Customer Reviews

Apple iMac G5 Desktop with 20" M9845LL/A (2.0 GHz PowerPC G5, 512 MB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Should be noted: This iMac comes with a Dual-Layer DVD burner. So it will not only read and write DVD+/-RW - but also will burn dual-layer discs which hold about 8.5 GB in capacity. Amazon does not mention this in the description, but it is in the product manual that can be downloaded.

I have to admit I'm a first-time Mac user. After evaluating my needs in a home computer and reviewing what is available, I found the the G5 not only seemed the best choice, but its aesthetics simply were unsurpassed. After a great deal of internal vacillating and some conversations with my Apple-ophilic friends, I bit the bullet and ordered my own G5.

You simply couldn't ask for more "out of the box" functionality. Simply plug in the mouse, plug in the keyboard, plug in the computer, press the button, and you're going. After a couple of weeks, I'm still impressed. I have had to make some transitions from my Windows habits and the nomenclature is a bit different to what I'm accustomed, but this computer does everything I want and then some. Amazingly, I've had absolutely no problems with the errors and frozen programs that I'd simply come to expect with my other computers.

I also purchased the AirPort Express and now am (happily) listening to all my music sent wirelessly from my computer to my stereo and enjoying every minute. I'd expected a headache in making this work, but, again, it's simply out of the box functional. Plug it in, turn it on, and go.

I would recommend this to all my friends, even those addicted to the OTHER type of computer.

My only complaint is that, particularly for new Mac users, it could use more documentation. I bought The Missing Manual for Mac OS X and strongly recommend that if you're a newbie like me.

The basics have already been covered, so I am going to share a few tips on living with an iMac G5 20".

1. It is wide, but it is also on the tallish side. Some computer desks may not be compatible with the height. I put shelving in my office before the iMac G5 was announced, and wouldn't you know it - the shelves were installed ONE inch too low. So, double-check your clearances before you bring this monster home.

2. The SuperDrive has ate everything I have ever thrown at it - DVD+r, -r, you name it. So, there are only two considerations on how to feed the beast - money, and time. The iMac doesn't seem to mind cheap or expensive disks, but sometimes cheap quality disks take longer to burn. So if you want to go a little cheaper on disks, be prepared to give up some time.

3. Burnin' rubber. Yep, this is a G5. Would you buy a Corvette to have it sit there and idle? Nosireebob. So the first thing you are going to do when you plug in and boot this bad boy is open the System Preferences, and click on Energy Saver. Click on the options tab and down on the left you are going to click on the pull-down menu next to where it says "processor performance". Set this menu to "Highest" and never look back. I haven't noticed the fan noise is atrocious, and I seem to be free of all problems I hear about other iMac G5 owners who keep their computers on "Automatic".

4. Take every opportunity to make your PC-usin' friends drool. They pretend not to like your Mac, but trust me - on the inside they are eatin' their ever-lovin' hearts out. Do they have anything in their universe even remotely this cool? Nope, and they never will. Plus, they still have to wait nearly 18 months for "Vista"!

5. Three words - killer surround sound. You now have what may be the most killer computer in the known universe, don't botch it now with cheap speakers or (GASP!) running with the internal speakers. Get thee and thine hence and purchase thee mighty, thundering speakers with wattage that bespeaks the power of God! Trust me, you don't want to watch movies on this big, beautiful, extra gi-nourmous widescreen and listen to the built-in speakers. It ruins the effect, and how. Speakers are like cars - there is no such thing as too much power.

So let's recap - measure twice, feed the beast decent disks, warp speed Scotty, rub it in, and crank it a notch or thirty past 11. Do these things, and the iMac G5 will leave a smile on your face a mortican can't erase.

