In an Associated Press review, Matthew Fordahl test drove the 800-MHz iMac. He found it had “plenty of horsepower.” Fordahl said that processor-intensive programs run “very well, including Connectix’s Virtual PC 5, which runs Microsoft Windows and other operating systems on top of Mac OS X.”
He also found that the “design improves the computing experience.” Though the footprint is smaller than the original iMac, lots of functionality has been added, Fordahl said.
A Reuters overview said the flat panel iMac is Apple’s “hottest product in years.” The story quotes analyst Charles Smulders of Gartner Dataquest as saying, “This is a breakthrough product in an otherwise staid industry.”
The Reuters article notes that the revamped consumer model could attract new users. Analyst David Bailey of Gerard Klauer Mattison said that Apple is likely to attract first-time Apple buyers with the latest iMac.
Even the Wintel-centric PC Magazine gives the new iMac a thumbs-up, rating it four out of five stars.
The review said, “even jaded veterans of the platform wars stopped by to admire the machine’s innovative design, attractive hardware complement, and excellent software bundle.” The PC Magazine editors think that the revamped system could win new converts to the Mac platform.
“We wouldn’t have believed it, but more than a few die-hard Windows PC users in our labs said they’d finally consider buying a Mac,” they said.
With “one of the best ergonomic designs we’ve seen,” PC Magazine praises the iMac’s design, cooling system and software bundle. They don’t like the location of the on/off switch in the rear of the base nor the “rinky-dink” keyboard and mouse.
By the way, starting Monday MacCentral will be doing an in-depth, hands-on look at the 800-MHz iMac.