The best computer I've ever owned

Let me be honest - I'm pretty picky. I love Macs and have had about 8 over the years, all of which have been pretty good. I've also had about the same number of PCs, although I haven't liked them as much. Without a doubt, the new iMac G5 is the best computer I've ever used. I've had it about a month, and I would buy it again in a heartbeat if I had to do it over again. I haven't been impressed by a new purchase in a long, long time.

The design is great. I like the simple, no fuss all-in-one design. I bought directly from Apple and the computer was on my doorstep two days later. Literally five minutes after signing for the package from FedEx, I was signing onto the internet using the built in Airport wireless card.

I didn't even take the time to move my old computer off the office desk - the iMac G5 is so thin I just put it up on the breakfast nook and it is still sitting there (a month later!). The thin, all-in-one design seems perfect for any room or situation - I only wish I had something like this when I was crammed into a tiny dorm room.

When you see ads for $500 "complete" computer systems in the Sunday paper, it makes it hard to even consider paying over a thousand for a computer system. Luckily, I took the plunge and spent the money on the iMac and I am already sure it was worth every penny.

Performance
I use a dual-processor 2.0-GHz PowerMac G5 at work and expected that the iMac would feel sluggish in comparison. I can honestly barely tell the difference. This is bad news, of course, for all those PowerMac G5 owners out there, but good news for those of us who don't have huge budgets. I didn't really have it in my budget to buy extra RAM at the same time as the computer, and I'm happy to report it runs great with the standard 512MB. Even with three users signed in using fast user switching and everyone having their own programs open, I have yet to run into any slow performance.

The included games have good graphics, and I've downloaded some 3D games that really show how much processing power the slim little iMac has. DVDs play very well - this is the first computer I've had that doesn't pause annoyingly every few minutes while you're playing a DVD! iTunes hasn't skipped at all, unlike iTunes on my PC which skips and stutters every time I launch a new program. Mac OS X Tiger runs like the fast cat it's named after on this little machine (OK, I don't know if tigers are really fast - but hey it was a good metaphor, right?).

It is worth mentioning that the iMac G5 runs almost completely silently most of the time. I have yet to hear the hard drive, but I have heard the CD spinning around when importing songs into iTunes. When you're making the computer work really hard you can hear the fans gradually whir into action, which is kinda distracting since they're RIGHT behind the screen. At first I thought it was loud, but when you compare the fans on the iMac at full blast to your average desktop computer it is still very quiet - and as soon as you go back to doing something normal the fans slow back down immediately and you can't hear them anymore. If a program hangs up (which has only happened twice or so) the fans kick into high gear until your Force Quit it. No worries, though: the iMac G5 doesn't seem to have the same "jet engine" fans that the PowerMac G5 has.

Design
The design is great. I wouldn't say it is as cool looking as the previous iMac, but it is very functional. Everything seems well though out. The display is easy to adjust and the aluminum stand is very sturdy. Nothing feels or looks cheap. However, there is no headphone port on the front, and the high speed USB ports are hard to get to without turning the computer around a little bit (which is easy to do because it is so light). I love that the CD/DVD drive is slot loading - there's no fussy tray to deal with. Just stick the CD or DVD in and you're good to go! I don't think there's another computer out there that comes close to the well-thought out design of the iMac G5.

Screen
Widescreen. What can I say? It's great. Right now I'm typing on this webpage and have two chats open next to it, along with my iChat buddy list, mini iTunes controller, and STILL have room to spare. Widescreen is great, but so is the color and clarity. I had a Dell 17" flat panel on my last computer and it was hard to see unless you had the angle adjusted just perfectly, and it washed out the color if you opened the window on a bright day. The iMac screen is much better in both regards, the breakfast nook gets a lot of light and you can still see the screen and all the colors just fine. I can't really find anything negative to say about the built in LCD.

Speakers
The speakers sound great! I have some old speakers from my last computer, but I haven't even wanted to plug them in yet. If you don't want subwoofer-type thumping bass, you'll be more than happy with the included speakers. They're on the bottom of the display (you can't see them - they face down towards the table) and they get really loud. I like them MUCH more than the speakers in the iMac G3's.

Reliability & Compatibility
So far I have been very impressed with the stability of this computer. I've had iTunes hang up once, and Safari quit without warning once, but other than that it has been completely stable. The computer itself hasn't crashed (ya know, to the point where you have to hold down keys and restart it) which is impressive considering it has been on pretty much constantly for the last month. Out of the eight Macs I've had over the years, only one has ever had a hardware problem, and even thought I was out of warranty Apple took care of it for me. If you do find yourself nervous about your computer, you can extend your warranty from one year to three years at any time before your warranty runs out by calling Apple. That's good to know when a salesperson is trying to sell you that extended warranty thing - I would avoid it at the time of purchase and just buy it before your regular warranty runs out if you decide you want it later.

Compatibility has been great. I have actually ran some old Mac OS 9 applications (kid's stuff) and it has worked great. Also, my printer, digital camera, and scanner work without a hitch. I did have to install some software for the scanner to work, but the other two just automatically worked when I plugged them in.

Included Software
The iLife stuff runs GREAT... I'm talking about iMovie, iTunes, iChat, etc. Mine came with AppleWorks, which I like a lot. I don't really see the need to buy Microsoft Office unless you're running a business or something - AppleWorks has everything I need (Spreadsheet, Database, Word Processing, Drawing). Garageband runs good, but it does feel a little slower than Garageband on my faster work computer. That is really the only software where I've noticed a difference so far.

The included software is all very good. I like the included Encyclopedia software... it has a cool 3D globe similar to the software from Google that PC users have to pay $30 a year to use. The best part is that you don't have to put in a CD to use the Encyclopedia... it is all stored on the internal hard drive. Marble Blast Gold is very "kid" looking, and the graphics aren't awesome, but the game is pretty addicting. Nanosaur 2 is an awesome 3D game - much improved from the Nanosaur that came with previous Macs. I was really impressed. Quicken works fine, but I haven't used it much so far other than syncing my checking account with it. There is more included software, but I don't want to go over them all. Suffice to say, I've been very impressed with the selection that comes free on iMacs. Apple really outdid themselves.

Included Accessories
I really like the included keyboard and mouse. I was thinking about getting a Mac mini and just using a cheap USB keyboard and mouse with it, but I'm glad I didn't. The keyboard is compact and feels very well built and looks great with the computer. It's also very quiet and has good feedback. The mouse is a one-button mouse, but it matches the computer so well and fits well in my hand, so I haven't found the need to replace it. If you have a USB two-button mouse you can use it just fine with the iMac.

The iMac comes with a telephone cable for dial-up internet, but no ethernet cable. The included User's Guide covers everything I would expect it to - including how to take apart the computer to add more memory (looks very easy). There's also a full color booklet showing the features of all the included Apple software.

Conclusion
As I said in the beginning, I'm pretty picky, so it is hard for me to say this... but I really can't think of anything to complain about. When is the last time you bought something computer related and couldn't think of ONE thing they did wrong? It was hard to finally make the plunge and buy the iMac, but I'm so glad I did. Everyone in the family has enjoyed it so far, and I can tell it will be fun and easy to use for years to come. I was concerned about buying a Mac right now, but I can't imagine Apple coming up with a better combination of processing power and value for a long time. If you are in the market for a new computer, I would wholeheartedly recommend the iMac G5.