Apple iMac Desktop 15" M7677LL/B (700MHz PowerPC G4, 256MB RAM, 40GB HDD, DVD/CD-RW drive)

Product 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.

Customer Reviews:

My first iMac.......2003-01-01

The G4 flat-panel iMac is a joy to behold and a delight to operate. This is not only my first iMac , it is my first real computer. (...)

Apple knows how to design good-looking hardware. It also knows how to create first-class software and OS X is almost intuitive.

Now all of this is important for someone like myself who would be defined as a senior citizen. I have no time, patience or interest with "things that can go wrong". Mercifully, that is something you are unlikely to experience with an iMac, although I would suggest purchasing AppleCare... (AppleCare gives you coverage for a full three years and the right to call Customer Service for help with "how to" things you can't figure out for yourself for the full thre years.)

I have made some additions/changes to the iMac with the addition of Apple Pro speakers and iSub woofer (both made by Harman Kardon) and replaced the one-button mouse with a Microsoft optical trackball, along with purchasing a printer and scanner....but these are personal preferences.

I also installed an extra 256 megs of RAM myself by easily undoing four small screws on the bottom of the metal base and popped it in.

Apple has an undeserved reputation for being much more expensive than a PC. While it is true you can get a cheap PC for a lot less money than an iMac, comparable PCs are priced at about the same price as an iMac.

This is a machine you won't get tired of and one you can expect to keep and enjoy for several/many years.

Wowzers.......2002-12-22

When i first bought this beatiful imac, i was in awe. it starts up very fast, some people say 700 mhz is too slow, but thats comparing the same mhz with intel!! Power PC makes this proccesor in a totally diffferent way! everything about it is great: the programs, the hardware & its beautiful!!
The only reason i rated this 4 stars, is because i have a stuck pixel on the end of my screen, most of the time its invisible, but when i watch a dvd, i see a little red spot on the black part. But other than that, the new imac is the perfect computer!! Oh and if you get the lower end model without speakers, get the apple speakers! It sounds just like a boze radio/CD Player!!

Get this Machine.......2002-10-30

I'm a university professor and have long been familiar with Macs, which are growing in popularity in my department. Though I was currently using a Dell machine at work, I decided to make this iMac my new home machine. My uses are primarily professional: very heavy office work, making CD's, working with thousands of digital photographs, creating websites, and doing some design work. I can honestly say that in every way that matters, the iMac surpasses (and sometimes greatly surpasses) the other computers I have used.

The out-of-the-box experience is wonderful; much care was taken with packing materials (and I later found this to be representative of the overall attention to detail and quality). I immediately installed Microsoft Office. I know Office backwards and forwards and the Mac version has everything (unless you must use Access) and even some minor features the PC version lacks. I have sent hundreds of documents to students and coworkers and no one has had any problem opening them. The formatting is also preserved perfectly when opened with Windows computers - this had been a big concern of mine.

This machine is also compatible with everything I've thrown at it. Connecting my Canon camera brought up iPhoto (other options are possible) and my Sony Clie syncs instantly with Palm Desktop 4.0. I've also installed Virtual PC, which very capably runs Windows software in case the need arises. And there are thousands of titles available for the Mac, though you may want to go online to find them all.

The Mac, though, really shines because of the countless little things that make it more satisfying to use. Aside from the stunning ergonomic design of the computer itself, the operating system is very pleasurable. If you haven't spent time with a Mac before, you will be amazed at how quickly you can get around in the operating system and how the things you need seem to be where you need them. I was never convinced by the "simplicity" argument before (after all, Windows seemed simple enough), but if you take simplicity to refer to the ease and speed with which you can get real work done, then it starts to really mean something.

Do get extra memory. I added 256MB to what was already there and this sped things up considerably.

Great computer, highly recommended.

Absolutly Beautiful Machine.......2002-08-20

I recently bought the new iMac, and it is absolutly amazing. I am somewhat of a gamer, and the graphics are great. Warcraft 3 is stunning on the new lcd screen, and even the older games still look great.

The computer is extremley functional as well as space saving. The small cpu is very effective, and the vertical and horizontal movement of the magnificant LCD screen is smooth and effortless.

Apple truely hit the nail on the head when they designed this computer. The only problem would have to be the lack of a floppy drive. While I completely understand that Jobs is attempting to bring Apple into the new Millenium (though it's 2 years old) by making a computer without floppy drives. However, his one mistake was that in a Microsoft world, floppy drives are still the main source of transporting files between PC's.

