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Product: Macintosh Computer

Developer: Apple

Specs: 2GHz PowerPC G5 processor, 20" widescreen LCD monitor, 512K L2 cache, 667MHz frontside bus, 512MB DDR400 SDRAM, 128MB DDR ATI Radeon 9600 video card, 250GB Serial ATA hard drive, slot-load 8x SuperDrive, 56k internal modem

Retail Price: $1,799.00

Availability: Out now

The first thing I should point out in this review is that the 20" flat panel iMac really does turn heads. It turns them, and it keeps them fixed. When my clients come into my office, my iMac is nearly always a topic of conversation, often the main topic. People don't get that the entire computer is behind the monitor, and some (always PC users) refuse to believe me until I insert a CD into the upper right of the system. Even the FedEx guy, who I assume must be quite a busy man, takes a few minutes now and then to discuss the computer with me. He seems almost apologetic that he went the cheap route and bought a PC for home use.

"Whatever works for you," I tell him. If all you need is a $500 bargain basement PC, then God bless you. Would that it were that simple for me. I want my computer to have more power than that. To be easier to use and set up than that. I want my computer to be easier than that to look at for prolonged periods of time. I want to know that when I buy something, no corners have been cut in an effort to keep the product on Wal-Mart shelves. And, yes, I want other computer users to look at my iMac in the same way Ford Festiva drivers look at Jaguars.

Now, sticking with the monitor for a moment, I must confess it was the main factor that sold me on the 20" iMac. It was between that or a low-end dual DP G5 tower. I like the upgradability and the superior speed of the tower, but going with that would mean sticking with my current 17" Apple Studio Display CRT, and I was having none of that. Working on web designs all day, I didn't need the power of dual processors, I hoped, and figured the high end iMac would be enough. I was mostly right.

It had always confused me that any Macintosh would ship with only 256MB RAM, but I guess that was one of the corners Apple had cut. Not anymore. The 20" 2GHz model now ships with 512MB standard, as do both 17" models (1.8 and 2GHz). I stil recommend upgrading this to at least 1GB, but at least Apple's now being fair with RAM. Plus, installing RAM in these iMacs is as easy as Apple users have come to expect.

Although, once inside, not everything is that easy to reach. On a previous model (the build for which is the same as this model reviewed), the SuperDrive seemingly died after only a few months of use. I put in a CD, and it wouldn't mount. It wouldn't eject, either. The System Profiler wouldn't even recognize that there was a SuperDrive installed, and neither a reboot nor a PRAM zap would convince it otherwise. In an attempt to save myself either a system reinstall or a trip to see the local Apple Genius, or both, I figured I'd disconnect and reconnect the drive to see if that'd help. Unlike with systems in the past, this wasn't a simple matter of yanking out a plug and putting it back in. The connecter for the SuperDrive is mounted onto the drive itself, so I had to unscrew the drive and remove the whole unit in order to disconnect it. Not a major issue, but an indication that not everything in here is as easy as it once was.

This worked, by the way. The computer again recognized the SuperDrive. Take that, Geek Squad!

Externally, the iMac is as plain as can be. I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of the "THX 1138 School of Design," in which in everything is as minimal and sanitized as possible. The flat, white design of the iMac is great in that it provides no distraction from the screen, but it's exceptionally boring, too. I'm surprised no one yet offers decals that can be placed around the iMac's monitor...or perhaps someone does and I just haven't found them. Still, as it is, the large area underneath the monitor does acommodate PostIt Notes quite well (if you're inclined to stick stuff on your computer).

On the back right of the iMac are all of your ports, including ethernet, modem, two FireWire, three USB, etc. I would prefer to have at least one USB and one FireWire port up front or on the side for easier access, as I don't like having to reach behind the computer each time I want to plug in a USB flash drive or an iPod Shuffle. The power button is also on the back right, but it's out of the way of the ports, and I only had to the turn the computer one and off a couple times to get to where I could hit the power button without groping or looking behind the monitor.

All models have AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 built in, and these additions are especially welcome. The fewer wires you have running from your system, the more natural your iMac will look sitting on the desk. It sounds trivial, but it really isn't. The wireless technologies accepted by the new iMacs take the computer one step closer to becoming part of your workstation as opposed to something sitting on top of it, and that makes for a better work experience.

Still, I'd forgo all of this if the computer didn't have decent power, but the iMac provides that. It doesn't match up to my dual 2.5GHZ desktop system, but it wasn't meant to, obviously. The trouble with the iMacs was that the processor speed was good, but other elements were lacking. We've already addressed the RAM issue, and now Apple has addressed other issues as well. The 20" model now ships with a 250GB serial ATA drive vs. the old 160GB (important, considering Apple's emphasis on music, movies and photos), Gigabit ethernet (important, considering the iMacs are perfect large and small LAN clusters) and 667MHz fontside bus (overpowering that of the low end G5 tower).

Most impressive, though, especially for gamers, is the 128MB DDR ATI Radeon 9600. Finally, finally Apple has given an iMac a 3D graphics card worthy of the system. This card kicks butt, and Mac gamers will no longer feel comprimised when playing games on their iMac. The high end cards have already reached 256MB of video ram, but few games are taking advantage of that power, so this configuration should keep you playing most A-list titles for two to three years.

Still, Apple didn't quite get everything right. Although Tiger and iLife '05 of course ships on the new iMacs, users are only given a 30-day trial of iWork '05. Instead, they get Appleworks. I'm not sure how important this is, as Pages is a clunky mess and Keynote is not needed by the majority of Mac users, but Appleworks was never much better. A Microsoft Office 2004 test drive is included, but that's about as useless as those AOL trial runs that used to be included on Macs. Remember those days?

Also, considering the graphics power, I'm surprised Nanosaur 2 and Marble Blast Gold are the free games Apple includes. Nanosaur 2 is a great game and Marble Blast Gold is entertaining enough, but there are other games out there Apple could've used to much more effectively show off what these computers can do.

There's an awful lot to love about the new iMacs, but there always has been a lot to love. The trouble is that there's always been a lot to want, to. They've sacrificed power for the sake of aesthetics and usability, and so their life-span has been considerably shorter than that of other cheaper computers (on the PC side, anyway). With the 2GHz 20" iMac, this is no longer the case. I won't say Apple has finally learned that even iMac users want power and longevity from their computers; I'm sure they've always known it. Instead, I'll conclude they've finally found a way to inexpensively deliver that power and longevity in a sleek, head-turning, easily managable unit.

Your FedEx driver should have it so good.

Buy the 20" 2GHz iMac G5