Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I recently bought a 27" imac quadcore and am simply blown away by how well macs work. My wife has been a mac lover for years and i have been an HP supporter since my first computer in 1996. Since windows 3.1 and MSDOS I have been doing all the little frustrating things which PC users do every day and deal with not realizing there is a better way. No more popup boxes, no more crashes, no more asking to do this and that, no more tedious installs and updates no more slowing down and running defrag and adaware and norton and everything else to try to determine why my 9 month old PC is running like a 9 year old PC. Everyone says it but its true. MACS JUST WORK. Its that simple. Take it out of the box, plug it in and your done. Everything is automatic, beautiful, sleek and most importantly made to last. My wife has had a macbook for nearly four years and the only thing that finally took it down was the battery charging feature. Basically a 200$ fix for a 999$ laptop. Not worth it and we got a new one. But the longevity is amazing. Had we changed the battery it would have lasted god knows how long. I't never had a virus and to the end worked just as fast as it had the day she turned it on for the first time.
I never imagined I would ever switch..and am so happy I finally did. The 27" is a flagship and is simply impressive to look at. I am a videophile and audiophile and this screen is simply a JOY to work with. You can put ultra high resolution photos on it and WOW. I elected to purchase the i7 because it is simply an amazing processor and the upgrade is only 180 for an educational user and perhaps 200? for a regular non affiliated user. The tiny upgrade is worth it as this MAC i can already tell will last forever and the longer you keep it the better it is to have a better processor. I purchased the smallest hard drive as there is really no point in a large internal drive. Even the largest drive apple offers will seem insignificant in two years as internet media advances and the price apple asks is ABSURD but heck if you have the cash go for it. I plan to expand with an external drive as needed. I also purchased the LEAST amount of RAM available 4GB 2X2GB at the time. There are four RAM slots available and I would truly recommend the max just to make sure this supercomputer is able to maximize it's potential for many years to come as the i7 processor can handle just about anything the avg user will throw at it for years to come. Apple wants 1600$ for the max ram upgrade, you can get it from reliable internet sources for around 300 dollars and even at 12 gb ram you are far beyond anything you will probably ever use.
I am a sucker and purchased the applecare plan but as an ed user its basically free with the discounts and I am covered for three years unconditionally. Even though I'm fairly certain I will not need it. I was just so used to having a computer which I did not have faith in it seemed right at the time.
SO PROS:
For a relatively low price I was able to get a very thin, extremely powerful desktop computer. I am in grad school and while the cost was substantial it was well worth it. The screen is of extraordinary size. It is really almost a flat panel TV with an EXTREMELY high viewing angle. It can be wall mounted. The standard keyboard and mouse are wireless, gorgeous, sturdy and work right out of the box like a dream. It takes up very little space on the desk and simply put it works. It's impossible to explain to someone who has not switched. everything is inside the monitor. It's the same thickness as the standard LCD tv of a year or two ago. The 802.11 goes up to N which is a huge plus and works flawlessly. No fluctuating signal, nothing. My download speeds are INCREDIBLE compared to anything else hooked up to this router. THe screen size is not only simply impressive, but also very functional. I am a molecular biologist and have to type countless scientific manuscripts back to back for two years now. I can have side by side word processing and data access as in a PDF or internet file right next to it no switching back and forth. That alone makes this computer a worthwhile investment for me. It can also handle rather intense mapping/sequencing software although i have only used it on similar macs in the lab and have yet to figure out how to do it at home. BUT I CAN! Oh and did i mention that a) practically every USB and bluetooth and wifi device works flawlessly with both mac and pc, you can VERY easily install windows on this computer and even run it in parallel with mac osx.. you have plenty of processing power to do it so compatibility is simply a NON-ISSUE.
CONS:
There are always a few. The keyboard is fantastic, light, wireless and heck a sturdy..solid stamped aluminum but feels rather flimsy..though on the other hand its extremely light and VEY thin. Think three credit cards stacked together. It lacks a NUMpad which for me is not a necessity but is extremely useful. Its small and feels cramped due to the fact that I type constantly and am a 5"10 college athlete. But it does very comfortably fit on my lap and i can surf the web from my couch with ease from across the room. The mouse really is magic. You can scroll, click with a tap etc and set these preferences as you wish. On top of that the new mouse has eliminated the red track light of old and replaced it with im guessing is guessing IR. Either way it works on ANY surface, dark, light reflective, carpet etc. Just not on glass. The MAC is very dedicated to ensuring it work perfectly. Sometimes to the point where as an ex PC user i am frightened by the lack of in depth menus, lack of accessing multiple drivers and in depth system knowledge etc. until i realize thats what had been eating literally days of my life up till this point. I'm still getting to know all the nifty (awesome but unnecessary) little shortcuts and tricks that the mac has but a PC user can use this computer out of the box with no problem. And really it is ready to go out of the box. Just plug it in BOOM its like its been there all along. (Welcome Change). Oh and its quiet... and doesnt get hot unless your rendering or something VERY intense so energy efficient.
One of my biggest letdowns was lack of a BLU RAY CAPABILITY. While the display is stunning using it to its true potential is fairly difficult but im sure not impossible via external mumbo jumbo. I use netflix on both this and my LED tv and while their and other online HD content is pretty it is nowhere near as brilliant as the blu-ray signal. DOWNER. The power cord is a tab bit on the short side but not enough to really be a problem and probably comparable to all desktop PC's, ive just been using laptops so frequently that ive been very appreciative of the extra long power cords versatility. Wow scary that thats all i have to complain about huh?
Bottomline- you wil not regret this purchase. It has really changed my life. I'm no longer frustrated nearly to tears when my computer is so SLOW and im on a tight schedule. It boots up SO FAST and takes care of everything SO FAST. It's eye catching and everyone is instantly jealous. Its cheap if you do not go crazy with apples customization options although the 21 inch model baseline for a child or someone not using their computer for intense work would still be far better than sufficient. Everyone is saying it and im happy to chime in saying "get it!!"
Click Here to see more reviews about: 27" iMac Intel Core i7 2.93GHz, 4GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon HD 5750, SuperDrive, Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Mouse
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