Customer Reviews

Apple iMac MC509LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop (OLD VERSION)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I anxiously awaited this summer 2010 update to the iMac line.

iMacs offer a better value than one might think, and the space saving they offer compared to having many components spread out on a desk, make them an attractive offering from Apple.

My current iMac was an aging model, summer 2007. The first iMac with aluminum enclosure. Honestly, however, it is not far off the machines of today particularly notebook models. The iMacs are aging nicely, and I'm sure this new model will too. iMacs tend to offer a better value than notebooks and because they aren't carried around, can have better reliability / longevity too.

When I opened this new computer, I loved the widescreen display. This display is 16x9 similar to a television, whereas conventional widescreen computer monitors were 16x10 (including my old iMac). The extra width gives you more room to fit documents across your desktop (screen) while working. I like that.

Furthermore, don't let anyone suggest that this is not a fast computer. Its 3.2 GHZ i3 processor includes hyper threading to give you up to four "virtual," cores. Some argue that this feature isn't useful, or that not enough applications utilize hyper threading. However, I was able to look at CPU usage and see video encoding software on my computer using the multiple threads. It was fast.

I chose the 21.5 inch model because my desk is simply too small to house the 27-inch model. The 27 is absolutely staggering in size. I would choose it, if I had the room, but the 21.5 is far from being a slouch and is somewhat more sensible looking.

It features standard 4GB of memory, which can be easily upgraded to 8GB by buying two additional 2GB sticks. A 1 TB hard drive being standard on this model will be plenty for all but the hard drive pack rats out there. While optical media is less popular today, do not forget this iMac can play DVDs and burn DVDs. Burning DVDs can also be useful to backup important data such as your family photographs. The speed of the drive is satisfactory, and it is the cool slot loading variety.

A SD card slot is located under the DVD drive, to easily load pictures onto your computer direct from your camera's SD card.

Why choose this 1499 model over the entry level 1199 model? Both are actually competent machines. The 1499 model gives you a larger hard drive (1 TB over 500 GB, so twice the size), and it has a faster graphics processor, which is useful when gaming and in other graphic intensive applications. While I chose the 1499 model, the 1199 doesn't lack much, if that final ten tenths of graphic performance and extra hard drive space is not something you believe you will need. Someone who needs the extra graphic performance or hard drive storage, will probably know it, for they are more intensive users.

The iMacs are great values over notebooks, if you don't need portability. You get more performance, more storage, and a massive display by comparison of a MacBook Pro. All at an attractive price.

One of my favorite features? iMacs have included for the past year bluetooth keyboards and mice standard! That means when you take the iMac out of the box, if you have wireless internet, you can be up and running by simply plugging in the power cord. The Magic Mouse and keyboard are both wireless and work flawlessly. They are easier on batteries than you might think too, though they take easy to acquire AAs.

Included software? The latest operating system Mac OS X Snow Leopard is included, plus iLife 09. iLife includes great and useful applications such as iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band.

Someone new to Mac might consider picking up the Student/Teacher/Home edition of Microsoft Office for Mac. It runs beautifully and has a Mac feel to it, despite being a Microsoft product.

My final verdict? I absolutely adored the machine. It was the fastest Mac I had ever used and a solid upgrade over my previous iMac. However, a week into ownership I discovered that the bottom and right side of my screen had a yellow tinge/appearance to it. A white background window, such as Amazon.com page, looked beautiful and white in the top left, but on the rest of the display, it turned yellowish. I had invested so much time transferring my data from my old iMac to my new one. I had to transfer everything back and securely erase the new one before returning it. I didn't want to go through that entire process again, during my busy time of the year, so I just returned it for a refund. Once I have some spare time to go through all the trouble, I will try again. Just be sure to check your display when it arrives because I have read some others having a similar display issue on the Mac Rumors forums.

Overall, this iMac was an impressive update. It features the latest processors, plenty of storage, and this particular model has a strong video card. The display is a great size and aspect ratio, but be sure to check it for the yellowish color when it arrives.

After 25+ years of using PC's (started in the MS DOS days) I got my first Mac, and I love it! Just an FYI, I ordered this model direct from Apple using an education discount, plus upgraded the processor to the dual core i5, but everything else is the same as the model above including screen, GPU, RAM, and Hard drive.

The screen is gorgeous! It has a tiny taint of "discoloration" towards the bottom of the screen (some people have referred to it as yellow), but it doesn't bother me, I hardly notice it all, and I only bring it b/c some hardcore mac users do test after test looking for this "defect". My machine is lighting fast, and ultra quiet. It gets a little hot at the top, but what do you expect for an entire desktop encased in aluminum?

I own an iphone and an iPad, but as a new mac user this was a breeze to set up. It took me a while to perfect the transfer of my itunes library as I'm very particular about not duplicating files, but now its all set up. I set up a 2nd account for my wife, pulling my media to her itunes as a shared drive system which was much easier than I thought it would be. The iSight camera works great for skype and iChat.

