Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how
to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full
Tilt Poker Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.
Kel Taylor - August 17, 2000
Two years ago there was only one iMac, a powerful bondi blue beauty. Now
the iMac has grown into a family, and a large one at that. The
change from five fruity colors
to more professionally named indigo, ruby, and sage, is the most
noticeable evolution. The addition of snow along with a refined
graphite for the Special Edition model give the high end a choice
of color - in case graphite doesn't match the curtains. The
alterations set the iMac at speeds from 350 MHz to 500 MHz, along
with much larger hard drives. With four models to choose from,
there's got to be one that fits you.
iMac
In the spirit of the original model, Apple kept one of the iMacs
simple and cheap. This model, only
available in indigo, has a price set at an all-time low of US$799,
down from $999. This is sure to make it more appealing to sub-$1000
computer shoppers and help it compete better with Dell's cheap PCs.
With a 350 MHz processor speed, the only Mac slower is the iBook, which could pick up speed soon.
The 64 MB of RAM is now the standard, but it would be safe to add
at least 32 MB more if you hope to install OS X. The hard disk is
7.5 GB, enough for an average user. This iMac is what the original
was, cheap and easy. No extra options or features to get in the
way. Just a good computer. Perfect for those who want a good word
processor, internet browser, and a decent game machine.
iMac DV
The naming gets me here. Do not relate this model to the old
iMac DV. It seems that this model
should be called iMac DV Minus, because the drive was downgraded
from DVD-ROM to CD-ROM, which takes a lot out of the DV. This is
basically the base-level iMac with FireWire ports, a 400 MHz
processor, and a slightly larger hard drive. Apple introduced
this iMac DV to extend the Desktop Movie production to more
people at a price of $999. However, a quick look through any
Circuit City or Best Buy newspaper advertisement shows that the
digital video cameras cost almost as much as the iMac DV! If
someone has $1000 to blow on a video camera, they will probably
invest an extra $300 to get the DV Plus, which leaves this indigo
and ruby cutie in questionable fate.
iMac DV Plus
For only $300 more than the iMac DV, the iMac DV+ adds a lot. With a 450 MHz G3
at the core and a 20 GB hard drive, a whole lot more digital video
editing can be going on with this iMac. Perhaps the biggest
improvement is the DVD-ROM drive. Although no or almost no software
has been widely distributed on DVD, it will happen someday, and the
iMac DV+ will be ready for it. Of course, you can't ignore DVD
movies, which have become more and more popular since the late
1990s. The iMac DV+ will be loved by college dorm students who
can't fit much more than a few hockey puck mice in their cramped
dwelling, much less a TV and DVD player. By-the-way, if you haven't
seen the commercial for the Sage iMac DV+, check it out at Apple's
website; there's a voice you might recognize.
iMac DV Special Edition
This one is for those who have enough money to buy and could use
the power of a G4, but just love the look of an iMac on their desk.
Of course, some might also opt for it to match their iBook Special Edition, but that's a
long shot. The iMac DV SE is the
most powerful iMac to date. The blazing fast
500 MHz G3 probably sets it on par with the base level G4 and Cube
on non-optimized apps, and the included 128 MB of RAM give plenty
of elbow room for almost all of your apps, even OS X when it comes
along. 30 GB of storage will last you a good while, but check next
year and we probably won't be saying that about 50 GB. Even though
Apple invented the iMac to add color to our lives, they have made
an iMac without any, and I'm not complaining. I would choose the
Snow iMac as the Ms. USA of the computer world. If beauty means
everything to you, and you are okay with a lot of computing power,
this iMac is perfect for you.
Conclusion
The iMac has branched into a family tree. I wouldn't be
surprised if an iMac+ was born, or a totally renamed iMac 2 family
was begotten. One thing is certain, the iMac isn't a simple choice
anymore. A buyer used to be able to say, "I want an iMac" and get
one. Now they get the response, "Do you want an iMac, an iMac DV,
an iMac DV+, or an iMac DV Special Edition. Oh, and the iMac comes
in indigo, the iMac DV comes in indigo and ruby, the iMac DV+ comes
in indigo, ruby, and sage, and the iMac DV Special Edition comes in
graphite and snow."
There's no doubt the iMac is improving, but with every upgrade
it becomes more un-iMac. I'm in no way criticizing Apple, because
there's nothing Apple can do about it. You can't add options
without losing simplicity, and I'd take more options any day.
Personally, I can't wait to see a happy Mac-loving couple put
mini graphite and snow iMacs on top of their wedding cake.
Recent Content on Low End Mac
Do We Really Need Another Mac Email Client?, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.08.
Mac users have a host of free and low-cost email clients to choose from. Does Brent Simmons' 'Letters' project make any sense at all?
MacBook Pro a Revelation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.08.
After using G4 Macs for over a decade, spending a weekend prepping a first generation MacBook Pro was a real eye opener.
iPad Perfect for Handheld Computing, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 02.05.
You can hold the iPad in one hand and operate it with the other, giving it real advantages over a laptop computer.
Touch Shifts the Apple Empire, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 02.05.
Apple dominates mobile computing, and it will be difficult for competitors to match the value of the iPad.
Our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For detailed
price quotes and advertising information, please
contactat BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number
is for advertising only.
Two years ago there was only one 
iMac DV
to date. The blazing fast
500 MHz G3 probably sets it on par with the base level G4 and Cube
on non-optimized apps, and the included 128 MB of RAM give plenty
of elbow room for almost all of your apps, even OS X when it comes
along. 30 GB of storage will last you a good while, but check next
year and we probably won't be saying that about 50 GB. Even though
Apple invented the iMac to add color to our lives, they have made
an iMac without any, and I'm not complaining. I would choose the
Snow iMac as the Ms. USA of the computer world. If beauty means
everything to you, and you are okay with a lot of computing power,
this iMac is perfect for you.
