The Computer Zone

With the release of the new iMac a few months ago I thought it would be appropriate to vent my frustration with the product. Now before you start flaming me let me clarify a few things. I LOVE Apple products. I’ve used their laptops, Mac Pro’s and other devices a lot and praise almost every Apple device. I just think that when it comes to the iMac Apple dropped the ball. Here are a few reasons why I dislike iMacs

1. Power Supply
   The iMacs have long suffered from faulty power supplies. Some iMac G5 machines encountered overheating problems, resulting in power supply brownouts and fan problems. Apple’s new iMacs have a better power supply but it still has problems with overheating. A few people have told me that they have had to return their iMacs for this reason.
2. Practicality
   Pure and simple, iMacs just aren’t practical. Sure it’s convenient to have your monitor and computer all in one but when you really think about it, the combinations only a hindrance. As my friend Alex from www.sanctifiedstudios.com put it “its like a laptop you can’t take with you”. First of all if anyone wants to run a dual monitor configuration the beauty of the iMacs screen is going to be lost. Most people want two screens that are the same height (for viewing pleasure) and unless you get a monitor thats the same height this won’t be possible. Secondly, the average computer lifespan is 2-5 years whereas the average lifespan of a monitor is 6-10 years (depending on whether you get a LCD or a CRT). You’re going to have to replace the computer before the monitor so you’d be saving money if you bought both seperately.
3. Other Issues
   Because all of the components are crammed in so tight theirs an increased possibility of overheating. While Apple has done a fairly good job correcting overheating issues even the new iMacs still suffer from this when their being used to run cpu-intensive programs. Another problem I have with the iMacs is their lack of upgrading abilities. You can upgrade the RAM and that’s it. If you want a different video card you’re out of luck. The final issue I have with the iMacs is the fact that your computer is inside your monitor. If you drop it your screwed. At least with most computers if you drop you’re probably only going to have to replace the case and maybe a component or too. Theres just no protection. The final problem I have with the new iMac is the glossy screen. Now, glossy screens look lovely when theres no direct light on the screen. Once you have direct sunlight shining on the screen it’s rendered almost useless. My laptop has a glossy finish and I can’t use it outside because of it.

Here’s a small comparison between the new 20″ 2.0GHz Intel iMac and the Dell Dimension 9200.

Dell Dimension 9200
Price: $1299
CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core Quad-Core
RAM: 2GB 667MHz DDR2
HD: 320GB Serial ATA Drive
Graphics: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT-DDR3
Screen: 22″ 1680 x 1050 pixels

iMac 20″
Price: $1299
CPU: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 1GB 667MHz DDR2
HD: 250GB Serial ATA Drive
Graphics: 128MB ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT
Screen: Glossy 20″ 1680 x 1050 pixels

As you can see from the comparison, you can get a much better system for the same price. Now if you don’t like Windows Operating System’s just put a Linux distro on it and your set.

Maybe I have been to harsh on the iMacs and I totally suggest buying a mac (just not the iMac). I think design wise they look amazing but are just impractical.

Every so often Apple holds a conference and releases new products (or updates an existing product line) and this past Wednesday was no different with Apples “The Beat Goes On“. It seems lately that Apple has been bringing out quite a few new products. A few recent products are:

• iPod nano - September 7th, 2005
• iPhone - January 29th, 2007
• iPod touch - September 5th, 2007
• iPod classic - September 5th, 2007

Each one of these devices is geared towards a different group of people but the problem is that none of the gadgets is overly impressive by itself. When Apple first unveiled on October 23, 2001 it was exciting because it greatly improved on the generally lacking mp3 players of the time. Since then Apple has released 6 generations of the iPod, brought out new iPod variations such as the mini, shuffle, nano, and the touch and to be honest none of them are anything fantastic and new (though the touch is a decent attempt).

iPod Touch
The Apple touch is basically the “poor mans” iPhone. I think Apple wanted to get the features of the iPhone (minus the phone) to the general public. It’s $100 cheaper than the iPhone so more people will be able to afford it but it really isn’t that impressive. At any time you can listen to your music or watch your videos like a normal iPod or if you’re near a WiFi access point you can browse the web or watch YouTube videos. The problem with this device is that the the maximum drive size is 16GB!!!! I know it’s a solid state drive which make it a lot quicker and better on the battery but it still could be bigger.

iPod Classic
This is the 6th Generation of the iPod classic. With the advances in 1.8″ hard drives Apple has now included a 80GB version and a 160GB version. This means you can now hold 20,000 and 40,000 songs or a tonne of movies and pictures (or both). Apple also introduced a “better” interface for the iPod including album art and other things (I haven’t used it yet but I’ve heard from early adopters). The problem with this device is that while it incorporates a huge hard drive (160GB) it doesn’t have any advanced features like the iPod touch that people are now wanting with their devices.

I think that Apple should have waited a year or so and waited for the prices on the hardware to drop a little bit, and then release the iPod touch with a much much larger hard drive. The problem with all of these devices is that neither are overly impressive. Imagine having the iPod touch with 160GB solid state drive so you could actually hold everything you needed.

If Apple continues with their recent releases and doesn’t give us a device that is truly an awesome thing (like a 160GB Touch) it could lead to a disaster.

With Apple’s announcement of a $200 price drop at the “Beat Goes On” conference on September 5th, 2007 many early adopters were downright pissed. As Steve Job’s said “I have received hundreds of emails from iPhone customers who are upset about Apple dropping the price of iPhone by $200 two months after it went on sale.” Apple decided to be generous and give every early adopter a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store. While this is a very nice offer I have a few thoughts on the matter:

1. Every single tech gadget receives a price drop within the first year of the product’s launch. Early adopters realize this and generally pay a premium so they can have the device before anyone else. If I was an American and knew that any early adopter would be given a $100 in-store rebate within a couple months I would have bought the iPhone on opening day.
2. These early adopters are whiners Come on, you spent $600 for a phone, YOU HAVE MONEY TO SPARE!!!
3. Apple lowered the price because of the new iPod Touch a device that is basically the same as the iPhone except for the phone part. It’s also $100 cheaper

I think Apple did the right thing to please its customers. I’m more laughing with the whiners. You wanted the technology as soon as it came out and you payed for it. Don’t be surprised when the price drops a few months later.