I still must commend Apple with their promised ease of use and compatability with other products. I was able to transfer all of my Microsoft Word Files over to the Mac without any trouble. It is truely amazing.

This computer is everything they promised and more. Everything in it will be useful in the years of technological advancement to come.

A functional work of Art.......2002-07-18

I've played with computers since the TRS-80 . Since 1984, I've used PCs. I've never been a fan of Apple or it's computers so I never owned one, until the beautiful iMac.

So why buy an iMac?

First the aesthetics. A beautiful machine no doubt. Unfortunately, although Apple has done an admirable job of reducing the number of cords they didn't complete the journey and make the keyboard, mouse and speakers wireless. The iMac still scores huge points on its form.

Next, function follows form! The cooling fan is so quiet you can hear it only in the quietest of rooms. The speakers, although beautiful clear half-globes, sound wonderful with clear high/midranges and warm bass even without the bass module. The keyboard has a wonderful touch and is useful with 2 USB ports. You will never have to worry about the mouse cord getting tangled again. And the fantastic screen is so deliciously clear and readable. It puts no strain on ones eyes and it effortlessly adjusts to any useable position with the touch of a finger. Apple has scored a home run with the functionality.

On hardware and software stability/compatibility the iMac stumbles a little. Everyone says Macs don't crash. This is simply not true as I have had numerous crashes out of iMusic, iPhoto, and iMovie. The only way I could get the computer to work again after one crash was to unplug it from the wall. The hardware, however, is all top notch and works perfectly. You can only modify your iMac internally by adding memory or an Airport card but with the USB (unfortunately not 2.0) and amazing Firewire ports (wow they're fast) you can add just about anything you want externally. This is clearly a next generation computer with no throwbacks to obsolete interfaces such as serial and parallel ports and 3.5" floppies. Bravo to Apple for that. So what does this mean? The computer is rock solid, the operating system is not quite there yet.

The much touted ease of use and integrated software is also a mixed blessing. In general, all of the iSoftware is very easy to use. iMusic being the best. Pop in a CD and iMusic starts. Connect to the internet and with a click it finds all of the titles and artists for your CD. Way cool and time saving. Click one button and you're ripping songs. It also plays songs from the CD while it rips... very cool and very easy. Hook up an iPod and it automatically updates it for you. It is so simple, easy, and fun you will be making your own portable music library within minutes. iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD still need work. All are pretty easy to use but there is no manual and the help is lacking. When I was trying to import movies and pictures into iPhoto, it would not let me or tell me why. Very frustrating (reason: iMovie will import only DV or a specific movie format. It won't import normal Quicktime movies. Also, the JPEGs were the wrong size so it would not import them.) All of that should be transparent to me. The next thing about these programs is that they are easy to use but you'll outgrow them after the first time you use them. These programs could easily have been made more powerful without making them any more difficult. However, once you start playing with your photos and movies and creating marvelous digital albums of your life, you'll be addicted. I made a movie from pictures of a recent hiking trip. Set it to music and I was amazed. A whole new world has opened. In addition, it was incredibly nice to plug in my Digital Camera, my Digital Camcorder, and my Smart Media reader and have them all work seamlessly. No trying to figure out how to install a driver. No wondering if you loaded the software in the right sequence. It just worked. Very Very nice.

To the PC veteran thinking about switching. For the most part things work very similarly so you should have no trouble using the machine. If you stick with the standard mouse, you will miss the right click and scroll wheel. iMac can read PC files so you can copy any info you want to the Mac. Also, the is a Windows emulator so you can even run many of your programs albeit slower.

To the computer newbie. Apple really touts the ease of using the iMac. I would say it is easier to use than a PC. But, that doesn't mean it is as easy to use as a common household appliance. The help system is pretty descent but doesn't replace a good manual that all computers so sadly lack. You absolutely must learn file management and common commands. In plain English, don't expect to just plug in the iMac and know how to do anything useful. Take a class, read a book, or have a friend teach you.

Apples, to me, have always been overpriced--one of the reasons I never owned one. Although there is no comparable PC, the iMac does cost slightly more than a comparatively equipped PC but the difference is negligible.

So what does all this mumbo jumbo boil down to. Very simple. If you like to play games, don't buy one. The video card is obsolete and there are relatively few games available. If this computer speaks to your soul, buy one. If you're in the market for a computer in iMac's price range, buy one.

As far as which iMac to get. I recommend the G4 800. You get a faster computer, more memory, a bigger hard drive, and a DVD burner. Quite a good deal. If you don't want or need the DVD burner then get the cheapest one. There is really not enough in the middle one to pay the extra (speakers, more memory, and DVD player).

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