A great investment for a solid product.

The 24'' iMac is a visually tempting system from the get-go. The brushed-steel frame and clean, crisp, high-resolution LCD screen do very well toward making this computer a "second TV" of sorts, along with your workstation... which may be a bad thing if you're easily distracted.

The hardware is very solid. The 2.8gHz Dual Core Intel processor runs most applications very smoothly. I disagree with the system having only 2GB of RAM, though; as soon as you install enough applications here, you'll want to upgrade it immediately. It's just not enough for today's style and demand of computing. Luckily, the RAM is easily upgraded right on the bottom surface with easy-to-read instructions on how to do so. However, the maximum upgrade to the computer is 4GB, which is not nearly enough for someone serious about computing. The included ATi graphics card works just fine for this generation's games, but I would recommended the nVidia upgrade if you're looking for an online-gamiing powerhouse.

The accessories leave something to be desired. I went with the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and they just don't seem as stable as the wired versions. I like the heavier feel and number pad of the wired keyboard, and the mouse in general needs a specific type of surface to function well; it's a lot more stingy than my old PC mouse. Also, the Bluetooth connections sometimes are lost for no reason; this is especially difficult when running Windows on the Mac. I would highly recommend getting the wired versions.

However, by getting these versions, you're taking away USB ports on the back of the computer. There simply aren't enough ports there, and trying to plug them in is a pain, since the monitor swivels when you push it, and the ports are on the bottom half of the back. I would actually recommend a hub here, the access is just not that great.

A wonderful thing about buying any Mac right now is the Leopard operating system. With the still-somewhat-broken Vista on just about every new PC, the toss-up between a Mac or Windows OS is a no-brainer. It is important to learn the keyboard shortcuts on a Mac even more than a PC, since many functions only really exist within keyboard combinations, like the all-important screenshot utility. This creates a bit of a steep learning curve for intermediate Mac functions, but once you've got it, you'll love it.

Once you get this computer, you'll realize that half the fun is utilizing the freeware programs built for it. HandBrake lets you easily back up your DVD collection on your computer, Transmission is a good Torrent program, and the OpenOffice 3.0 beta is working wonderfully. This one isn't free, but Delicious Library 2 is an awesome app that lets you catalog and store all of your stuff visually with a barcode in one place- it automatically scans the barcode through the built-in iSight camera and keeps vital information about your stuff, just in case anything gets stolen or lost.

I'm sure you've heard about Boot Camp, the application that lets the Mac split the hard drive into a Mac and Windows partition, and lets you start your Mac in either Windows or Mac OS. It does work, but beware- it doesn't work so well with using Windows disk image CD's, so any disk images given out by a college's Information Technology program will require many AppleCare calls and a wrestling match with your bluetooth setup. I did manage to do it, and I was ecstatic to play my Windows games on such a powerful system.

Basically, this is a great computer, but be prepared to upgrade the RAM, have a little bit of a rough time with Boot Camp, and be sure to get the wired accessories.