Took delivery of my 2 Ghz 20" iMac Aug 11 2005. Set up was the simplest in my experience of setting up any apple computer ever over the last 15 years. Speed of opening apps and surfing the web with my DSL connection was also the most satisfying ever. I upgraded from my G4 Imac (3 yr old beach ball 800mhz white imac with attached LCD display). OS X works as it was intended too not struggling to work as it did on my G4. I upgraded to wireless keyboard/mouse for this new computer and upgraded ram to 1 gb as I heard it makes the computer 10% faster. Dashboard features, when opening them, causes an amazing screen effect, looks like rippling of water. I was shocked at the 3 dimensality of the effect. It looked unreal. iTunes is snappy, iphoto is fast, Safari web browser is speedy, mail lets you click on "slideshow" whenever you have photos in an email and you can click to stuff them into the iphoto app directly from the body of an email message. Again, very slick! The screen is heavy as it has all the electronics inside for the whole computer. You dont need to plug anything into it except AC power. All else can be done from your router/airport or whatever you have. The computer on my desk with no wires truly looks Sci-Fi and gets double takes from me every time I see it. The slot loading DVD/CD slot on the side of the computer is elegantly simple and works fast. The computer made no sounds in my silent house. The hidden downward facing speakers are not offensive sounding in any way but aren't quite powerful enough to convey any emotion other than background listening. They aren't bad enough to replace though, especially with all the desk clutter you will save. The screen is the most beautiful I have seen ever. The cordless keyboard and mouse are definitely worth getting, they operate trasparently without any hint of cordlessness. I was expecting to have to return them expecting to be dissappointed but was pleasantly surprised. The keyboard feels very sturdy and heavy to the touch in fact the whole system feels as if it was carved out of a solid block of clear lucite. The equipment seems as if it were engineered and designed by a lab from 20 years in the future compared to anyone else's consumer electronics. I have had no glitches, dissappointments, confusion or stupidity as I have had in the past setting up new computers out of the box. Apple has really reached what they have strived for with this computer with regard to good feelings, simplicity, ease, fun etc. I am always a little apprehensive when pulling a new computer out of the box wondering what weird puzzles the manufacturer has in mind for me to solve to get up and running. In this case there were no puzzles. I highly recommend this model for anyone looking to upgrade. Unless you have highly specialized Windows only software needs (laboratory,government,engineering) then I am certain you will feel a huge relief after plugging this thing in as it will be a very satisfying overall experience. The kind of computer experience the other electronics manufacturers should duplicate.

This is my fourth Macintosh since switching from Windows, and my first iHardware. (Previous Macs included 2 PowerBooks, one Ti G4 and 1 PowerMac G4) In the past I regarded Mac's iMac/iBook systems as nicely designed but insufficient for my needs in terms of limited expandability and features. This iMac G5 however is fully loaded and provides stunning value. I loaded it with 2GB of RAM and it handles with ease the demanding tasks that I throw at it. I'm a power Photoshop and Mac user so having the G5 power matched with a wide 20" screen is simply a joy to behold. The Rev B version has worked out any previous bugs, and as a person who's finnicky about system/fan noise, I can say that the faint purr created by the iMac isn't obtrusively loud. In fact I kind of like the tone of the purr, which doesn't sound like most metallic system fans. If you are still on Windows and contemplating a swich, now is a great time to do so with a G5 iMac. Make Mac-user friends and you'll get even more utility from it. I can't express the joy of using a clean, elegant, and smart operating system like Mac OS X with no hassles, blue screens of death, spyware, adware, malware, etc. It's like driving a BMW though at a fraction of the cost. The display does not cause eye strain and can be calibrated well with a colorimeter. Superb.

I purchased this computer in June 2005. It has been in the shop five weeks out of the five months that it's been in my possession. Each time I've taken it in for repairs, it has been for the same reason- faulty logic board. The first occurrence was a week after it's arrival from Amazon.
I've checked on the web and have found that I am not the only person experiencing this problem. Also, the school I attend has a Mac lab with four iMac G5's, and two are broken due to logic boards.
I have tried several times to get Apple to replace my computer, but all they want to do is replace the logic board. At the time of this review I'm in the middle of midterms and I don't have access to my crucial files.
This is not a well-designed computer and you are taking a risk purchasing it. You may find yourself stuck with an $1500 boat anchor.

As a seasoned Apple user for a number of years, I decided to upgrade my emac 800 Mhz machine a couple of months ago. All I can say is I'm glad I did. The machine works flawlessly and the speed increase is more than welcomed. If anything, the OS upgrade to Tiger (and the widgets which I love) is worth it.

