The flat panel iMac continues to rack up accolades. Writing for the Los Angeles Times , Larry Magid says that “PCs that run the Windows operating system may be more commonplace, but when it comes to aesthetics and sheer class, the Apple Macintosh is the winner.”
“That was true back in 1984 when Apple first released the Mac, it was reiterated in 1998 when the company came out with the iMac, and it’s truer than ever now that we have the new flat-screen iMac,” he adds.
Magid praises the machine’s design, which invites you to not only look, but also to touch. He also likes its ease of set-up and user friendliness. The columnist also finds the hardware “very cool,” especially the US$1,899 model that comes with a SuperDrive. However, Magid doesn’t like the mouse, criticizing it for having only one button and no scroll wheel. He also notes that Microsoft Internet Explorer is “noticeably slower than in the Windows version, even when connected to the same DSL line.”
Magid said the real value of the iMac is its software. He likes Mac OS X and AppleWorks, a “useful starter application: that includes word processing, spreadsheet, database, drawing, painting and presentation features.
“But the crown jewels of the bundled software are the multimedia applications: iTunes for listening to and organizing music; iPhoto for editing and storing photos; iMovie for editing home videos; and — in the case of the high-end iMac — iDVD for burning DVDs,” Magid expounds. “Yes, you can get similar applications on Windows machines, but unlike similar Windows programs, these programs are yet another manifestation of Apple’s knack for making things that are elegant, simple and pleasant to use, especially for those of us who tend to skip reading manuals.”
Penning a column for the Houston Chronicle , Dwight Silverman said the flat panel iMac’s design is “playful, inviting, and a joy to use.”
Design is the primary thing the new iMac has going for it, he writes. While other computers can do what the iMac does, the difference is the way the new Apple system physically engages the user.
“Apple and its often zealous followers have long maintained that the Macintosh is the friendliest computer to use, and in this case they’ve been referring to the operating system, the Mac OS,” Silverman says. “But this is the first time that Apple has designed hardware that does as well in communicating that friendliness.”
The writer says that his young daughter, her friends and his 85-year-old mother-in-law have all been intrigued by the new computer. However, like Magid, he’s not keen on the mouse.
“Apple’s stubborn adherence to a one-button mouse is a disservice to users,” Silverman says. “Fortunately, almost any USB mouse will work with this computer, which will give you two or more buttons for better productivity and convenience.”
On the other hand, he does like Mac OS X and its “attractive, intuitive interface. He also likes the bundled “digital hub” applications. So is the new Mac compelling enough to pull market share away from the dominant personal computing platform?
“I’d say that, for the first time in a long time, it may be,” Silverman says. “The trick is to convince Windows users to give up their investment in the software they’ve accumulated. While the iMac comes with just about everything you’d need to do most jobs, longtime computer users have programs they don’t easily abandon. However, this computer is so friendly, stable, easy to use and fun, I think anyone who is in the market — regardless of what she or he has now — should take a serious look at it. I know I will the next time I buy a computer.”
Finally, a Macworld UK report says that the new iMac was a big hit at the MacFest expo.
“Apple showed off its complete range of Macs — and the undoubted star of the show was its flat-panel iMac, which drew a consistent crowd of admirers,” Macworld UK reports.