I'm getting used to the keyboard and mouse, but overall I'm very please. I've already used bootcamp to install windows 7 ultimate 64bit, it runs fairly flawlessly. I installed parallels 5 as a virtual machine, it works quiet well, but windows "thinks" the VM is a new computer and asks you to reauthenticate windows and MS Office licenses which is a real pain in the ass. But that's a microsoft problem, not mac.

I haven't had a chance to use the iLife products yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I've started ripping my home DVD collection to iTunes via Hand brake and its super quick and easy. The 1 TB hard drive really comes in hand for the extra space.

I bought this as a media and productivity desktop as I don't do PC gaming anymore. I'm very happy for the switch, my iDevices sync flawlessly to the mac, as having full access to my contacts and calendar via iCal is great. I still have to use PC's for work, but I'll never buy another PC for home again. I am fully converted to Apple!

I'm 50 years old and have been using PCs all adult life for work and home. I've had what I consider to be very good PCs & Laptops over the years. I NEVER thought I would switch over to a Mac because I'm not into gaming and I'm not an artist. But I just made the switch and I'm thrilled, to say the least!

The analogy that comes to mind between the two is this...
I liken my current (and past) excellent quality, loaded Laptop PC to a strong, healthy work horse. It looks nice, it feels and looks strong, and I have no doublt it can get the job done. We have a good relationship, we're buddies.

But I liken the iMac to an Arabian stallion! It's simply gorgeous to look at and touch, it's muscles are rippling and glistening with strength- it has unfettered energy, and it can take me places I can't even imagine right now! But don't get me wrong... if there was crap behind the screen and inside the housing, no amount of good looks could make up for it. What I'm really falling in love with is the way it thinks, the way it works, and the possibilities ahead of me. It will do the mundane work that I need to get done, with a style, flair and ease that the PCs just don't contain and it's making my work feel not so much like work anymore but like play, and I know it's going to inspire me to be more creative with the work I do and the projects I'm just starting to envision.

Regarding Customer Service; I don't care how good customer service has ever been with HP, or Dell, or any other brand that I owned, Apple's customer service is in a different league with or without their Apple Care plan, which I highly recommend. They are amazingly helpful and personable- as if you're talking to someone you could easily be friends with- any one of them that you speak to. ...and you're talking to people who speak English as their first language so they understand what you're saying and you can understand them! They never rushed me off the phone, even before I actually made a purchase. They were patient, gracious and very helpful with me without being condescending when they were helping me sort through technical confusions I had.

I purchased the 21.5" i5 iMac. I loved the 27" but it was just too big for my space and the longer I spent in front of it at Best Buy, the more I realized that the screen was simply too big for me to sit in front of to work... I just didn't want to have to turn my head to see from one side of the screen to the other and I didn't want to have to cover that much acreage with a mouse! :)

I also purchased Apple's Airport Extreme wireless router and created a wireless network with my current laptop PC, My HP Photosmart printer and the iMac. (It was very simple to do by the way.) I love the iMac's keyboard and mouse, but I also purchased a Bamboo Craft pen tablet mouse due to a damaged tendon in my mousing hand that gets very painful with mousing (wish it was also wireless but it's not). Later I purchased the remote for the iMac but that's coming in a couple of days.

Before I started using the Mac, I watched the tutorials on Apple's website, and I would recommend any new users take advantage of that quick and easy training as well. I've already downloaded Office for Mac, transferred all my iTunes music and movies from the PC to the iMac, I've hooked up my external backup drive and got that rolling and have downloaded a very cool program to digitize all my DVDs so I can get rid of the physical 'stuff' that's taking up space in my apartment! (My books are going digital too when I get my Kindle tomorrow!) I've been spending time exploring the different applications in the Mac and loving them and the way they work. I've also set up my preference and have set up different user accounts, and more.

But I guess in this review, I'm really talking about the difference in the experience between a PC and a Mac.

And it started right at the beginning when I called Apple for some pre-sales help.
Then when my iMac arrived, the experience of opening the box and taking the computer and everything out of the box. The way Apple packages its products shows that they care about and value the products they're selling and that they value you, their customer... their packaging tells you you've just bought something amazingly special, and it is. Like I said before, I'm not fooled by pretty packaging, I care about the substance and there is absolutely no disconnect here. Anyway, the feel of opening that computer box was one of luxury, of being pampered, and of having received something very important and worthwhile.

Then the setup- it couldn't have been easier. I'm not saying that I didn't have some technical confusion when setting up my network, but had I fully read the instructions I wouldn't have had that confusion and I wouldn't have had to call Apple for help! (I'm embarrassed to admit that I plugged the ethernet cable from my cable modem into the wrong slot in the Airport Express- the correct one was clearly marked, duh!!!) If it wasn't for my flub, the experience would have been amazingly smooth.

