Apple iMac Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz - 24" TFT > Reviews > Very happy owner

Author's product rating:   

Speed	Very fast
Design	Excellent
Manufacturer Support	Satisfactory
Ease of use	Easy
Value For Money	Good

Advantages:	LCD Screen; extremely quiet; operating system in a class of its own; supplied with iLife 08
Disadvantages:	supplied as standard with 1GB RAM  -  this is not enough

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

There are two factors to consider when, as a previous PC user you are considering purchasing an iMac for the first time

1) The hardware
2) The software

And only one factor to consider when, as a previous Mac user you are looking to upgrade to the latest generation iMac

1) The hardware

So let's talk about the hardware first:
In a word, it's a fantastic piece of kit. Its quiet (very quiet), the screen is absolutely stunning, the remote control that comes with it is extremely helpful and works very well, the idea of having a USB port on the side of the keyboard is a great one and again very useful, the mouse is surprisingly good for an included mouse although the buttons on the side of the mouse are in an awkward position but that could just be me

I am not sure whether I should class this has a hardware issue or a software issue but 1GB of RAM is simply not enough RAM to run Mac OS X Leopard... I found the machine disappointingly slow when I first got it but spent £24 on a stick of Corsair PC-5300 200 pin RAM and it's a whole new ball game; the machine performs extremely well
So I have no hesitation in recommending the hardware - I am continuously blown away by the quality of and joy to use of the 24" LCD screen and the machine responds in a very timely manner to application opening, closing etc and all the sleeping, shutting down and starting up of the machine all happen very quickly. The machine works well as something to watch movies on too because the screen is large enough and the supplied remote control works so well.

On to the software
If you spend a few minutes on the web researching Mac OS X you will continuously find comments on how great it is, I have frequently come across comments stating that is the best operating system in the world, the most advanced operating system in the world, the most stable operating system in the world and so on.

Let me just say that I don't agree with these comments - Mac OS X is not as easy to use as Windows if you come from a PC background; Linux is probably the most advanced operating system in the world; Yes, it's stable - but to say it's the most stable operating system is again very difficult to quantify; I find Windows XP extremely stable (yes, I know Windows Vista is out - but that's just a nightmare) and Linux/Unix systems are probably more stable than Mac OS X from personal experience

Let me clear up a few things for you: Mac OS X is not extremely easy to use - it does however come pre-installed with every bit of software you will ever need as a basic to intermediate home user to browse the internet, manage and edit your photo's, burn CD and DVD's, watch DVD's, manage your music collection and iPod and you know that every bit of hardware you have will work when you install Mac OS X - this is pretty much guaranteed. I think this is why people often label Mac OS X as easy to use - because it doesn't need configuring and you don't need to install software or drivers - this doesn't make it easy to use, it just makes it very well rounded and effective operating system for home users. I can honestly say that Mac OS X comes pre-installed with everything the average user will ever need; this contrasts greatly to the likes of Windows and Linux. With Windows operating systems you have to purchase additional software to play DVD Movies; effectively burn CD's and DVD's and you have to download and install additional software to effectively manage your photo's and music collection and synchronise with your iPOD. With Linux you will have a hard time getting some of your hardware to work and unless you are savvy with computers and operating systems or you want a good (and very rewarding) challenge I recommend you stay away from Linux for the time being. So Mac OS X is not the easiest operating system in the world to use but it is however the easiest operating system in the world to live with - I strongly recommend it

My previous comments are not there to take away anything from the operating system, it's a truly great operating system my comments are simply there to try and clarify some things you may have read elsewhere and when you machine arrives you might realise just weren't true.

So at the end of the day I have no problem whatsoever in recommending the iMac 24" with Leopard installed but please spend the extra money on the additional 1GB of RAM - it's just not the same machine without it; as mentioned I paid £24 for the Corsair PC5300 200pin and all I had to do is unscrew one screw on the bottom of the machine, slide out a cover and stick the memory into a spare slot