Apple iMac Desktop with 24" Display (2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

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an elegant user experience in a trusted brand

Apple iMac Desktop with 24" Display (2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

Manufacturer: Apple Computer
ProductGroup: Personal Computer
Binding: Personal Computers

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Product Features:

2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo running Mac OS X Mac OS X v10.4.10 "Tiger"

2 GB DDR SDRAM, 500 GB SATA hard drive, SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

24-inch (viewable) glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, 1920 by 1200 pixels, millions of colors

FireWire 400, FireWire 800 port, three USB 2.0 ports on computer, two USB 2.0 ports on keyboard, built-in iSight, mini-DVI output port with support for DVI, VGA, and S-video

Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit), built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11n); built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module

ASIN: B000WHXJ2C
Release Date: 2007-10-18

Amazon.com Product Description

Redefining Apple's signature all-in-one desktop PC, the newly redesigned iMac now sports a sleek, professional aluminum enclosure that's joined precisely to a 24-inch glass cover to create a virtually seamless front surface. It also features new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard--with an extended layout and dedicated keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, and Exposé--as well as the wired Mighty Mouse. The iMac is preloaded with Apple's latest suite of digital media applications--iLife '08--and also comes with the Apple Remote and Front Row media display software, which enables you to easily play your music, enjoy photo slideshows, and watch DVDs, iMovies, music videos and television shows from across the room.

It's powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor from the newest "Santa Rosa" chips, which offer a top-of-the-line 800 MHz front-side bus speed and a huge 4 MB L2 cache. This 24-inch iMac also features a 500 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM (with a 4 GB maximum capacity), 8x SuperDrive for burning movies to DVD and music mixes to CD, integrated 802.11n wireless LAN, Gigabit Ethernet wired networking, Bluetooth connectivity, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT video card with 256 MB dedicated memory, and the Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger operating system.

The iMac, Transformed

Redesigned with a recyclable anodized aluminum frame and glass cover, the iMac is friendlier to the environment..

The new keyboard's ultrathin anodized aluminum enclosure features low-profile keys that provide a crisp, responsive feel.
The its anodized aluminum frame and glass cover, the new iMac instantly transforms your workspace from cluttered desktop to brilliant display podium. Because it's made from a single sheet of aluminum, you won't see any seams or screws except for a single compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory slots. The glossy widescreen 20-inch display makes photos and movies come alive with rich color. And the built-in iSight camera and microphone are integrated so neatly you barely notice they're there. Aside from the design details, the iMac is also friendlier to the environment with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum. The power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent new Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

With its elegant anodized aluminum enclosure, the new Apple Keyboard looks equally at home in your living room or on your desk. Just connect it to the USB port on your iMac and start enjoying the crisp, responsive feel of its low-profile keys. The extended layout has a full complement of keys, including document navigation controls, a numeric keypad, and special function keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, Exposé, and more. Two USB 2.0 ports provide high-speed connectivity for your iPod, Mighty Mouse, digital camera, and other USB-based electronic devices.

Preinstalled with iLife '08
Every iMac includes iLife '08, the latest version of Apple's award-winning suite of digital media applications, with major upgrades to iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand and a completely reinvented iMovie. iPhoto '08 now automatically organizes photo libraries into Events that let you more easily manage your growing photo collections, and iMovie '08 can import video from the latest AVCHD, HDV and DV camcorders, as well as from digital cameras, and displays your entire video library whether it's stored on internal or external drives. Both iPhoto and iMovie integrate seamlessly with the new .Mac Web Gallery, Apple's new service for .Mac members to instantly create and host websites for their photos and videos.

The pre-installed iLife '08 software suite includes a completely redesigned iMovie, which makes it even easier to share your videos on the Internet.

iLife '08 also features iWeb '08, with live web widgets such as Google Maps that let you create even more dynamic websites, and GarageBand '08, with its new Magic GarageBand feature that makes it fun and easy for both musicians and non-musicians to create great sounding songs.

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
It's powered by the 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor from the newest "Santa Rosa" chips, which offer a top-of-the-line 800 MHz front-side bus speed and 4 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) With such a substantial L2 cache, data instructions can be kept close to the two processor cores, greatly increasing performance and allowing the entire system to work more efficiently.

