Is it really Worth it??
I have a 20" Intel iMac and I love it. Everything runs smoothly without many of the "hiccups" experienced on Windows machines. The integration of software and hardware is excellent. The iMac is an all-in-one machine, so there is little you can do to upgrade the machine. I've found in the years I've owned a Mac, I don't miss the upgradability whatsoever. Macs are dfesigned to last for years an not become outdated. I use MS Office for Mac and it is very responsive and capable. The look and feel of it on the iMac is just great. The only feature I really miss from the full version of MS Office is Access, but then, you can use a spreadsheet to handle some databases. The iLife programs that come with the iMac are out of this world. If you are into writing music Garageband is an excellent program. iDVD is also great for making your own DVDs of your home movies, etc. iMovie is great for editing your videos and then transferring them to a DVD. iPhoto, while not on the same level as Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, is a great photo editor and restoration program. Many of the programs you use on Windows are available for the Mac, although, with the new Intel iMacs, you have the ability to run Windows programs as well. This can be a handy feature indeed if you have a program which has no similar program available for OS X. OS X is, in a word, GREAT! Gone are the constant lockups and crashes and it is also virus free and resistant/ At this time, there are no widely spread virus or worms, etc. for OS X, but I would still siuggest you consider an anti-virus program anyway. I always tend to play on the safe side. As I said, my experience with th iMac has been excellent. Before this unit I had a G5 iMac as well as an old G4 iMac and they are both still running today, although in different homes. Good luck in your future. If there is an Apple store near you, get over and try out the iMac as well as the other Macs available. You'll be hooked.
I have a 20" Intel iMac and I love it. Everything runs smoothly without many of the "hiccups" experienced on Windows machines. The integration of software and hardware is excellent. The iMac is an all-in-one machine, so there is little you can do to upgrade the machine. I've found in the years I've owned a Mac, I don't miss the upgradability whatsoever. Macs are dfesigned to last for years an not become outdated. I use MS Office for Mac and it is very responsive and capable. The look and feel of it on the iMac is just great. The only feature I really miss from the full version of MS Office is Access, but then, you can use a spreadsheet to handle some databases. The iLife programs that come with the iMac are out of this world. If you are into writing music Garageband is an excellent program. iDVD is also great for making your own DVDs of your home movies, etc. iMovie is great for editing your videos and then transferring them to a DVD. iPhoto, while not on the same level as Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, is a great photo editor and restoration program. Many of the programs you use on Windows are available for the Mac, although, with the new Intel iMacs, you have the ability to run Windows programs as well. This can be a handy feature indeed if you have a program which has no similar program available for OS X. OS X is, in a word, GREAT! Gone are the constant lockups and crashes and it is also virus free and resistant/ At this time, there are no widely spread virus or worms, etc. for OS X, but I would still siuggest you consider an anti-virus program anyway. I always tend to play on the safe side. As I said, my experience with th iMac has been excellent. Before this unit I had a G5 iMac as well as an old G4 iMac and they are both still running today, although in different homes. Good luck in your future. If there is an Apple store near you, get over and try out the iMac as well as the other Macs available. You'll be hooked.