Moving my files so far has been simple even though I'm going from a PC to a Mac (it's simpler from Mac to Mac from what I understand) using an external drive. I had a small Seagate drive that I had used for a backup with the PC and to house all my albums in my iTunes- that move was a breeze. I've also moved over movies and my personal documents using this same drive. I'm preparing to move over my Outlook .pst files and found a cheap application that will do that simply.

So far, the experience of purchasing, receiving, and now using my iMac has been better than I could have hoped for. Unlike anything I've experienced with a PC. It's like I just upped my quality of life by a several notches!

So, in closing after a very long review (which I hope has some meaning to anyone who reads it), I have to say that I'm so glad I decided to upgrade. It has already and will continue to change the way I work and the energy surrounding that work! This machine has made the hours I spend in front of the computer less stressful and demanding and thus it has made my life easier. It sounds crazy to attribute so much to a computer, especially how it makes you feel to use it, but there you have it. :)

If you're considering switching from a PC to a Mac, particularly to this iMac, I would say you should go for it. You'll be happy you did!!!

I do a lot of photo work, and decided that I would give apple a try. right out of the box I was impressed with the quality of the product. The workmanship in an apple is far superior to any PC product I have bought in the past 15 years. Set up was a breeze and had the iMac up and running in no time.
If you are on the fence on whether to buy a iMac, I would just simply say that they are a lot like a PC but mostly what i find is the different wording that apple vs PC use. aka: A program in PC is a Application in apple lingo, but once you get pass that I think you will find the iMac a best buy. I have been using mine for a few weeks and really can not find any complaints at the present time. i work with adobe lightroom 3 and PhotoShop 5 on the iMac and it is so fluent. I love it. I still have my PC on the network as well, but the Imac is getting the workload more everyday as I get used to the iMac.

I ordered a i5 imac 21.5 with a 2T HD in Sept 2010 from Apple. It had a yellow tinge on bottom 1/3 of screen. Apple customer care was gracious enough arrange a replacement. The first replacement came late Sept with the bottom half yellow tinged. After the 2nd replacement in early October 2010 with the worst yellow tinge (bottom 3/4 to 7/8) AND a clattering drive noise on wake up and boot up time, I sent the unit back for a refund. It seems to me, all the 21.5s have some degree of yellowing in the screens. I checked the local Apple store and I noticed a slight yellow tinge on the 2 21.5s they had next to each other and all white on the 27" to the left of those two. Otherwise it is a gorgeous computer and quiet relative to the HP Windows 7 computers. I am reluctant to order again. It was quite a hassle to unpack, configure, test, repack and drive back to Fed Ex 3 times in a row. And frustrating in not getting an explanation why this was a recurring problem.

This is the second Imac we have purchased. After dealing with microsoft products for years I though I would try Mac. It turned out that it was the easiest computer I ever setup. It was a plug and play situation from the start. Even that was simple, a power plug, internet connection, and a USB cable for the printer, and it was all up and running. The only software I downloaded was for the printer to get the extra options for the various print modes. A little bit of a learning curve with a new operating system, but even that was short and easy. The only reason I upgraded to this model from the lower one is it has a larger hard drive. I have a huge collection of photos. Other than that I couldn't tell any difference between the two

I have been using Mac computers for over 25 years. They just keep getting better. I am completely satisfied with my purchase of the 21.5 inch iMac. The size of the screen is excellent. Other have made comments about a glare with the screen, but I don't find that to be a problem. The speed and the very ample disk storage are real pluses. Of course, the continual improvements to the Apple software - i. e., OS and ILife - just add to the great experience with this product.

After many years of dealing with the "blue screen of death", I finally had enough and my daughter and I purchased MacBook Pro computers in late 2009. Another daughter who already had a MacBook called it "coming over to the light side of The Force." This year my wife decided that she had had enough of Windows also, so I purchased the MC509LL, 21.5" iMac as her Christmas present. It was a great gift for both of us since I was and am her computer "guru".

Apple is not perfect, but they are so much better than anything else out there it isn't even funny. They understand customer service and the tech you will talk to speaks with an American accent. When Jimmy Dean started his sausage company he quoted his grandfather with, "you usually get what you pay for." Apple is not cheap, but the product is good, and the service is excellent. Come over to the Light Side.

This iMac replaced my older G4 desktop computer. Can't describe how much faster it is. Can do a lot more functions at one time too. The only real complaint I have is the cordless keyboard that it comes with..... My fingers are almost to big to type with ease. The biggest thing I have to get used to is room on my desk. Now have a big empty area where my CPU set.

Incredibly easy to use, cleary the best thing I ever bought for my home regarding computing technology.
Plug to energy, turn it on, 4 questions away and I'm off to surf the net, edit photos, create audio tracks, chat with friends, answer e-mails, sincronize my n95 and 3 ipods, and the list goes !!!
It's totally oriented to the lame user... it's user friendly as a priority.
If you intent to buy a computer to your home entertainment and day-to-day stuff, this is the choice.