iMacs look cool. And they’re undoubtedly well-made. Heck, getting one with OSX “Leopard” installed is guaranteed to make a computing experience mostly pleasant, no doubt.
But. “On Sale” at MacMall:
iMac 24″ Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz
24″, 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM, 250GB SATA, DVD-R/CD-RW Super Drive 8x, 10/100/1000 BASE-T Enet, Built-in AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth 2.0, Built-in iSight, OS X 10.5 Leopard: Only$1,499.00$1,399.00
Let’s see: I have no use for bluetooth. I won’t be using any computer as a primary viewing device for DVDs, etc. I do NOT like having to add capabilities via a mess of USB cabling or wireless external devices strung out all over, preferring to add such things whenever possible IN the computer case–and the iMac AIO “feature” pretty much precludes such use. Oh, the “Built-in iSight”? *pfui* The things are regularly available for between $1 and $10 all over the place. I guess “built-in” (meaning non-user-configurable aiming/focusing, or at least highly limited) is soooo much better, eh?
Then there’s the wonderfully low price for the thing. *pfui* I can build a computer (including two 17″ LCD displays–better for my use than one 24″ by far) that has a faster processor (still X86, just like the iMac), has more memory, twice the hard drive space, wireless kybd/mouse, a GREAT (not “Super” *heh*) DVDRW drive, etc. for about $500 or so. (Yes, I have run the numbers, cos I’m looking at building–read “assembling”–another personal box Real Soon Now, anyway.) Plunk in PCBSD or Ubuntu and even a spare copy of WinXP, or just use WINE. (OK, if I were to have to buy another copy of WinXP Pro, it’d cost me about $90 or so.)
Heck, I’d even include a nice floppy drive for backward compatibility and not go above my $500 mark.
All with good quality components and room for expansion and adding more features in the box any time I wanted to.
I can even make the thing use a GUI with a “Mac-like” look and feel if I wish (done it, but didn’t much care for it–strictly personal taste), and with PCBSD even use the same basic UNIX Apple uses with OSX.
So, spend about three times what it should cost just to get something that looks cool but takes up no less desktop space (yeh: sit the ordinary PC “tower” on the floor where it belongs, OK?) and locks the user into the OSX straightjacket.
Sorry, I’m still not “getting it”.
/rant
But I’m sure it works really well for folks who need a hand-holding, training wheels computing experience, and that’s just fine; it’s a perfectly good option for folks who are less hands on and feel comfortable throwing money around as though it pours out of a firehose. I’m just too much of a tightwad, and I prefer having my computers do things my way.
Heck, I think that these iMacs are the ONLY thing that should be allowed in “Assisted Computing Facilities”–*LOL*
“Here, dearie, let me make that mouse click for you…”
*heh*
I’m sure Medicare or some other fedgov thingy would pay for it.
/rant off
Now, what I really don’t get is those folks who buy an iMac… and then immediately install Microsoft Office on it. What’s with that? *heh*