I bought this for the kids and I bought a Mac Book Pro for the kids. The speed and the ease of use is incredible. Being a tech weenie I know tha the underlying system that Mac OS is built on is Unix. Who needs Linux when you have the Mac with OS X.

The iMac is sleek and sets up in a jiff. The 20" screen with the 2.4 ghz is a great combination. This machine can multitask. I was able to import 6400 photos into iPhoto, while downloading firefox, and installing iWork, Notebook and a few other programs. Simply unbelievable.

The keyboard and mouse setup is real nice and the only complaint is that with the resolution of the monitor set at its highest of 1680 x 1050 there is quite a bit of screen and the mouse tracks slower than I would like. It is also the same on my Mac Book Pro. I guess I have to get use to using the command shortcuts.

I am also impressed with the aluminum frame of the iMac. It is very sturd with that modern Neo Industrial look. It does get warm during heavy use but you really don't hear anything. It is very quiet with the exception to when the DVD is whirling. You can hear it, but it is not overly loud.

A little background first: I had been using an underpowered laptop computer (as my desktop) for the last 2.5 years. During that time, I noticed a continual decline in performance...to the point where if left idle, the computer would be tremendously slow as if waking up from a deep slumber. If I remained logged on overnight, forget about it....I would have to shut it down and restart. Half the time it wouldn't even shut down and required me to hard shut it and reboot. Lockups were common and there were even occasions when the computer would just turn off out of nowhere. I finally had enough of the PC nightmare 2 weeks ago when the computer simply would not open Word nor could it print the important document that was needed right away....that was the last straw...I was getting a Mac!!

Now that you've read my diatribe, to the good stuff we go. I bought the 20" iMac with the 2.4 GHz processor. I opted to add an additional gig of memory - bringing the RAM up to 2GHz. This computer is amazing! I don't know why it took me so long to see the light. Every application is lightning-fast and easy to use. During my computer research, I consulted many friends who own Macs and highly recommeneded them. At first, I was a bit apprehensive toward learning an entirely new computer system. I can say now, however, those fears have been put completely to rest. The computer itself is incredibly intuitive and I really get a sense that it "knows" what you are hoping to accomplish when you are trying to install or download something. For example, I remember installing my printer on the laptop. This required me to download the software and appropriate driver from a CD to get the printer. When I plugged this same printer into the Mac, it recognized it immediately and was ready to print. Amazing!

In order to keep some of the PC functions, I purchased VMware Fusion to run Windows. I opted for this over BootCamp because it will allow me to run OS X and Windows at the same time and switch back and forth without a need to shut the computer down and log into one or the other. As an amateur Mac user, I was a little worried about the installation process. I was pleased to discover that it is about 100 times easier than anything I've ever installed on a PC. All you have to do is hit the install button and follow the instructions. Easy! And now I essentially have a super fast Mac and a super fast PC all-in-one!

Moving files from the old computer to the Mac is easy as well. I simply connected the laptop to my external hard drive and uploaded the files I wanted onto it. I then plugged the external drive into my Mac and downloaded the same data....which was very easy. The only issue I had with this process was when I first plugged in the external drive, the computer attempted to set it up for the TimeMachine program without prompting. However, it was easy to cancel that operation.

My only complaints are the brightness of the screen (which can be intense) and the mouse which feels a little funny in my hand. Other than that, this computer is an absolute dream.