Knew that'd get ya! Seriously though, do yaw'll like it?

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), January 11, 2002

Answers

Jobs is betting the company on it; I hope it sells. It's definitely cool-looking, I'll give it that. :)

-- Stephen M. Poole (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), January 11, 2002.

I want one! Hard to believe they crammed everything into that dome. I like that it doesn't take up much space, and the easy-to-turn screen is cool too. Seems like there could be a problem with the swivel mechanism getting loose, hopefully it is designed to last a long time. If I had an extra $1800 to get the one with DVD recordable, I would buy one. We'll see.

-- (I@like.it), January 11, 2002.

If you are curious.

For the tech heads

New iMac

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), January 11, 2002.

"Very pretty colonel, but can they fight?" Donald Sutherland

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), January 12, 2002.

The cost of all that pretty form-factor is a decided loss of potential functionality. The standard Wintel box is big, ugly and boxy, because it has a bunch of open slots and bays inside. The standard 'consumer' Mac is sleek, fashionable and pretty because it is designed as a unit. It is 'complete' out of the box. You couldn't upgrade it if your life depended on it. Some people like that. They buy Macs. I don't like it. I don't buy Macs.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), January 12, 2002.

Uh, hate to be dense, but this ole girls thinks it looks like it could use a keyboard and a mouse capn!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

No no no Aunt Bee! You're supposed to stare into the screen and think at it and it does the typing for you. That's what the kid in the computer store told me. I can't get it to work yet...

-- helen (new@fangled.thing), January 12, 2002.

LN,

There are alot of the PC's out of the box that aren't upgradeable as well, only the vendors keep their mouth shut not telling the consumer that the motherboards are soldered into the system and an upgrade or even more ram is impossible.While the iMac here, is as you state 'unupgradeable' as far as ports go, the G4's are fully upgradeable.

Have you ever test driven a Mac? The user friendliness is far superior to that of the wintel machines.

I think Apple is proving form or function need not be sacrificed.

B, I bet they'd throw in a keyboard with it if'n ya asked (and a mouse too) ; )

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), January 13, 2002.

LN, I don't think the iMac is targeted at businesses, and the average home user doesn't upgrade. I've had my current machine for over 2 years and never upgraded anything. 450 mhz, 128 RAM, still plenty of power for my needs.

2 years later, DVD drives and flat panel screens have come down in price. For about the same amount as it would cost me to upgrade to a DVD-R, flat panel monitor, twice the RAM, larger hard drive, etc. I could just buy one of these iMacs. It doesn't bother me if I can't upgrade it, because in another 2 years we will have computers that talk and wipe our butts for us. : )

-- (don't@like.boxes), January 13, 2002.

So there are people out there who are still willing to buy a computer with a 15 inch monitor? Will wonders never cease. I guess there is truely "one born every minute."

-- E.H.Porter (just.wondering@about.it), January 13, 2002.

Except that it's a 15" LCD which offers the equivalent viewing area of a 17" CRT monitor.

-- (what@i.think), January 14, 2002.

Porter,

Yes, there is "one born every minute", and some of them remain that way because they don't stay up on the facts.

FYI, a 15" LCD flat panel monitor is far superior to a 17" CRT tube type monitor. Not only is the viewing area at least as large, the resolution is much sharper. It is an entirely different technology. There is also none of the imperceptible flickering that causes eyestrain with tube monitors, and no harmful radiation being emitted.

-- (you@are.clueless), January 14, 2002.

harmful radiation?

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), January 15, 2002.

At the back end of any CRT, whether its is a television or a monitor, there is a scanning electron "gun" pointed at the screen, shooting a beam that illuminates the phosphors. That gun is also pointing at whoever is sitting in front of the CRT. A certain amount of the radiation escapes. The open question is how much this affects us over the long haul.

After all, the sun is irradiating us, too. On a day to day basis, the sun is not a problem. Over the long haul, exposure to the sun can cause skin melanomas (cancer). Or not. It depends on how much sun and a bunch of imponderables.

Are CRTs a risk? Yes. How big a risk? Probably quite small, but...

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), January 15, 2002.

LN,

I heard that most of the radiation comes out the back side of the monitor and actually zaps anyone sitting behind it. Is that not correct?

-- (not@sure.now), January 15, 2002.

Sorry. No expertise here. PC Magazine did a story on this stuff back in '97 or so. Maybe it is available on the web. It should be easy enough to measure the actual radiation at various distances from the CRT and come up with hard numbers. What gets hard is knowing what the numbers mean.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), January 15, 2002.

Well, one thing is for sure, there is no lack of snake-oil salesman in the field of "CRT radiation protection."

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), January 15, 2002.

I got my CRT face shield helmet for $19.99, it came in designer colors and as a bonus it was monogrammed for free.

I thought everyone had one : |

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), January 15, 2002.

Cap'n,

It's not the face you gotta worry about, it's your genitalia.

-- Dr. Dean Edell (wearing a lead cup) (don't like @ mutant. babies), January 15, 2002.

Hey, "You" -- you mean there are people still using 17in CRT monitors too? Heavens!

Personally, I like my setup, with a 21 inch primary monitor, and a 15 inch secondary. Lots a screen real estate, don't ya know.

Plus, I must express some skepticism about how a 15 inch iMac monitor is really bigger (or as big) as a 17 in CRT. I've got a nice flat panel SXGA 15 inch monitor on my laptop. Like it a lot. But the 17 inch screen still seems bigger to me.

-- E.H.Porter (just.wondering@about.it), January 15, 2002.

If you work within 5 feet of a CRT, you're toast.

-- Ghost of (P@ul.Milne), January 15, 2002.