JUST BOUGHT: iMac 20" for my mom, thoughts, and the deal I got

[gomatt]

I have been browsing the MacRumor website for sometime now, as I am a windows kid looking to get more free time in my life by not fixing my computer. I am a sophmore at Florida State University, and am still using windows. My mom, needed a computer, she has never had one, and never really used one. So my dad and I ventured off to the local apple store planning to get a 17" iMac (not the base one, the upgraded one) for $1199 - $229 refresh price. We arrived at the store, and some little giggily apple girl brought out the only one they had, that I had put on hold. It turned out it was the 20" model, with wireless keyboard, mouse, and all the features.

For $1013 after tax, we brought home a refreshed iMac 20" intel core 2 duo, lastest one... I was really happy during the ride home.

We got home, took it out, and either it had never ever been taken out, or whatever apple did to "refresh" it, had made it just like new. I was amazed. Never buy new from apple, refresh, refurb, w/e, just get it for cheaper.

I am on the mac right now by the way, and from someone who has never really used a mac, I have to say, I am never going back. Life is too short for adjusting sys files, and registries, and getting .dll errors. I am completely converting. I am planning on buying a macbook pro after lepord, when school gets out, but after this amazing imac, I might just throw away the laptop idea, as everything is on the web (thanks to google, mail, pics, homepage, docs, ect). This iMac is better than anything you can ever read online, or in a review. The glowing standby, im sorry, sleep, light is beautiful. The mouse, is a lot nicer then I read, the wireless, which I would mostly stay away from, LOVE. Its all so beautiful. The finish of white, the glass like plastic, the stand, everything, even the apple keyboard which I hated, now I love because its just so simple, and perfect. There is ONE CORD, the power cord. Internet, keyboard, mouse, printer, is WIRELESS. And i hit frontrow, went into videos, APPLE PULLS all the lastest movie trailers, OMG, wow.....

Because of this beautiful mac, I WANT TO sit down, and use my pc. It makes me want to come to use it, its very enjoyable.

For all of you seeing what to buy, just get it, and sit and stare, as its as beautiful as all these mac-nuts make it out to be. Feel free to post any questions some of you windows users may have for a newbie mac guy. It really does reflect all the "technology" the world has to offer.

I am now, permantly, forever, and mac-nut. And for a good reason....

Matthew Hibbard
FSU 09'
http://www.gomatt.com/gallery

 

[Reflow]

Congratulations on your new purchase. You will love it

 

[phungy]

Congrats! If I didn't need portability I would have opted for the 20" iMac. I would have bought a refurb MB but they didn't have any C2Ds. I should have drove to the 3 nearest Apple Stores though (about 2 hrs away) but I ended up buying new from Apple Online.

Wow! Not even $1100 for a 20" iMac! I'm jealous now.

Enjoy the iMac! I'm still waiting for the MB to arrive

I was hoping for some pics of the iMac from your link but its okay. Nice photos!

 

[FFTT]

Take some time to go through the MacRumors guides for tons of helpful information. Click the Guides tab above or go to
http://guides.macrumors.com/Category:Guides

The MacRumors Beginners Guide is a must read for anyone using Mac OS X
for the first time.

http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_Beginner's_Guide

Your local AppleStore also offers free classes and very affordable 1 on 1 training sessions if you want to learn or dig deeper into a certain application.

With that new C2D iMac, you can write the screenplay, design the set, shoot the movie, record the sound and edit all of it before you burn it to DVD for publication.

 

[FullCollapse]

glad to hear you enjoy the mac! i actually have the same model imac being shipped to me as we speak. so, your refreshed/refurbished/whatever imac is basically good as new? mine is refurbished also, but i'm starting to have doubts about it. i thought refurbished sounded great when i made the order, but at the moment i'm getting nervous about it... anyway, if you can i'd like to hear more about the condition of your mac, both the outside and the way everything runs. it would be much appreciated!

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Congrats on your mac, like the others have said.

Do not be afraid to ask any questions.

 

[aaronw1986]

congrats, and nice find.