I purchased the 20-in 2Ghz model with wireless keyboard and mouse. The main advantage of this is that I no longer worry about tangled cords and being on a leash. The working distance is about 30 feet from the computer and works nicely. I upgraded the RAM myself after receiving the unit. Added 512 MB (1 Gig total) for $36 bucks shipped. Adding it to the machine was very easy (described in manual) so don't worry about hurting anything. Also recommend spending $12 bucks on a firewire cable to transfer contents from the old machine to the new one. Also very easy and was up and running in about 1-hour. Apple has done a nice job with this machine and its user friendliness. If you have an ipod you're right at home with Apple.

The software that comes with the machine is ok but recommend not using the trial version of Microsoft Office - it will bug you to death until you buy it. Don't settle for the 17-in screen or else you'll regret it. The bigger the better. I plan on having this machine for many, many years. Even with Apple's plan to use Intel CPU chips in the future, I plan on sticking with the best.

I just bough this marvel to replace my home PC (Dell 3.2 Ghz Pentium IV, 1Gb RAM, 250Gb SATA Drive, Windows Media Center Edition, etc.) beacuase I could not stand Spyware, viruses and malware anymore and I wanted also to edit High Definition video footage recorded from a JVC GR HD1, but my PC (regardless it's specifications) wasn`t capable to do a decent job unless I spent about $600 in HD Editing software. I was also frustrated trying to edit Standard Definition Video not to mention the blue screen of death, so I decided to try for the first time an Apple computer.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I never thought using a Mac could be so rewarding; OS X Tiger is just wonderful and compete, It came bundled with iMovie HD, iDVD, iChat, iTunes, iPhoto, iSynch, Garage Band, etc. which by the way all the software is very well integrated. So I just plugged my HD Camera and in less than 2 minutes I was capturing HD video! Editing with iMovie is just great and MSFT Office for Mac is way better than Office 2003 for windows.

Working with bluetooth enabled devices is sooo easy, my imac immediately found my Sony Ericsson P900 and started to synch my contacts, calendar, etc.. try that on a Windows XP PC!

Of course I upgraded my system with a 2Gb DDRAM and 250GB HD, bluetooth Keyboard & Mouse and Airtunes so just 1 cable from the Mac to the AC socket.

And also, a virus free OS? What else could I wish for?

Well I just wish the new intel based dual core notebooks arrive soon hopefully with blu ray drives!

Way to go Apple!!!

With my G3 iMac aging quickly I decided it was time to upgrade. Luckily Apple's new iMac was waiting for me. Originally the design struck me as a step down from the previous model. However after using if for several days I came to see its advantages. Having the entire computer built into the back of the LCD screen is a great advantage. This design allows you to still use your entire desk. Adding in wireless internet, and bluetooth keyboard and mouse you only need a power cord.

The 20 inch display is simply gorgeous. At first I was skeptical about having the speakers built into the computer with the idea of having them bounce sound off your desk; however when I listened to some of my favorite tunes I was surprised by the audio quality. The G5 processor and 512 MB of RAM allow this computer to be extremely fast even when I'm doing video editing. Additionally the 250 GB drive is spacious enough that you don't have to give a second thought to storage. While the PowerMac G5's are certainly faster the price difference easily makes this computer a winner. This is yet another triumph from Apple.

1984, take 2. Not since the intro of the Mac have I been so excited about a Mac. I remember when these kind of designs were on the cover of the industrial designs issues of MacWorld and we all ooohed and aaahed at them... never believing we would actually see one.... until now. I have virtually no complaints. It's beautiful to look at for starters... anyone who visits has to poke their head in the office to look. The response is one of awe - they can't believe it's the whole computer - no big tower under the desk, built in Bluetooth, networking, speakers, SuperDrive, etc... As for using it - I love this machine. The previous Mac that lived here was a dual 1.25 Quicksilver which was wonderful, but loud, hot and big. Those days are gone. If you don't need a tower for PCI slots and massive expansion ability, there is no other choice, this Mac is art and function in the extreme.