The Intel Core 2 Duo's 128-bit SSE3 vector engine handles 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, accelerating data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data. And its two execution cores are designed to share resources and conserve power, helping it to achieve higher levels of performance since it uses fewer watts.

Graphics and Video
The 24-inch TFT active-matrix LCD offers a panoramic resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels--30 percent more screen real estate than the 20-inch model. It has a brightness rating of 380 nits, a contrast ratio of 750:1, and a viewing angle of 178 degrees (both horizontal and vertical). An ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics processor powers the iMac with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory. It features some of the most advanced graphics technology available and delivers new levels of visual realism and a huge texture fill rate for smooth surfaces and complex character details. GDDR3 (Graphics Double Data Rate, version 3) is a graphics card-specific memory technology that's better able to deliver fluid frame rates for even the most advanced games and applications.

This iMac also enables you to connect a second display in either extended desktop mode or video mirroring mode. The mini-DVI port connects to DVI displays, VGA monitors and projectors, and S-video and composite devices using the appropriate adapter (sold separately).

Wired and Wireless Connectivity

You get a full complement of ports on the back of the iMac, including three USB 2.0 and two flavors of FireWire--400 and 800.

The iMac gives you plenty of room to grow, accommodating as many as five peripherals at a time thanks to its three USB 2.0 ports and the two USB 2.0 ports on the Apple Keyboard. It also includes two powered FireWire ports--one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 (one of the fastest peripheral standards available)--enabling you to quickly transfer content from digital video cameras, hard drives, and other high-speed devices.

Share files around your house with built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet as well as the next-generation high-speed wireless 802.11n technology, which is integrated into the latest Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. The iMac is also Wi-Fi Certified to work with base stations and routers that use industry-standard 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g wireless technologies.

The integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity--version 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)--allows you to use a wireless keyboard or mouse, and synchronize peripherals such as cell phones and PDAs. Enjoy high-quality sound on almost any speaker system with double-duty analog/digital audio. Record digital and analog sources through audio line in, perfect for your latest podcast in GarageBand.

SuperDrive
Integrated neatly into the iMac is a slot-loading SuperDrive that lets you play and burn your own CDs and DVDs--including double-layer DVDs. And there's no disc tray--just slide the disc right in. It offers the following speeds:

Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
Writes DVD-RW at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
Reads CDs at up to 24x speed

Other Features

Two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4 GB of RAM
Built-in stereo speakers with internal 24-watt digital amplifier
Support for external display in extended desktop mode: 1920 by 1200 pixels for digital and 2048 by 1536 pixels for analog
Meets ENERGY STAR requirements with maximum continuous power rating of 200 watts
Dimensions: 20.5 x 22.4 x 8.1 inches (WxHxD)

Included Software
Mac OS X v.10.4 Tiger operating system (includes Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Xcode Developer Tools); iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand); Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive; iWork (30-day trial); and Front Row

What's in the Box
iMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation

Customer Reviews:

Vista Expatriate.......2007-12-24

After watching Outlook crash and recover for about the 80th time on my 9 month old laptop, I decided to replace my wife's equally glitchy Vista machine with a shiny new iMac. (my wife's machine had been "upgraded" to Vista and was really a mess!) I'm a Windows guy. I started computing on Apples back in the Lisa days, but left the fold when Windows got a seemingly insurmountable lead in hardware and software and just never really looked back except with some pity thinking how much I liked the early machines...

But after using iPods and iPhones, I was really curious to see if the mighty Steve had brought Apple back to glory. And my frustration with Vista gave me the final nudge to take that plunge.

Out of the box, it is just like they say: Mac just works. I had no trouble figuring out what I needed to do to set the computer up. I was on the Internet within minutes, with a .Mac account ready and waiting. Bluetooth keyboard and mouse installed themselves instantly. One freakin wire sticking out of the back of the computer: the power cable! Next I plugged in the printer. No driver disc first, my old Canon 4300 was just ready to go seconds after plugging it in. So was my Nikon D80, I just plugged it in and it was ready to download pics to iLife and Aperture. Shortly after that I have my first batch posted as a gallery in .mac. Easy peasy,no hassle and sweat!