 

[gomatt]

glad to hear you enjoy the mac! i actually have the same model imac being shipped to me as we speak. so, your refreshed/refurbished/whatever imac is basically good as new? mine is refurbished also, but i'm starting to have doubts about it. i thought refurbished sounded great when i made the order, but at the moment i'm getting nervous about it... anyway, if you can i'd like to hear more about the condition of your mac, both the outside and the way everything runs. it would be much appreciated!

After pulling it out, I inspected it to the T. There where NO fingerprints, apple must wipe it down with a cloth, and there was no evidence the lcd panel was touched after it was produced. No wipe makes, no dead pixels, everything. The apple guy at the store said they format the drives, and when i turned it on, acted just like a new product. I mean, its from apple, so its not a used POS. You will love your refurb. On the comment card on the box, the reason for return was for "buyers remorse" meaning I'm guessing they just took it back. EVEN the CD packages where never opened, or their were replaced. Battery levels where FULL, not ONE evident mark of use. Maybe I got lucky, but I have to say, I'm buying refurb/refresh when possible.

This thing is just such a joy to sit in front of and use.

 

[ffakr]

Viral Marketing?

I have to say, I don't disagree with anything in particular the poster said but, seriously, this totally reads like a Viral Marketing campaign. The bit about the standby.. sorry.. sleep light sounds totally contrived. And seriously, how often do people deal with .dll and registry issues anymore? I ask that in all seriousness because I run IT operations for a University Division and I'm still active in real troubleshooting/repair.

The only thing that makes me think this is possibly real is that there's no point in launching a viral marketing campaign on a Macintosh user site.. especially a rumors site. It's preaching to the converted around here.

I am doing the same thing, I'm buying my Mother her first Macintosh. I don't have dll or registry problems. My problem is all the crappy software that is available for Windows. Just dealing with a camera is a pain in the ass. My mother has finally figured out how to get the pictures to the computer but then she's just got a folder full of photos. She's got one app for photo albums which is a piece of crap and then she's got some Kodak (I believe) app that she uses for ordering photos and that thing's data cache is corrupted. When I have to go over the whole mess with her I remember why I don't use Windows as my primary OS. It's just one massive mess.

 

[kalisphoenix]

I have to say, I don't disagree with anything in particular the poster said but, seriously, this totally reads like a Viral Marketing campaign. The bit about the standby.. sorry.. sleep light sounds totally contrived. And seriously, how often do people deal with .dll and registry issues anymore? I ask that in all seriousness because I run IT operations for a University Division and I'm still active in real troubleshooting/repair.

The only thing that makes me think this is possibly real is that there's no point in launching a viral marketing campaign on a Macintosh user site.. especially a rumors site. It's preaching to the converted around here.

I am doing the same thing, I'm buying my Mother her first Macintosh. I don't have dll or registry problems. My problem is all the crappy software that is available for Windows. Just dealing with a camera is a pain in the ass. My mother has finally figured out how to get the pictures to the computer but then she's just got a folder full of photos. She's got one app for photo albums which is a piece of crap and then she's got some Kodak (I believe) app that she uses for ordering photos and that thing's data cache is corrupted. When I have to go over the whole mess with her I remember why I don't use Windows as my primary OS. It's just one massive mess.

How does it sound like a viral marketing campaign? It's like no viral marketing thing I've ever seen... just a good experience with a Mac. If it was viral marketing, there would be something like a video of a Mac rumormonger getting his head cut off or wrecking his car or something.

Astroturfers usually devote whole blogs to praise, too... *shrugs*

 

[ffakr]

How does it sound like a viral marketing campaign? It's like no viral marketing thing I've ever seen... just a good experience with a Mac. If it was viral marketing, there would be something like a video of a Mac rumormonger getting his head cut off or wrecking his car or something.

Astroturfers usually devote whole blogs to praise, too... *shrugs*

It didn't seem conversational. I just found it an odd read. He complained about Windows problems that are stereotypical but yet rather rare these days and his praise seemed odd.

I have absolutely zero idea if it's real. I assume it is. I'm sorry if I offend a convert. I was, I suppose, thinking aloud in a way that the post seemed odd. I suppose it would be possible that a Windows user would find a Mac Rumors forum to do product research before he bought his first Mac for his mother though.. instead of Apple, or Mac World, or any other more generic on-line computer resource.