iMac-ulate... Collectable Design iMac G4... (Apple iMac M9285B/A)

Member Name: agazad

Product:	Apple iMac M9285B/A
Date:	27/01/05 (887 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful Design, Functional, Fast & Creative

Disadvantages: Not as fast as others, Out-Dated, Not much space for upgrading

The iMac G4 was the first real breakthrough in aestheticly pleasing design for computers. Before the iMac, we had grey boxes humming away in the corner, hidden in computer cabinets and kept out of sight. This wonderful, outrageously attractive system would be placed on your sitting room table if you had the choice - it is simply a timeless, chic, creative collectable!

As I have mentioned in many of my reviews, I study Interactive Media Design. We do a lot of work using Apple Mac hardware. We have two studios fully stocked with iMacs, eMacs, Power Books, Power PC's G5's - you name it we've got it! The studio we primarily work in is stocked with 20 or so of these reliable babies which are great fun to use and totally useful at the same time. Its ideal for creative users, Apple software is designed with creative people in mind, the hardware is designed to stand up to the mix of media that creative people throw at it too. The iMac G4, on top of this, is highly inspirational: it's unusual pod design, fully swivel and tilting screen panel etc - it's simply a pleasure to use and puts some fun into working!

As with all modern Apple hardware it is up to the job, handling audio and video streams slowly but surely (bearing in mind these machines do vary from 700MHz to 1.2MHz), obviously the higher spec computer you have, the better its performance will be. The high points of this particular Mac is its functionality: you have readily available USB and Firewire ports, easy access to the rear - no reaching round the back of a bulky tower under the desk. It's clean, clear, simple to use, easy to set up - a classic computer. I'm considering getting one simply for collecting. It will be remembered and looked back upon as an icon in art of the future.

The iMac is perhaps not as functionable as the eMac or the newer Macs but it certainly does make up for that in looks. They are light, 15"/17" widescreen TFT monitors, in total weighing approximately 10-10.5kg! Another beauty of the iMac is that it is complete: you don't have to go out and buy a monitor as you would if you purchased a PowerPC G5.

Apple themselves don't sell these any more (afaik), there are a few select stores who will stock them but really the only way to pick up a (very cheap) G4 is to have a look on eBay. Most sell for around £400-500 (watch out for postage costs though).

I have no horror stories on this system I'm affraid, the same goes for every Mac I've ever used... They are truly reliable, functional, fun and moderately cheap! Windows machines - now thats a different story!

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Basic Specs (for a 1.25GHz)
Processor- Motorola PowerPC G4 1.25 GHz
RAM installed- 256 MB DDR SDRAM
Cache size - type- 256 KB L2 cache
Hard drive- 80 GB Standard
CD / DVD drive- CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo IDE
Monitor type - technology - form factor- LCD display TFT active matrix
Diagonal size (inches)- 17 in
Viewable screen size- 17
Video RAM installed- 64 MB
Graphics processor- NVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
Audio output - Integrated Sound card
Form factor-- All-in-one
Dimensions (W x D x H) - 16.7 in x 10.6 in x 13 in
Weight- 22.9 lbs
Built-in devices- Antenna, Display, Speaker, Microphone
OS provided- Apple MacOS X 10.2

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Manufacturers Description:
iMac is, quite simply, an outrageously attractive, surprisingly affordable, and extraordinarily easy-to-set-up-and-use system. It comes fully loaded, but brings along none of the hassle you might associate with the word "computer". Get ready for the excitement of swift, simple Internet access - your passport to a world of information. And playing so richly detailed game, you actually feel like you are in another world. Consider the fact that iMac delivers significantly more power than you would expect from a computer at such a great price. Whether you are a first-time computer user or a highly experienced one, iMac, with its powerful, state-of-the-art features and simplicity of setup and operation, is the ideal choice. It will let you do the things you want to do with a computer, and many things you may only have dreamt about.

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Thanks for reading my review on the Apple iMac G4. Please feel free to leave any comments!

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