My kids (12,9, and 3)jumped right into it. Photobooth and the integrated webcam and Garage Band are great little applications that drew them into the machine. Now they are all very comfortable on the net with their games and stuff running flawlessly on Safari.

I imported a bunch of Word and Excel docs that ran great on Apple's included software (errr I bought iWork...). Got my Christmas labels printed with little fuss.

OK, I'm only 3 weeks in, but I'm new to everything here and I am not frustrated and pissed off like I would expect with a whole new way of doing things. It's intuitive and simple and the software apps work TOGETHER and give you what you need. I'm not fighting glitchy software and watching system recoveries... I'm doing productive things!

Simply Remarkable!.......2007-11-17

I am 29 years old. I can remember learning about "DOS" and computers in grade school. Of course, this culminates into a distant memory of one long awesome game of "Oregon Trail".... This was done on a Mac and it is my earliest memory of their products.

Through a combination of time, trends, school & industry standards, I like many, was forced into a life of Microsoft. I was content, but certainly left with a longing. I was longing for something more artistic. More free. But above all....something that just made more sense.

Alas, the infamous iPod has allowed Apple to gain the revenue needed for their indomitable innovation, and the result is a series of Intel based Macs that is now capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with a PC in nearly any industry, only using a different, "outside-the-box" approach to problem solving.

After falling in love with my Macbook Dual Core notebook over a year ago, I would reminisce the hours of my life wasted troubleshooting network settings, blue screen crashes, consistent instability, and endless technical deciphering on my old PC notebook. When it came time to upgrade my Desktop to such bliss, I waited.... I waited and waited for the latest and greatest Apple desktop computer....

My decision was difficult. I really wanted to go all out and get the Mac pro, but adding an Apple display was beyond my allotted budget for my computing needs. I am not a molecular biologist, merely a tech-savvy audio/video professional with a personal life. After careful comparison, I leaned towards the 24" iMac. Any uncertainty in picking this over the Mac Pro was deleted like a keystroke when I saw the display on this beautiful machine.

I went with the 24" instead of 20" because; well, if you've seen them side by side in the store you know. I decided on the 2.8GHz instead of the 2.4GHz more for the doubled RAM and bigger HD than the actual processor. Honestly I couldn't tell much of a difference in processing speed in the store but benchmarks online say otherwise. For me personally the faster processor alone would not justify paying the increased price. So after it's release I bought it immediately. I have owned it for nearly 3 months now and it is absolutely stunning. Photographs from my 6.0 MP digital camera look better than real life! It is sad, but true.

---What I like most about it:

The display is amazing, the design is beautiful. The computing speed is fast. I feel a surge of confidence, as though if "it" won't work on my iMac, "it" won't work on ANY desktop. The graphics are amazing, I have it toggled for dual screen on my 42" Sharp LCD and it works seamlessly. Never a hiccup, never a crash. If there is a hang-up, it is a mere program application to blame. Simply "Force Quitting" any program is a 100% remedy.

It was a breeze networking this iMac along with my Macbook, Canon Printer, and External Hard Drives via the equally reliable Airport Extreme router and that purchased with this desktop. Screen Sharing is unbelievable! I can view my actual iMac AND the dual moniter it's displaying, all on a resizable window on my Macbook, or visa versa. I can literally control any machine in my house from any other machine. It's been a while but this would have taken me a Masters Degree in computer programming when I owned PCs.

The unit is amazingly quiet and the absence of a tower is pure genius. The keyboard is an indisputable improvement. All of my peripherals work consistantly and on the first try. I use all ports on it including the USB slots on the back and the keyboard, the firewire 400 and 800, the audio jack as well as the display output. The recent upgrade to Leopard was simple and painless and I do think that Leopard is an improvement on Tiger and it is worth the price. Especially the key features such as improved networking and Time Machine. I used my Apple Store Credit from my iPhone towards it and I appreciate Apple giving us that rebate.

---What I don't like about it:

I still have a real problem with the Mighty Mouse. I opted for the wireless one though I already owned one for my Macbook. I still can't believe Apple is too stubborn to put a real right click button, even though that secondary click has become a mandatory part of their operating system. Besides that, the Mighty Mouse is to bulky and ergonomically awkward for me. I like to rest my hand on the mouse and this just isn't possible on the apple mouse. Microsoft still has the edge there, and I use a Microsoft brand wireless RF mouse instead of the Apple mouse I paid extra for.

