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.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 11:00 am and is filed under Apple, Guides. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.