Performance does get jumpy and slow if this machine is pushed to the extreme. For example, if you open several good quality .MOV files simultaneously or something of that nature, they will all start to stutter getting worse as you open more. The same goes for working on iMovie or similar editing software while severely multitasking. Perhaps I was overoptimistic but I expected less of this behavior with such an expensive and new machine. I would be interested to know if there is a machine that doesn't exhibit this in any price range. I think that's why the most expensive gaming machines are 5 grand and up.

If you want to use Time Machine, plan on spending an additional 300 bucks. That is because, with any back-up external hard drive, the external has to be AT LEAST the size of the computers Hard Drive you are backing up. Due to Time Machine's amazing features, it requires even more! I think mine requests 422 gigs. You figure you have to purchase at least a 500 gig external drive, and thats strictly a back up! Then you have to of course calculate the ACTUAL storage amount because no one can seem to advertise the ACTUAL storage capacity of any hard drive product! WTF?! So the consumer gets gypped for a good 10% of the gigs they pay for. And Apple's hard drive upgrades are just way to expensive to consider for me. So personally, I will be shopping around Amazon for an external 1TB hard drive and call it a day.

Glare is noticable in extremely bright environments, but it has to pretty much be direct sunlight until it is an issue. To me the enhanced clarity of the glossy glass outweighs the glare issue, I like Apple's decision there. Also noteworthy, the brightness of the display gets so bright that it can be intolerable if you do not adjust it.

I think that about sums it up. I am extremely happy with this purchase and I would highly recommend it to anyone who can afford it. I appologize for such a lengthy review but if you have stuck with it this long, hopefully it has helped you. I rely on other's objective online reviews and hope that I can proliferate this by helping you.

an elegant user experience in a trusted brand.......2007-11-03

This is the best apple computer that I have yet owned. While the previous models combined the ease of use and (relatively) commonsensical and reliable software, there is a design beauty to this model that makes it my favorite for several reasons.

First, I at last feel I can trust the brand completely. All in all, even with Leopard, this model is essentially an incremental extension, so I knew that I could trust the user experience to be friendly and familiar. Not to be too banal, but the integration of the software with the machine, both developed by the same company, is superior to anything that suffers the combination of Microsoft with commodity hardware.

Second, the monitor screen is absolutely fantastic. I have never seen graphics with such clarity. You can play dvds or games and see new detail, you can enlarge digital photos far beyond the analogue range and discover things you didn't notice when the pic was taken, and it makes surfing the internet an entirely new experience. You have to play with it to believe it. While I would have preferred a non-shine surface to the glass cover, I do not notice this issue in use.

Third, it is very fast with the intel chip, and I have loaded windows onto it seamlessly (well, I hope so, anyway, but from all appearances so far). This should make it even easier to use for work with my non-applied colleagues.

Fourth, the new keyboard seems to be easier to use and more robust than previous ones. This is important to me, as I will write a huge amount on it and my children will play games on it rather roughly. It is also as aesthetically pleasing as an Alessi cafetiere.

But the most important thing is that it has the indefinable magic of great design, kind of like an art work - you look at the screen, enjoy the curve of its back, and the subtle sounds it emits - that you can trust to function as advertised. The experience is holistic and connoisseurs of design will delight in it.

All this being said, it is of course too early to judge its reliability over time. I have had problems in this respect with apple in the past. My G5 died on me after only 1.5 years use, though I loved that one almost as much; it was not worth the cost to fix it (I did not purchase an extended guarantee because I live in Europe and it wouldn't be valid there), so I bought this one and now have yet another expensive paperweight to recycle. Moreover, I have had problems with apple software in the past, and have been frustrated with the same kind of incomprehensible programmer explanations that appeared, indeed they were as cryptic as those of MS.

So, I will have to add comments to this review in a year, after the heavy use that a family makes of this, the electronic hearth. But this is love at first sight, no doubt. My kids have taken to it in the same way.

Warmly recommended.

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